Here we have another one of those cards that is supposed to be eeeeeeeevil in the popular culture. Case amplifies its traditional meaning of temptation to give the Devil card the keyword bondage.
Let’s start with some numerology! 1 + 5 = 6 (the Lovers – Discrimination). The Devil can be seen as the reverse of the Lovers, as being bound to base impulses is basically the reverse of a healthy sense of separation. 15 is also the sum of all of the keys up to 6 (0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15). If the cards tell a story as you move through the Major Arcana, how does that story relate to the Devil card?
The Devil’s astrological alignment is to Capricorn, ruled by Saturn (limitation) and Mars (disruption and dissolution). Our Hebrew letter this week is Ayin, meaning eye or fountain. The eye here symbolizes the illusion that this card portends. What are you not seeing (as opposed to seeing, in key 4 – Emperor – Reason)? The fountain can also be seen as the origin or source, or a place of renewal. Case emphasizes the following statement in the text:
Renewal of desire to escape from bondage is the beginning of freedom and is an essential forerunner to the awakening from the dream of sense.
The Judeo-Christian influence has always been heavy on this card, and is probably moreso here with Case’s background in ceremonial magick, kabbalah and the Golden Dawn. It works sometimes: the Devil’s nickname “father of lies” emphasizes the theme of reversal this card represents.
The card’s black background is a symbol of darkness and ignorance. The goat’s wings are a reference to Satan being the “prince of the powers of air”. He holds his hands in a somewhat corrupted version of the Magician’s gesture, and is positioned as the reverse of the Hierophant. He’s wasting the torch by holding it upside down, causing it to burn too fast. He has a Mercury symbol instead of a navel, and his red eyes are for Mars in Capricorn.
The inverted pentagram at the top of the card is for black magick. Black magick is the magick of mental inversion, which is an obvious parallel to our card. Black magick also denies the notion that man has power over creation, which is why it almost always consists of bribing or threatening deities or other entities to do the bidding of the black magician. Case states that it is “Man’s false notion of self that led to the concept of the Devil”.
The meditation for the week is to test your limitations. Take risks and try to venture out of your comfort zone to see if some of the things we believe about ourselves are really true. This is also a good time to check in with your health, and to guard against depression.
Lucina's Cauldron 