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The Devil Tarot Card Meaning

The Devil Tarot card is the fifteenth Major Arcana card and is often feared. Like the devil on our shoulder, it can represent our vices and places of self-undoing, it shows up in the habits we know aren’t good for us and where we may be our own worst enemy. It can symbolise a sense of entrapment, of feeling stuck or duped in something. As a reflection of The Lovers card it can show us when we externalise our validation or look to others first rather than within.

When taken further, The Devil is really quite a nuanced and complex card; and just like all of the Tarot, it can offer wonderful medicine and insight if we remain open and curious to its wisdom. Read on for more details about The Devil card:

The Devil Card Meanings In The Tarot

Following on from Temperance, where we have hopefully regained a little bit of balance and harmony in preparation, The Devil allows us to view things from an objective perspective where previously we might have shied away from.

The Devil points to that internal chatter, those small actions, every time we let a boundary slip away- the moments in which we abandon ourselves and forget to advocate for ourselves. It is a representation of where we slip, of the things we continue to do even though deep down we know they’re not serving for us.

As a reflection of The Lovers, both in image on the Pamela Colman Smith Tarot deck, and many other Tarot decks, and as a reduction to 6 (1+5); The Devil may point to the things that were once good for us, the things that were serving us at one time. This can make it all the harder to let go of, to openly and honestly look at the truth and listen to that devil whispering on our shoulder- here is where comes to mind the saying “better the devil you know”.

The Devil is also often described as representing a sense of entrapment or trickery, sometimes we go into things wishing them to be what we hoped them to be, even though there was a small voice deep down that said otherwise. This card can show up for us as a reminder that we know better now or have a feeling of needing to free yourself from/of something.

I also see this card as a complete befriending of ourselves, an ownership, acceptance, and compassion for all those sides of us that does view things with rose-tinted glasses or slips up when advocating for ourselves. The parts that are scared, small, act out. The ugly sides we don’t like to show people or even admit are there. The Devil is a reminder that we all have these, we are all part angel part devil, a divine masterpiece and constant work in progress. It is an invitation to befriend our wildness.

The Devil is an invitation to take an honest look at parts of ourselves we may deem as “less than” or undesirable in some way, to be done away with and “healed”- and to say hello. To acknowledge and invite in for a cup of tea, listen to what they have to say. We might be surprised, after they have had their honouring, they may melt away of their own volition. As is often pointed out, the figures on the card can easily take off the chains from around their necks.

This is a card of those sticky areas where we feel trapped, and is a reminder that we always have agency. Even if the options are between two equally crappy choices, we still always have some level of wiggle room. Sometimes it can be about letting go of control instead, of releasing any obsession. In terms of vices, some say it relates to addiction, I think the list of things we are addicted to can be quite broad.

Astrologically, this card is attributed to Capricorn. Ruled by Saturn, Capricorn knows the value of hard work, in this is a double edged sword. As the keep of ancestral wisdom and ancient tradition, holding itself and others to high standards of integrity, Capricorn can set the bar too high, becoming its own worst enemy in judgement. Here in this correspondence is the lesson of knowing when to hold ourselves to a certain level, and when it is better (and OK) to rest or even quit. We are all human, “mistakes” are normal and a natural part of the learning process of life. Rarely are people pure evil or situations like the devil incarnate, perhaps we can soften a little when we pull this card.

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Numerologically, number 15 reduces down to 6, relating it to The Lovers, as mentioned. In this we see an interesting dichotomy of the delicate balance between a healthy interdependence and unconstructive codependence; the value is seeing the world as a mirror reflected back to us, and the risk in seeking external validation. The link between these two cards is not ironic, often relationships are a source of our greatest heaven and hell.

Other sayings that always come to mind for me with this card simply for no other reason than the obvious are '“the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, and '“the devil is in the details”. On face value these may have little to do with this card but on further inspection I actually think they are quite apt! This is because I think this is where can easily slip up in general. For the first saying it can tie in with the notion of doing things out of habit that no longer serve us, especially if they once did. A sort of sticking to our guns but now they’re pointing at us. The second saying is quite fitting because it is often those small things we obsess over that are of no consequential value! Sometimes when I have pulled this card it has simply been a message to stop nitpicking and being hard on myself or others.

A final saying I think of is “speak of the devil”, and sometimes it really is that simple- voicing something and saying it out loud is enough to bring it to surface, through which it can then transmute and dissipate.

As with other Tarot card meanings, The Devil also acts as a warning to heed before we move onto the next card. In this case, if we don’t listen to those small warnings and irks, over time they may compound into The Tower.

The Devil Card Reversed

The Devil reversed can show a resistance to looking at a situation, part of ourselves, or another with openness, honesty, and clarity. There may be denial around a circumstance or a block towards letting go. It can represent an inability or lack of desire to acknowledge and accept our part in a situation or how something currently stands, or a difficulty in being kind to ourselves. Similar to its upright meaning, it may point to a struggle with even the concept of befriending our “shadow”.

The Devil in a General Tarot Reading

In general, an upright Devil can show up for us when we need to sit with ourselves and listen to the underlying coping mechanism pointing to an action that is less than useful, to hear what our “vices” are trying to say. It is an invitation to look with compassion at where we may have been our own worst enemy, where we are tripping ourselves up, or where we need to catch a break, have a breath, and release something. To step back and break free. It can point to us overworking or setting our standards too high (or low!), of not advocating for ourselves or putting ourselves first, staying in a situation that we know is not serving us subconsciously but refuse to admit consciously, or where we may judge ourselves (and others) too harshly. Sometimes it can be about letting go, at others it can be about calling ourselves home and befriending the abandoned parts of ourself.

The Devil Tarot Card in a Love Reading

As with all Tarot readings, where this card shows up in the spread, the nature of the question and situation at hand, the cards surrounding it, and your own intuition will always dictate the final answer. In a superficial way, The Devil showing up in a love reading can simply mean that a situation is no longer serving either or both parties. It is a message to pay attention to what feels sticky and listen to what it has to say. It can look like needing to let go of a dynamic or way of relating in a relationship, or the need to take a step back and re-gather your sense of self.

The Devil in a Career Reading

In a career reading The Devil can indicate a case of working yourself to hard or setting yourself to too high standards, it can show that you may be getting lost in the details, obsessing or making a pact with the devil so to speak- come home to yourself and remember why you started something in the first place and what really matters. Are you judging yourself too harshly at work? Are you giving your power away somewhere? In general, its significations are quite similar to The Devil upright simply adjusted in context of your vocation.

So those are some of the meanings of The Devil Tarot card, I hope they’re insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any questions.

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