Okay, so the title of this post is a little dramatic, but how could I resist with everyone’s favorite spooky card, The Devil, holding court at the center of our reading?! In truth, this spread is not as intense as it seems, though of course The Devil can represent powerful and oppressive forces. Yet this week we have a worthy adversary for this card, a formidable challenger. Who, or rather what, might it be? Why, it’s our dear friends, boredom and practicality.
The Devil is a card whose setting is murky and dark. This is a place where things go to get obscured, hidden, and maybe even given a powerful boost. What’s more exciting than the taboo? I’m thinking of a risqué place like a sex club. It needs to be cloaked in shadows in order to have any allure - an aura of mystery, anonymity, exclusivity. But what about when the party is over and the lights get turned on? When the cleaners come to wipe the place down and you can smell Clorox, hear the squeak of a mop as its dragged across the once dimly-lit floors?
This is why I’m wholeheartedly delighted to see the Four of Pentacles beginning our week. This card is like the bookkeeper clocking in to the office above the sex club to balance the books on a Monday morning. Clear-eyed, practical, completely un-phased. Similarly, we’re feeling almost blasé about entering into parts of our life that previously felt off-limits, shameful, or intractable.
We can think of things like shame, repression, and rejection as forces that relegate parts of our life to The Devil. We often twist ourselves into unhealthy shapes to deal with these strong feelings; The Devil can speak to issues of addiction, compulsive behavior, and self-limitation. So, yes, it’s serious business and, to continue with my bizarre metaphor, the time has come for some house cleaning, even an audit!
Before we dive deeper, I want to emphasize that this card’s prominence suggests that we’re already aware of its meaning in our lives, so think to what has taken up a big space in your psyche that you’re now completely over. The Four of Pentacles shows us ready to bring a healthy dose of reality into the dungeon ambiance of The Devil. Where are you bored with your habits or situation? This could be quite literal and end up appearing in our financial lives. Are there spending habits that have kept us limited? Toxic ideas around self-worth and financial achievement? It could also touch on areas where we talk ourselves out of stability as a whole. Star and circle this week as an opportunity to shake off these issues for good. A regimented, practical approach is best - do the work, keep at it, and neuter it of any emotional volatility. This is where the solidity of the pentacles shines.
Our efforts have a wonderful chance to be blessed with longevity as The Hermit appears at the end of the week, the thumb to the forefinger pinching out the issues of The Devil. This dual-pronged approach - everyday practicality and devotion combined with deep soul-searching - is quite intriguing. See where you can infuse your quest for stability - financial or otherwise - with personalized meaning. Why are you updating your budgeting software weekly? Because you “should”? (Warning! Shame!) or because you want to be financially aware and able to support your rich and wonderful life, not feeling stressed so that your best work can shine outwards? The Hermit is a solitary card and their meaning belongs to them alone. Look to what matters to you specifically and let outside voices fade into the background.
I love the imagery here. The Hermit shining their lamp into the dark recesses of The Devil card and liberating the people chained within. Tarot scholars have theorized that these figures are not as trapped as they may seem; their chains hang loosely around their necks suggesting that they could choose shimmy out with ease. This week, then, a wiser part of ourselves may be poised to liberate parts that have been frozen in The Devil’s dysfunction. We may be surprised to see them welcome us with open arms, shake off their chains, and walk back into the light with us.
This week, embrace:
Practicality! Balance those books, take care of business, save money, and get lost in the rhythm of your routine
Emotional neutrality
Paying attention to tender, shame-filled, trapped parts of yourself
Your greater wisdom (intuition + intellect) and where it’s telling you to go
Making your own meaning, choosing what matters to you
This week, avoid:
Taking “The Devil” too seriously - this is how you stay trapped!
Thinking you need complicated solutions to complicated problems
Focusing on what matters and letting it guide your choices
Avoidant decadence
This is perfect! My husband & I set up a tracking/budgeting app this past weekend & now it’s time to put it into practice. Also, implementing and eliminating some nutritional habits. Spot on!