1. Discussion
After the Trump XIII (Death),The Devil is probably the most misunderstood card in the deck. For many,he/she/it represents an external entity,irredeemably malevolent,whose perfidious meddling ensnares the unwary and beguiles innocents to stray. This interpretation reflects our insidious propensity toward shifting blame away from ourselves,and assigning responsibility for our own actions to external events,entities,or circumstances. In my novel, Ariadne’s Clew,Lucifer observes:
“Water quenches the flame,but the metal must be tempered in oil or it will be brittle and unsound. I am the sacrificial oil–prohibited by nature from ever mingling with the pure water,but essential to the process of forging the perfected spirit. Did you expect the arrogance of Dante? ‘Fuck you,God,I’d rather reign in the lake of fire?’ Pride it was;but arrogance? Never! The eternal prohibition from Beatific Vision is no sentence a loving God would pronounce on any spirit. This is a volunteer mission–same as for everyone else. Only one character trait is necessary:Pride. Lucifer’s sin was the infinite hubris to believe that he,I,could provide this terrible service;the unmitigated audacity to imagine I could bear the terrible price–eternal separation from the light. Condemned forever to lead man through the infinite labyrinth of material reality.”(J.P. Befumo,Ariadne’s Clew,Pennsylvania,Pleasant Mount Press,2005. )
In this card,the central figure,a variation on the hermaphroditic Baphomet of Eliphas Levi,reveals the melancholy spirit whose self-sacrifice incurs the weight of all of mankind’s attachments to the material,the illusory,the transient–an eternal burden from which there can be no respite. Let us not forget that,in the Faustian legend,it is the doctor who seeks out and coerces a reluctant Mephistopheles to accept his soul in exchange for . . . power,riches,and physical gratification. Indeed,Mephistopheles admonishes Faustus to:“leave these frivolous demands which strikes a terror to my fainting soul!”To this,an obdurate Faustus responds:“Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitude and scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.”(Christopher Marlow,Doctor Faustus,NY,Penguin Classics,1969,pp.34-35 )
The traditional interpretation of the devil’s hand positions:the raised left signifying the exaltation of the two (the devil’s horns),while the downward pointing three-finger configuration indicates the denigration of the trinity also has an alternative explication. According to Gnostic doctrine,the entity commonly worshiped by Judeo-Christian orthodoxy as ‘God’,is,in fact,the demiurge;an inferior spirit responsible for the creation of a corrupt physical universe,who is inferior and subordinate to his mother,the more sublime Sophia. Considering the facts that the ‘god’of the Old Testament is the same one that sent a flood to obliterate the earth,murdered the innocent first-born of Egypt in order to make a point,demanded the murder of homosexuals,promoted genocide,tortured Job,demanded the sacrifice of Abraham’s only son,wanted Lot to surrender his virgin daughters to be gang raped,and other
atrocities too numerous to list,this interpretation has much to recommend it.
Appearing in the flames above the central figure’s throne,is the Hebrew letter ayin 
Ayin means “the eye,”and we need not dig too deep to see the relevance to the theme of this card. The eye is,first and foremost,the seat of vanity. It is the sense with which we scrutinize and preen ourselves,assess others (often based on the superficialities of physical appearance),and through which we are most frequently deceived by illusion. The hand,it is said,is quicker than the eye. Beauty,we are told,is in the eye of the beholder. The eye is the window to the soul. There are,undoubtedly,countless other allusions to the connection between this instrument of sensory apparatus and the deeper aspects of our being. But the eye is also emblematic of the senses in general,and hence,of sensuality–the overemphasis on material gratification that has always been mankind’s undoing.
Surrounding the trio in the illustration,we find an array of objects that typify our excessive material fixations:Fancy cars,money,obsessive physical fitness,even things as pedestrian as shoes,of which many people are known to have hundreds of pairs. The woman,whose physical shell is already a victim of decay,still maintains her vanity as she gazes into a hand mirror and fusses with her hair. Our obsession with opposing the effects of time is symbolized by an hourglass. Most importantly,the chains that bind the two human figures are not controlled by The Devil, as is often depicted. Our slavery to abject materialism is of our own making,and release is subject only to our own will. The enslaved figures are depicted as rotting zombies,emphasizing the absurdity of our fixation with the fragile flesh,at the expense of enduring spirit. In his hand,the male figure holds the fruit of the tree of knowledge,but no bite has been taken,so he remains bound by ignorance;the state in which,according to the Bible,the demiurge wanted humankind maintained in perpetuity.
Thus,it is not difficult to understand why the Gnostics believed that the orthodox churches had chosen the wrong god,consigning the true helper of humanity to eternal damnation. Indeed,we need only look to the history of atrocities committed in his name to reach the same conclusion.
2. Divinatory Implications
Beware the insidious illusion that there is nothing beyond the material. Do not permit yourself to become a slave to desires for worldly goods,status,or popular recognition. Powerful and inappropriate obsessions may be forming,possibly of a sexual nature. Consider the possibility that unresolved karmic ties and debts may be manifesting themselves. Be sensitive to the acting out of self-destructive tendencies. Has the time come to exorcise inner demons that have tormented you for longer than you can remember? Now may be the moment to finally cast off old bonds and shackles. Beware of tendencies toward materialism,greed,misdirected priorities. Are you blaming others for your own mistakes? Confrontations may be portended,though these may be harmful,beneficial,or even essential in nature.
3. Keywords
Illusion,ego,ignorance,pride,obsessive sexual gratification,self importance,self-imposed bondage,temptation,inner turmoil.
4. Reversals
Depending,as usual,on the surrounding influences,this reversal may be either an admonition to resist illusion,or a confirmation that one has set themselves on the path toward overcoming self-deception or self-destructive tendencies. It may,alternatively,indicate a need to get one’s head out of the clouds and take care of material necessities,physical health,and matters of self-preservation. Avoid decisions based on superficialities. The time has come to question all assumptions,and come to grips with your essential nature. Recognize that good and evil are both illusions.
5. Artistic Interpretations
When I’m using the cards to facilitate any creative endeavor,if The Devil makes an appearance,my immediate inclination is to step back and carefully assess my motivations. Why did I decide to steer the plot in that particular direction? What was the purpose of using this chord,or employing a particular harmony? Why those colors? Am I being true to my vision,or am I pandering to commercialism in an attempt to appeal to some fad of popular culture? Am I doing this because I have something to say? Or because I think it will bring me fame,or earn me money,or attract adulation? This is the card that reminds me to stay honest to my principles and to my vision.