Better the Devil you Know

This card has been part of a conversation between a friend and I for some months. Talking our way through the cards, we joked about how her sister, Katie, would be the perfect little Devil.

The Devil is a card which has stayed close to my side for many years. She comes in all forms of temptation; be that alcohol, drugs, sex, or cigarettes. Whichever vice it is that you know you should be moderating is where she lurks. As someone who is still lured by cigarettes and a few too many drinks, she will advise me to buy an extra pack or succumb to the late bars. She is not all bad, for she allows us to let our hair down once in a while, but once she has tightened her grip, there is often no return.

I have known Katie for nearly as long as I have known the devil. At first, she became a familiar face amongst the backdrop of local pubs and clubs, and a friend of friends. But as the years passed, our friendship has tightened amongst mutual loss and many a night out. As a friend, she is more than just a little devil. But as a devil, I have to agree with her sister, that she is the best.

As with other cards in my pack, I have decided to change the title for this one. I felt that 'The Siren' is a more alluring title and better depicts the seductive characteristics of both this model and temptation itself, but I chose to add the pitchfork brooch as a nod to tradition. This siren stands in front of iron bars, for when we yield to temptation and excess, we create our own prison. Behind her, we see a dark landscape. These are the rocks where sirens would entice sailors to their death, and behind them, we see the setting sun.