The Devil: tarot card meaning
The Devil is card XV of the Major Arcana, associated with the element of Earth. Drawn upright it speaks of attachment, temptation, shadow self; reversed, of liberation, breaking free, reclaiming power.
Upright meaning
attachment, temptation, shadow self, entrapment
The chains are loose -- see the attachment or compulsive pattern, name it, and recognise that you are the one holding the key.
Reversed meaning
liberation, breaking free, reclaiming power, awareness
A turning point of release -- you are stepping out of a pattern that had you trapped, and the power is returning to your hands.
Vedic and astrological correspondence
| Planet | Saturn |
|---|---|
| Vedic graha | Shani |
| Zodiac | Capricorn |
| Element | Earth |
In a three-card reading
In the past position The Devil describes the current that carried you to where you are; in the present position, what is most alive in the situation now; in the future position, the direction things tend toward if nothing changes. A reading weighs it against the other two cards rather than on its own.
Questions
What does The Devil mean upright?
The chains are loose -- see the attachment or compulsive pattern, name it, and recognise that you are the one holding the key.
What does The Devil mean reversed?
A turning point of release -- you are stepping out of a pattern that had you trapped, and the power is returning to your hands.