By Luna Ravenwood · Updated August 3, 2026
Divination and Dreams Guide
Quick Answer
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, The Devil is a Major Arcana card numbered 15 corresponding to Capricorn. Upright it speaks to shadow self, attachment, addiction; reversed it mirrors releasing bonds, breaking free, reclaiming power. The archetype pairs with Black Tourmaline for grounded reflection, not prediction.
Upright Keywords
Reversed Keywords
The Devil Upright Meaning
Two figures stand chained to The Devil's pedestal, but look closely: the chains are loose enough to slip off. This is the card's entire teaching. The Devil doesn't represent external evil; it mirrors the attachments, habits, and fears that bind us because we believe we can't escape them. Addiction, toxic relationships, materialism, shadow behaviors, all the things we keep doing while claiming we want to stop. The Devil asks you to look at what you've given your power to.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, this card is read through three reference works. According to Rachel Pollack in Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom (1980), The Devil functions as one station in the deck’s unified literary sequence. Arthur Edward Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) describes the original symbolism Pamela Colman Smith painted into the card. Mary K. Greer in Tarot for Your Self (1984) describes the upright meaning as the archetypal opening, the question the card offers, not the verdict it delivers.
The Devil Reversed Meaning
Reversed, The Devil represents liberation, the chains are being removed, the attachment is being broken. You're beginning to see the patterns that have held you and choosing to step out of them. This isn't always comfortable; leaving familiar bondage can feel more frightening than staying. The reversed Devil says: the door was never locked. You're free to leave whenever you choose. What made you think you couldn't?
Today’s Guidance
“What habit, relationship, or pattern are you serving that no longer serves you? The Devil asks you to look at your chains, and notice they aren't locked. You can step out anytime.”
Morning Intention
Name one pattern you'd like to break. Not fix, not manage, break. The Devil's morning begins with honest shadow-facing.
Midday Reflection
Where did you fall back into the familiar pattern today? No judgment, just awareness. The Devil at midday asks for observation, not perfection.
Evening Release
Hold your black tourmaline and visualize the chains loosening. Release one attachment, even just for tonight. Freedom is practiced in small moments before it becomes a way of life.
“I see my patterns clearly. The chains are loose, and I choose to step free.”
Crystal Companion: Black Tourmaline
Black Tourmaline absorbs and transmutes the negative energy patterns The Devil represents. It helps you see your shadow clearly without being consumed by it, and protects you as you break free.
Black Tourmaline
The ultimate protection stone that absorbs and transmutes negative energy.
Numerology of The Devil
The Devil carries the number 15. In the Pythagorean tradition, this reduces to 6, the number of harmony, nurturing, and responsibility. The archetype is striking: the devil embodies the same vibration that Life Path 6 natives are here to learn.
Notice the pattern: when this card keeps appearing in readings, or when 15 keeps appearing in your day, both are likely pointing at the same lesson. See more in the angel number meanings guide.
Astrological Correspondence
The Devil · Capricorn · Hebrew letter Ayin (ע)
Astrid Moon would read The Devil as cardinal Earth, Capricornian shadow, the ambition or attachment that has become bondage. The card asks: what chain are you holding that you've forgotten is unlocked?
Card Details
Number
15
Suit
Major Arcana
Element
🌿 Earth
Astrology
Capricorn
Neighbouring Cards
The Devil in Love, Career, Finance
The same archetype mirrors different territory depending on the question. Read how The Devil meets specific dimensions of your life.
What’s Next?
Three good directions while The Devil is in the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Devil tarot card mean?
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, The Devil is a Major Arcana card corresponding to Capricorn. Upright it speaks to shadow self, attachment, addiction; reversed it mirrors releasing bonds, breaking free, reclaiming power.
What crystal pairs with The Devil?
Black Tourmaline is the crystal companion for The Devil. Black Tourmaline absorbs and transmutes the negative energy patterns The Devil represents. It helps you see your shadow clearly without being consumed by it, and protects you as you break free.
Is The Devil a yes or no card?
In yes-or-no readings, The Devil answers no. The Devil represents bondage, unhealthy attachments, and shadow patterns. The answer is no, continuing on the current path will only deepen the entanglement. Break free from what's holding you back.
What does The Devil mean reversed?
Reversed, The Devil represents liberation, the chains are being removed, the attachment is being broken. You're beginning to see the patterns that have held you and choosing to step out of them. This isn't always comfortable; leaving familiar bondage can feel more frightening tha
How to Read a Spread
Luna Ravenwood's free guide: the structure of the deck, three spreads and what each is for, the three schools of reversals, and how to read for yourself without flattering yourself.
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