THE DEVIL, CARD #15
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 10:48PM 
THE DEVIL
CARD #15
KEYWORDS: Problem-solving, humor, caution
The tarot’s major arcana cards represent universal experiences that we go through in our lives, no matter what our background or how we were raised.
Tony Soprano, the fictional character created for HBO by David Chase and played by James Gandolfini, is the main figure in The Devil Card. At a glance, he is a monster, the devil himself, and no doubt a dangerous sociopath who struggles daily. He grapples with the joyless cruelty his narcissistic mother inflicted upon him as a child, even as it haunts him into adulthood. He is plagued by guilt for killing his friend, Big Pussy, and, torn between friendship and duty, suffers graphic nightmares for it. He killed his cousin Tony Blundetto to spare him from a long, tortured end at the hands of another family. Is this viciousness or mercy? Upon closer inspection, we discover a man who is deeply and emotionally affected by the decisions he’s made and the life he leads. One might even rationalize that if he was completely psychotic, Tony would have no issues, no conflict over his work, no anxiety attacks and no need to see a therapist.
This character is cleverly painted as multi-dimensional. The Devil Card? Absolutely! In his unique way, Tony as The Devil asks us to look at all sides of every issue and seek all facets of a problem in order to understand it no matter how difficult or unsurmountable it may seem.
With the exception of the chalice, all major arcana suits appear in this card, encouraging us to use all of our faculties in the understanding and resolution of our problems. The absence of the chalice reminds us of the danger of putting vice (vodka) in the place of emotional wellness (chalice) which leads quickly to trouble (devil). And speaking of vice, the way Tony holds the woman in this card warns us of the danger of objectifying others. When we lust after someone, we objectify them. We risk loosing touch with our emotional selves in the pursuit of carnal distraction. The consummate act in this card is represented by the split pomegranate. Can the issues that perplex us easily become issues that plague us much in the way they plague Tony? They can if we don't deal with them.
It is doubtful that our lives and the issues that vex us are anywhere near as extreme as Tony’s issues. After all, “The Soprano’s” was a series made for cable television, and Tony is a caricature, living in a dramatic and violent fictional world. Perhaps the key is humor. When we look at our lives through the lens of television, where problems and conflicts are either blown grossly out of proportion, supported by a laugh track, or (at the very least) a spectacular sound track, we are encouraged to find the humor in our challenges and personal problems.
In a reading …
The Devil represents a universal experience like all major arcana, however, I believe this card shifts in perception with the Querent. It speaks to what “be-devils” or vexes us, true. However, a Querent from a Christian background (for example) may be upset by it’s appearance and take it literally as a representative of evil, the devil, or the actual fallen angel as defined by modern day religion.
When you pull this card, pause to intuit precisely where it’s coming from. Thoughts are energy. Is it your connection to the cards, your belief system, affecting it’s definition? Or is it the Querent’s?
Is Tony a man or a monster?
Are our problems unsurmountable or simply a challenge?
I believe the answers lie in perception.
View the Major Arcana Gallery.
Reader Comments (3)
I love these cards--both as artwork and symbols. I hope you have an album or journal to display them in.
Hi, V-Grrrl ... I love it when you stop by. Thanks so much.
Tarot are just that ... both artwork and symbols. If the pictures are making you think, unearthing feelings, giving you pause, then they are doing their job! Cool! Right now, I've got these in my small art journal (which is bulging), but eventually, they'll need to be flattened out and put in order in their own journal.
Take care,
D~
That Devil sure is a compelling character! Love how you placed the vodka in place of the chalice. I would have to agree that if Tony were truly a psychopath he certainly wouldn't admit to needing a therapist!