Tarot Cards - Major Arcana - Devil - 15
REVERSED: Releasing limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, detachment
DEVIL DESCRIPTION
The Devil card shows Baphomet, or the Horned Goat of Mendes, a creature that is half man, half goat. Baphomet originally represented the balance between good and evil, male and female, and human and animal; however, more recently, this figure has been linked to the occult and has become a scapegoat for all things considered ‘evil’.
The Devil has the wings of a vampire bat, an animal that sucks the lifeblood out of its prey, symbolic of what happens when you give in to your raw desires. He has a hypnotic stare which ‘magnetises’ and entrances those who come near him, bringing them under his power. Above him is an inverted pentagram – a sign of the darker side of magic and occultism. He raises his right hand in the Vulcan Salute – a Jewish blessing, later made famous by the film series, Star Trek. In his left hand, he holds a lit torch.
At the foot of the Devil stand a man and a woman, both naked and chained to the podium on which the Devil sits. They appear to be held here against their will – but look closer, and you will notice that the chains around their necks are loose and could be easily removed. Each has small horns on their head, like the devil’s, a sign that they are becoming increasingly like him the longer they stay here. Both have tails, a further symbol of their animalistic tendencies and raw instincts, and the grapes and the fire on their respective tails signify pleasure and lust.
Reversed Meaning
Keywords (Reversed): Breaking chains, overcoming addiction, freedom, reclaiming power, awareness of illusion.
When The Devil appears reversed, the loose chains around the necks of the figures slip off. This is a powerful, liberating omen signaling that the spell of material entrapment, toxic codependency, or compulsive habit is breaking. The querent is waking up to the reality that the cage was unlocked all along and that their submission to fear or desire was an illusion.
In relationships and lifestyle, the reversal represents a courageous reclamation of sovereignty and freedom from oppressive bonds.
Guidance & Remedy: Walk away from the pedestal of false idols. Acknowledge your past entrapments without shame, step out of confinement, and walk forward in your reclaimed freedom.
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