The Devil - 15

Break free from what is holding you back

The Fool comes to greet the Devil in total darkness. He is half-human, half-goat with wings like a bat and sits perched on a black box. Above him is an upside-down pentacle representing the imbalance of this situation and earthly things being placed above the spiritual ones. Below him we see Adam and Eve, appearing once again from the Lovers card. Here they are chained to their passions and following their animalistic instincts – drunkenness (grapes) for Eve, and lust (fire) for Adam. In order to put things right again they must break free of their desires and shed light on their shadows in order to step towards enlightenment.

Rider-Waite-Smith

Meanings

The Devil represents the self-imprisonment that comes from following one’s passions and desires rather than seeking truth and enlightenment. They must wake up and acknowledge their shadow side to find freedom.
Warning to look within and see if you are following your earthly desires too much, you may have stepped off the path of enlightenment and followed paths that have mislead you.
It is time to evaluate your position and shed some of the habits that are holding you back. Find a way to keep what you love without letting it rule your life.
When reversed or in a negative position, this can indicate that you may need to follow your passions and earthly desires more. Remember that finding the beautiful, fun, exciting, and sensual things are all part of our spiritual experience here on earth. It is finding the balance between the material and spiritual that is the goal of this card.

Numerology - 15

Fifteen seeks to find balance by embracing change. It attracts harmony, familial connections, as well as charm and charisma.Fifteen also echoes the numerology of 6 (1+5) which we found at the Lovers card bringing in feelings of unconditional and sacrificial love.

Tarot de Marseille

Symbolism

Similarity to the Lovers – this card is an echo of the Lovers (6) from before. Together they show the contrast and balance in life - light and dark, male and female, freedom and enslavement.

Devil – the devil represents our tendency to follow desire into bondage. In this case, Waite calls this figure Baphomet, the Horned Goat of Mendes, a symbol stemming from Egyptian mythology that was used by the Knights Templar. With this interpretation we see this devil represents finding the balance between opposing forces. This can be male and female, light and dark, or the need to balance our passion and responsibility.

Pentacle – the upside-down pentacle above the Devil’s head is often said to represent prioritizing matter over spirit where the physical aspects and desires are prioritized over spiritual ones. This shows the imbalance in the card that needs to be put right.

Torch – the inverted torch brings light to our darkest parts and shows we may have followed the light down the wrong path and gained a false understanding of enlightenment.

Humans – Adam and Eve are here again from the Lovers card, this time with tails showing their animalistic nature. Rather than their freedom and innocence as the Lovers, here they are chained to their desires and passions, the grapes (drunkenness) for Eve and fire (lust) for Adam.

Darkness – rather than an involved setting as in other cards, here the figures are in total darkness. They are lost, unable to see through their shadows to find the light.

Prisma Visions Tarot

Associations

Earth – the suit of health, wealth, and grounding, represented by the pentacles in tarot. Earth relates to things happening in the tangible realm, your basic needs, finances, work, and physical health.

Capricorn – Tend to be practical, down to earth, ambitious, and responsible. Capricorns are grounded and hardworking, making them good at overcoming obstacles and reaching goals.

Saturn – associated with learning limitations and restrictions, Saturn teaches responsibility and self-discipline. Saturn is associated with the cycles of time, as well as wisdom and maturity.