Knowing the Devil Card: Exploring Tarots

Introduction: What is a Devil Card in a Tarot

The Tarot is divided into two groups: The Major Arcana and The Minor Arcana. The Devil is the fifteenth card in the Major Arcana. In most of the decks, the Devil is represented by the traditional image of Baphomet, with a harpy foot, ram horns, bat wings, a mark of pentagram on the forehand and a right hand raised. With these features, it represents a humanly as well as a bestial feature. It is similar to the European depiction of Satan.
We fear the Devil, and this idea has led to many myths surrounding the Tarot card. But, the card wants to teach us an important lesson-we are the creators of our devil. Every person has good and bad traits within himself. This dramatic effect helps us to realize that the fear which runs in our mind can be defeated too, through our perseverance and hard work(Tarots).

Devil tarot card

The Devil card makes many people uncomfortable, and this has led to many myths about it. For example, we will be preyed on by our enemies if the card comes up, or, we are evil. These are certainly not true. Instead, it means we have experienced weakness at some point of our lives. The weaknesses manifest some effects, which are often long-term, and seem dangerous.
Devil is everything we consume within ourselves, the acts that keep us distracted from our main motive. Everyone indulges in some acts which might be fun for minutes, but in the long run, it prevents us from achieving success. This is what the Devil represents.

How to read the Devil?

In our society, there is a prevalence of certain cultures which invoke fear, still they are prominent. The Devil shows how these acts harm us. Also, it reveals our darker sides. Like all other cards, Devil can be read in two ways: Upright and reversed. Let us see what the card means(Tarots)-
UPRIGHT: The upright card shows the negative sides which holds us back from doing good things. It means you have found yourself trapped, obviously short-termed and this feeling is giving you pain. You need to endure it in order to feel long term happiness. The upright card appears when you have been falsely thinking you have no control over negative self or forces. If the forces are going against you, you can do your best to control it.

Devil Tarot

To break free of these, you need to discover the powers inside you. When the Devil shows up in a reading, it means you can make use of these negative forces to create awareness, so that you can take actions to free yourself from them. You can not expect to be free of the negativities in one night, it needs time. The Devil also shows a new strong attachment, for example, the connection between two lovers or a mother and her child. It also represents sexulaity and your fetishes, do not pursue anything that is detrimental to you or your partner’s well-being(Tarots).
REVERSED; The reversed card calls you to confront your dark sides, because if you are afraid, you can never do something better past the negativities.

Here are some examples

For example, it might be the right time to quit smoking, otherwise, you might face ailments. It is also a sign that you are hiding some deep secrets, which is giving you anxiety. Holding secrets can give rise to guilt, so it is time you share those with someone you believe. The reversed Devil teaches you detachment, as expectation leads to sadness, and freeing yourself from restrictions can be very peaceful. Releasing any unhealthy attachment or practice is the main theme of the reversed Devil card(Tarots).