The Devil

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I wrote about The Devil card on SalemTarot.com so many years ago and was thrilled to find it again just recently.

Up:
The inverted pentagram has long brought uneasiness to many, but in actuality it has many meanings—and they’re not all menacing. In fact, far from it. Some believe that the inverted pentagram symbolizes Earth energy while the right-side-up star symbolizes Spirit energy. So Earth energy talks about manifesting physical things like pulling into your energy a new car or love, it can also be physical healing—while Spiritual energy talks about connection with higher self, the Universe, and spiritual and emotional healing.

Here we have the Devil card and, in my favorite Hansen Roberts deck, the Devil has a pentagram on his forehead. It symbolizes here the physical things in our life that can become addictive. This card is about imbalance of physical manifestations and higher self. It’s about fear and succumbing to fear.

Fear comes from, many times, the feeling or belief that there is not enough in the Universe for everyone. Coveting, hoarding, hiding, feeling shameful, regret, anger—all of these things can be pulled from the Devil card. It represents the part of ourselves that needs to grow, expand, forgive and ascend. In other words, many times our biggest character challenges are affecting us in a negative way and are being shown to us by the Devil card in a spread.

This card represents addictions to anything. Of course the first thing we think of is drugs, alcohol—and this could be if coupled with cups cards. But it could be anything that renders addiction. Addiction to self (selfishness to detriment), addiction to food, exercise, shopping, negative thought patterns. Addiction to another person, a job (workaholic), overall materialism (which can render greed).

These addictions are based on compulsive actions. Staying in a compulsive cycle keeps the seeker trapped in his own prison of weakness. Usually addictions represent a deep sense of not feeling worthy. The feeling that there isn’t enough in the Universe and that you’re not worthy enough to have what is there causes addictive behavior. (e.g. there’s not enough love, attention, money, room for me, I’m going to eat, drink, shop, lie to fill this void—instead of filling it with forgiveness and healing bringing about true contentment.)

It’s important to understand what is being represented when this card falls into a reading. It is an energetic block that the seeker must recognize and curtail in order to move forward and create a place for harmony in her life. It’s important to remember that the seeker has options and control. She can seek help, or decide on her own to stop or curtail the behavior that is blocking her higher good and ultimate happiness. (It may be helpful to admit also that the difficulty of overcoming this addiction takes place because the seeker does not feel worthy enough to allow for their happiness.)

Reversed:
When the Devil card is reversed, the seeker is over it. They know what the block is and they’re ready to get rid of it. The reversed card is a symbol of finally being able to let go of what was so binding and move forward in new light. It can symbolize the ultimate forgiveness of self. Depending on the surrounding cards, it can be a new beginning or just the beginning of climbing out of that box. It can take time and healing, but the Devil card reversed can render relief.

If the Devil card reversed is paired with the reversed Knight of Swords it could refer to someone who has an addiction that they are having much difficulty trying to defeat. Where as if the Knight of Swords is upright, it can mean there is an addiction that is fiercely being overcome by the seeker.

The Knight of Swords

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Knights are about action. And what kind of action depends upon their suit. Knights are also court cards that can represent a person in the life of the seeker, if not the seeker himself. The Knight of Swords represents a young man or a man who acts young or, even though mentally strong, a bit naive because of lack of experience, and holds the energy of air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). He can also be an even younger man with mental know and abilities beyond his years.

Up:
Straight up the Knight of Swords doesn’t have “defeat” in his vocabulary. This card represents action rather than sitting around a round table (sewing circle) and talking the situation to death. It comes from a mental view (as swords are about cerebral energy). This Knight can indicate a surgical procedure when the surroundings cards are right, courage, bravery, and conflict whether inner or environmental. It also represents a man who demands respect through his energy. A young leader. This card, as a personality in the seekers life, can encourage or inspire the seeker to act on his or her own beliefs and have the courage to stand up for what they believe.

Reversed:
While right-side-up this man may demand respect with his energy, up-side-down he craves it and demands it verbally, though he may not be looked upon with the respect that is needed for his wishes. He doesn’t follow through with his word, changes his mind, can be or be seen as fickle. He can also give off the impression of being someone who stirs up trouble. He’s pushy and doesn’t look out for others best interests. And, unlike the Five of Swords, it’s obvious. The seeker usually knows who this card represents in their life when his characteristics are explained. He is a thorn in their side somehow that is depicted by surrounding cards. His judgment is off because he’s letting the emotions of drama get in the way of objective decision. A pushy know-it-all that would be best avoided.

 

The High Priestess

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Today the High Priestess is calling me. I’ve got  a crazy busy week ahead of me and she’s telling me to trust that it’s all good. She possesses hidden power. The kind of power that  can come across to others as seeing right through them. She stays quiet about it—no need to alert everyone she can read their minds—they sense that she knows too much anyway and steer clear of her like the faerie tales with the old witch in the woods.

