The Devil
The Devil involves confronting our shadow selves. Discover how the Devil card can help you explore and integrate your deeper truths.
The Devil Tarot Card Description
“Your Shadow is a dark omen, a powerful teacher that reveals to you the places in your life where you are energetically blocked. When you continue to ignore these signs, you perpetuate the cycle of your suffering”― Mateo Sol, Awakened Empath: The Ultimate Guide to Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual Healing.
The Devil tarot card, the fifteenth in the Major Arcana, invites us to explore our shadow selves. This isn't a shaming card, or an evil card. In tarot, each card is here to support and accept us, so we can then better support and accept ourselves.
Card XV depicts a horned Baphomet figure, symbolizing a blend of our primal urges and higher consciousness. Flames in the background represent intense passion and creative energy. A couple stands at the Devil’s feet, loosely chained, representing how we might willingly bind ourselves to materialism, addiction, or unhealthy relationships. These chains are a reminder that while we may feel trapped, escape is possible with awareness and effort.
The Devil card isn’t about condemnation but self-awareness and acceptance. It encourages us to confront our hidden fears, desires, and patterns that may hold us back, reminding us that we have the power to break free and transform our lives.
Key Takeaways
-
The Devil is the fifteenth Major Arcana card, right after Temperance (which is all about balance and moderation)
-
The Devil card represents facing our fears and desires head-on. It invites us to deep dive into our messy, beautiful humanity, exploring our shadow selves with compassion
-
Key symbols include bat wings, an inverted pentagram, and a half goat. These represent our darker instincts, spiritual inversion, and dual nature – all the wild, raw parts of us we sometimes try to hide.
-
In love readings, the upright Devil suggests escapism and materialism in relationships. It nudges us to reflect on our dynamics and boundaries, to ensure we’re not losing ourselves in the process.
-
In career and financial readings, the upright Devil highlights feeling bound by material pursuits. It calls us to question if our work aligns with our true selves and values, reminding us that real success includes our happiness and integrity.
Qualities
- Upright: Surrender, release, perspective
- Reversed: Resistance, stubbornness, delayed revelation
Celestial Influence
- Planet/Zodiac: Capricorn
- Card Number and Arcana: XV (Major Arcana)
- Element: Earth
- Crystal: Black onyx
Try meditating on the Devil card while holding black onyx to promote groundedness, especially emotionally turbulent or difficult times.
Symbology of The Devil Tarot Card
Bat Wings
The Devil card often features bat wings, which symbolize our darker, animalistic tendencies along with our shadow self that needs to be acknowledged and integrated. These wings remind us of our raw instincts and the importance of understanding and managing our more primal urges.
Inverted Pentagram
At the center of the card, there is an inverted pentagram above the Devil’s head, representing the inversion of spiritual values and the potential for materialism and negative influences to dominate our lives. This symbol highlights the challenges of balancing spiritual and material aspects of existence.
Half Goat
The Devil card depicts a figure that is half goat, embodying the dual nature of humanity—both divine and animalistic. The goat’s respective tails signify pleasure, pointing to the ways in which we can become enslaved by our desires and indulgences. The presence of the half goat figure in the card emphasizes the need to confront and integrate these aspects of ourselves to achieve true liberation.
The Upright Devil: Interpretations and Meanings
In a tarot reading, the Devil shows us that there are parts of ourselves we may need to acknowledge and heal. Sometimes, when we try to avoid sitting with uncomfortable emotions or thoughts, they pop up in other areas of our lives in order to be heard.
Love and Relationships
When the Devil card appears upright in a love reading, it speaks to themes of escapism and materialism. It may suggest relationships where partners feel trapped or are engaging in unhealthy behaviors. This card invites us to look deeply at our relationships and consider if they are built on mutual respect and love or dependency and control (often unknowingly).
The Devil gently nudges you to reflect on your relationship dynamics. Are you losing yourself in the partnership? Are there aspects that feel more like obligations than loving connections? This card encourages you to evaluate your boundaries, communicate openly, and regain control over your life and emotions. It's about finding balance and ensuring that your relationships nurture your well-being and personal growth.
Career and Finances
In career and financial readings, the Devil upright suggests feeling bound by material pursuits. This might manifest as being stuck in a job that feels unfulfilling but pays well or becoming overly focused on financial gain at the expense of personal happiness. The card highlights the risks of overworking and making compromises that go against your values.
The Devil reminds us to stay true to our inner goals and values. While financial security and career success are important, they shouldn’t come at the cost of our mental health or personal integrity. It's a gentle call to reflect on whether your current path aligns with your true self and to make changes if necessary to create a more balanced and fulfilling professional life.
The Devil Reversed Meaning
The reversed Devil card, believe it or not, comes with positive messages for you to reflect on:
Love and Relationships
When the Devil appears reversed in a love tarot reading, it signifies a period of release and mental clarity. It indicates breaking free from toxic relationships or unhealthy patterns and fostering healthier, more balanced connections. The reversed Devil represents newfound self-worth and the courage to reclaim your power.
This card encourages you to set clear boundaries and focus on relationships that nurture your true self. It's a time to celebrate your journey toward healthier dynamics and the liberation from patterns that no longer serve you. Embrace this clarity and use it to build connections based on mutual respect and love.
Career and Finances
In career and financial contexts, the reversed Devil is a positive sign of detachment from unhealthy work habits or material obsessions. It suggests a period of mental clarity and renewed purpose, where you are guided by genuine passion and inner values rather than external pressures.
The reversed Devil encourages breaking free from limiting beliefs and unhealthy environments. You might find yourself leaving a job that doesn’t align with your values or changing your approach to finances. This card signifies a liberation from stress and a balanced approach to professional life, focusing on stability and sustainable growth.
Departing Wisdom from The Devil (as odd as that sounds!)
The Devil encourages us to accept and integrate all parts of ourselves, both light and dark. This card invites us to look within and find contentment and purpose from within ourselves. It reminds us that awareness is the first step toward liberation and that we are capable of breaking free from anything that holds us back.
Mantra: I first look within to find my true contentment and purpose.
References
The Way of Tarot | Alejandro Jodorowsky, Archive.org
The Marseille Tarot Revealed A Complete Guide to Symbolism, Meanings & Methods | Yoav Ben-Dov
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot | Arthur Edward Waite
Disclaimer
The contents of this article are provided for informational purposes only. Take what resonates with you and leave behind anything that doesn't. Anahana is not liable for any interpretations, insights, or outcomes that may arise from using the information provided.
More Articles
