🌿 This week in Sage Leaves… 🌿
As this week draws to a close, the cards invite you to settle into the shifting light of late autumn with awareness and steadiness. The Devil appears not as a threat but as a teacher, carrying the Jungian reminder that your shadow is simply the part of you waiting to be understood. This archetype asks you to look at your choices with clarity and compassion, especially now as the days grow shorter and the long arc toward Yule begins. It encourages you to notice where old habits tug at your ankles and where fear may cloud your judgment, then to meet those places with honesty rather than shame.
We are blessed with these crisp, sunlit days of November, when the air smells of leaves and the earth is carpeted in the golds and reds of October’s fallen leaves. Enjoy them while they last. Winter’s long grey stretch is on the horizon, and these bright moments are precious fuel for the season ahead. This is the time to gather your light, tend to your inner fire, and stay mindful of what truly supports your well-being. As always, there are small treasures at the edges of the season: a comforting herbal blend, an unexpected insight, a question that opens a door.
Thank you for walking this turning with me, listening and growing as the earth cools, the nights lengthen, and we each practice the quiet work of balance in both heart and season.
The Devil Card As Jungian Archetype
The Devil card in Tarot represents one of the most powerful and misunderstood archetypes in Jungian psychology. On the surface, it seems to symbolize evil, corruption, or temptation. Yet from a Jungian point of view, the Devil is not simply a villain; it is a mirror reflecting the parts of the self that have been denied, suppressed, or distorted. In Jung’s language, this card embodies the shadow—the unconscious aspect of personality that contains instincts, fears, desires, and impulses we reject because they conflict with our ideal self-image.
When the Devil appears, it is a confrontation with the shadow. The chained figures in the traditional image symbolize the ways people become trapped by their own inner patterns—habits, addictions, material attachments, or false identities. Jung believed that anything we repress gains strength in the dark. The more we deny the shadow, the more it controls us unconsciously. The Devil reminds you that freedom comes not from denial, but from awareness. You must look directly at what binds you before you can unfasten the chains.
This card also relates to Jung’s idea of individuation, the lifelong process of becoming a whole person by integrating all aspects of the psyche—light and dark alike. The Devil represents the point in that journey when you face the truth of your own humanity. It challenges you to own your desires, anger, jealousy, and ambition without letting them rule you. These forces are not evil in themselves; they are simply energy. The danger lies in ignorance or repression, not in the instincts themselves. The task is to recognize them, name them, and channel their power toward conscious purpose.
On a deeper level, the Devil archetype speaks to the psychology of projection. When people refuse to acknowledge their own darker impulses, they tend to see them in others—labeling someone else as “bad,” “immoral,” or “corrupt.” Jung called this projecting the shadow. The Devil exposes that projection and asks, “What are you refusing to see in yourself?” The moment you reclaim what you have disowned, the figure loses its power to frighten you. It ceases to be a monster and becomes a teacher.
“The Devil is not your enemy:
it is the shadow asking to be seen so that its chains can finally fall away.”
In mythic terms, the Devil aligns with trickster figures such as Pan, Loki, or Mephistopheles—beings who disrupt order to provoke transformation. They mock hypocrisy, expose pretense, and reveal what lies beneath polite appearances. When this archetype surfaces in a reading, it may indicate a time when you must question your own conditioning and confront what you secretly crave or fear. The invitation is not to moralize, but to be honest. What tempts you may reveal what you truly desire. What frightens you may show where your freedom lies.
Psychologically, the Devil also represents entrapment in illusions—the belief that you are powerless or that circumstances control you. Jung called this a form of psychological possession. The moment you realize that the chains around the figures’ necks are loose enough to slip off, you see the truth: liberation begins in the mind. The Devil teaches that awareness breaks bondage.
Ultimately, this card is not about sin, but about consciousness. It asks you to stop hiding from yourself. When you bring light to what has been hidden, you reclaim your creative energy. The Devil archetype demands courage—the willingness to see the full truth of who you are and still choose growth.
Reflection Prompt:
What part of yourself have you been afraid to face, and how might acknowledging it restore your sense of freedom and wholeness?
🌿Sage Leaves Weekly Tarotscope
Tarotscope for November 18-24, 2025
This week’s energy unfolds slowly but deliberately. With no Major Arcana present, you move through a landscape shaped by daily choices rather than dramatic fate. The shift of the Sun from Scorpio into Sagittarius brings a quiet but noticeable lift, yet you are still navigating deep emotional waters. Three court cards appear, reminding you that you are not only acting but also learning, receiving, and responding. With two Swords, two Cups, and two Wands, the week asks you to balance thought, emotion, and action. By week’s end, you will understand where your energy is best invested and what inner discipline is needed to move forward.
The Cards of the Week
Tuesday: 4 of Swords | Mercury Retrograde Enters Scorpio
Wednesday: King of Swords | Mercury in Scorpio Opposite Uranus in Taurus
Thursday: 3 of Pentacles | Scorpio New Moon
Friday: Page of Cups | Sun Enters Sagittarius
Saturday: Knight of Cups | Mercury in Scorpio Trine Jupiter in Cancer & Trine Saturn in Pisces
Sunday: 2 of Wands | Sun in Sagittarius Sextile Pluto in Aquarius
Monday: 5 of Wands | Mercury in Scorpio Conjunct Venus in Scorpio
Tuesday – 4 of Swords
The week begins with the 4 of Swords, a reminder to pause before you push. Mercury retrograde drops into Scorpio, stirring old thoughts, buried memories, and unfinished emotional business. Instead of reacting, you are encouraged to reflect. The card tells you that rest is not avoidance; it is preparation. This is a day to conserve energy and let clarity rise naturally. Stillness now will set the tone for wiser decisions later in the week.
