The Devil perches on the chains of humanity representing control and domination. Common interpretations include greed, possession, and capitalism in contrast with the card before it, Temperance. Giving into these desires of domination and greed is destructive as we see the devilish figure’s torch lighting the human’s tail on fire. However, even in this oppressed state, the two human figures don’t seem to be bothered by their circumstances, which speaks to how we can become used to the oppressive and unjust systems around us and how they slowly become normalized. 

The Red Tarot offers an expanded understanding of The Devil through a liberatory lens. Not only does The Devil show how oppression dehumanizes both the oppressor and oppressed, but it can also be used to pull back the curtain of collective trauma. A beautiful encapsulation of this is “The devil strips away facades of privacy to urgently remind us that all oppression is connected, to make our personal deeply political” (Marmolejo 194). Instead of growing complacent, The Devil urges us to continue critiquing power structures and forms of oppression in our society. In the Next World Tarot, we see this exemplified through the real-world oppression and corruption of capitalism.

As the Judgment Day comes, so does a time for reconnecting with our spirituality and a call to action. The imagery of rising from the grave with arms outstretched signals that Judgement is a joyous and unitying time of awakening and transformation. The figure above speaks to a higher calling and the trumpet itself symbolizes a call to attention. 

Different decks have looked at what it means to be awakened and how our idea of peace/paradise can be broadened. The Red Tarot acknowledges that it’s easy to give up against the fight of oppression because it is old, powerful and everywhere but Judgement inspires us to remain focused on our fight as “Life becomes a work of art a work of revolution dedicated to the reinvigoration of the human spirit” (Marmolejo 78). The Next World Tarot also invites us to question what peace and justice look like in a world that has historically used those definitions to further oppressed marginalized communities from seeking transformation.

The Hierophant resonates most with the word "Dogma," which means teaching: "The word becomes a vehicle for the soul's concentration” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 182) as it forms a concentration for effort and focus. Such a figure emancipates faith, declares belief, and accomplishes goals through discipline. It is the ultimate representor of grit and hard work. However, "the Hierophant does more than explain systems and review technique; they initiate the reader into a family connected through a history of practiced and professed faith” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 184). Marmolejo says, "Choosing a Hierophant is choosing a name that offers a lineage of naming and being named. Extending back through history, it becomes a line into the present, into the unfolding future” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 184). In other words, once we understand who our guru is, we find a loop into faith and understanding of life. After all, "the Hierophant knows one day we will be ancestors and desperately wants us to pass down a body of knowledge, a love that is faith made flesh” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 188). 

Knowledge and understanding are gained through time and passed through generations. We must strive for knowledge and yearn for thought to form this cycle.

Infinite possibilities, infinite resolutions, and infinite outcomes. This is the amount of chances and opportunities that we yearn to have. The Two of Pentacles represents our ambition and yearning throughout life. We must constantly balance the opportunities that flow our way while embracing our independence and "capital-bility." It is critical that we stay grounded when balancing the duality of each pentacle because one thing needs another for stability: “They move money, time, and bodies around, investing in the various energies of their being as potential resources for prosperity, so long as the reader properly attunes to their rhythmic energetic flows” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 85). In The Red Tarot, Marmolejo also mentions how the Fool takes form in the two of pentacles, “for it is the comedian offering satire and social commentary, turning bleak circumstances into humor infused with broader meaning” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 85). Embodying The Fool correlates with the Two Pentacles as it embraces uncertainty and the excitement of new and infinite possibilities. This correlation between the Fool and the Two of Pentacles plays into a pursuit of a meaningful, fruitful, and spiritual life that always shifts with the changing economic base of life, creating a sense of displacement.

“We leave with joy, willing to go without the security of the known when we value what is to be gained, what can only be gained by going” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 86). Coincidentally enough, the duality of feeling pressured to balance ourselves and also having the resources to balance ourselves is just what we need to move forward. Similar to how we need duality in society to achieve an equilibrium. In short, there are several aspects to our minds and bodies, and we must conjure up stability to find new opportunities: “Just how many things can two hands juggle?” (Marmolejo, Red Tarot, 85).