The short answer: The Devil reversed is one of the most hopeful reversals in tarot. It means release: breaking free of something that had a hold on you, ending an unhealthy pattern, and taking your power back. Upright, the Devil (card XV of the Major Arcana) points to attachment and temptation: intense desire, a habit or relationship that’s hard to leave, or feeling stuck. It isn’t a literal devil or a curse. The key detail on the card is that the chains are loose: whatever holds you can be lifted off.
| Upright | Reversed | |
|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Attachment, temptation, intense desire, habits, materialism, feeling trapped | Release, breaking free, detachment, recovery, reclaiming power |
| Love | Powerful chemistry; a bond that’s hard to walk away from | Leaving a pattern behind; a healthier dynamic |
| Career | ”Golden handcuffs”: staying for the money | Leaving a job or situation that held you back |
| Money | Overspending, debt, chasing more | Paying off debt; spending with intention |
| Yes or no | No | Maybe; leaning yes if you’re asking about letting go |
Card facts: number XV (15), Major Arcana · astrology: Capricorn · element: earth · Hebrew letter: Ayin (“eye”) · Tarot de Marseille: Le Diable.
What the Devil Card Looks Like
In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), a horned figure with bat wings crouches on a dark pedestal, an inverted pentagram on his brow, his right hand raised and a lowered torch in his left. Chained to the pedestal stand a man and a woman with small horns and tails; her tail ends in grapes, his in a flame.
Look closely and the card holds its own way out:
- The chains are loose. They hang around the figures’ necks wide enough to lift off. The Devil’s hold is real, but it’s held in place by belief and habit as much as force.
- The couple mirror the Lovers. Card VI shows the same man and woman, free, under an angel. The Devil is what love and desire can become when they turn into dependence, and 15 reduces to 6 (1 + 5), linking the two cards directly.
- The grapes and the flame are pleasure and passion. Neither is wrong; the card is about what happens when they run the show.
- The lowered torch shows light pointed at the ground, at the material world, rather than up.
In the Golden Dawn system the card is assigned to Capricorn, the sign of ambition and the material world, and the Hebrew letter Ayin, “eye”, a reminder that seeing a pattern clearly is the first step out of it.
The Devil Reversed Meaning
Reversed, the Devil is the moment the figures lift the chains off. It’s one of the most encouraging reversals in the deck. Common readings:
- Breaking free. You’re leaving a relationship, job, habit or mindset that had too much hold on you.
- Reclaiming your power. You’re making choices from what you want, not from fear, guilt or compulsion.
- Seeing clearly. You recognise a pattern for what it is, which is often the turning point.
- Recovery and detachment. Healthy distance from something that pulled at you: a person, a substance, a spending habit, a need for approval.
- Facing the shadow. Owning the parts of yourself you’d rather not look at, so they lose their grip.
Less often, readers see the reversal as a warning that a pattern has gone underground: you’ve hidden it rather than ended it. The cards around it usually show which applies. Either way, the reversal is an invitation to keep going: you’re closer to free than you think.
The Devil Upright Meaning
Upright, the Devil describes a strong pull. It can appear when:
- Desire is intense. Physical attraction, ambition, pleasure: strong, absorbing, sometimes all-consuming.
- Something is hard to leave. A relationship, job, habit or comfort you keep going back to, even when part of you wants out.
- Material things take centre stage. Money, status or possessions shaping decisions more than values do.
- You feel stuck. Often the feeling of “I have no choice” is stronger than the reality.
The card doesn’t judge you. It shows where your energy is tied up so you can decide what to do with it, which is exactly why its reversal is so freeing.
The Devil in Love
Upright in a relationship: powerful chemistry and passion, the kind of attraction that’s hard to think past. Sometimes it describes intensity worth enjoying; sometimes a dynamic where jealousy, control or dependence have crept in. The question the card asks: does this bond make both of you freer, or smaller?
Upright, single: a magnetic attraction to someone, or a pull back to a familiar type that hasn’t been good for you.
Reversed in love: breaking a pattern. Leaving a relationship that held you back, ending an on-off cycle, or a relationship maturing from pure chemistry into something more honest and balanced. For many people this is the card of finally choosing themselves.
What the Devil means for feelings
Upright, the person feels strong attraction and desire; you’re on their mind more than they may admit. It speaks of intensity more than calm commitment. Reversed, they may want a healthier version of the connection, or they’re stepping back to regain their balance.
Will my ex come back?
Upright, there’s still a strong pull between you, and contact is possible; the card asks whether returning would repeat the old pattern. Reversed, the hold is loosening: this is usually a card of moving on, and of the relief that comes with it.
