Demystifying The Devil card in tarot
If you are not a connoisseur of tarot cards & symbology, there are some images that invoke fear and discomfort the moment you see them. Even if you are a beginner tarot reader, cards like the Devil, the Tower or the Death card can rise insecurities in deciphering their meaning in a reading.
This is why I find useful to explore the origins of the imagery and symbology and see how the meaning evolved due to historical & cultural influences over time. This gives me a broader view of the meanings when those cards come up in a reading.
You will find the generic meaning of those cards if you google it. But what if the Devil card pops out in a position of an advice? Or an energy that you need to embrace? This is where it gets tricky. And this is where I lean not only on my intuition & my personal view of that archetype, but on some historical background too. Knowledge is power. :-)
A little bit of history and mythology behind the Devil card
In 1966 the Satanist Church takes the image of Bafomet to represent the Devil and it became a central figure of devil worshipers. BUT, Bafomet was created as a deity within the Christian folklore in 11.century and it was depicted as a HORNED God, but not as a traditional pagan deity. (The story of Lucifer - The light bringer & the Fallen Angel is known to many, so I am not mentioning it here.)
🔸 The name Bafomet comes from distorted name of Muhammed (Latin form Mahomet). (Some sources derive meaning from greek words „bafe“ and „metis“ which mean „baptism“ and „initiation into wisdom„)
It shouldn’t be forgotten that this was the time of crusade wars. Thus no wonder the church equated Muhammed with the devil. In 14th century the Knight of Templars were executed for ‘worshiping’ Bafomet.
🔸Within secularisation of Europe, legends about Pan are revived, especially within literature of 18th & 19th century. Scholar Richard Payne Knight celebrated Bafomet as God of procreation and of active creative power.
🔸 At the same time, within hermetic tradition of 19th century, French occultist Eliphas Levi actually drew an image of Bafomet as a male deity with a goat head, big horned, pentagram on the forehead, big wings and women’s breasts. With this the meaning was unity of two opposite principles of active and receptive energies.
🔸 Sumerian god Enki, whose emblem is goat-fish, was a god of trickery, fertility and wisdom. Enki was known as the “Father of Light” and “Lord of the Sacred Eye.” Enki was a predecessor of the serpent of Eden. When he was given a choice between the needs of the people and will of the gods, he came forth as humanity’s redeemer. A third century BC text correlates Enki to Kronos (Saturn) who ate his own children and was among other symbols depicted with an hourglass as the Lord of Time.
Image source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Cronus/
Image source: https://medium.com
This takes us to the ASTROLOGY behind the Devil card. Capricorn is the sign associated to this card. And Capricorn is ruled by Saturn and it’s symbol is conveniently a goat-fish. :-)
Image source: britannica.com
Capricorn is governed by the need for structure, organisation & discipline. It’s motto is “I use”. A skillful application would be “to accomplish”, unskillful application would be “opportunism”. Capricorn is a lustful goaty, it seeks not only to have but to utilise & has appetites to build a legacy, persistently over time, in the world of form and material existence. The sign of Capricorn represents a cardinal earth sign, with impulse to build in material world. The sign begins with the winter solstice in Northern Hemisphere, when it is the darkest time of the year, with the longest nights...but from there, the Sun rises up from the underworld with the promise of light that will increase leading to spring. Capricorn is a serious, dutiful, workaholic & lustful sign among other things. The sea-goat Capricorn is also considered a redeemer. I suggest to explore this notion. :-)
I will throw a little bit of esoteric teachings related to this card that you can explore on your own. :-) In Quabalah, the title of this card is “The Lord of the Gates of Matter. The child of the forces of time”. Hebrew letter “ayin” is associated to this card meaning “eye”. (the eye of good & the eye of evil, third eye...which eye is the question? :-) “. On the Tree of Life, the Devil card is associated to the path that connects Tipharet (heart) and Hod (abstract thought). According to some authors “his path concerns our choice: to see illusions, or to see past illusion to the true nature of reality”. Something to ponder about.
Image source: Marea tarot.
I hope this helps you with finding your own meaning when this card shows up as an advice or an energy to embrace. I know it helped me. Love & Light 💫
🔸 Source:
Paganism in theory and practice, by Iolar,
Tarot Deciphered, by Susan T. Chang & M.M. Meleen
Astrology & authentic self, by Deemetra George