Hell of Mirrors is a story by Edogawa Rampo. Its about a man who sends himself crazy with mirrors…I’m not going to spoil it more than that. But the general idea is that he was unhinged by being forced to look at his own demon.
Like in the movie Chinese Oddysey, a version of Journey to the West. Monkey is reincarnated as a human and forgets he is King Monkey. But someone gives him a mirror which reflects inner demons, and he is shocked to see his Stone Ape face.
And the Lady of Shallott and her mirror of course, because she is a metaphor for the curse of the artist, doomed to reflect life rather than experience it. Being gifted with a resident demon, such as this one. The DEVIL is a great patron of the ARTS.
A quote within a quote…
“A disturber of the peace, a spoiler, a serpent or corrupting agency is necessary to “get the play going”. It must function as “Lucifer”, a bringer of light, of new information and awareness. Initially the disruptive element will tend to be percieved as evil, and the disturber who personifies it will be rejected and made a scape goat.
The Greek word “DIABOLOS” means “confuser”.
Goethe makes god say:
For, man’s activity can easily abate
He soon prefers uninterupted rest
To give him this companion hence seems best
Who roils and must as devil help create.”
(Faust)
Quite clearly, creativity is implied by the poet as the intention and purpose of the “devils” antagonistic function”.
Whitmont MD
Alchemy of Healing
I’d certainly say that no other card has affected me more strangely than this one, and it still does. I finished it almost a year ago and have kept it hidden away since then. It spread a dark haze over my life last summer but ultimately it has been liberating. Maybe I had to keep painting to come to terms with it. Also to reward those of you who actually read the blurb I have put a photo of me in the in Enter the Tarot page, just to prove I’m really NOT the DEVIL. XD
Not on the surface anyway.
I certainly have one resident though, or maybe even several.
Is it bad that I am finding the Devil to be one of my favorites? I wonder what that says about me? 😉
It says you have good taste! 🙂
It’s by far my best card, and the engine in lots of ways for all the rest. She is very happy to be out and about.