In Tarot, The Devil card is typically not a positive card. It represents unhealthy energies such as obsession, addiction, and unhealthy forms of lust.
In tarot, The Devil card is rarely a positive card.
Element: Earth (Capricorn).
The Devil is ruled by the planet Saturn.
The Devil card gives us extremes when it comes to unhealthy energies.
These can vary depending on the topic, but some examples are over-infatuation (obsession), addiction and alcoholism, obsessive thinking and so on.
| Upright | Reversed |
| Bondage, slavery, addiction, jealousy, unhealthy obsession. | Breaking free from bad habits. Realizing or releasing unhealthy behaviors. |
| (Yes/No?): No | (Yes/No?): No |
When The Devil card is present, pay attention to the surrounding energies, because this card can inform us whether or not they are being applied healthily or unhealthily.
Sometimes, The Devil card can refer to a literal person who is a Capricorn, however, as it is Capricorn's Major Arcana card.
Number 15 Meaning
The Devil Card is numbered fifteen in the Major Arcana cards' sequence.
The number 15 reduces to the number 6 (1+5=6).
Number 6 Meaning
The number six resembles balance. Harmony, stability and a balance with work, health, and home aspects can also be part of this.
Sixes can also refer to cooperation.
The Devil Card Description
In the original Rider-Waite tarot deck, The Devil card is quite a grotesque one.
Many of the older versions of illustrations of The Devil card were actually destroyed out of fear and superstitions.
The Devil card, today, the card illustrates a Baphomet. Both animal, and human. Both male and female.
This can be seen by the human like torso with horns and animal legs, with bat wings; and the physical aspects of both male and female.
Below the creature, appear a man and woman, perhaps The Lovers. They are chained together, and his hand hovers over them, demonstrating his dominion over them.