A creepy looking card that can represent darkness in your life, addiction, bad habits, obsessions and being bound. However, this card shows you that you have a choice. It’s time to bring awareness to your behaviour, question it, and bring about necessary changes to unbind yourself and get your freedom back.
Our first Devil in Jessica Roux’s Woodland Wardens Tarot is actually not too dissimilar to the classic image with the literal Devil on it, just that this image depicts the Devil as a bat. Instead of two human figures loosely bound by chains, there are two scorpions, bound by ivy to a tree. The scorpions could cut themselves loose, just like the human figures could unchain themselves if they chose to. One scorpion holds a bunch of grapes, a symbol of enjoyment, the other has a flame, symbolising passion and lust. They are being held back from their true potential in that they choose to be bound to the Devil. Discipline could set them free, it’s their choice.
Another touch on discipline is clear in the next Devil card from Theresa Hutch’s Black Seed Tarot. A cheeky looking Satanic Leaf-Tailed gecko with its red eyes and little horns clings to a wine bottle. The allusion to addiction, alcoholism is clear. The gecko draws our attention and can fool us, but at the same time heeds a warning. It is possible to consciously ignore the gecko, or put it back in it’s own habitat and move on freely.
The Christephania Tarot portrays several symbols of temptation, being led astray, and getting tangled into a web. We are confronted with our habits and ways that close ourselves in. This card is about recognising those things, those fears, behaviour pattens and addictions and being intentional about making positive changes.
The Devil Tarot card can be a warning card, or a prompt to look deeper and critically at yourself and how you live in order to become aware of what is potentially damaging you. It is part of our human nature that we may obsess, become addicted and develop bad habits, but it’s also our choice whether we stay living this way. We can choose freedom. It’s not always easy, it takes discipline, hard work and time, but if we truly desire something, we can make it happen.
