Tag: Materialism

He Who Sups with the Devil Should Have a Long Spoon

Posted C. LaVielleLeave a commentPosted in Major arcana

We all sup with the Devil daily. He is Lord of the Material Realm and we are partially material beings. We require food, water, air and shelter from his kingdom to remain alive. And he is constantly tempting us to take more. We buy the most expensive homes and cars we possibly can and shop for the best furniture, food and clothing. “Go ahead,” he says, “Enjoy your life. The more you have the happier you will be.” And yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Father of Lies is telling you the truth. A 2008 Princeton University study by Angus Deaton says so. And here’s the graph: It looks confusing, but once you get the hang of reading it, it’s quite fascinating. The vertical axis is a life satisfaction scale—the higher the number, the more satisfaction with life. The horizontal axis is the average household income (GDP, gross domestic product) of each country adjusted for buying power. Each country is represented by a circle, the bigger… Read More »

Have We Finally Gone to the Devil?

Posted C. LaVielle2 CommentsPosted in Major arcana, Tarot

The Devil key is all about materialism. Humans are, first and foremost, materialistic beings. We can’t help it. The material world surrounds and permeates us. It overwhelms us with its beauty, sensuality, terrors, and brutality. But we used to try much harder to reach beyond the material realms and toward the divine. From ancient times up until about the end of the 1900s we lavished most of our money, time, and skills on our sacred spaces. We built them huge. We built them to last. We built them high, so that when we raised our eyes we would be reminded of the divine. Our finest architects, artists, and craftspeople spent their lives making them truly awe-inspiring. But nowadays when we lift our eyes from the pavement searching for inspiration we see: Banks… That sometimes look suspiciously like… Temples and Cathedrals.