The Devil Tarot Card Meanings

The Devil card is one of the most provocative and misunderstood cards in the tarot deck. At first glance, it can be unsettling. After all, there’s Baphoment floating above two humans in chains with an upside down pentagram above his head. But like the Death card, it’s less about doom and more about liberation through awareness.

As the 15th card in the Major Arcana, the Devil tarot card shows us where we feel stuck, addicted, or powerless. It also reminds us that, often, those chains are loose. We stay because it’s familiar. Because breaking free would mean confronting what we’ve avoided. In that way, it’s also a bit like meaning of the Eight of Swords.

Still, sometimes this card is literal. It can represent toxic relationships, power dynamics, addiction, overindulgence, and patterns that truly are dangerous or depleting. When the Devil appears, it’s a bright red flag. And, an invitation to reclaim your power.

And, I will add, if you have been working too hard, not having any fun, and avoiding all earthy pleasures, the Devil card is also a sign to let loose.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, the Devil as Baphomet sits above two chained figures. If you put The Devil Card next to the Lovers card, you’ll see they’re almost identical in form. But it is essentially the shadow version of that card.

In the image, you’ll notice that the figures appear bound, but the chains are loose enough to slip off. The Devil holds a torch pointed downward, representing the seductive pull of desire, fear, and ego. An inverted pentagram above his head that physical, primal urges are winning over a healthy connection to spirit.

The Devil Card Keywords

Upright Devil Tarot Card Meaning

The Devil card reveals where you’re giving your power away. It might be through addiction, obsession, overindulgence, or simply believing you’re stuck in a situation when you’re not.

This may be uncomfortable, but the tarot card’s meaning is not malevolent. Instead, the card shines a light on your shadow, your ego, your fear, and any behaviors that thrive in secrecy. When it appears, it’s a call to stop pretending you’re powerless and start reclaiming control.

At times, the Devil also surfaces when you’ve disconnected from pleasure or play. Repressing your sensuality, joy, or primal instincts can create internal tension that spills out sideways through compulsive behavior, burnout, or self-judgment. The Devil invites you to examine not only what feels addictive, but also what parts of you have been labeled “bad” that are simply craving expression.

Love and Relationships

When it comes to love, the Devil often appears when a connection has become codependent, addictive, or there are behaviors that are in fear. For instance, it might come up when you’re stuck in the common anxious-avoidant attachment pattern. You two can move back to the Lovers card, but you need to reverse the devil and release yourselves from the pattern.

It can also come up with passions are intense, but boundaries are blurred. You may feel magnetically drawn to someone but also stuck in a dynamic that doesn’t serve your highest good. If the connection feels draining or like it’s consuming your identity, it’s time to question why you’re holding on.

If you’re single, this card can point to addictive dating cycles or attraction to emotionally unavailable people. It invites you to examine what part of you is craving something that doesn’t nourish.

Career and Finances

In a work reading, the Devil may indicate a toxic job, overwork, or a paycheck that’s coming at the cost of your mental or physical health. It can also represent being driven by status or money while ignoring your deeper values.

Financially, it may suggest debt, financial entrapment, or material obsession. The message isn’t about shame. But do listen to the message it’s trying to send you.

Reversed Devil Tarot Card Meaning

The reversed Devil card is a powerful sign of freedom. You’re becoming aware of what’s been holding you back, whether it’s a toxic relationship, internalized shame, or an addictive pattern. And you are beginning the process of breaking free of it.

Sometimes, the reversal also reflects a reconnection with parts of yourself you’ve repressed, like your capacity for joy, play, sensuality, or desire. By reclaiming these “forbidden” parts with compassion, you begin to move from self-control to self-trust. Freedom is about remembering what it feels like to be fully alive.

Love and Relationships

In love readings, the reversed Devil may show that you’re letting go of a relationship that once had power over you or that you’re setting boundaries and reclaiming your autonomy. Or, it may indicate that you and your partner are breaking the patterns that you had chained to an unhealthy dynamic so you can enjoy each other again.

If you’re single, it could be a sign that you’re ready to stop repeating old patterns. You’re beginning to value peace and alignment over intensity and chaos.

Career and Finances

In career or money matters, a reversed Devil card points to a shift in your priorities. You may be leaving a draining job, reevaluating your work-life balance, or detaching from a need to prove yourself at the cost of your health.

Financially, it suggests you are breaking out of cycles of scarcity, shame, or compulsive spending.

The Devil Card as Feelings

If you ask about someone’s feelings and you get the Devil card, this could go a few different ways. On one hand, their emotions may be intense, overwhelming, and lusty. Or, they could bound up in fear, shame, or desire. There may be a push-pull dynamic or a sense that the connection is magnetic but destabilizing.

In reversed form, they may be trying to pull away from a toxic pattern. They’ve worked on their own inner demons are are in a healing phase.

The Devil in a Yes or No Reading

The Devil is a no. This card warns of entanglement and unhealthy attachments. If reversed, the answer can shift toward yes, but only if you’re actively breaking free. The reversed Devil suggests you’re waking up to the chains and starting to reclaim your power.

How to Interpret the Devil Card in a Past-Present-Future Tarot Spread

One popular spread is the past, present, and future spread. If you get the Devil card in this layout, here’s how to read it.

The Devil in the past position: You may have experienced a toxic pattern, relationship, or belief that shaped how you show up now.
The Devil in the present position: It’s time to get honest. What’s controlling you and how can you reclaim your power? This is where the upright meanings above come most into play.
The Devil in the future position: Freedom is possible. If you choose self-awareness and action, you can break the cycle.

Tarot Journal Prompts for the Devil Card

If the card comes up in your tarot reading and you wish to meditate or journal about it to get a deeper understanding of how it might relate to your situation, here are some prompts to consider.

• Where could I use more mischief or play in my life?
• Where am I giving my power away?
• What pattern, belief, or person am I ready to break free from?
• How does fear show up in my relationships or life?
• What am I ashamed of that needs compassion, not secrecy?

Important Card Combinations for the Devil Card

The Devil + The Lovers

A powerful, but possibly toxic attraction. This could be a soulmate connection with karmic lessons or a need to choose love over fear.

The Devil + The Tower

Add the Devil to the Tower and it likely means you’re being forced to confront a truth and release what no longer serves you.

The Devil + Eight of Swords

You feel trapped, but that is in your head. Face the fear and remove your blindfold and chains.

The Devil + The Star

Healing is possible, but only through honesty and self-compassion. The path to hope is visible, even in the dark.

The Devil + Queen of Pentacles

This combination can signal healing through self-worth, healthy boundaries, and nourishing routines.