The Images of the Tarot Oracle in Psychic Readings

The Devil

What is evil - apart, that is, from the last four letters of the word "devil?" However sure or unsure we may be of the answer to this question, all of us pray to be delivered from evil. All of us, that is, except for the devil. Milton's devil says, "Evil be thou my good." But evil cannot be good, and the devil is evidently entangled in his own misconceptions, foremost among them his egoistic sense of self. Thus, the image of The Devil is the emblem of bondage in ignorance. He is dependent, addicted, and enslaved. He finds refuge in constant denial. He wears blinders and lives in the dark. He fears the unknown, is pessimistic, and wholly lacking in good faith. He is the one-dimensional man, worshipping a materialistic religion of tinseled appearances. His glittering Golden Calf is hollow.

One of our clients asked for our insight into her relationship with her boyfriend. The appearance of the image of The Devil told us that the relationship was failing to satisfy the first and most essential demand of every good and healthy relationship, which is to liberate the soul and spirit. The relationship did not permit the full flowering of her character and the unfolding of her many talents. Instead, it was entangling her in mutual suffering and hurt, conflict, uncertainty, recrimination, resentment, and dissatisfaction. Her love was becoming like the ball and chain of Janis Joplin's famous blues. In various other images that we drew for her Reading, we saw signs of fundamental incompatibilities between their two personalities. Just as important was what we did not see - namely, any prospect for happiness in the future. We suggested that it might be wise for her to consider the possibility that her unhappy entanglement in a relationship with her boyfriend was standing in the way of her meeting someone more suited to her. If her objective and considered judgment led her to believe that this was so, then it was surely time to move on.