Wednesday – King of Swords
As Mercury opposes Uranus, truth cuts through confusion. The King of Swords embodies intellect, strategy, and precise communication. Expect sudden insights and sharp realizations. You may feel compelled to state your boundaries or reorganize your priorities. The King urges you to think before you speak, but also to speak with authority when you choose to. This is the day to choose clarity over comfort and honesty over habit.
Thursday – 3 of Pentacles
The Scorpio New Moon invites you into patient rebuilding. The 3 of Pentacles emphasizes collaboration and skill. You are laying foundations now, either in work, relationships, or personal growth. This day encourages shared effort. Recognize the value of supportive voices around you. The New Moon asks for intention; the card asks for craftsmanship. Together they show a day when slow progress becomes meaningful progress.
Friday – Page of Cups
The Sun moves into Sagittarius, and the energy lightens. The Page of Cups brings curiosity, creativity, and emotional openness. This is a day for listening to intuition and following small sparks of joy. A message or invitation may arrive, or you may feel a desire to express yourself differently. The Page of Cups is youthful, gentle, and imaginative. Let your heart wander a little; something new wants to catch your attention.
Saturday – Knight of Cups
With Mercury trining Jupiter and Saturn, the Knight of Cups appears as a messenger of balanced emotion. While the Page of Cups explores, the Knight takes action shaped by feeling and purpose. You may step toward a dream, extend an offer, or commit to something meaningful. This card also signals emotional maturity. You are not reacting impulsively; you are choosing with intention. Because the Knight of Cups has appeared in recent weeks, it suggests an ongoing emotional journey that is gaining momentum.
Sunday – 2 of Wands
The 2 of Wands is the moment when vision turns into planning. The Sun in Sagittarius sextiles Pluto, giving you courage to think bigger. You can see the horizon from where you stand, and you sense that it is time to move beyond your comfort zone. This card does not rush; instead, it asks you to consider your options wisely. You are preparing for expansion, but you want the direction to be right, not just exciting.
Monday – 5 of Wands
The week ends with the 5 of Wands, a card of tension and competing energies. With Mercury and Venus meeting in Scorpio, emotional intensity rises. You may encounter conflict, misunderstanding, or the pressure of too many demands. However, this card does not predict disaster. It signals growth through challenge. You are learning how to assert yourself without losing your grounding. The friction clears the way for authenticity and better boundaries in the days to come.
Overarching Themes
This week is marked by a graceful balance among the elements. Two Swords bring clarity; two Cups bring feeling; two Wands bring motivation. The absence of the Major Arcana places agency in your hands. You are not being swept along by fate. You are shaping the path deliberately.
The court cards reinforce a progression: the King of Swords offers mental mastery, the Page of Cups offers emotional innocence, and the Knight of Cups transforms those qualities into intentional action. Together they form a developmental arc from clarity to curiosity to movement.
The numbers also create a subtle sequence: 4 to 3 to 2 to 5. You are moving backward to retrieve insight, then forward into growth. The Sun’s shift from Scorpio to Sagittarius mirrors this movement from introspection to expansion.
Overall, the week teaches harmony between thought, feeling, and initiative. You begin by resting, then discerning, then building, then imagining, then acting with heart. By the weekend, you are ready to plan boldly, even if Monday’s tensions demand adaptation.
This is a week of self-guided evolution. The path is yours to walk, and every choice shapes the story unfolding before you.
Reflection:
Where in your life are thought, emotion, and action out of balance, and what small adjustment this week would help bring them back into harmony as you move from reflection into purposeful momentum?
As this week closes, you step out of Scorpio’s shadows and into the first bright stretch of Sagittarius season, carrying the insights your cards have offered. The energies of the 4 of Swords, King of Swords, 3 of Pentacles, and the Cups and Wands that followed have guided you from thoughtful rest to honest clarity, steady effort, emotional openness, and finally the courage to act. Yet beneath these daily shifts, the deeper lesson comes from the quiet presence of the Devil archetype we explored earlier. In Jungian terms, the Devil invites you to notice where you may be acting from fear, habit, or an unexamined part of yourself. It asks you to look directly at what is driving your choices, especially as tensions rise and decisions approach. When this archetype appears in a reading, it is not a warning of doom but a prompt for honesty. It reminds you that freedom begins with awareness and that breaking old patterns starts with naming them.
As you move into the long nights of late autumn, may you take these lessons with you: thoughtful reflection, conscious intention, and the bravery to see your own shadow with compassion and clarity.
Until next week, may the cards guide you gently,
—Dr. Winkler
That’s it for this week! Look for Sage Leaves in your inbox on Tuesday afternoons (North American time.) We look forward to exploring more about Tarot, Healing and more! Take care, be well, and good-bye for now!
Thank you! The devil card is not my favorite, but as with all the Tarot cards with a 'negative' cast, I think it's important to understand what it brings to a reading! (My favorite is the Death card. One would expect that as I am a trained end-of-life doula)
May love & light continue with you this week in your doula offerings...