I WILL BE WORKING USING THE RIDER WAITE TAROT DECK AS A BASIS FOR THIS EXPLORATION.

2nd of the ‘Big 3’, The Devil strikes fear into the hearts of most who meet him in a reading, but it is important to remember that this is not a card of evil. It is true that The Devil may not be the most comfortable of cards to receive in a reading, but this does not make him inherently negative. In fact, it is only by facing the uncomfortable truths The Devil reveals that we can be liberated from them, and in this way he’s not such a bad card to receive.

The Devil is the central figure of this card. He is presented in a satyr form, like that of Baphomet. He is associated with the planet Saturn, and the zodiac sign Capricorn. It is for this reason that the image of Baphomet is used as a satyr is part goat, part human. Saturn is a representative of our limitations and our constraints. Saturn is concerned with the physical world and the boundaries that exist within it. As such, he is concerned with the ‘truth’ in that many of the boundaries and constraints that we live by are completely man-made. The structure of society is created by us and we live within it, it is not a law of nature in the same way that something like gravity is, yet many of us view it as an undeniable part of existence. In this way, The Devil card is challenging how we view the world and our place in it. This idea is further propagated by the chained figures at the feet of The Devil. The chains are loose and the people do not appear to be panicking or worried. This tells us that if they truly chose it, they could be free of their chains.

On the heads of the figures who are chained are small horns. These show that they are becoming like The Devil, or that they are being stubborn and are imprisoned by their own world view. I choose to take the latter option as the true cause of the horns because I feel it fits better with the Saturn symbolism and makes the reading of the card more coherent, although any interpretation is valid if it makes sense for a reading.

Similar to The Magician, one arm of The Devil points upwards and one points downwards. This could be in reference to the illusions of our world. It does not represent higher knowledge in this card.

When we you meet The Devil in a reading, you may be trapped by some beliefs you hold. You may be allowing your own mind to hold you captive. You need to free yourself of doubt, you are holding yourself back. You may not be able to see your truth because of some illusion that is clouding your judgement.

Your darker aspects are negatively impacting you. Do not look for instant gratification, you are worthy of so much and the only thing that will stop you from achieving that is yourself. You have full control over your own destiny, never think that you can’t do something, or that you aren’t capable of something. When those thoughts enter your head, you must realise that they come from your darker self. Luckily for you, The Devil never shows in a reading unless you are at a point where you can remove these negative thoughts. You can take control of your narrative and free yourself from anything which does not serve you positively. You have a lot of strength inside you, focus it on what you can do rather than letting yourself be beset by doubts.

When The Devil appears reversed, it may represent a moment of clarity where you can shrug off the chains. Immediately, this seems wonderful, surely this is what we’ve been waiting for?! But when we have moments of clarity and we are able to see the illusions of the world, when we are able to see things as they truly are, it is not always what we hoped it would feel like. It is isolating and lonely. It can cause great anxiety and a sense of uneasiness. The truth does not always set you free, whether you can rid yourself of the chains or not.