The Devil: Tarot Card Meaning
Major Arcana, card 15
Upright keywords
- attachment
- habits
- temptation
- self-limitation
- material focus
Reversed keywords
- release
- awareness
- breaking free
- reclaiming choice
In short
- Upright
- Attachments and limits that hold you tighter than you’d like, yet the chains on the card are loose, and a way out exists.
- Reversed
- The chains are slackening: you begin to see what held you, and find the resolve to step out of it gradually.
The Devil: symbolism and imagery
On the Rider–Waite Devil card, a horned figure with bat wings crouches on a dark pedestal, gripping it with its claws; its right palm is raised, and its left hand holds a downturned torch. A naked man and woman with small horns and tails are chained to a ring on the pedestal. The loops of chain rest loosely around their necks.
- The loose chains
- The key to the whole card. The loops are wide and can be lifted off by hand: many limits seem permanent until you try to loosen them.
- Horns and tails on the humans
- Attachment gradually changes people, who start to take on the features of what holds them. But the horns are small: this is not their whole nature.
- The inverted pentagram
- A sign that the material and instinctive have risen above meaning and values. Not “evil”, but an upside-down order of priorities.
- The lowered torch
- Fire that burns rather than lights the way. Passion aimed in the wrong direction blazes brightly but makes little clearer.
- Grapes and flame on the tails
- Pleasure and desire trailing behind. In themselves they aren’t bad. The question is who steers whom.
The Devil upright
The Devil is the fifteenth card of the Major Arcana, and it usually frightens people more than it deserves. It isn’t about mystical evil or punishment. Its subject is whatever has a grip on a person: habits, dependencies, fears, relationships, money, status, other people’s approval, or anything else we feel we can no longer do without. Its image is closer to a bargain we once struck with ourselves and then stopped noticing.
Such ties often begin with something pleasant: comfort, enjoyment, a sense of safety. Over time they become habitual, then compulsory. We tell ourselves “I can’t do otherwise”, when in fact we simply haven’t tried. The card doesn’t judge: the pull towards pleasure and the need for support are natural. It only invites an honest look at where desire has turned into compulsion, and self-care into a place to hide.
The most important detail: the chains sit loosely on the two figures. A way out is possible, even if you can’t see it yet. It is rarely instant: sometimes it’s one honest conversation, sometimes a habit loosened bit by bit, sometimes help from a specialist or from people who have walked a similar path. The upright Devil doesn’t ask “whose fault is this?” but “what can I loosen right now?”
The Devil reversed
Reversed, the Devil often speaks of awakening. You recognise what kept you stuck (a habit, a person, a job, your own fear) and begin to work your way out. That moment can feel joyful or hard: freedom doesn’t always bring instant relief, and sometimes emptiness and doubt come first. Don’t blame yourself for the past; back then you did what seemed like the only option.
The card has another side as well: the temptation to slip back into the old groove when things get tough. If that happens, it isn’t failure but part of the path. Remember what you have already noticed and changed, lean on the people close to you, and don’t expect instant results. Every day lived differently strengthens your freedom.
The Devil in love: passion or dependence?
Upright
In a relationship
There may be a strong pull between you, but look at what the bond rests on. If you stay together out of fear of loneliness, out of jealousy or for money’s sake, the relationship grows cramped. Discuss where each of you feels short of freedom: honesty loosens chains better than reproach.
If you’re single
An intense passion that’s hard to tear yourself away from is possible, or a repeating pattern of being drawn to people who are unavailable. Enjoy your feelings, but notice whether you are still yourself. If attraction makes you forget your own boundaries, that’s a reason to pause and reflect.
Reversed
In a relationship
A couple may be breaking out of an unhealthy cycle: acknowledging control, jealousy or dependence on each other, and learning to be together more freely. It isn’t easy, but the relationship becomes more honest. Sometimes freedom also means deciding to part. That, too, can be a step back to yourself.
If you’re single
You are letting go of a bond that held you too long, or no longer waiting for someone who didn’t return your feelings. Relief may come with some disorientation, and that’s normal. Before starting something new, work out what kind of closeness you truly need and what you’ll no longer put up with.
The Devil at work: when fear of change, not the job, keeps you there
Upright
You may feel tied to your workplace: for the salary, the status or out of fear of the unknown, you stay where it’s cramped and uninspiring. Workaholism is possible too: not knowing how to stop. Ask yourself which rules you accepted without checking, and what would change if you questioned just one of them.
Reversed
You are becoming ready to leave a draining situation: to negotiate different terms, set boundaries with management or start looking for a new role. Even if things change slowly, you can already see the way out. Rely on concrete steps, so your freedom becomes lasting rather than an impulsive escape.
