The Devil Tarot Card Meaning
This is the energy of being held by something, an addiction, a pattern, a person, a comfort zone, that you could technically walk away from but don't. The Devil represents the things that have a hold over you, often with your quiet consent. The chains are loose. You could take them off. The question is why you haven't.
The Devil Imagery and Symbolism
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, a large horned figure crouches on a pedestal with two smaller figures chained loosely at its base. The chains around their necks are wide enough to slip over their heads, suggesting the bondage is partially voluntary. Both figures have small horns and tails growing, showing how staying in this dynamic changes you over time. Pamela Colman Smith’s artwork makes the voluntary nature of the captivity unmistakable.
The inverted pentagram above the Devil’s head represents the inversion of spiritual values, material desires taking priority over deeper needs. The torch held downward suggests knowledge or truth being suppressed or directed toward baser instincts. The dark background reinforces the feeling of being trapped in shadow.
The figures at the base mirror the Lovers card, but in a corrupted form. Where the Lovers shows free, naked, authentic connection, the Devil shows connection through dependency and control. The overall image asks you to look honestly at what’s holding you, and to notice that the chains aren’t as tight as you think.
Gord’s Thoughts on The Devil
The Devil is severely fucking misunderstood. It doesn't mean you're possessed. What it means is something's got a hold over you. An addiction. A manipulative person. Something that's controlling you. But here's the catch most people miss: the ropes are loose. You can take them off. There's a comfort in the control, even when it's harmful. When it comes out reversed, it usually means this thing has more of a hold than you want to admit. Or maybe you're the one doing the controlling.
The Devil Tarot Card Meaning Upright
Control
This card represents control, something or someone having power over you that limits your freedom. Control here might be an external force, but it's often internal too. A habit, a fear, a pattern you've grown comfortable with. The Devil reminds you to look at what's controlling your choices and whether you've become complicit in it.
Obsession
This card suggests obsession is at play. Something has taken up more mental or emotional space than is healthy. Obsession narrows your focus until you can't see anything else. Whether it's a person, a substance, a goal, or an idea, the fixation is running the show. Step back far enough to see what it's costing you.
Comfort
This card represents comfort as a trap. You're staying in something because it's familiar, even though it's not good for you. Comfort here is the warmth of the cage you know versus the cold of the freedom you don't. The Devil asks whether your comfort zone has become a prison you've decorated nicely.
The Devil Upright in Love and Relationships Readings
In relationships, this card can suggest unhealthy attachment, codependency, or a dynamic where one person has too much power over the other. Something about this connection has a grip on you that isn't entirely healthy. That doesn't always mean leave, but it does mean look at it honestly.
The Devil Upright in Self-Care and Empowerment Readings
For self-care, this card suggests honestly examining your relationship with comfort, control, and the things you turn to when life gets hard. Empowerment means recognising that the chains are loose and you have more power to change your situation than you think. Start with one small act of freedom.
The Devil Upright in Career and Creativity Readings
In career and creativity, this card can suggest you're trapped in a professional situation that's comfortable but limiting. The golden handcuffs. The job you hate but can't leave because of the money, the status, the security. Something's got a hold on your career that's keeping you smaller than you could be.
The Devil Upright in Life Changes and Shadow Work Readings
In shadow work, the Devil asks you to explore what binds you and why. It may feel like you’re split between desires, trapped by expectations or trapped in a cycle you didn’t choose. Sit with your shadow, name the chains and decide whether they still serve you. Awareness is liberation.
The Devil Tarot Card Meaning Reversed
Addiction
When reversed, this card can suggest addiction in a deeper sense. The hold is stronger than you're willing to admit. Addiction here isn't limited to substances, it can be behavioural patterns, toxic relationships, or anything you keep returning to despite knowing it harms you. Honesty about the depth of the grip is the first step.
Stockholm Syndrome
This card reversed can suggest a dynamic similar to Stockholm syndrome, where you've bonded with the thing that's holding you captive. You might even defend it. Stockholm syndrome in this context means you can no longer clearly see that this situation is harmful because you've normalised it. Outside perspective might help.
Oppression
When reversed, this card can represent oppression, either being oppressed or participating in the oppression of others. Power is being misused. Oppression here asks you to look honestly at the power dynamics in your life. Are you being diminished? Or are you, perhaps without realising it, diminishing someone else?
The Devil Reversed in Love and Relationships Readings
In relationships reversed, this card can suggest the unhealthy dynamic has deepened to the point where you can't easily see it anymore. You've normalised something that isn't normal. Or you're starting to recognise the pattern and are considering breaking free. Both are possible. Be honest about which one it is.
The Devil Reversed in Self-Care and Empowerment Readings
For self-care reversed, this card can suggest you need external support to break free from whatever's holding you. This isn't weakness. Some patterns are too deeply embedded to shift alone. Empowerment sometimes means admitting you need help and actually asking for it. That takes real courage.
