The Devil Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love and Yes/No
The Devil is the card of attachment. It points to the habits, desires and fears that hold us, and it shows that the chains are looser than they look.
- Attachment, temptation, habits, feeling stuck, shadow side.
- Yes or no: upright leans not yet, reversed leans no.
- Astrology link: Capricorn, in the Golden Dawn system most decks follow. Systems vary.
On this page (13 sections)
- The Devil at a glance
- The Devil in one minute
- The Devil upright meaning
- The Devil reversed meaning
- The Devil in love and relationships
- The Devil in career and money
- The Devil as a yes or no answer
- Quiz: does The Devil fit your situation?
- Reflect on The Devil
- The Devil and astrology
- Cards often paired with The Devil
- The Devil FAQ
- Keep exploring
The Devil at a glance
| Number | XV, Major Arcana |
| Keywords | Attachment, temptation, habits, feeling stuck, shadow side |
| Astrology | Capricorn, in the Golden Dawn system most decks follow. Systems vary. |
| Yes or no | Upright: leans not yet. Reversed: leans no. |
The Devil in one minute
| Good or bad? | Cautious. It is a warning to look at what holds you. |
| As a person | A person or thing with a strong pull on you, or a part of you that is hard to face. |
| As advice | Be honest about the habit or tie. Remember the chains are loose. |
| As a warning | Unhealthy attachment, addiction or control in a relationship. |
The Devil upright meaning
The Devil shows a horned figure on a dark pedestal, with an upside-down pentagram above its head. A man and a woman stand chained to the pedestal by the neck. Look closely and the chains are loose enough to lift off. The two have small horns and tails, as if they have taken on the Devil's look. The picture is about being bound by something we have agreed to.
Upright, The Devil means attachment, temptation and feeling stuck. It may be an unhealthy habit, a tie to money or status, an unbalanced relationship or a belief about yourself. The card is not evil. It asks you to see what has a grip on you and notice that you have more choice than you think.
A real-life example: someone keeps scrolling their phone until 2 a.m., then feels tired and low every day. They tell themselves they cannot stop. The Devil points out that the habit feels strong, yet the chain is loose: they can set a limit.
The Devil reversed meaning
Reversed, The Devil points to breaking free. You may be seeing a habit or a relationship clearly for the first time and starting to loosen it. It can also mean the struggle is harder than it looks, with old patterns pulling you back.
- Signs: a growing wish to change, setting boundaries, or feeling the pull of an old habit while trying to leave it.
- What may help: name the habit or tie honestly, tell someone you trust, and take one small step to loosen it.
The Devil in love and relationships
If you’re in a relationship
A bond with strong pull, which can be passionate or unhealthy. Ask whether the relationship is built on choice or on habit, fear or control. Reversed, you may be setting boundaries or ending an unhealthy pattern.
If you’re single
Strong attraction, or a pull toward people who are not good for you. The card asks you to be honest about what you want. Reversed, you are moving away from old patterns.
The Devil in career and money
Feeling trapped in a job for money, status or fear. Ask what is keeping you there. For money, it can point to overspending, debt or letting money control choices. Reversed, you take back control.
The Devil as a yes or no answer
On this site every card follows one rule. The Devil upright leans not yet: something may be tying you down, so look closely first. Reversed, it leans no: the pause has turned into a real stop. This is a guide for reflection, not a prediction. For a quick one-card answer, try our free yes/no tarot reading.
Quiz: does The Devil fit your situation?
Reflect on The Devil
Pick an area of your life for three questions to think about.
The Devil and astrology
Most decks link The Devil to Capricorn, the sign of material things, ambition and limits. That fits the card's themes of money, desire and what ties us down. Systems vary, so follow your deck's guidebook if it says otherwise. To learn more, read about the planets in astrology.
Cards often paired with The Devil
The Devil looks different from deck to deck. Our guide to the best tarot decks for beginners explains which pictures are easiest to read.
Some links on our deck and book pages are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
The Devil FAQ
Is The Devil a bad card?
Not in the way it sounds. It is a card about attachment and what holds you. It can be a useful warning, and the chains in the picture are loose.
Does The Devil mean something evil?
No. In tarot it is a symbol of temptation, habits and feeling trapped, not of evil or the devil in a religious sense.
What does The Devil mean in love?
A strong pull or attachment, which may be unhealthy. Ask whether the relationship is a choice or a habit. Reversed, breaking away from that pull.
Is The Devil a yes or no card?
In our site-wide rule, The Devil upright leans not yet: look closely at what has a hold on you first. Reversed it leans no.
Keep exploring
- Browse all tarot card meanings
- New to tarot? Start with tarot for beginners
- Quick answer: our free yes/no tarot reading
How we made this page
Written and edited by the Centaurus team. We aim to be clear about what is tradition, what is our own reading, and what is fact.
How it works
We describe the card in the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, give a plain meaning for upright and reversed, then add love, career and yes/no readings. The quiz and reflection tools are for thinking, and nothing you type is saved or sent.
Sources and background
- Imagery and symbols: the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith for A.E. Waite (1909).
- Meanings: informed by A.E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911, public domain) and modern teaching, then written in our own plain words.
- Astrology links follow the Golden Dawn system. Other systems assign different signs and planets, and we say so on the page.
- Yes or no rule on this site: every card leans Yes, Not yet, No or Maybe, and reversed cards shift one step more cautious.
What this page cannot do
Tarot cannot predict the future, and a card does not decide what you should do. Decks and readers differ, so meanings vary. It is not medical, legal, financial or mental-health advice.
Affiliate disclosure
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Tarot is a tool for reflection and entertainment. It cannot predict the future and is not a substitute for professional medical, legal or financial advice.