15 The Devil

Aug 21, 2024

The Devil represents complicity and the vices that we turn to in times of stress or duress. But, it’s simultaneously the card of liberation, overcoming our own limiting beliefs, and removing ourselves from bondage.

Although The Devil may call attention to our coping mechanisms, it isn’t a call for deprivation or quitting our guilty pleasure entirely. Instead, The Devil suggests that we examine our relationships with our vices and make sure that we are controlling them and not being controlled by them. Do our coping mechanisms serve simply to distract us from our larger problems, concerns, or stressors? Or are they actually a form of self-care? Or both?

In the Modern Witch Tarot, the two captives are loosely chained to the Devil’s pedestal. They could easily remove the chains and release themselves from his bondage. But, they seemingly choose not to. Why? What keeps them there other than their own lack of action? Is it fear of the unknown? Is it comfort in “the devil you know”? Or is it a belief that they aren’t worthy of any more?

A tarot card labelled XV Teufel. A person who is half-human, half-goat sits on a tall black pedestal. Their head is a goat’s head, with long, thin, white horns and a goatee. On their forehead is an inverted pentacle. They have big, white wings opened behind them. They are holding a lit torch in one hand and holding the other hand up in the air. In front of them are two naked figures, with chains leading from their necks to the foot of the pedestal. The chains on their necks are loose. Each figure has small yellow horns. At their feet are flames. — Teufel (Devil) from The Modern Witch Tarot

The Devil can be a good reminder of how we impose our own limits upon ourselves, through action or inaction, or by submitting to limiting beliefs where we tell ourselves that we aren’t good enough or capable of more. These beliefs can be the only thing standing in our way of achieving our goals or pushing forward in our work. Once we recognize them for what they are, we can take back power from The Devil and regain our agency.

A tarot card labelled XV. The Devil. A row of tall, dark, leafless trees in front of a grey sky with a subtle, muted, sun peeking through. — The Devil from The Spacious Tarot

A tarot card labelled 15. The Devil. A shirtless, male-presenting person with long black hair, and a toned torso is reaching out one hand as though offering something to the reader. His face is neutral. Puppet strings are tied around two of his fingers. The strings lead to a figure wearing a hoodie with their head down, hands clasped around their eyes, as though distressed. — The Devil from The Light Seer’s Tarot

A tarot card labelled XV the devil. A goat with long horns. Its hooves are encased in red, orange, and yellow flames. Otherwise, the card is fully black and white. On its head is an inverted pentacle. — the devil from The Wild Unknown

Activity

Today, if you indulge in something you consider a coping mechanism, a guilty pleasure, or a vice, reflect on how it makes you feel. How do you feel immediately afterwards? How do you feel an hour or 2 later? Does it give you sustained joy or energy? Or does it ultimately inhibit joy or energy?

You are invited to share your response to the activities in the comments below.

Reflection Questions

The reflection questions are designed for your own reflection on the archetype and how it may be present in your life and practices. In thinking about the Devil, consider the following questions:

What behaviours or habits do you turn to when you feel stuck or overwhelmed? How do these behaviours or habits serve you? (How) do they constrain you?
What limiting beliefs do you have about your own sphere of influence to enact change? Where do you actually have power to enact change? What’s stopping you?
Subscribe to receive the daily prompts for the whole 22-day auto-ethnography project.

The Fool's Journey

Discussion about this post