Moloch - The Devil
Hello Weirdos,
I did that thing again where I thought I would have time on tour to post but here I am… I did however start wiring on one of our first flights before I was way too exhausted and just used travel to catch up on sleep so I’ll just keep my little plane blab. The next few posts are more than likely going to be delayed as my band (The Beautiful Monument) is about to start a tour with Escape The Fate and the only time I’ll have to sit down and actually write is during my flights… like right now.
This week has been a hectic week of prepping and absolutely nothing to write home about, but I have started reading a book that I wouldn’t typically read because it’s not horror. The book is called The House Witch by Delemhach and it is super cute. It’s basically a book about a Kitchen Witch and his familiars adventures. I’m actually really enjoying it so far and it’s currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited. That’s about as exciting as my week has been so far so let's get into it!
The Devil
Card Description
I love this card so much and I would be lying if I said I knew absolutely nothing about it. But I’m here to learn more than what I already know so let me just give you a rundown of the imagery in this card. The Devil sits on a throne with a naked male and female chained together beneath him. The chains are wrapped around their necks and link up at the bottom of his throne. The background of this card is black with the only colour appearing on the actual figures themselves. The Devil is a very well known demon known as Baphomet with great ram horns and bat-like wings. In the centre of these horns is a very predominant pentagram. His upper body is that of a man and his lower half is beastly. His right hand is up making what anyone would easily confuse with the ‘live long and prosper’ Spock salute while his left hand holds down a flaming torch. The two figures standing below him both have horns on their heads and unique tails. The woman has a vine with grapes at the end of it while the male’s tail is made of flames. 
Key Meanings
Upright: Addictions. Depression. Betrayal.
Reversed: Overcoming addiction. Independence. Freedom.
The story behind the card
The Devil, a bearded Man-Beast with an inverted pentacle coming out of his third eye. He is the epitome of evil with his clawed feet, horns and bat like wings. The two figures that stand beneath him are Adam and Eve who have been banished from paradise and are now enslaved in this black cave and corrupted by evil - slowly becoming demons; that’s why they too have horns growing out of their heads. Baphomet’s right hand is up asserting his dominance to the figures standing before him while his left hand holds a torch as his lair is pitch black. The chains around their necks appear loose allowing them to walk away from the Devil if they wanted to. The fruit that grows on Eve’s tail is a representation of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden whist Adam’s fiery tail represents giving into temptation.
Upright Meaning
In its upright position this card can signify an unwillingness to overcome the negative attributes in your life. It’s the perfect representation of romanticizing addiction or depression in a way. The chains that sit around the neck of these figures are actually loose enough for them to just slip right off… they’re just choosing not to. It’s like they’re comfortable being controlled by this entity. This card is a representation of addiction, and it’s not even necessarily substance abuse, it could be something as simple as social media and the control it has over so many individuals. Its main message is to redirect your attention to things that actually truly matter.
Reversed Meaning
Pulling this card in its reversals you would find that these chains would just slide right off, allowing these figures to experience freedom and detach from whatever unhealthy addiction they are facing. This is one of those rare cards where it’s reversal brings a more hopeful outcome for the reader. It’s a reminder that the situation that you’re facing is not as drastic as you thought. The ball is in your court and you are very capable of making better decisions and finding that light.
Moloch
I actually don’t know why this false deity was chosen as The Devil in this deck as Baphomet also makes an appearance in Occult Tarot, but I’m going to take a wild guess that this Demon’s characteristics line up with The Devil tarot more than Baphomets… Like that time Charlie Chaplin won second place in a Charlie Chaplin lookalike competition. Moloch is more Baphomet than Baphomet?
** Before I get into this guy I’m just going to drop a trigger warning in here as Moloch is heavily involved with the sacrifice of children **
We’ve finally stumbled upon the first Demon that isn’t on Solomons list - I was wondering who didn’t belong considering there are 72 Demons and 78 cards in a standard tarot deck. Moloch is super fascinating nonetheless and actually makes an appearance in the worlds’ best selling novel ‘The Bible’.
Moloch was a fallen angel that masqueraded as a Pagan Fertility God. He is known for his appetite towards the children of the faithful. He made his first appearance in the Old Testament as a God that Moses forbade anyone to worship - although this didn’t stop the Canaanites and Phoenician cultures to cease doing so. His statue is bronze in colour and he appears with a calf’s head seated on a throne wearing a royal crown. His arms are extended to receive the sacrificial children passed on to him. According to John Milton (writer of Poem ‘Paradise Lost’) Moloch is terrifying and covered in mother’s tears and children’s blood.
It is said that inside of the famous statue of Moloch (now displayed in the Colosseum in Italy) there were seven different cabinets each for different items. The first for flour, second for turtle doves, third a ewe, fourth for a ram, fifth a calf, sixth for beef and finally, seventh for a child. When a child was sacrificed a fire would be lit inside of the statue and priests would loudly pound on drums and other objects in order to cover the cries of the sacrificed.
Moloch is listed amongst the list of chiefs that are Lucifer’s angels. He has an infamous speech known as ‘Moloch’s Oath’ where he argued the immediate warfare against God, this made him revered as a Pagan God on earth and the creator of the Oath system in Hell.
He is described as being a murderous and irrational demon who continues to wage war against God and Heaven. He finds pleasure in making mother’s weep and specialises in stealing their children. This demon of Warfare is highly skilled in combat which helped land him a position in Lucifer’s leading charges of the rebel angels during the war in Heaven. He is still worshiped today by the Bohemian Club and his ritual is known as the ‘Cremation of Care’.
I personally don’t see any relevance of this guy to The Devil tarot card… child sacrifices and free will don’t really go hand in hand in my eyes but look, each to their own.
Next time we take a look at another Major Arcana card, this card tends to make people panic when it shows up in their spread, so looking into ‘The Tower’ should be interesting. We’ll also meet a Totem Pole called Vassago who hopefully doesn’t enjoy consuming children.
Remember, you are the only one that can make the choice to be free of those shackles. You've got this.
See you in the next post.
Lizi
The Ultimate Guide to Tarot - Liz Dean
TarotLovers - Link
Tarot Meanings - Link
Coffee & Cauldrons Podcast - Link
Wikipedia - Link
Demonic Paradise - Link