Three of Swords, The Devil, and Four of Pentacles
Another sword. At least this Three of Swords is a banger. It is from the Pride Tarot deck and illustrated by Sabina Espinet. Traditionally, the Three of Swords represents feelings of heartbreak and sorrow. This version has a religious bent to it, represented in the stained glass window. The card isn’t just a negative sign: There is heartbreak, but—as the heart still bleeds and beats—there is hope.
The Devil. This is from a deck by the AceLion company. This is a traditional RWS illustration featuring gold foil. Sure, there is a sensuous bent to the card, but in this spread, it is really about illusion. The human figures are chained to the devil, trapped. However, the chains around their necks are loose. In a real sense, they could simply remove their chain and leave. The illusion that they are stuck, not their actual circumstances, keeps the figures where they are. Pollack has an interesting take in 78 Degrees of Wisdom, where the Devil’s illusion is a slavish devotion to materialism and denial of the spiritual life. She notes that the figures are not seemingly unhappy in their lot, but hedonism and the illusion that there exists nothing else sate you for a bit.
After pulling the Devil, I saw a Lubanko Tarot card was next. I felt compelled to see the beautiful design on the card, so I pulled it. I guess it’s a three-card spread today. I find the artwork for the Lubank Tarot so dark, sensual, and inspiring, and the Four of Pentacles doesn’t disappoint. The figure is completely bound by their coins. Controlled by their money, or more broadly, their devotion to a universe of materialism.
The figure from the Four is kneeling, subservient, and looking at their master, the Devil.
My compulsion to pull the next card, driven by a desire to see the sensual artwork, intensified the message of the Devil. If I am going to pull cards in a reading for aesthetic desire, is that respecting the process? Am I engaging in the materialist illusion that the Devil represents? The Four shows the deck doesn’t approve.
The cards show religious heartbreak, but then move on to the dangers of a denial of the spiritual life. Unbridled hedonism, while fun, is ultimately unfulfilling. For me, this looks to my dim view of organized religion, and what I have lost to it: Time and friends. It is a reminder not to give up on the spiritual life, despite the harm. Engaging in a life beyond mere material pursuits must happen, or else you find yourself bound to your money. Not its master, but its servant.
