The Devil
Upright Meaning
Upright Keywords
Reversed Meaning
Reversed Keywords
The Devil Upright Meaning
At a Glance
- Feeling Stuck: The Devil shows up when you know something’s got a hold on you, but it feels hard to break away.
- Quick Fixes: It’s that pull toward what feels good now but leaves you paying for it later.
- Not the Whole Truth: This card reminds you the trap isn’t always real—it’s often fear or denial making it seem bigger.
- Facing Shadows: The Devil points to the parts of yourself you’d rather not look at, but need to if you want to grow.
- Choice is Yours: It’s heavy energy, but it’s not final—you can loosen the grip once you decide you’ve had enough.
If you’ve drawn The Devil then you’re probably feeling a nagging feeling that something’s holding you back, and it’s not always what you think. It’s not a card about external forces trapping you—it’s more about the things we let ourselves stay stuck in. Whether it’s a bad relationship, unhealthy habits, or even our own fears, you need to ask yourself “Why am I still letting this control me?”
For example, look at the man and woman on the card. They’re chained, but if you really look, you’ll notice the chains are loose. They’re not trapped. They’re staying put because they think they have to—but they don’t. And that’s the whole point: you’re not as stuck as you might feel right now. You’ve got the power to walk away or change the situation, but first, you need to recognize that those chains aren’t as tight as they seem.
The Devil itself might seem intense at first glance, but it’s not about some evil force controlling you. It’s really about your inner fears and doubts—the stuff that whispers, “You’re stuck,” when you’re really not. It’s the voice of bad habits, the things we know we need to let go of but keep clinging to. This card is saying, “It’s time to face it and realize that you have more control than you think.”
And yeah, I know—it’s hard to face these things. It’s easier to stay where we’re comfortable, even if that comfort is kind of miserable. But The Devil is giving you the chance to take a good look at what’s really holding you back. It’s asking, “What are you afraid to let go of?” Sometimes, the first step is just recognizing that the chains aren’t even locked.
Even the inverted pentagram on the card isn’t as dark as it might seem—it’s more about imbalance. Maybe you’ve been too focused on short-term pleasures, the things that feel good right now but aren’t helping in the long run. The Devil is a wake-up call, a reminder to ask yourself, “Is this really helping me, or is it dragging me down?”
But here’s the good news—you’re not stuck. The chains are loose, and you have the power to step out whenever you’re ready. It’s not about breaking free all at once; sometimes, it’s just about taking that first step toward freedom. The Devil is here to remind you that you always have a choice, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.
So, if you’ve pulled The Devil, take it as a sign that it’s time to reclaim your power. You’re stronger than what’s been holding you back. Because the chains that bind you aren’t as strong as you think. You’ve got this—just decide when to take them off and start moving forward.
Love
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The Devil highlights strong chemistry and the strings attached to it. Desire isn’t the problem—silence around it is.
Looks like: patterns you both drift into (jealousy tests, late-night loops, push–pull games), or power dynamics that go unspoken.
Try this: have a plain-English consent talk: what’s hot, what’s off-limits, and how you’ll check in after. If respect is missing, that’s your answer.
Career
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Work can slide into overwork, image-chasing, or “I’ll be happy when…” The card asks, “What owns you right now?”
Do now: pick one hook—notifications, perfectionism, saying yes when you mean no. Mute it, cap it, or script a “no” you can use this week.
Avoid: deals that trade your values for speed. If a promise only works in the dark, it won’t work for long.
Hidden influences
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Short-term highs are tempting because they’re reliable. The real pull is the relief, not the thing.
Quick test: ask, “What’s the payoff? What’s the price—tonight, tomorrow, next month?” If the price keeps climbing, the chain is showing.
Next step: swap the habit, not just stop it—replace doom-scroll with a 10-minute walk, late emails with a send-later rule, secrets with a note in writing.
Past
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You’ve broken a grip before—quitting a vice, leaving a lopsided bond, or naming a truth you’d avoided. That proof still counts.
Example: the moment you set a boundary and your sleep, mood, or work came back online.
Present
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Right now, notice what you reach for when you’re tired, bored, or anxious. That’s the lever to pull first.
30-second move: finish this line: “When I feel ____, I usually ____. Tonight I’ll try ____ instead.” Put it somewhere you’ll see it.
Future
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If you choose consciously, the hold loosens. As you keep naming the hooks and swapping the habits, your path levels out and choices feel like yours again.
How to aim: weekly audit: one hook to cut by 20%, one value to protect in writing, one reward that doesn’t cost you tomorrow.
Advice
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Name the chain, then break one link. Keep it small and visible so you can repeat it.
Why it works: awareness plus a tiny swap beats willpower alone.
Nudge: delete one tempting app for the weekend, set a “send later” window after 8 pm, or write the boundary and read it out loud before you need it.
Tired of pausing mid-reading to look up meanings? The Star & Strength Tarot Deck has upright, reversed, keywords, and yes/no guidance printed on every card — so your readings flow start to finish without interruption.
The Devil Reversed Meaning
At a Glance
- Breaking Free: The reversed Devil is often a turning point, when you start realising the chains only hold if you let them.
- New Awareness: What once felt bigger than you now looks smaller, and you see the grip it had beginning to loosen.
- Dropping Old Habits: This card can mark the moment you step away from coping patterns that don’t serve you anymore.