The Devil and money: when possessions start to own us
Upright
With money, the Devil speaks of attachment to cash and possessions: impulse buying, loans, fear of being left without savings, wanting to keep up with someone else’s lifestyle. Look at which expenses come from genuine needs and which from anxiety or habit. Calculation and a clear plan will restore a sense of control.
Reversed
You are gradually climbing out of a money trap: cutting the unnecessary, reviewing commitments, learning to spend mindfully and spot anxiety-driven purchases. The card promises no instant relief, but it supports the direction you’ve chosen. With large debts, it makes sense to consult a financial adviser and draw up a realistic repayment plan.
The Devil and health: habits you can take back control of
Upright
The card may point to habits that are hard to manage: late nights at a screen, sweets “for comfort”, smoking. Try to understand what they give you, and look for a gentler substitute. If you can’t manage alone, reach out to a specialist.
Reversed
You are freeing yourself from a habit that drained your energy, which is already an important step. Setbacks can happen and don’t cancel out your progress. Support from loved ones and a specialist will help you keep the new rhythm.
This isn’t medical advice: for health questions, please see a doctor.
The card’s advice
Upright
Which habit or belief holds you most tightly — and how might it feel to loosen that chain a little?
Reversed
Acknowledge what you’ve already freed yourself from, and let yourself feel proud of that step.
The Devil: yes or no, upright and reversed
Upright
Likely no
Likely no: there is dependence, pressure or illusion in the situation, and saying yes could bind you more tightly. If it’s about passion or material gain, a yes is possible, but ask at what cost.
Reversed
Likely yes
Likely yes, if the question is about freeing yourself: leaving, saying no, setting a boundary, no longer waiting. The card supports a step towards freedom, but reminds you that the path takes time and consistency.
The Devil as your card of the day
The Devil in spread positions
In the past position
A situation in the past held you tightly (a relationship, a job, a habit), and its trace still shows in your present decisions.
As an obstacle
What holds you back is an attachment that’s hard to admit: to comfort, a person, money, or the belief “I couldn’t do it any other way”.
As advice
Name what holds you, and test how strong that chain really is — it may come off more easily than it seems.
As the outcome
The situation is leading you to an honest look at what keeps you in place, and to a choice about whether to loosen that tie.
Example
In a relationship spread, someone asks whether to give their partner another chance after yet another row about jealousy. The Devil in the advice position doesn’t say “stay at any cost”; it suggests seeing the cycle itself: hurt, reconciliation, control again. What would help break it: new agreements, a couples therapist, or parting ways?
The Devil: combinations with other cards
A brief look at what two cards mean side by side in one spread (in the upright position). Select a card to open its meaning.
With the Major Arcana
The Magicianuse your influence honestly
The Empressknow when pleasure is enough
The Emperorcontrol that becomes a cage
The Hierophantrules that turn into chains
The Loverstelling love from dependence
Strengthtaming your own impulses
Temperancemoderation loosens old habits
The Towerthe chains break, freedom comes
The Moonfears loom larger than reality
Judgementbreaking out of an old loop
Did these cards land side by side in your spread? Enter the whole spread and get an interpretation of each card in its position.
Interpret my spreadCorrespondences
- Element
- Earth
- Astrology
- Capricorn
- Number
- 15: attraction and choice (1 + 5 = 6, as with the Lovers)
- Hebrew letter
- Ayin
Frequently asked questions
What does the Devil mean in tarot?
It’s a card of attachments and limits: habits, dependencies, fears, relationships or money that hold you more tightly than you’d like. Its key message is that the chains are loose, and a way out is possible.
What does the reversed Devil mean?
Most often, release: you realise what has been binding you and begin to step out of it. At times the card also warns of the temptation to return to the familiar when things get hard.
What does the Devil mean in relationships and as feelings?
Strong attraction and passion, or a connection kept alive by fear, jealousy or control. The card invites you to notice what really keeps the two of you together, and to let some air back in. As feelings, the Devil can mean intense attraction or even obsession — a strong pull that is worth checking for freedom and mutual respect.
Is the Devil a yes or no card?
Upright, it leans towards no: there is dependence, pressure or illusion in the situation. Reversed, it leans towards yes when the question is about freeing yourself: leaving, saying no, setting boundaries.
Does the Devil mean something bad will happen to me?
No. It isn’t a sign of a curse, evil forces or punishment. The card speaks of human attachments and fears: things that can be seen, understood and gradually loosened. There is more hope in it than threat.
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Interpret my spreadFrom the blog: How to read tarot cards · Tarot questions to ask
Related cards
Minor Arcana cards of the same number (after X, the number is the sum of its digits).
