“La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu’il n’existe pas.”

(Translation: “The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.” Charles Baudelaire)

First things first, we are not – I repeat, NOT! – discussing the Christian or Catholic idea of the devil. Many tarot artists draw on that symbolism, and it is certainly accepted by many as the basis of the archetype. To this, I say “Phooey!”

“I am good, but not an angel. I do sin, but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.” Marilyn Monroe

 Nature abhors a vacuum. To this point in tarot, all cards speak to higher selves, better angels, do-gooders; The Devil does not appear until Card XV, and by that point he brings a welcome sense of balance.

I hear you out there, gasping at the idea of The Devil being welcome or bringing balance, but I would like to remind you of the importance of duality (previous seen in The Lovers). Additionally, it is not by coincidence The Devil arrives fast on the heels of Temperance. As spiritual beings having human experiences, we are capable of perfect moments but not of perfection – the human model is not capable of perfection and attempts to become so invariably lead to various forms of madness – and a pressure valve is required.

“The long, dull, monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather for the devil.”C. S.Lewis

The only true enemy is boredom; we are complex beings with busy minds, and thought cravings will lead to physical cravings in very short order. We will invent problems for ourselves to solve in the absence of actual hardship. The concept of “white people problems” is born from this type of boredom; in the absence of actual problems to solve, inconveniences are given disproportional weight. Is the wrong cup of coffee at Starbucks really worth a melt-down? Of course not! That is the price of unchecked boredom.

“God loves us, but the devil takes an interest.” Jennifer Donnelly

To understand The Devil, we must understand our own humanity; we are spiritual energy beings experiencing a human physical existence. It is that very physical existence that makes us imperfect; we seek physical experiences (pleasures of the flesh!) because The Devil is an integral part of our very humanity. You may not like the sound of that but it is truth nonetheless.

It is time to change your thinking about The Devil. Rather than a troublemaker luring us to doom, consider The Devil a gatekeeper reminding us not to go to far in our pursuit of physical experiences:

• One night of drunken debauchery (no driving, use condoms!!)? No problem – check it off the list – but it was never meant to be a lifestyle so do not try to make it one.
• Eating chocolate cake for breakfast on your birthday? Good for you! Every day? Very bad idea in every way.
• Buy the occasional lottery ticket or attend a monthly poker game? Fabulous – never gamble more than you can afford to live without – and have a great time. Daily trips to the casino or track? That’s addiction and you need help.
• An inappropriate affair with a really hot guy and sex beyond your wildest dreams? YIPPEE!! Ride that wave! But be sure to know the natural conclusion when you get to that point; just as the empty calories of  chocolate cake for breakfast is unhealthy so  too are relationships of no lasting substance.

THE BIG TAKEAWAY: The Devil is our conscience; the stick at the ready when the carrot proves too much rather than not enough.