The Devil Card mirrors The Lovers card in both composition and content, yet with a crucial difference: Adam and Eve, consumed by their desires, can no longer hear the angel’s blessings. Instead, they hear only the devil’s curses from hell. What was once romantic and tender has transformed into mutual bondage, symbolized by the chains around their necks that bind them beneath the devil’s feet.
The Devil represents sin and possesses the power of temptation, luring others to lose their rationality and commit evil acts. When faced with temptation, everyone must choose between light and darkness – a decision that hangs on a single moment of thought.
The Devil Card Key Information
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Number | 15 (1+5=6, echoing The Lovers card but replacing its freshness and ease with self-centeredness (1) and desire for control (5). When focus shifts from caring about the other to satisfying personal desires, the relationship becomes a cage.) |
| Aliases | Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Ibis, Leviathan, Mephistopheles, Prince of Darkness, Dark Lord, The Tempter |
| Related Concepts | Mara, Trickster, Demons, Fallen Angel, Scapegoat, Goethe’s Faust, Milton’s Paradise Lost |
| Element | Earth |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn (Must transcend the material world and face spiritual tests. Needs a spiritual purpose; denying this limits life’s choices and opportunities. Capricorn understands this lesson: dissatisfaction with the status quo leads to liberation from the material world and helps others trapped in darkness find their way.) |
Personality traits of The Devil Card
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Breaking free from harmful temptations | Feeling restricted and anxious |
| Cutting ties with negative influences | Being subservient |
| Abandoning destructive desires | Becoming a prisoner to desires |
| Finding opportunities to escape difficulties | Living a decadent lifestyle |
| Breaking free from constraints | Concealing truth |
| Regaining freedom | Falling into traps of temptation |
| Expressing personal will | Being stubborn |
| Confronting inner darkness | Becoming consumed by greed |
| Achieving transcendence | Self-projection |
| Maintaining fairness | Addiction |
| Staying objective | |
| Remaining independent |
The Devil Card Description
The inverted pentagram atop the Devil’s head symbolizes evil power. He tempts men and women to cross moral boundaries with a deep, resonant laugh. When people’s improper desires lead them astray from the right path for too long, their sense of free will gradually weakens.
Their hearts become controlled, and eventually, they transform into devils themselves, unable to return to heaven, forever dwelling in darkness. The chains binding people represent controlled humanity and restricted actions – the price of falling into temptation.
The Power of Temptation
The Devil never hides his evil power, manifesting improper desires wherever he appears. He represents human degradation through anger, sloth, lust, greed, envy, and pride. The Devil embodies evil through primal instincts (his image combines elements of goat, bat, gorilla, and bird).
While some may view this card negatively, considering its ideas evil from an ethical standpoint, everyone possesses this natural, primitive side. People come from nature and earth, retaining some primitive characteristics. The more one resists the Devil’s power, the harder it becomes to handle this aspect of oneself.
The Devil’s Creative Force
The Devil does possess creative power, but it always comes with a price – like the torch in his hand, requiring conditions for exchange. In work situations under the Devil’s influence, you might find yourself trapped, pouring all your life energy into it, burning yourself out, yet receiving money or promotions in return.
In love, the Devil can represent relationships bound by sex and desire, transforming into a curse that chains two people together through physical needs. However, in constructive loving relationships, these primal forces can be elevated to create intense pleasure and intimate physical connection between partners.
The Devil Card Key Elements
| Element | Symbolism |
|---|---|
| The Devil | Represents uncivilized, evil intentions and enslavement to dark desires |
| Inverted Pentagram | Symbol of Lucifer, representing the fall of power and virtue |
| Chains | Symbolize loss of freedom through indulgence in desires and fears |
| Downward Torch | Represents enslavement through ignorance and foolishness |
| Human Figures | Mirror the figures from The Lovers card |
| Stone Block | Represents how focus on the material world blocks spiritual awakening |
The Devil Card Upright Readings
Similar to The Lovers, The Devil indicates a decision that restricts both oneself and others. It represents an uncontrollable state where one cannot stop exercising power over others. The soul struggles internally, leading to inner conflict and distortion.
Love and Relationships
The upright Devil suggests a strong possessive nature in relationships. Your partner might seem caring but seeks to control you. While the Devil card is closely tied to passion and sexuality, it can indicate relationships built on physical attraction rather than love. The connection may be intense but ultimately suffocating due to one partner’s strong need for control. In existing relationships, it might signal infidelity or using sexuality as a weapon.
Key insights for relationships:
- No new romantic prospects worth pursuing
- Current relationship causes mental anguish
- Reconciliation is unlikely and potentially harmful
Career and Finance
In career matters, the card suggests:
- Severe disruption in current work
- Situations beyond your control
- Risk of job loss
- Becoming purely materialistic
- Potential for workplace deception
Financial aspects:
- Poor financial management
- Vulnerability to scams
- Surface-level prosperity hiding deeper problems
- Need for immediate liquidation of investments
Personal Growth and Health
- Poor interpersonal relationships
- Need to address personal behavior patterns
- Tendency to blame others
- Risk of substance abuse affecting health
- Academic struggles due to distractions
- Physical and mental constraints
The Devil Card Reversed Readings
When reversed, The Devil can indicate:
- Breaking free from constraints
- Release from power dynamics
- Seeing reality more clearly
However, it can also represent:
- Deeper descent into negative behaviors
- More extreme methods of control
- Pursuing desires at any cost
Love and Relationships
- Complex emotional entanglements
- Relationships based on physical attraction only
- Potential for meaningful self-reflection
- Opportunity for healthy separation
Career and Finance
- Breaking free from financial restrictions
- Turning losses into profits
- Investment transformation
- Need to avoid illegal or unethical practices
Personal Development
- Improved learning environment
- Better health through lifestyle changes
- Breaking free from addictions
- Emotional liberation
- Ability to express true feelings
Final Words
The Devil Card is a tarot card about bondage and liberation. In its upright position, it reminds us to confront our desires, fears, and dependencies while avoiding unhealthy patterns. When reversed, it signals the arrival of awakening and freedom, encouraging us to bravely pursue inner balance and growth. The Devil Card ultimately teaches us that guilt should not lead to overindulgence but rather help us understand our inner darkness.