The Horny Devil and Belated Christmas Present

Ah, that old chestnut, The Devil. This guy often finds his way into my draws, despite deck. I'd say he is one of my personal cards (along with The Hermit), since I do have a very addictive personality and can easily chain myself to things willingly. He makes me think about my diet. Even though I have had the odd treat of late, I have lost a further few pounds, according to the swanky scales my boyfriend bought me at Christmas. For me, dieting can be as addictive and all-consuming as eating, as I watch everything that goes in my mouth obsessively. You might see me chained to my strict diet, like the two people are chained to the beast in this card, unable to budge. My boyfriend thinks it is controlling me, and in a way, I think he's right, even if I am much happier about the way that I look and feel right now than I have been in a long time. Strength might be a more healthy card to draw on this subject. Or even better than that, the moderation and balance of Temperance.

Even though the festival of Imbolc has passed, it feels more like it should be today, as the sun streams through my window and has pretty much thawed all of the snow and ice outside. I think that today is the only one in the next week and a half which doesn't have an early morning start for me to contend with, so I decided to make the most of it. I bought some pens to have a go at a little artsy project I had in mind, so along with reading more of Josephine Ellershaw's book, I thought I would dedicate my morning to that. Things never seem to work out as I plan, since I ended up stepping in to help my parents strip the vile tile-on-a-roll wallpaper in the utility room. We really are beginning to unwrap this house like a belated Christmas present, removing all of the dated wallpaper from each and every room. I think it takes my dad's mind off of other stuff, so in that sense, it is a good thing.

Illustration from The Radiant Rider Waite by Pamela Coleman Smith, recoloured by Virginijus Poshkus