The Devil card is a very powerful card. Its imagery tends to evoke strong reactions when it comes up in a client session.
In my last post I gave two examples where The Devil played a pivotal role in the session, but with very different nuances.
What linked the two examples were that both clients were women and in both cases The Devil addressed the desirability for both to exercise their power and be empowered.
This raised some questions in my mind--why were those women's exercise of power reflected in imagery that is so dark and threatening to so many people. There was nothing extraordinary about the actions needed by either woman. Did the Tarot reflect cultural baggage surrounding a woman's exercise of control of her environment and her exercise of autonomy and power?
This also begs the question. Would The Devil have shown his face had the client been a man? If a man is called to "play the heavy," The Devil might reveal himself in his spread. And I have seen instances where that is exactly what happens.
But is the threshold for "playing the heavy" still different for men and women?
To be continued.
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