A look at the Devil from the Garden of Enchanted Creatures

The Devil card has always been one of my favorites to illustrate—not because I enjoy the energy it represents, but because of the many ways that energy can manifest visually and symbolically.

For The Garden of Enchanted Creatures, a story unfolded in my mind with a giant weasel at its center—this deck's Devil. The keywords for this card are: Manipulation, Addiction, Control, Illusion, Self-Betrayal, and Temptation.

To portray manipulation I went to the image of a pig dressed as a nun. She whispers in the rabbit's ear to convince a young, innocent rabbit to sign a contract. Because she wears the robes of the church, she must be trustworthy—or so the rabbit believes. That is what he has been taught. The pig, and this is no slam on pigs because they are very cute, but symbolically speaking, it is an animal often associated with greed and indulgence. This piggy, like so many who do the Devil's bidding, hides behind a mask of virtue and moral superiority.

Let's be honest here: true evil rarely announces itself with monstrous horns and flames. More often, it disguises itself as righteousness, safety, or authority.

The contract represents false promises—the illusion of power, protection, or reward, but always at a steep and terrible cost. The nun holds out a "coveted" collar, to be worn once the contract is signed. This collar is subjugation disguised as care.

"Sign here, and I'll take care of you."

But who truly benefits from the deal? One guess—and it's not the rabbit.

Then there are the three sad, pathetic-looking rabbits already wearing red collars, waiting dutifully in line for the weasel. They have fallen fully into the Devil's trap—collared, weakened, suffering:

• The last rabbit, missing a leg, kneels in desperation. He's been crippled by what he once believed would save him. But no, he was wrong, yet he still waits in line.
• The middle rabbit, missing an eye, reaches out in hope. He cannot see the full truth so he clings to the belief that if he just plays along, he'll finally be rewarded. But will he?
• The first rabbit willingly sells its heart for a few coins—the ultimate sacrifice: giving away one's soul for material gain. He tells himself, he won't need it later.

Now let's turn to the star of the show—the Devil: the Weasel. Grotesque and towering, he feeds off suffering. Blood drips from his mouth; he stands on a pile of discarded hearts. He doesn't care about the damage—his followers are expendable. As long as the pig does her job, there will always be more.

And yet, what is interesting about this Devil is that he doesn't force anyone to give up their heart, leg, or eye. Instead, he sows fear, instills rage, and lets others believe they are victims—then offers himself as the only savior.

That is the Devil's greatest trick: convincing you that you have no choice… when in truth, you always do.

Beneath his right foot lies a match—a quiet warning that destruction is never far away. Below him, a pit where he defecates the souls of those who signed the deal—a grotesque reminder of how little their sacrifice meant.

Behind him, a house is in flames. A symbol of safety and home, now reduced to ash.

This is the price of the deal. You don't just lose a piece of yourself—you risk losing everything.

And still, the rabbits sign. Still, they wait.

But look closely.

There is a long, winding path that leads away from the Devil.

At its end, a raven calls from the mountain.

There is another way.

It's not easy. It's steep and uncertain. It won't offer instant rewards or empty promises. But it will offer, like the raven, truth and, ultimately, freedom.

The raven, a symbol of fate and clarity, calls out across the valley.

Will the rabbits look up to hear it?

Will they even recognize its call?

What This Card Asks of You

The Devil doesn't always appear as expect it to look, demonic and menacing. More often, it shows up as the small, quiet choices we make—the ones that slowly erode our power.

This card asks:

Where have you given away your freedom in exchange for false comfort?

Who—or what—holds your metaphorical collar?

When the Devil appears in a reading, it's a signal to examine the illusions we've bought into.

Are you being manipulated—or manipulating yourself?

Are you mistaking control for safety?

Have you traded your heart for something shiny but ultimately hollow?

The trap may look different for everyone—addiction, toxic relationships, negative thought patterns, people-pleasing—but what matters is recognizing that there is always a way out. There is always a choice.

It won't be easy. It may mean walking away from something that once felt safe. But the raven still calls out to you.

The question is: Are you ready to hear it?