Arcanum 15: The Devil
The power of attraction
Strong desires can give you momentum. It is worth examining what you choose.
A horned figure on a black pedestal holds a torch, while two people stand before it in loose chains. The image may evoke desires and habits, and the torch an appetite for life. The card asks: what matters to you, and what do you want to change?
Gifts and potential pitfalls
- Gift
- You have an appetite for life and the courage to name your desires. That fire gives your pursuits momentum.
- Shadow
- You can become stuck in a habit that seems stronger than you and conclude you have no choice. The chain may be looser than you think; the first step is to name what the habit gives you.
- First step
- For one week, replace a habit that takes more than it gives with something else and notice what you miss.
In a pair
When this arcanum is at the centre of a shared matrix:
The loose chain on the card can prompt a question: what connects you, and how does each of you feel in this relationship?
In the karmic tail
When this arcanum appears at one of the three points below the centre:
After a hard day you reach for your phone or contact someone who usually leaves you feeling worse, even though you had resolved otherwise. Before doing it again, wait ten minutes and write down what you are really seeking in that moment.
Where this arcanum appears in the matrix
The centre and other points are sums, so this arcanum can appear for many different dates. Three points depend directly on the date:
- Point A (personality): birth day: 15.
- Point B cannot have this arcanum: there are only twelve months.
- Point C (sum of birth-year digits), 1900–2026: 1941 (1 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 15), 1950 (1 + 9 + 5 + 0 = 15). Number of such years: 6.