Responding to Animals

XV – The Devil

Upright: Attachment, Bondage, Restriction, Sexuality, Materialism, Addiction, Shadow Self, Playfulness
Reversed: Detachment, Exploring Dark Thoughts, Releasing Limiting Beliefs, Freedom, Restoring Control

The 15th card of the Major Arcana depicts the devil in his satyr-like form reminscent of Baphomet. The half-goat, half-man stands in domination over a naked man and woman, an inverted pentagram upon his brow. The Devil holds his hands in a pose in a profane reflection of the Magician, his hand gestured upward, and his flaming wand pointing down. This mirrors the image of Baphomet, who holds his hands in a unholy iteration of the holy hand gestures seen in depictions of Jesus Christ. The people held in bondage below are sprouting horns and aberant features, as if their captivity is transforming them into beings more dependants on the pleasures of the flesh. Regardless of the power implied by the man’s flaming tail, or the luxuries implied by the woman’s tail, neither person is content in this trade.