MATERIALISM
IGNORANCE
HOPELESSNESS
Lucifer. Mephistopheles. Satan. The Prince of Darkness. No matter what we call him, the Devil is our symbol for what is bad and undesirable. From our human perspective, we see the world as a struggle between light and dark.
We want to vanquish the bad so the good can prevail. In fact, good and bad cannot be separated, just as you cannot separate a shadow from its source. Darkness is simply the absence of light, and it is caused by errors that hide the truth. Card 15 shows us these errors.
First is ignorance – not knowing the truth and not realizing that we do not know. Second is materialism – the belief that there is nothing but the physical. As spiritual beings, we long for the Divine, but we lose contact with this source of truth if we trust only our senses. There is also hopelessness, which robs us of our joy and movement toward the light.
Traditionally the Devil stands for evil, but it does not have this rather frightening meaning in a reading. This card lets you know that you are caught in an unhealthy, unproductive situation. You may be in the dark about something – ignorant of the truth and its implications. You may be obsessed by a person, idea, substance or pattern that you know is bad for you (or maybe you don’t!). Sometimes this card reflects back the negativity that has made you doubt yourself and your future. We are prone to many errors in life. Card 15 lets us know when they are serious enough to require attention. When you see the Devil, examine your assumptions carefully. Make sure you are not working from a false picture of yourself and the situation. Hold fast to the highest vision of who you are.
experiencing bondage
- accepting an unwanted situation
- being obsessed
- feeling tied down against your will
- losing independence
- allowing yourself to be controlled
- being addicted and enslaved
- submitting to another
focusing on the material
- being caught up in appearances
believing only in the physical
forgetting the spiritual
getting and spending
overindulging the senses
staying in ignorance
- being unaware
- operating within a narrow range
- experiencing limitation
- choosing to stay in the dark
- fearing the unknown
- being taken in by appearances
feeling hopeless
- believing the worst
- despairing
- lacking faith
- seeing a cold world
- thinking negatively
- foreseeing a bleak future
- doubting
Some possibilities
- Fool – having faith, believing
- Star – hope, faith, optimism
- Four of Wands – freedom, release
- Six of Cups – good will, innocence, simple joys
- Ten of Cups – joy, peace, blessings
Some possibilities
- Seven of Cups – overindulgence, dissipation
- Eight of Swords – confusion, restriction
- Nine of Swords – despair, lack of joy
There are no separate explanations for reversed cards. The meaning of a reversed card depends on what the card would mean if upright. A reversed card shows that a card’s energy is present but at a lower level. For some reason, the energy cannot be expressed freely, normally, or completely. It may be:
- still in its early stages
- losing force and power
- blocked or restricted
- incomplete
- inappropriate
- being denied
- only present in appearance
See Lesson 17 for more information on reversed cards.