Once upon a time there was a fertility festival called The Lupercalia. Men in wolf masks ran about the streets of Rome, and, in honour of the fertility god Lupercus, and in memory of the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, would symbolically thrash (lightly touching) any women they met of child-bearing age. Any woman not wanting to be fertile had better stay indoors. But some would deliberately loiter in the streets, hoping to encounter the wolf men.
Later, Christianity claimed the festival originally held on February 15th, renaming it in memory of Valentine, a Christian physician who was beheaded in Rome after doing many a good turn to other people, including the daughter of his jailer, whom he apparently cured of blindness. The violent death of a well-disposed person on religious grounds. What could be more romantic? Another account tells us he was a priest who was conducting illegal marriages, at a time when Claudius 11 did not want military men to marry, because it deterred them from seeking active service overseas. This story makes more sense.
Valentine’s Day is nowadays an uber commercial-fest, but, still, it serves to remind us, if we ever needed a reminder, of the eternal power of that magical experience of the human condition – ‘that ol’ Devil called Love’.
The Devil card however, more truly speaks of infatuation than love. The Devil card in the Tarot speaks of passions and powerlessness. It betokens entrapment, frustration, and the urgent need to break free, even if the wish to escape is not there.
Scorpio gets the rap -or the credit-for all things sexy. But The Devil card of Capricorn also represents the nature god Pan, and the imperatives of our most earthy animal nature. And it is mighty powerful. In terms of human body chemistry, sexual passion might as well be regarded as an addiction.
The Energy of The Devil card
I have more than once encountered the experience of what we might term a psychic vampire, in my professional reading work. One such reading left me so physically drained I had to go straight to bed afterwards, where I slept like a stone all night, but not in a good way, feeling slightly unwell.
It stands to reason. The Devil is fear, and people can be very upset and worried when they come for reading. Sometimes this fear or worry is palpable. And so is obsession.
The client was a very pleasant person to read for, but she was struggling with ‘the ol’ Devil’ all right. She wanted another man but he was married. So was the lady. Her husband brought her to the reading to make sure she would be safe, and that I was who I said I was. Then he left and later returned to take her home.
This was an agreeable, congenial, good looking and glamorous lady, and I could tell from the cards that the other man in question had powerful charisma. Then I had a bolt from the blue, an outright ‘psychic’ moment, and I saw a picture of the man in my mind’s eye. I told the lady who I was ‘seeing’, and asked if this was the person we were discussing. This man was a well known circus and stage performer.
The lady was extremely shocked that I correctly guessed his identity. And so was I, actually. But so it goes sometimes. She said to me, rather sharply, “you know him!”
I did not. I had never met him. and I knew nobody else who knew him. But he had a public profile, and all at once, looking down at my cards, I seemed to ‘see’ him standing behind her, looking out over her shoulder. These things happen every now and then, though I know readers far more clairvoyant than I am.
Would she get to be with this man for keeps? This was what the lady wanted to know. I felt she might get a taste of what she was hoping for. She might get a little more time with this man. But if she did, I had to tell her I could see no ‘happy ending.’ Sometimes, rightly or wrongly, we can only say what we do not see.
I hope she got free of this unhappy situation one way or another and was happy. But I doubt it. That man moved away to the U.S, to Las Vegas. I found that out because she must have given him my number. One day I got a call from the States from this man, using a different name, saying he “had heard about me, and he wanted to know his future.”
I didn’t let on that I knew who he really was, although his accent was an immediate alert. But I declined to do a reading then and there, just like that over the telephone, and recommended he find a local reader. It’s funny sometimes, how some people will deliberately mislead or misdirect a reader, but still expect to receive accurate feedback. If we can deliver that, then we can also see they are not playing straight with us, and no-one likes to feel they are being made a monkey of.
It is another curious thing, that often there will be a succession of readings all dealing with the same card as their main focus. It is almost as if The Everything is setting homework for the reader. The Devil turned up in the following three readings, and in each one we also drew the Moon card, signifying hunting, fantasy, dreams, emotional extremes. Obsession. Illusion.
In each case, some poor soul was having a desperately unhappy time, struggling to let go of a romantic relationship, though they had decided that they must. They no longer felt wanted or respected, or welcome.
One such client was now in danger of starting to behave like a stalker, and I had to warn them against certain behaviours, although on none of these subsequent three occasions did I feel quite the same physical impact of the ‘show biz’ client.
Perhaps this was physical impact was only to be expected. A showbiz sized energy field is likely to carry a highly charged aura, to be anticipated in such readings, and when we talk about a vampire in real life, this is what we’re talking about. A habit, an encounter or a situation that can physically utterly drain your batteries on contact.
The Devil card drawn upside down or Ill-Dignified, is usually better for being drawn upside-down, as this tends to say the worst is over, denoting clarity and self control, which is to say, liberation and the recovery of our equilibrium and the reclaiming of our personal sovereignty.
If you need to move on from a damaging personal relationship or a habit that’s proving harmful, this card is an encouraging sign when drawn reversed.
The Devil card is known, with justice, for its powerful negative aspects. It speaks of fear, frustration, anger, unhealthy habits, obsession and addiction, and the evil that can ensue from these things. Usually, the situation that it’s referring to could do with overturning.
The tough news is that it’s going to have to be us that overturns it. No-one else can do it. It is simply not in their power. Possibly too, there is no real solution as yet, and the situation meantime can only be managed or endured. Now it is a case of damage limitation.
But The Devil isn’t all bad.
As an image of Pan, god of all wild creatures, rather than in its guise as Christianity’s Devil, this beastly card is still strong stuff, requiring careful handling.
But this is the power and the glory of Cardinal Earth. And the animals, however “red in tooth and claw”, are ultimately innocent.
The Devil can be one heck of a sexy beast. It is charisma. It is the drive and passion to create. It is our connection to our roots in earth and our general animal vitality – (steady tiger!) – a strong glue for keeping relationships together over the long haul. And as they say, a little of what you fancy does you good.
The anger of The Devil comes in handy, is downright necessary, when you find yourself dealing with disrespect or downright nastiness. Let that Devil look out of your eyes, as you politely say ‘Excuse me?’
Subtext. ‘You better back off.’
If your inner Devil can clear some cr*p out of your space, there’s nothing the matter with that. Let him off the leash.
No. The Devil is not all bad. The challenge is to keep him in his place and not feed him too often. Just watch for the signs and make sure it’s your devil, or your cheeky imp, that’s under control, locked up inside that cage.
And not you.
Meantime, Venus, the planet of love, beauty, luxury, fashion and finance leaves behind our friend Pan, The Devil of Capricorn, and meet up with Pluto in Aquarius today or tomorrow depending where you are in the world. The dates for this transit are February 16 to March 11.
Venus needs a bit of fresh air. She loves you. She loves everyone, but at a bit of a distance. Lucky colours for a bit of added Venus power during this transit: white and soft silver, hot cobalt blues, soft shades of lavender and aqua.
Thank you for reading.
Back soon.
Painting Andrea Camassei 1635, Museo del Prado
True Tarot Tales 