The Devil XV
The Devil Keywords
Upright: Temptation, Shadow, Addiction
Reversed: Liberation Awareness, Reclaiming Power
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Numerology: 6
Element: Earth
Next card: The Tower
The Devil Meaning
The Devil is when you forget you’ve always had the key to your own cage.
The Devil is the 15th card in the Major Arcana, and when reduced numerologically (1 + 5), we arrive at the number 6—a number typically associated with harmony, responsibility, and aligned choice. But The Devil flips this on its head. Rather than true harmony, this card often points to the illusion of it—situations where we’ve convinced ourselves everything is fine while quietly staying stuck in habits, relationships, or belief systems that limit our growth. The Devil is a mirror, reflecting the ways we may be unconsciously operating from fear, shame, or scarcity, rather than from empowerment or truth.
This is not a card of “evil” in the traditional sense. Instead, The Devil represents the seductive comfort of our shadow selves—the parts of us that crave control, validation, or escape. Think addiction, codependency, self-sabotage, or perfectionism. These aren’t moral failings, but human coping mechanisms that, when left unchecked, can take the wheel of our lives. The Devil invites us to look at these behaviors not with judgment, but with curiosity and courage. What are you giving your power away to? What story are you telling yourself that keeps you small? The chains depicted in this card are often loose—you can remove them at any time. But first, you have to see them.
Ultimately, The Devil is a powerful teacher. It reminds us that liberation doesn’t come from pretending we’re “above” our struggles—it comes from moving through them with awareness. Once we bring our unconscious patterns into the light, they begin to lose their grip. That’s the alchemy of this card: what once felt like bondage can become a path to freedom. This is the moment you realize you were never truly trapped—you just forgot you were the one holding the key all along.
The Devil Upright
When The Devil appears upright in a reading, it signals that something in your life has taken control—and not in a healthy way. This could be an unhealthy relationship, a toxic work environment, a limiting belief, or even your own inner critic.
The key theme here is attachment: you may feel bound to something or someone that drains your energy, yet find it difficult to walk away. Often, this card reflects a loop, an obsessive thought pattern or behavior you keep returning to despite knowing it doesn't serve you. The Devil isn’t here to shame you for this. It’s here to wake you up to what you’ve been avoiding.
This card also calls attention to the power dynamics at play in your life. Are you giving away your power by letting someone else dictate your worth, your decisions, or your reality? Or are you manipulating yourself with stories like “I can’t,” “I’m not ready,” or “this is just how it is”? Sometimes we use external things—money, substances, people, achievements—to avoid facing what’s unresolved inside us. The Devil shows up when we’ve abandoned our personal responsibility and given authority to something outside of us, often unconsciously. But awareness is the first step back to freedom.
The upright Devil card can feel confronting, but it's not hopeless. In fact, it’s a sign that the chains are already loosening—you’re just beginning to see them clearly. This card brings the shadow into the light and asks: Are you ready to take accountability for your own healing? If so, liberation is closer than you think. The Devil teaches us that the more we face what we fear, the less power it has over us. And that’s the beginning of real, lasting transformation.
The Devil Reversed
When The Devil appears reversed, it's often a deeply empowering sign—one that suggests you're in the process of breaking free from whatever has been keeping you stuck. Whether it’s an addictive pattern, a toxic relationship, or a limiting belief, this card indicates that you’re beginning to see the situation for what it truly is. And more importantly, you're no longer willing to tolerate it. The blindfold is slipping, the illusion is cracking, and you're reclaiming your agency one conscious decision at a time. Even if the work isn’t complete yet, the reversal shows momentum—a shift toward healing, accountability, and self-respect.
This card often shows up when you’ve had a powerful moment of clarity: the realization that you've been your own captor. That the voice saying “you can’t” or “you’re not enough” isn’t a universal truth, but a fear-based story you've outgrown. The reversed Devil marks a turning point in your relationship to your own shadow. You’re beginning to integrate the parts of yourself you once denied or rejected, and in doing so, you’re loosening the grip of shame. What once felt like a life sentence is now starting to feel like a choice—and that is real liberation.
Ultimately, the Devil reversed is a call to step back into your power—not by force, but by presence. You’re being invited to forgive yourself, to release what’s no longer aligned, and to make decisions from a place of truth rather than fear. This card reminds you that healing isn’t about perfection; it’s about awareness. You’ve seen the shadow, you’ve named it, and now you’re walking forward with it in the light. Keep going. You’re not just surviving—you’re rising.