The Devil and the Nine of Pentacles

Where you are at: The Devil from the Lubanko Tarot by Emily Lubanko. What a sexy, dark card. The devil can stand for many things. However, this particular version points to sensual trappings and the forging of the chains that bind you. Link by link, the hedonistic treadmill traps the unaware, subtly at first, you may even welcome it. Then, after the luster wears off, escape and a changing of habits may seem impossible. Remember, the Devil is an illusion: those chains came from nothing and can return to nothing. You’ll note that the character is actively grabbing the chain with her left hand. She wants to be there.

Nine of Pentacles from the Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle. The harvesting of your work. The reaping comes from the central character’s discipline and maturity. She can harvest because their past self planted, nurtured, and watered those seeds. It was the investment of time in their craft that made the success and reaping possible. 

The Devil’s illusion can be all-encompassing, and that means it might be impossible to tell exactly what binds you. That’s ok. In the original RWS card, the characters chained by the devil have a placid look: they don’t know a better life exists. This is simply part of the human condition; it can be hard to move forward if you don’t know what to do. Even in those circumstances, the Nine of Pentacles offers a way out. Start and continue to invest in yourself. You likely know what you should be doing, and now is an opportunity to start. Through this work, you’ll eventually see what chains bind you and find aren’t as tight as you think.