The Devil!
The chains of Attachment to Desire is represented in the Devil!
What does it mean when you get the Devil in a tarot reading?
The Devil is fiery, passionate, hot, there’s intensity in the Devil that can hold us to ransom. When I see the Devil I don’t think Evil. I do think passion, intensity, desire that can hold us to ransom when attachment to what we desire becomes an addiction.
The Devil represents being too passionate, too needy, greedy for success, food, alcohol, work, worry, perfectionism. The Devil is where we can become co-dependent (or ‘chained to’ as in the illustration portrayed in the Devil tarot card) the object of our desire.
Co-dependent, Perfectionist, Workaholic, Alcoholic, Worryaholic, Stressaholic, all apply to the Devil.
We often use the word ‘devilish’ to describe someone who is naughty but nice. The Devil wears Prada for instance conjours up both glamour and greed, fame, vanity, money, fashion, competition, power, sex, dominance…
When Cliff Richard sings Devil Woman he’s singing about a woman who’s powers of seduction and attraction have so transfixed him that he’s in her spell and can’t think of anyone else.
‘The Devil is in the details’…has quite a different connotation but immediately we know it’s not going to be straight forward. What on the face of it looks simple may not be what it seems and hold all sorts of complications, mysterious challenges, details which will need to be navigated and overcome.
Fascinatingly the phrase was originally ‘God is in the detail’. Which speaks directly to our ‘attachment’ to a perfect ideal ‘God’, and why perfectionism can drive us to desire even more, chase even harder whether it be a fabulous woman, our desire for career success, wanting more and more.
I see this card quite frequently just reflecting the state of mind of a perfectly normal person trying to make their way in this ‘crazy’ world with so much distraction & attraction….so much wanting. So much desire.
However let’s not forget the marvellousness of the Devil. At its best, the Devil represents the pure intensity of a passionate relationship! Or the pure passion we might have of dance, music, art, animals, nature, the sea, our children, our beloved……. There is nothing like being lit up by passion. Passion and Desire are the drivers of our lives. So not to be dismissed rather to honour with a healthy respect so that we don’t fall into the temptation of the Devil and instead temper passion with the realities and practicalities of life. see my blog on Temperance
I always tell young people ‘Follow Your Passion’…it is the essential ingredient that inspires. Clearly the ‘devil is in the detail’. Ha ha.
Questions to ask yourself when you get the Devil
Am I feeding an unhealthy attachment?
Why?
or is this pure passion?
Do come and have a reading with me, in Battersea or online via WhatsApp video which works so well. We’ve all got so good at meeting online. It feels the same as if we are in the same room in terms of connection, friendliness and accuracy. Obviously I pull the cards is a difference, but again I am now convinced that if two people come together with pure intention, the cards are so insightful and accurate. Of course you are welcome to come for a reading in Battersea too.