To be honest, my first impression was to put
this one back in the deck. But then again after having drawn two days in a row such morally correct cards like The Emperor
and Justice, I thought it was time to loosen up a bit. This card depicts Pan
holding a woman in one arm and a chalice filled with wine in the other. The
woman is held loosely by his vines and she doesn't seem to mind at all. He is
not the typical devil you see in many decks but he is the Spirit of the Wild
and the Green. He is asking, perhaps tempting us to let go of our self made
boundaries and restrictions; to let go of wanting to be too spiritual and to do good all of the time. He appeals to our wild nature which we deny often for too
long. And if so the chance of indulging ourselves excessively is so much greater than when you dance with the wild and the free on a regularly
and integrated basis. We are both physical and spiritual beings and one side isn't
less valuable than the other.
So for me
this card suggest to be treating myself with some physical pleasures without being
afraid of consequences and feelings of quilt afterwards. Deep down there is always
the seeking of Balance so dancing a little bit out of the center isn't that bad at all.
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods…”(Byron)
Tee hee, she definitely doesn't seem to mind! Emily's book says about enjoying the flesh, and it reminds me of Starhawk writing that all acts of love are sacred to the Goddess :) So, perhaps you can do something that gets you into nature, or just connects you with your body, and that doesn't mean it can't be "spiritual" :D
ReplyDeleteThe joy these activities will bring is definitely spiritual to me. As long as I can tune down the guilt.:D
DeleteMmm this reminds me of "guilty pleasures"
(Have to put chocolate on my grocery list)
Yay for chocolate :D
DeleteFantastic quote by Byron! It's nice to see a "Devil' that doesn't necessarily mean vices and addictions. I think it's good to indulge every now and then in some sensual pleasure (chocolate!).
ReplyDeleteYay, we agree on something again !
DeleteThis quote was very fitting for me because I am mostly the good girl who doesn't stray from the path and is therefor missing out on a lot of fun.:D
I love the quote by Byron!
ReplyDeleteI think of Carl Jung when this card comes up and what he says about embracing our shadow side.
" Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. If an inferiority is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it…But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it never gets corrected. "
We need to accept and embrace our shadow which releases our creative power that frees us to be who we are.
I use to be so preoccupied with guilt I even did a paper in it when in University many years ago. I learned that there is good and bad guilt. Bad guilt, I say screw that, because it is nothing but shaming.
Embracing our shadow. I guess you cannot get around it when you want to find some inner balance. So from time to a bit of indulging could open the door to our unconscious slightly. making it a bit easier to get to know and accept our shadow
DeleteI love the quote from Jung.
Yes I agree Ellen. For me it was about getting out of my comfort zone, and being honest with myself. Not the easiest thing to do, but the more you do it the easier it gets!
ReplyDeleteFor me it it is also about not giving a sh*t what other people think of me :D
Delete:) Yes Ellen, my give a shit broke a long while back! lol
DeleteHi Ellen!!!!!!! I love your post!!!! We are alive so let's live a bit, as life is not easy, so we all have the right to relax and enjoy. Coffee, chocolate, fun...and whatever you want!!!!!!! :D A kiss and Muchas Estrellas!!!! ...and starry nights too!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you Las Magas! Where would we be without those little luxuries and... starry nights :D
DeleteHugs
Absolutely agree!!!! :D
DeleteWonderful image! As others have said, I adore the "Devil" depictions that show the spirit of the wild (Pan, Cernunnos, the Wild Hunt, etc.) rather than "evil" or negative energies. It makes sense, really, that embracing our wild nature is both a source of necessary liberation and joy, as well as potentially being a problem if allowed to become unbalanced. Aside from our current knowledge that Christian conceptions of the Devil stem from the vilification of pagan entities, I think it's interesting that the Romani word for God is "Devel" - I wonder if there is a linguistic correlation!
ReplyDeleteSomehow I guess there is even more connected than we ever can imagine. The negative taste of the Christian devil is the source of a lot of suppression of our wild side since abstinence, modesty and all sorts of other virtues are highly encouraged in that community. It is no wonder we have such a lot of shadow work to do :D
Delete