The Devil XV in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
The Devil Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Major
Fire
Capricorn
Generally speaking, The Devil is a powerful card, speaking of attachment, addiction, temptation and illusion. It symbolises everything that unconsciously binds us, everything to which we have given our power. It highlights the mechanisms of domination, self-sabotage and dependence – whether on a person, a habit, an object or an idea. But it’s not there to judge: it sheds light on what was hidden. The Devil invites you to become aware, to disidentify, to free yourself. He reminds you that you have accepted these chains – and that you can, if you wish, break them. It’s a card of transformation, requiring courage, honesty and lucidity. It can also reveal an immense potential for magnetism and personal power, provided you are not its slave but its master.
RWS Tarot : Arcana The Devil readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card The Devil
When it comes to love, The Devil evokes intense, sometimes all-consuming passions. It speaks of powerful bonds, but often tinged with dependence, jealousy or domination. This card may indicate a relationship where sensuality is omnipresent, but where power takes precedence over harmony. This could be a toxic attachment, possessive love or a karmic bond that is difficult to break. For singles, The Devil may signal a very strong attraction, but one based on desire rather than the heart. It warns against the illusions of fusional love and repetitive patterns. This card invites you to observe your emotional conditioning: are you free in your love choices, or bound by your impulses, your wounds, or your ego? Awareness is needed to break free from a hold or to transform a destructive passion into a conscious bond.
Professional / Work reading
with the card The Devil
At work, The Devil can indicate a competitive, stressful environment where power and ambition take over. It evokes the temptation to manipulate or be manipulated, to act under pressure or in an unethical environment. It can also represent an obsession with succeeding, to the detriment of your personal balance. This can go as far as a feeling of alienation: feeling ‘chained’ to a job, a hierarchy or a routine that doesn’t let you breathe. However, The Devil is not always negative: he can also reveal your ability to use your personal power, magnetism and charisma to impose yourself in a demanding world. He brings you face to face with your dark areas: are you guided by your values, or by your fears and desires? Detachment is essential if you are to rediscover your inner freedom.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card The Devil
In material terms, The Devil represents a powerful relationship with money – often marked by attachment, fear of lack or greed. He can indicate a tendency to accumulate, over-consume, or place one’s security in possession. It also sometimes speaks of debt, financial addictions, or dependence on an alienating source of income. There may be issues of control, corruption or the temptations of easy money. This card calls for an examination of your relationship with abundance: are you trying to compensate for an inner emptiness with material comfort? The Devil does not condemn wealth, but he does highlight the invisible chains it can create. He invites you to transform this relationship through more conscious management, free from the illusion that ‘more’ necessarily means ‘better’.
Family reading
with the card The Devil
In the family context, The Devil can reveal heavy tensions, power games or emotional dependencies. It speaks of family ties that can be stifling, controlling or even toxic. This could be a domineering parent, an unhealthy intergenerational attachment, or a climate where everyone plays a role without being fully aware of it. This card can also point to family secrets, things left unsaid or the repetition of painful patterns. The Devil invites you to become aware of what imprisons you in your lineage: where are the chains? Who’s holding the leash? Becoming aware of this is the first step towards freeing yourself. It may also indicate that you are unconsciously playing a manipulative or dependent role within the family system. The challenge is to bring light into the shadows, and to restore each person’s sovereignty.
Spiritual reading
with the card The Devil
Spiritually, The Devil represents the test of the shadow, the confrontation with your deepest desires, your most visceral fears. He embodies the earthly plane at its most seductive but also its most alienating: sex, power, materialism, ego. This card is not a condemnation, but a mirror: it shows you where you are still chained to illusions, attachments or limiting beliefs. The Devil is the initiator through trial: he encourages lucidity. It’s an invitation to transmute your raw impulses into creative energy, to descend into the darkness to find your truth. It can herald a period of existential crisis, but also a huge potential for awakening if you are willing to look the shadow in the face. The important thing is not to identify with your chains: you are free, but first you have to recognise it.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
The Devil and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card The Devil according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card The Devil in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
