The Devil can sometimes represent the shadow side of our personality - that part of ourselves which we know exists but which we prefer not to acknowledge.  Or it may represent something that is keeping us bound and from which we need to break free.  The Devil is the 15th Major Arcana card.  This card is often about facing our shadow side and being willing to release ourselves from our self-imposed bonds.  But I also think it's about tricking ourselves and trapping ourselves as a result of these tricks.

Think about it - how many times in your life have you tricked yourself into believing that you were happy in a specific situation or that you "loved" your work.  But every action you took undermined this belief.  How many people have you met who are "in love" and yet they engage in unhealthy behaviors like over-eating, binge drinking or changing their personal style and approach to life just to keep the relationship stable.  We trap ourselves in our own bullshit.  The demons we believe are pursuing us are often our own fears or our own self-imposed limitations.  We are our own worst critics and I for one am tired of listening to that damn naggy voice.

On the other hand, The Devil can be about letting go, loosening up and giving in to our urges.  There is nothing wrong with having fun as long as we don't lose ourselves in it.  After all it's not money itself that is evil, it is love of money.  It's not alcohol that is bad (well not necessarily) it is over-indulging in alcohol that is a problem. 

The Devil is that little voice that tempts us into indulging beyond reasonableness.  The Devil leads us a merry dance and we have fun while we are whirling through the night.  But the next morning we wake up hung over, feeling awful and wondering what the hell we did.  But if we are honest with ourselves, The Devil didn't force us to do anything we didn't want to do.  We may be trapped by our behaviors but it was our choice to take that step.  It is often my one frustration with addicts - they never admit that no one forced them to take that first hit or drink.  After watching shows like Intervention, I have a better idea of how difficult it is to overcome and addiction but I grew up with a lot of addicts who blamed their addictive behavior on everyone but never took any responsibility for themselves.  But that is getting off topic and into soapbox territory. 

So how has The Devil manifestedi n my life?  My addiction is food, especially sweets.  I have a weakness for sweets that is difficult for me to overcome.  Chocolate just calls my name and sings in my veins.  But that's just a physical addiction.  In reality what I tend to be addicted to is negative beliefs and self-defeating behaviors.  What is keeping me bound and tied is my own lack of confidence.  But I think The Devil appearing here is a sign that I'm ready to face those demons and banish them.  Over the past few days and weeks I have felt myself opening up and transforming, growing and expanding.  I'm ready to slay those demons, to channel my inner Buffy or Xena and lay those negative energies to rest for good (or for a long time at least).  I'm going to be better at checking myself whenever thoughts like "well who would hire me anyway" flash through my brain.  Just because I don't get a job on the first try doesn't mean I'll never find one.  I have to stop seeing every obstacle as an insurmountable one and realize that sometimes these "demons" turn out to be tricksters in disguise who were just trying to teach me a lesson.