The Devil:
Hiding in the light because you are afraid of the dark does not make the darkness go away.
Darkness is as much a part of life and nature as light. Fear and anger make the darkness stronger, puts things out of balance. George Lucas was right..."fear and anger lead to the dark side". The balance comes by seeing the shadow as part of the light, as part of the whole.
We can't see in total darkness, but by the same token, we can't see at all if our eyes are dazzled by light alone...we need contrast and shadow to see well. Light and dark together in balance is the way of nature. It is a hint for how things work philosophically as well.
Balance also comes by taking light to the darkness. Courage and compassion balance fear and anger. If we face fear with courage, the devil disappears.
The more pious and fundamentalist we are, the more absolute and powerful evil must be to strike a universal balance. If we admit there is a little light in the dark, a little dark in the light, then the balance is easier, just a little more loving toward everyone. If we admit there is a little darkness, a little or the "devil" inside human existence (as Halloween and Dia Del Los Muertos reminds us).
When we remove fear and fundamentalist piety, the devil is diminished. Instead of powerful and mysterious, the devil becomes mundane and commonplace - like dark woods on a bright summer day. Neither good nor bad, it simply is. For some, such darkness is cooling respite from summer heat. For others, the darkness of the woods is a source of fear and the unknown.
What the Devil tarot card teaches is largely governed by the emotion we bring to it, rather than anything it actually IS. For some it sparks a very deep visceral fear. For others, it is just "devilish mischief".
Here is where I might make you mad...this is the controversial part, so it is up to you to keep reading or not.
I don't like to talk about religion or politics because these topics are divisive in the extreme. The only time I "go there" is if I feel really compelled by intuition or "spirit" or the universe or however you look at such things.
When this card turned up, the 2011 new year's reading came strongly to mind. You can read the full 2011 New Years post HERE.
Here is the part that the Devil card brings to mind:
I get the feeling that things will go well for the Obama adminstration: people will begin to see what he has done and again see what is possible “he will have earned his Nobel prize” is the feeling. Americans, real, grass roots population will rally behind him…”have his back” against dark forces…more of a domestic threat than international issues. There is a black way, a dark and wrong possible future…only the voices of ordinary people can push it back, and choose the brighter way. “Don’t be fooled again” is the message.
As I see it, the dark way is the Republicans. Vote them back into Congress or the White House, and we are going to be lead down the primrose path...again. "Ordinary people" may be Occupy Wall Street, or it just might be your average voter. If you like how things are now, send a thank you note to the Republicans who have been manipulating and making noise since 1998, probably longer. If you want something better...vote for Democrats, Independents, Green Party...anyone else you think is qualified to do the job. The Republicans voted in the House of Representatives two days ago to reaffirm the "In God We Trust" motto ...when only a short time ago the Republicans refused to commend the military involved with Bin Laden mission because they wouldn't entertain "frivolous" or ceremonial issues.
After hearing about that vote, there was no doubt in my mind what the dark path in the reading was talking about. The Devil here is clear. Rather than facing them with fear, allowing ourselves to be bullied, we must use the brightest light of our democracy...our vote.
On a lighter note...
that celebrity wedding...don't know where the red color comes in, but sure sounds like that Kim Kardashian thing. If you like that kind of thing.
There were some more tarballs on the gulf coast this summer.
There was a low oxygen thing killing sardines near California.
That was fun...it always surprises me when those new-years semi-predictive, just for fun readings actually "come true". Who knew?
Be brave, vote for courage, vote for compassion, your vote can diminish the Devil.
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