The Devil, in the tarot, is not external “evil.’
It’s YOUR OWN internal things that you’re horrified by, you have an aversion to, or that fill you with self-disgust. Your own behaviors that you suppress.
The Devil asks us to stop separating from these, and instead allow ourselves to air them out.
What are you ashamed or embarrassed of because it seems weak, low, dirty, obnoxious, shameful? It might be something that’s unpopular opinion, or is frowned upon.
The tendency is to shun ourselves, exile ourselves. We create a split/ dissociation and we PROJECT that part of us onto others. That’s dangerous because it leads to “holier than thou” complex, and “self-righteousness” type of thinking.
The Devil archetype says we don’t have to be so terrified of meeting ourselves in that way!!
Personally I judge myself harshly around my food habits, productivity, and likeability. So today I gave myself a break.
While embodying the devil, I ate a greasy taco at 5am for breakfast, a bunch of KitKats for lunch, let myself laze about on the bed watching a funny show on Netflix, and I posted content to my story that I usually wouldn’t post- the kind that’s unpopular and would get reactions out of people. I also let myself splurge on a new tarot deck (the Devil is materialism after all) and a new 3 week training with a coach I really like.
The idea is to embody those behaviors that you normally project on people- “she smokes- ew gross, he’s a pothead- lazy mf, they’re all following the mainstream news- ugh scared sheep, or they’re not wearing a mask- asshole; she posted ANOTHER selfie- gross/ how vain.”
But the trick is to turn all that projecting around on me and ask MYSELF: Where have I not allowed myself to be gross? Where have I policed myself from being lazy? Where have I prohibited myself from feeling fear? Maybe I haven’t EVER let myself be an asshole. Maybe I need to let myself be MORE vain even if just for a day?
Embodying the Devil archetype is really about healing that split, which helps us welcome in more of our humanness and wholeness.
And ironically in doing that we become less disgusted with ourselves, naturally less ashamed.
I invite you to open to the possibility of the Devil as a wonderful archetype for integration, emotional acceptance, and letting yourself be imperfect- ultimately a portal for opening to a deeper love!