He Made Me Do It

Vickie's Personal Card:
The Devil
This Deck: Folklore

General Meaning: What has traditionally been known as the Devil card expresses the realm of the Taboo, the culturally rejected wildness and undigested shadow side that each of us carries in our subconscious. This shadow is actually at the core of our being, which we cannot get rid of and will never succeed in taming. From its earliest versions, which portrayed a vampire-demon, this card evoked the Church-fueled fear that a person could "lose their soul" to wild and passionate forces.

The image which emerged in the mid-1700's gives us a more sophisticated rendition -- that of the "scapegoated Goddess," whose esoteric name is Baphomet. Volcanic reserves of passion and primal desire empower her efforts to overcome the pressure of stereotyped roles and experience true freedom of soul. Tavaglione's highly evolved image (Stella deck) portrays the magical formula for harnessing and transmuting primal and obsessive emotions into transformative energies. As a part of the Gnostic message of Tarot, this fearsome passion and power must be reintegrated into the personality, to fuel the soul's passage from mortal to immortal.

Now I know why I'm so attracted to Tarot. It must be the devil in me. Believe me when I tell you I am no fan of true evil. Yes, I write about vampires. I have been fascinated by them since I was a child. Creepy scary stories make me tingle. I remember watching old horror movies with Zacherly on Saturday afternoons. Some of my friends would hide their face or cower behind an overstuffed chair, but I thought this was a great way to spend a few hours. I've learned about voudoun, hoo doo, Macumba and a host of practices that transcend into the spiritual realm. My religion of birth fosters the belief in angels and saints interacting with us on a daily basis and that miracles are real. Then there is possession, exorcism, demons and purgatory. The power of prayer is a cornerstone of that great cathedral of mysticism.

There is true evil in the universe. Genocide, terrorism and greed are in the news daily. When I was a child I once asked my mother if the devil was real or just a scary story.

"Oh, the devil is real and he walks with us every day. He might not have horns and a tail. He might not even be a he. His only desire is to take your soul from you. He may seem very normal, even pleasant. Your little voice will warn you. Listen to it. The devil may offer you the things you think you need or want, but there will be a price to pay. If you have to betray your values or your beliefs, beware, for you are betraying your soul. The devil is persuasive, but you have the strength to be yourself. That way, you'll hang on to your soul and kick that mean old cuss out the door."

Yeesh, I had been hoping it was one of those myths I loved. Well, mom didn't steer me wrong.

I treasure the dark side of my soul. Like all of you, I've encountered the devil, or someone doing his evil-doing, in several guises. I treasure my little voice, too.

Being wild and passionate is wonderful. Welcoming your shadow side is good for the soul. I'll be writing about vampires today and working on a 'Colors of the Forest' quiltie project. How's that for balance? If you listen to your heart, which is where I think the little voice hangs out, everything will be cool.

Image and reading from www.tarot.com