General
Upright General Meaning
The Devil reveals where desire, fear, or habit has acquired too much power. The chain is often looser than it appears, and honest awareness is the first act of freedom.
← All 78 tarot cards
Major Arcana
The Devil
XV
The Devil is card XV of the 22-card Major Arcana and card 16 in this complete 78-card Rider–Waite–Smith library.
- Arcana
- Major Arcana
- Card number
- XV
- Deck position
- 16 of 78
- Original artwork
- Pamela Colman Smith · 1909
Card meanings
How to Read The Devil
Read the card's orientation together with the question, spread position, and surrounding cards. A reversal can describe blocked, internalized, delayed, or excessive energy—not simply the opposite of the upright card.
Upright
The Devil Upright Meaning
- attachment
- temptation
- shadow
- material bondage
Love & Relationships
Upright Love Meaning
Powerful chemistry may coexist with jealousy, dependence, secrecy, or control. Name the bond honestly and distinguish passionate attachment from mutual, life-giving love.
Career & Purpose
Upright Career Meaning
Money, status, or a toxic environment may be keeping you tied to work that diminishes you. Recognize the bargain being made and begin building an exit or firmer boundary.
Reversed
The Devil Reversed Meaning
- release
- reclaiming power
- breaking patterns
- detachment
General
Reversed General Meaning
Reversed, The Devil marks recognition and release from a limiting pattern. Freedom grows as shame is replaced with responsibility and small choices prove the chain can break.
Love & Relationships
Reversed Love Meaning
An unhealthy attachment can be confronted, boundaries restored, or a controlling bond left behind. Recovery requires consistency, not only a promise made during crisis.
Career & Purpose
Reversed Career Meaning
You are ready to disengage from exploitation, compulsive overwork, or fear-based ambition. Redefine success so it no longer requires abandoning your well-being.
Esoteric correspondences
The language behind the image.
Astrology, elements, numbers, and recurring symbols add another interpretive layer. Correspondence systems vary by tradition; Cosmic Oceans uses a consistent Rider–Waite–Smith and Golden Dawn–derived framework.
Astrology
Capricorn
Element
Earth
Numerology
15 / 6 · attachment and conscious choice
Symbols
- loose chains
- inverted pentagram
- torch
Read with this card
Let The Devil enter a complete spread.
Place in the deck
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana contains twenty-two numbered cards, beginning with The Fool and completing with The World.
Archive edition
Rider–Waite–Smith
This page displays a self-hosted scan of the original public-domain deck rather than a later recolored or redesigned edition.