The Devil Reversed in Career and Creativity Readings
In career reversed, this card can suggest a workplace dynamic that's become oppressive, or your relationship with work itself has become addictive and unhealthy. If you can't stop working, that's not dedication, that's a different kind of chain. Examine what's really driving you.
The Devil Reversed in Life Changes and Shadow Work Readings
Reversed, the Devil signals healing through release. You may be ready to cut ties with the roles or dependencies that have defined you. Let go of shame and allow yourself to feel awkward as you learn new ways to be. Growth comes when you allow space for discomfort and trust the process.
The Devil on the Fool’s Journey
The Devil is part of the Fool’s Journey, a narrative framework that follows the Fool as they encounter experiences and lessons that shape their understanding of themselves and the world. It’s not a straight line. The 22 cards of the Major Arcana map a cycle of growth, challenge, and transformation that keeps looping back to the beginning.
The journey divides into three realms: Conscious, Unconscious, and Superconscious. Each realm represents a different phase of the work. Understanding where a card sits in this framework helps you see how themes connect and evolve when multiple Major Arcana cards show up in a reading.
The Devil in the Superconscious Realm
The Devil sits in the Superconscious Realm, which covers the Devil through the World. This is where you experience destruction and loss, rediscover hope, battle demons you thought you’d already dealt with, and learn to let go so you can begin again.
This part of the journey tears everything down and rebuilds. Things fall apart. You rediscover who you are beneath everything you thought you were supposed to be. Completion is possible, but it comes with a price: you have to let go of some baggage, some people, some versions of yourself to step into what’s next. And then the whole cycle starts again.
The Devil and the Element of Earth
The Devil is connected to the element of Earth. Earth speaks to work, money, body, and resources. It’s grounding, practical, and slow-moving. This element shows where steady effort and patience are needed, and where you need to tend to the material foundations of your life.
Earth energy values security, tangibility, and results you can see. It doesn’t rush. When Earth is present, the work might feel slow, but it rewards dedication. Material concerns aren’t shallow — the physical world matters and looking after it is valid work.
The Devil Journalling Prompts
Where am I feeling trapped or restricted, and how can I take steps toward freedom?
What beliefs or habits no longer serve me, and how can I begin releasing them?
How can I approach my shadow self with acceptance, breaking free from self-judgment?
Frequently Asked Questions about The Devil
What does The Devil mean in a tarot reading?
The Devil invites you to examine the chains that bind you. It points to addictions, unhealthy attachments or limiting beliefs that you may be clinging to. Rather than fear, it asks for awareness: recognise what’s keeping you stuck so you can make conscious choices about freedom.
Is The Devil a yes or no card?
The Devil leans toward a no when the question involves repeating unhealthy patterns. It reminds you to look at what you’re attached to before saying yes. If your motives are rooted in fear or addiction, pause. If you’re choosing freedom, the answer shifts toward yes.
What is the role of The Devil in the tarot deck?
Within the Major Arcana, the Devil acts as a mirror to your shadow. It sits halfway through the journey, challenging you to confront what enslaves you. Its role is not to condemn but to illuminate the habits, attachments and fears you must understand to grow.
What does The Devil symbolise?
The Devil symbolises temptation, illusion and bondage. It’s depicted as a horned figure towering over two chained humans, yet their chains are loose. The inverted pentagram and dark wings remind you of primal urges and ego. It represents the seductive pull of materialism and false freedom.
What does The Devil suggest about navigating life’s challenges?
When you face challenges, the Devil suggests looking at what holds you back. Often the hardest obstacles are the ones you cling to by habit. By recognising your part in maintaining the chains, you gain the power to change the story and move through difficulties with conscious choice.
Is The Devil a positive or negative card?
The Devil is challenging, but it’s not purely negative. It points to areas where you’re giving away your power. By bringing those habits into the open, it becomes a catalyst for positive change. Viewed this way, it can be one of the most liberating cards in the deck.
How does The Devil align with themes of personal growth?
The Devil aligns with personal growth by forcing you to confront your own patterns of self-sabotage. It shows where you’re stuck in loops of fear or desire. By choosing to unhook yourself, you reclaim agency and create space for growth and healing.
What are some other names for The Devil?
In other decks or traditions, the Devil goes by names like Pan, The Shadow or The Black Goat. Some call it The Chains or The Tempter. Each title points to the underlying theme of bondage, temptation and the invitation to reclaim power from what binds you.
What other tarot cards often appear with The Devil?
The Devil often pairs with The Lovers when you’re exploring choices between freedom and attachment. It may show up with The Tower when a shake-up forces you to break the chains, or with the Eight of Swords when you’re trapped by thought patterns and need liberation.
How can The Devil guide me in breaking free from unhealthy attachments?
Use the Devil as a spotlight. Ask yourself what you’re clinging to and why, whether it’s a substance, relationship or identity. Name the fear beneath the attachment. Commit to one small act of liberation, like setting a boundary or seeking help. Step by step, you reclaim yourself.
