The Devil
The Devil
The Devil (XV) is the card of temptation and self-chosen bondage. Beneath a horned figure, a man and a woman stand in chains. Look closely, though: the chains hang loose, and they could lift them off anytime.
What the card means in tarot
The Rider-Waite-Smith Devil is a dark, shaggy figure with bat wings, an inverted pentagram above his brow, and a torch held downward in one hand. Chained to the block he perches on are a naked man and woman. The key is in the detail: the loops around their necks are wide. Nothing is really holding them. They could walk away the moment they decide to. Temperance (XIV) pours with balance; the Devil pours compulsively, the same thing again and again for the quick hit. In a reading, this card tends to appear when you’re caught in a destructive pattern, such as drinking, a toxic relationship, overwork, or endless scrolling, and telling yourself you have no choice.
The Devil upright
Keywords: temptation · attachment · shadow
Upright, the Devil points to dependence, temptation, or a material attachment that’s limiting you. It isn’t always “bad.” It can be a card of passion, raw attraction, or an appetite for risk in business. Either way, the message is the same: admit what has a hold on you. Naming it is the first step toward freedom.
The Devil reversed
Reversed, the Devil signals a breakthrough and release. You’re taking off chains you put on yourself. The shame loosens, you face the habit, you leave the toxic relationship. It’s a card for the start of recovery. Just take care not to trade one dependence for another once you’re free.
The Devil in love and relationships
If you’re single
When you’re single, the Devil often means being drawn to someone who’s bad for you. A physical pull, chemistry you can’t explain, and all the while you know it isn’t healthy. The card’s warning: before the thrill takes over, think about who you’d be six months from now. It can also mean the opposite: accepting your sexuality if you’ve been holding it down.
If you’re in a relationship
For couples, the Devil is the card of dependence. You’re staying for the sex, the money, or the fear of being alone, and love isn’t the reason. It can also stand for healthy passion, as long as it’s mutual. The difference: a free relationship is one you could leave. A dependent one holds on to you.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, the Devil signals waking up from dependence. You finally see what was holding you. That can come after therapy, a breakup, or a hard fall. Oddly, the reversed Devil is a good card, because the chains were loose all along and only needed lifting off.
The Devil in career and money
Work and career
At work, the Devil is the golden cage: a job that pays well and wears you down. The card warns against taking roles where the paycheck costs you your sense of who you are. It can also describe a toxic dynamic with a boss you give in to out of fear.
Money and finances
Financially, the Devil points to debt, credit, and compulsive shopping. Your money decisions are being driven by emotion, not by reason. The card’s warning: owning things can tie you down more than it frees you. A good moment for a spending detox.
Reversed in career
Reversed in your career, it signals breaking out of dependence: leaving a toxic company, paying off a debt, ending a compromise that cost too much. With money, it means you’re finally the one in control, and the money isn’t running you.
The Devil and personal growth
The Devil teaches you to meet your own shadow. Whatever you refuse to see in yourself, whether it’s anger, envy, or a need for control, ends up running you from the outside. Once you name it and accept it, it loses its grip. This Devil is less a villain than a gatekeeper, and wholeness is on the other side of the gate.
The Devil combined with other cards
The Devil + the Lovers = toxic love. Passion that holds on to you without filling you up. The pairing calls for honesty: what do you love about this relationship, and what just keeps you tied to it?
The Devil + the Tower = a dependence breaking apart. A classic pairing for quitting a habit, leaving a controlling group, or ending a toxic relationship. Hard, but freeing.
The Devil + the Four of Pentacles = stinginess and possessiveness. You’re gripping things out of fear, not out of love for them. The message: loosen your grip.
Affirmation for The Devil
“I see what binds me, and I choose freedom.”
On a sheet of paper, write three things you love and three things you’re just attached to. What’s the difference between them? Hold the Devil card and ask: what could I walk away from, and what couldn’t I? The answer is where your freedom starts. The chains on the two figures hang loose around their necks. Nobody is holding them there.
Symbols on the card
- Loose chains around their necks: the bondage is voluntary
- Inverted pentagram: values turned upside down, matter placed above spirit
- Torch pointed downward: light used to feed desire instead of showing the way
- Bat wings: the nighttime, unconscious side of the self
- Naked man and woman with horns and tails: they’ve started to resemble the Devil, becoming what they worship
- Black background: the unconscious, the shadow
Common questions
What does the Devil tarot card mean?+
The Devil points to dependence, temptation, and bondage you’ve agreed to, usually through material or physical attachments. It shows patterns that limit you, but the chains are loose. You can take them off once you name what’s holding you.
Is the Devil a bad card in a love reading?+
Not necessarily. In love, the Devil points to strong physical attraction and passion. Its warning is about toxic relationships, being hooked on drama, or a connection that lives only on a sexual level with nothing deeper to stand on.
What does the Devil reversed mean?+
Reversed, the Devil is a very encouraging card. It means release, the end of a dependence, and taking off chains you put on yourself. It marks the beginning of recovery and of coming back to yourself.
Related cards· Major Arcana
All 22 Major Arcana cards
Try this card in a reading
The Devil shows its full meaning only alongside other cards. Here are six of the most popular spreads where it can turn up:
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