She’s actually, though, more of a healing goddess that sees straight to the heart of things. It’s only those who are still trying to hide that think she’s out there in the forest with one eye in her head and the other one in her pocket. She’s mysterious, pensive and to herself, not forthcoming with all of her knowledge unless she feels that she can trust. I mean really, what’s the point if they’re not ready to hear the deep mysteries of the Universe anyway? They know who she really is, and when they’re ready, they seek her out.

Intuitive, psychic, understanding motives that others haven’t even considered yet, she sees the world from a unique place. A place that she keeps centered and calm. It’s like that Sandra Bullock movie where she’s in rehab and she’s trying to lift the horse’s foot to show that she is grounded within herself, that she can trust herself. But, when she tries aloofly and with an overly-confident attitude, the horse won’t budge. Horses are spiritual and sensitive animals. It knows she’s coming with untrue motives and doesn’t trust her.

When she tries again after looking deeper into her own situation then realizing compassion for herself and for others, the horse trusts her. It understands the place where she’s coming from—that deeper understanding of herself. She picks up his foot with no effort at all. He practically picks it up for her.

The High Priestess is that calm knowing presence that won’t budge unless the energy is right. And she knows intuitively when it is and when it is not. She has the knowledge of being through it. She’s been through everyone’s “through it.” She’s connected with the collective conscious in a way that silently conveys to her the motives, intentions, and dynamics of others. They may not acknowledge they possess these motives and qualities in their energy, or they secretly do and are not ready to face that information much less deal with someone else knowing their secrets.

As the second Major Arcana card, The High Priestess possesses duality. She can be a healer to those who want to live in alignment with their higher-self life, and a mirror to those who are shameful and refuse to face and let go of their fears, mistakes, and regrets. She trusts herself. She’s patient, she waits. She observes. She sees it all and grounds in the knowledge.

She will help and be of service when she trusts that the situation is open to receiving her gifts. She’s definitely not frivolous with them. They’re too sacred to throw pearls to swine, so to speak. She is confident enough to be solo and not feel pressure. She understands there is no reason to sell out or give up on herself. She is the epitome of Divine Goddess Spirit. The often unspoken feminine.

Reversed, The High Priestess shows a woman who is misusing her gifts of intuit. She is manipulative or, on the other extreme, superficial. There is a strong need to go within and look at a situation without the ego when this card appears reversed. Be aware that this presence has a great affect on the seeker’s life. This is a strong dynamic that needs distancing from if it represents another person in the seeker’s reading that is not the seeker herself.

Pip Cards and Numerology

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Pip cards have elemental values as well as numerical values.
Pythagoras believed that life can be analyzed and explained through numerical terms. Each number has meaning. When you combine elemental values and the meanings that go along with the pip numbers, you can start to really see a story come together through the cards.

Even numbers have feminine energy and Odd numbers masculine.

0: Fool card. 0 Unbiased potential. If the Fool card is reversed it can mean old business or something that you’ve experienced before.

1: Aces. New beginnings in the most literal sense. Birth of a child, a project, a relationship. Reversed indicates delays of these things. Ace of Swords reversed straight out just means no.

2: Choices presented, decisions to be made, partnership, nurturing a part of yourself (e.g. the Lovers card sometimes symbolizes this). Back-and-forth contemplation.

3: Wisdom of the Goddess triad: maiden, mother and crone. Partnerships forming a group. Insight into a situation: the third eye.

4: Foundations, security, equality, material manifestations. Homes, marriage, solid business.

5: Opposite of 4’s feeling of foundation, 5’s are about shakin’ it up. It’s about change, which can create insecurity. Not always a bad thing, change, it can create a sense of fighting for what’s right, self, or a situation. 5 can be seen as (or felt as) marketing and promoting, or fighting for your livelihood. Competition. This might feel like crisis or instability. It can be excitement.

6: The harmony number. Figuring things out. Reestablishing stability after a 5 stretch. Empowering yourself with knowledge through planning.

7: Introspective. Reevaluating. Analyzing. Can be disruptive to the harmony as you uncover some truths about why things played out the way they did, what exactly happened… A come to Jesus with self, if you will. Acknowledging reality and letting go of a fog you might have been living in. Waking up after nurturing denial.

8: Power number. Material manifestation (4) times 2. This is also the infinity number. Universe number that reminds us of abundance. “There’s not just one flower, there are fields.”

9: A cycle is complete. Fulfillment achieved from this completion.

10: Abundance to an excess. A bit of duality: the cycle is over and a new one is beginning. 0 and 1 at the same time. Potential and starting all at once. Kinetic energy.

 

Suits and Their Astrological Attributes

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Each suit has astrological attributes depending on their element.
If you know anything about astrology, even if you’re not an astrologer (I’m not), it’s helpful when interpreting the feelings of the pip cards and court card personalities.

Cups = Water Signs
Swords = Air Signs
Wands= Fire Signs
Pentacles = Earth Signs

Cups = Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Swords = Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Wands = Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Pentacles = Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn