Devil, Devil, Who’s Got the Devil?
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sometimes you just know something fishy is going on but you can’t put your finger on it where to look for it. Here is a spread that mimics the Clue motif (we recently attended the stage performance in Boston); it uses the Golden Dawn’s method of deciding on a “significator” card, then dealing all 78 cards into several piles and finding that card in one of them. In this case, the Devil acts as a “pointer” to show where and how within your world something “isn’t quite right.” Ideally, it will provide insights into the location and status of the mystery, whether literal or figurative.
Begin by shuffling the deck while concentrating on the topic of interest. (Reversals may be used to suggest clandestine circumstances.) Then deal all of the cards randomly into the pattern shown below, following any sequence you prefer as long as the piles are roughly equal. The legend following the photo gives more descriptive information about the nature of each environment (and you can add your own).
:
In the Bedroom: Romantic Entanglement
In the Cellar: Hidden Motives and Urges
In the Attic: Overlooked; Out of Sight, Out of Mind
In the Office: Something’s Funny with the Money
In the Kitchen: Basic Needs Are Not Being Met
In the Den: Inconsequential Situation; A Clever Evasion, aka “The Player”
In the Parlor: Serious and Solemn Matter; Target of Authority, aka “The Boss”
In the Yard: Somewhere/Anywhere Outside the Home
In the Bathroom: A Matter of Waste
In the Hallway: Passing Between Scenarios
Search through the stacks until you locate the Devil, then — keeping the sequence in order — lay out the cards of that stack around the Devil in a line from left-to-right. If there are more than two additional cards on either side of the Devil, stop at three in both directions, and if there are no cards on one side, transfer one or more from the opposite end to fill the void, using your judgment regarding the number (up to three) required to complete the picture.
Read this sequence from left-to-right as a narrative with the Devil in the key position symbolizing “what needs to be known” about the matter, which will be explained by the accompanying cards. Here is an example reading showing how to do it. (All images are from the Waite-Smith Centennial Edition, copyright of US Games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT.)
The Devil appeared in the “Attic” sub-pack with three cards before it and two after, indicating that the matter has been overlooked since it is “out of sight and out of mind.” But its invisible presence is still causing anxiety despite being “off the radar.”
The reading seems to confirm that something (it could have been “bad news”) was brought home secretly from work (3 of Pentacles followed by the reversed 6 of Swords) and the one who brought it is at a loss about how to broach the subject without causing undue distress (5 of Cups). If anyone in the querent’s circle seems to be brooding, that would be the first person to ask.
The Devil is gleefully waiting for “the other shoe to drop,” while the 7 of Wands places the person with the secret in the unenviable position of being pressed for an answer. But the King of Pentacles reversed can be as tight-lipped as a clam, so it’s possible the truth will never come out.
The only consolation is that the individual has been backed into a corner and can’t make a move without “spilling the beans.” In other words, you’ve “got him where he wants you,” sharing his angst but unable to do anything except watch and wait, hoping for a slip-up. Welcome to the asylum!
By using a different “pointer” card and tweaking the legend above, this spread could also be used for finding misplaced items within the home or identifying that they are at some unknown remote location.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on September 10, 2024.
