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Comparative Tarot 15: The Devil


Rose Lalonde

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The Devil

 

Please see the discussion thread if you'd like some background about the study group.

 

As a visual start, here are the Tarot de Marseille Noblet (Flornoy), the RWS, and the Thoth. You don't have to compare your deck with these, though, if you have another deck in mind.  (My usual image host is having issues uploading so I've just attached this time. )

If you'd like to add an image of the card you're discussing that would be great. If not we can google it.

 

You can write about the same deck someone else did.

 

Feedback on comments about this card are welcome here! For general questions and suggestions, please use the discussion thread.

comp_15_Devil.jpg.856401bb163da046f6f62fc8455e64f5.jpg

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Thw Wildwood's version of the Devil is the Guardian, thew skeleton of a big black bear guarding the mouth of a cave. It's interesting, because the Bear reappears in the corollary to Judgement, only this time clothed in white fur, still guarding the mouth of a cave but with it's paw, and from above. (The bear also shows up as the Queen of Wands.)

 

To me, this card speaks to the need to get past the appearance of the bogeyman in order to go into the darkness of on'e own internal world. The bear can look threatening (it's an ambulatory skeleton, after all) just like the Devil looks scary in the RWS deck. But in reality, the Devil and the Guardian are only as scary as our own shadows. Which is to say, legit terrifying but also so intimately part of us, like breath and blood. 

 

I don't prefer one over the other, the decks are so different they call out to me at different times and for different purposes. I tend to work more with the Wildwood because it is cheeky with me, and I appreciate the humor/occasional slap in the face when I get overly serious.

 

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