The Devil tarot card from the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith

The Devil tarot card meaning

The Devil upright points to something with a hold on you, such as a habit, fear or relationship, and hints that its chains are looser than they seem.

attachment
temptation
unhealthy patterns
materialism
feeling trapped

Draw a card Ask yes or no

Arcana	Major
Number	XV (15)
Astrology (Golden Dawn)	Capricorn
Yes or no	No upright, maybe reversed

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: our own meanings; card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909; A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1910 · Updated October 7, 2026

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What the card shows

A horned figure with bat wings and an inverted pentagram on his brow crouches on a black block, one hand raised and the other holding a lowered torch. A naked man and woman, each with a small tail, stand chained by the neck to the block, against a black background. The loose chains, wide enough to slip over their heads, are read as bonds that people accept rather than ones that truly cannot be broken.

The Devil upright

The Devil is about the things that hold us. Drawn upright, it tends to show a pattern that feels hard to escape: a habit, a craving, a fear, a toxic dynamic or a fixation on money, status or approval. It can feel heavy, but the card carries a hopeful detail. Look closely and you will see that the chains around the two figures are loose. They could lift them off.

Upright, the Devil asks you to be honest about what has power over you and why. Sometimes the pull is pleasure, sometimes comfort, sometimes simple fear of change. Naming it is the first step. The card can also point to someone else who uses guilt, pressure or temptation to keep control. Notice where you feel stuck and ask whether the trap is as solid as it looks. Often a single clear decision, followed by support from people you trust, is enough to start slipping free.

The Devil reversed

release
breaking free
awareness
reclaiming power
detachment

Reversed, the Devil often shows release beginning. You may be seeing a habit or a relationship for what it really is, and finding the will to step back from it. The chains are coming off.

This stage can be uneven. Old pulls may return, and breaking a pattern rarely happens in one go. Be patient with yourself and keep making the choice that leads to freedom. In some readings, the reversed Devil warns that a problem has been pushed out of sight rather than solved. Stay honest, keep supportive people close and celebrate each step away from what was holding you.

The Devil in love

Upright: For singles, the Devil can point to an intense, magnetic attraction that may not be good for you. In a relationship, it can show strong passion, but also jealousy, possessiveness or staying together out of habit or fear.

Reversed, it suggests breaking free of an unhealthy dynamic or seeing a partner more clearly. It can mark a return of self-respect in love.

The Devil for career and work

Upright, the Devil can show feeling trapped in a job for the paycheck or caught in a draining work culture. It asks what you are really trading for security.

Reversed, it suggests finding the courage to leave a situation that held you back. It can also mean setting firmer limits at work.

The Devil as feelings

They feel a strong, possibly obsessive pull toward you, mixed with desire and a fear of losing control.

The Devil as advice

Name what has a hold on you, and remember that you have the power to walk away.

The Devil in a tarot reading

The same card reads differently depending on where it lands. These are the readings our spreads use when The Devil appears in each position. Try it in a three card reading, Celtic cross.

Upright

As the past	A pattern held you, such as a habit, a craving, a fear or a dynamic that was hard to escape. That attachment shaped the situation you face now.
As the present	Something has a strong hold on you. It may be a habit, a fixation on status or approval, or a relationship that feels hard to leave.
As the future or outcome	Things may lean toward a deeper attachment if this pattern goes unexamined. Seeing the chains clearly is the first step toward choosing differently.
As the obstacle	Temptation or an unhealthy pattern blocks the way. Something you keep going back to is costing more than it gives, even if it feels comfortable.
As advice	Look honestly at what has a hold on you. Notice that the chains are looser than they seem, and take one small step to loosen them further.

Reversed

As the past	A habit or relationship came into clear view earlier on. Recognizing that trap for what it was started to loosen its grip and led you here.
As the present	Release is beginning. You may be stepping back from a pattern or reclaiming power that you had handed over to something or someone.
As the future or outcome	The chains are coming off, and greater freedom lies ahead. Old pulls may return now and then before they fade for good.
As the obstacle	Old pulls returning may test your resolve. Breaking a pattern rarely happens in one go, and a slip can feel like failure when it is really part of the process.
As advice	Keep stepping away from what held you back, and be patient with yourself when old urges return. Lean on people who support the freer life you want.

What A. E. Waite wrote about The Devil in 1910

Waite designed this deck with Pamela Colman Smith and published its meanings in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). His words, as printed:

Divinatory meaning:

Ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality; that which is predestined but is not for this reason evil.

Reversed:

Evil fatality, weakness, pettiness, blindness.

Modern readers focus on habits and chains that are looser than they seem. Waite gave ravage, violence and fatality, adding that what is predestined is not for that reason evil, and his reversal of evil fatality and blindness says nothing about breaking free.

Is The Devil a yes or no card?

Upright: No The Devil shows people chained to what harms them, so upright it leans no, especially when temptation or control is involved.

Reversed: Maybe Reversed, the chains are loosening and you are regaining your freedom, so the answer softens to maybe.

Ask your own question with the yes or no tarot. No cards at hand? The yes or no oracle answers with a pendulum.

Learn more: how to read reversed cards, how to read this card with others, whether The Devil is one of your birth cards, its astrology correspondence.

Questions

What does The Devil mean in tarot?

The Devil upright points to something with a hold on you, such as a habit, fear or relationship, and hints that its chains are looser than they seem. Reversed, the Devil suggests you are starting to see a trap clearly and loosen its grip, reclaiming freedom from a pattern that held you back. Yes or no: No upright, maybe reversed.

What does The Devil reversed mean?

Reversed, the Devil suggests you are starting to see a trap clearly and loosen its grip, reclaiming freedom from a pattern that held you back.

Is The Devil a yes or no card?

No when upright. The Devil shows people chained to what harms them, so upright it leans no, especially when temptation or control is involved. When reversed, it leans maybe. Reversed, the chains are loosening and you are regaining your freedom, so the answer softens to maybe.

What does The Devil mean as feelings?

They feel a strong, possibly obsessive pull toward you, mixed with desire and a fear of losing control.