The Devil in Career and Money
Career: upright, “golden handcuffs”: a job you stay in for the money or status, overwork, or a workplace culture that takes too much. It can also show great ambition and drive. Reversed, you’re breaking free: leaving the job, setting boundaries, or rediscovering why you do the work.
Money: upright, watch impulse spending, debt or chasing more for its own sake. Reversed, a strong card for paying off debt, cutting a costly habit and spending on what you value.
The Devil as Advice and Outcome
As advice: name what has a hold on you. Then notice the chains are loose: one small, deliberate step is enough to start.
As an outcome: upright, the situation stays tied to the same pattern unless something changes; reversed, freedom: the pattern ends and you move on lighter.
Is the Devil a Yes or No Card?
Upright: no. It’s one of the clearest no cards in the Major Arcana, especially for questions about a relationship or a big commitment; it suggests stepping back and looking again. Reversed: maybe, leaning yes when your question is about letting go, quitting or breaking free (“Should I leave?”, “Will I get over this?”). See the full yes or no tarot cheat sheet.
The Devil in Common Combinations
| Combination | Common reading |
|---|---|
| Devil + The Lovers | Intense attraction; temptation in a relationship |
| Devil + Two of Cups | A powerful bond, sometimes a soul tie |
| Devil + The Tower | A sudden break from what held you; liberation |
| Devil + Eight of Swords | Feeling trapped mostly by your own thinking |
| Devil + Eight of Cups | Walking away from an unhealthy situation |
| Devil + The Star | Healing and hope after a hard pattern ends |
| Devil + Four of Pentacles | Holding on too tightly to money or control |
| Devil + Seven of Cups | Temptation and fantasy; choose with clear eyes |
| Devil reversed + Strength | Inner strength breaking a habit for good |
| Devil reversed + The Sun | Freedom and joy after letting go |
If a reading suggests you feel tied to someone, our guide to soul ties covers the signs and how people loosen them.
Questions to Ask When the Devil Appears
- What do I keep going back to, and what does it give me?
- Where do I feel I have no choice, and is that really true?
- If the chains are loose, what’s the smallest step that lifts them?
- What would I choose if fear, guilt or habit weren’t deciding for me?
Getting a Reading Where the Devil Comes Up
The Devil is one of the cards people most want a second opinion on. A reader can show what it’s pointing at by reading it with the cards around it, and often the answer is more hopeful than the image. Tarot readers we’ve reviewed who read difficult cards honestly and kindly:
- Miss Bathsheba (Kasamba, $4.99/min): a second-generation tarot specialist with 71,618 readings since 2006.
- Oh Life Tarot (Purple Garden, $6.99/min chat): honest, empowering readings for crossroads moments.
- Master Sher (Keen, $4.29/min): structured tarot with “no false hopes”.
New clients can start with 3 free minutes on Kasamba, a $30 credit on Purple Garden or 5 minutes for $1 on Keen. More options: best online tarot reading sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Devil reversed mean?
Release and breaking free: ending an unhealthy pattern, leaving a relationship or habit that had a hold on you, and reclaiming your power. It’s one of the most positive reversals in tarot. Occasionally it means a pattern has been hidden rather than ended.
What does the Devil card mean in tarot?
Attachment, temptation and intense desire: something with a strong hold on you, from a passionate relationship to a habit, job or spending pattern. The loose chains on the card show the hold can be lifted.
What does the Devil reversed mean in love?
Breaking a pattern: leaving a relationship that held you back, ending an on-off cycle, or a connection growing from pure chemistry into something healthier and more balanced.
Is the Devil card a yes or no?
Upright, no. Reversed, maybe, leaning yes for questions about letting go, quitting or breaking free.
Is the Devil card bad?
Not in itself. It describes attachment and desire, which can be exciting as well as limiting. Its message is awareness: seeing what has a hold on you is the first step to choosing freely, and the reversal is one of the most hopeful cards in the deck.
What does the Devil mean for feelings?
Upright, the person feels strong attraction and desire towards you, often more intensity than calm commitment. Reversed, they may want a healthier version of the connection or need space to regain their balance.
What zodiac sign is the Devil card?
Capricorn, in the Golden Dawn system used by most modern decks: ambition, the material world and the drive to build.
Related Guides
- Tarot card meanings for beginners
- Yes or no tarot cheat sheet
- Three of Cups tarot card meaning
- Love tarot spreads
- Soul ties: signs and how to break one
- How to read tarot cards
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