- Facing the Truth: It asks you to be honest with yourself about what’s been keeping you stuck, and to choose differently this time.
- Room to Grow: Reversed, the Devil is less about being trapped and more about the chance to finally move forward lighter.
The Devil Reversed shows up when you’re starting to realize that whatever’s been holding you back doesn’t have the same power over you anymore. If you’ve been stuck in something heavy like a bad relationship, or even something lighter like your own mindset weighing you down— this card is telling you, “Hey, you don’t have to stay here anymore.”
The Devil is all about the chains holding us down, but the Devil Reversed is often about showing you that you’ve had the power to slip out of them the whole time, and perhaps you didn’t realize it until now. It’s that moment when you think, “Wait, I’ve been holding myself back.” And that’s a huge realization because once you see it, you can start making changes.
Another layer to this card is how it speaks to the parts of yourself you’ve been avoiding. Maybe you’ve been hiding something—something that doesn’t quite fit with the image you want to present, or maybe a feeling you’ve been trying to ignore. But the truth is, keeping that part of you in the shadows doesn’t make it go away. If anything, it just adds more stress. The Devil reversed may be a sign to face that part of yourself and stop pretending it’s not there. It’s okay to embrace your full self, even the parts that feel messy or complicated.
It could also be a sign that it’s time to check in with how you’ve been coping. Are you using something—like food, shopping, or distractions—as a way to escape? It’s easy to fall into those habits when life feels tough, but this card is gently reminding you that those things might not be helping in the long run. It’s time to start finding healthier ways to deal with what’s going on.
And of course we can’t forget about self-accountability. It’s easy to blame outside forces when things aren’t going right, but the Devil Reversed is asking you to take a look at where you might be holding yourself back. It’s like a wake-up call to stop playing the victim and start owning your power to change the situation. You’ve got the strength to make different choices, but it starts with recognizing your role in how things have played out.
That said, don’t be too hard on yourself. This card can show up when you’re being overly critical—maybe beating yourself up for even being in this situation. We’ve all been there. What matters is that you’re starting to see it now, and that means you’re already moving in the right direction.
So, The Devil reversed is about reclaiming your freedom. It’s about realizing that you’re not as stuck as you thought, and you have more control than you’ve been giving yourself credit for. You don’t have to figure it all out at once. Just take one step at a time, and you’ll find your way out.
Love
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This is the card of breaking a pattern. The pull is strong, the highs are high, but you keep paying for it later. Think uncontrollable jealousy, push–pull texting, keeping someone around for comfort while saying you want more.
Reversed it means you’re at the point where you’re ready to step out of it. Not by willpower alone, but by making it harder to slip back and easier to choose better.
Try this: name the pattern out loud and set one boundary you can keep for 14 days. Mute their notifications, stop “checking in” after midnight, or tell them clearly respect needs to back on the table. If it eases your nervous system, it is the right move.
Career
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Golden handcuffs, hustle you cannot switch off, saying yes to work that empties you because the pay or praise hits like a fix. The Devil reversed is the moment you see the cost clearly and start cutting the cord.
You do not have to blow up your life. You just need one rule that protects your time and headspace.
Try this: remove work email from your phone after 7pm, or set a hard stop three nights a week. Use that time to update your CV, apply to one role, or learn one skill that gets you out of the loop you are in.
Hidden Influences
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Shame keeps habits quiet. You promise yourself you will stop, then a rough day hits and you slide back into the thing that numbs it. That secrecy is the glue.
Reversed invites daylight. When one other person knows, the habit loses power.
Try this: tell one trusted person exactly what you are changing for the next 30 days. Add one swap you can actually do, like a ten minute walk when the urge hits, or an app blocker from 9pm to 7am.
Past
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This pattern started for a reason. Stress, loneliness, a house where big feelings were not handled well. The habit worked once. It soothed. It also trained your brain to reach for the quick fix.
Example: staying in high drama situations because peace felt boring, spending to feel in control, or using work as a hiding place. Naming the origin helps you choose a different answer now.
Present
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Right now you can feel the hook and the exit at the same time. You know what pulls you back, and you can see the door out. The next step is practical, not perfect.
Quick move: remove one easy route back in. Delete a number, cancel one subscription, throw out the stash, block the site, or unfollow the account. Make the healthy choice the path of least resistance.
Future
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Freedom comes in steady steps. You will have strong days and hard ones. A lapse is information, not failure. The win is how quickly you return to the plan.
Looks like: better sleep, fewer spikes in anxiety, honest plans you keep, and relationships that feel calmer because you are not bargaining with yourself all the time.
Try this: set a 30 day checkpoint. Write your triggers, your replacements, and who you will message if you’re having a hard time. Put the review date in your calendar now.
Advice
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Choose a small honest step today. Not a perfect plan. Say what is true, make one change that sticks, and let support in. Power returns when you are not hiding.
Try this: write “I am done with ______ for 30 days” on paper and put it where you will see it. Tell one person. Book one appointment if you need it. Then start the first day and only focus on that.
The Devil Symbolism
Why is The Devil shown with chains around a man and woman, even though the chains are loose? In my Tarot Symbolism Book, I unpack how this picture reflects the illusions that hold us back — and how realizing the chains are loose shows our ability to free ourselves.
