Dancing with the Devil

A Tarot card that dogs me is the Devil card, the 15th card of the Major Arcana The Devil belongs in the pantheon of cards making up of my personal numerology and tarot-scape. The Devil corresponds to Capricorn in the astrological connective tissue of the tarot. I am born in Capricorn season, though I don’t seem to match many  of the keywords - Ambitious, Leader, Conservative.  Exactly what does the Devil represent in tarot? Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. My Writual Journal tells me Saturn is about life lessons and destiny. Saturn is more resonant with my Capricorn existence - lots of lessons and lots of self chosen destiny.

Devil from the Holy Spectrum Tarot

 

The Devil archetype belongs to the Capricorn archetype. The Holy Spectrum Tarot Deck shows us a shrouded figure with questions that haunt us in daily life. What if, no you can’t, doubt yourself are the kinds of questions, popping out of the card.

Other decks show  us a devilish pan goatish figure, the figure of Pan, hinting at more pagan roots for the archetype. Pan was once the spirit of joy and wildness in the forest and now is perceived as the devil. 

Smith/Rider Waite Deck

I address this with the following conversation Devil and I had the other day. 

 

The chat began after I lit a sacred torch of disorientation and dismantlement, “Ye old Devil Weed,” I said when I realized time no longer could be trusted.

 

 
“You call me?”  The Devil appears, quite ready to converse. 
“I was objecting to the association of Devil and Weed, as if weed is bad for you.  Sometimes maybe we need to forget what day it is and how long we have been at task," said I, the one with a soul addicted to this particular nectar of vision and connection. 

 

"It’s the devil’s description, I disapprove of," said the Devil, who then cocked their head and asked, “Are you ready to dance with the Devil?”

 

“We’ve been dancing all along, you and me,” I respond. "You have the audacity to be born in Capricorn, same as me, but you got there first and cast your spells and claimed Capricorn as the Devil’s Realm.

 

Modern Goddess Tarot

 

Now every time I get the card, I feel like I am looking at myself and have to figure out if that is good or bad.”"I always wonder about the Pan aspects of Devil. 

 

 

Sometimes when your card appears, I think you and I, we are sensuously present, in the moment as coolest chicks, the artisst, the dudes in the flow of all creative.” 

The Devil answered seriously, “The wilder exotic part of me derives from Pan which has been in disgrace since folks got “civilized”. Actually I am about the ecstasy of being one with earth, air, water and fire. I have been, ahem, if you must… demonized.”

 

“Today, if I come up, people think I am  there to tell them they are being bad, or questioning  and doubting them, asking them to think of their weak spots, addictions and how one relates to all that binds you."

 

“May, I say?” trying to be helpful, “you are the archetype of Capricorn as our conscience. You are urging us to pay attention to what must be done to get all those 
Saturnian tasks done. You guide us through our days, helping us question our motives, our reasoning, and if we are on the right track. You often ask, “is this addictive, does this qualify as self harm, am I being slutty or is this encounter feeding my wild soul.”

 

“You, Devil, I proclaim you to be my wild soul, dwelling in the wild spaces  and not in the confines of polite societies. I will not make you take the blame for my unhealthy and out of control behavior. I consider you to be the wild one, living in right relationship to forest field and river.”

 

“Yes, yes”, Devil exclaims. “You get me. I bring you questions to keep you aligned, add queerness, transforming you from society’s slave into participating in the full spectrum of life.” 

 

And with that, they snapped their fingers loudly and disappeared.