☾Introduction

Have you ever pulled a tarot card to ask about your love life, only to have The Devil turn up?

The word "Devil" naturally brings to mind bad outcomes or ominous feelings, and it's easy to assume the worst the moment this card appears.

This article is for anyone who has pulled The Devil in a love reading. We'll cover:

• The basic meaning and interpretation of The Devil card when it appears
• How to cope when The Devil shows up in a reading
• Mental self-care for processing what the card reveals
• Where to get a second opinion from a professional fortune teller if you want to dig deeper

Read on to the end so you can work through this as quickly and confidently as possible.

♡The Devil in Love: Keywords & Upright/Reversed Meanings

Upright

Jealousy, hatred, betrayal, resentment, dependency, control, restriction, temptation, desire, indulgence, obsession

Reversed

Liberation, freedom, breaking the current stalemate, recovery, renewal, improvement, resolution, closure, change, new beginnings, new encounters

As a general pattern, the upright Devil functions as a warning about your current situation, while the reversed Devil carries a genuinely positive meaning — the sense that a chapter of your life is being brought to a close.

Unlike most tarot cards, The Devil's upright and reversed meanings point in almost opposite directions, so it pays to be careful when interpreting which way it landed.

Core Meaning in Love: Upright

• Your feelings for the other person have become so intense that they've turned into obsession, narrowing your perspective
• You tend to swing between highs and lows in the relationship, or get swept along by momentary emotions
• Your own will and sense of self are weakened, leaving you vulnerable to temptation and indulgence

At its core, the upright Devil describes a state where feelings and emotions have become so tangled that you can no longer control them — there's a real risk of acting on impulse without thinking things through.

Because this is also a warning, if you pull the upright Devil, taking a moment to calm down and honestly look at yourself can help you avoid conflict in your relationships.

Core Meaning in Love: Reversed

• Your attachment to the other person or the situation fades, and you start seeking a way out of the current state, or a new encounter altogether
• You stop being combative toward the other person and become more considerate — your behavior genuinely shifts
• You're able to cut off demands from the other person and bring a clear sense of closure to the current relationship

At its core, the reversed Devil suggests a hopeful sign: depending on your actions, you can break a negative cycle and build a healthier relationship — either with the same person or a new one.

Because the reversed Devil strongly signals being freed from your current circumstances, taking action — talking to someone about it, or having an honest conversation with the other person — may be exactly what moves you toward breaking through the stalemate.

✦The Devil's Meaning by Situation

Here we'll interpret The Devil's meaning across some of the most common love-life situations.

Their Feelings While You Have a Crush — Upright

Right now, things may be difficult to bring to fruition with this person.

It's possible they have feelings for someone else, or simply aren't interested in you. That said, if they're a sincere person, they should be honest with you about where things stand.

You could quietly observe their situation for a while, or you could work up the courage to ask them directly.

Their response is also a chance to learn what kind of person they really are.

Their Feelings While You Have a Crush — Reversed

This person may actually have feelings or interest in you.

Since the reversed Devil signals breaking away from the current situation, they may be hoping to become "more than friends."

They might be quietly gauging your feelings, so making sure your attitude and the mood around you come across positively could help.

If your own energy shifts, it becomes easier for them to take the next step — and things may turn out just as you hoped.

Their Feelings While Dating — Upright

It seems this person wants some distance from you right now.

Something about your behavior may have bothered them. For example:

• A quirk you found endearing at first has become exhausting for them
• You keep pushing your own demands without meeting theirs
• You've been slow to respond, making real communication difficult

Consider looking back at how you've been behaving toward them recently.

If you can genuinely reflect and improve, they're likely to reconsider the relationship with you.

Their Feelings While Dating — Reversed

It seems this person wants to bring closure to where things currently stand and move things forward.

If you're already dating, this could mean marriage — but it isn't limited to that. It could also mean:

• Becoming partners in business as well as in life, together in both spheres
• A transfer or relocation is coming up, and they want to move together or live together
• They want to stop keeping the relationship private and finally introduce you to friends

Continuing to maintain a good relationship as you have been, and reassuring them, is the key to moving things forward.

✧Getting a Second Opinion from a Professional

Maybe some of this sounds familiar:

• "I pulled The Devil, but what's going to happen with the guy who doesn't seem interested?"
• "I really want to meet 'the one' this time, but The Devil showed up instead."
• "I asked about my current partner and pulled The Devil — I want someone to look again at whether they're really my future spouse."
• "I was hoping to find a new relationship, but the tarot gave me The Devil…"

If you're not satisfied with a Devil result in any of these love situations, or you want sharper, more detailed advice, getting a second reading from a professional fortune teller is always an option.

Three Recommended Sites Offering Free Readings on Destiny, Marriage & Love

Phone readings with free first 20 minutes — "Axia"

Axia's biggest draw is that new members get up to 20 minutes of free reading, and the service runs 24/7, so you can get a reading whenever you need one.

You can also talk through your concerns with a reception advisor first, who will match you to a fortune teller suited to your situation — a more efficient path to an answer.

Booking and requesting a specific reader are both free, so you only ever pay for the reading itself. If you're on the fence about phone readings, this is a solid place to start.

Free first reading — email readings with "Spiritual Bridge"

Because Spiritual Bridge works entirely over email, all you need to do is write out your concern and send it — making it approachable even if you're not comfortable on the phone.

You can also take advantage of the free first reading to judge whether the service and its readers are a good fit for you before committing further.

Reviews and ratings for their readers are consistently high, and the service has a large base of repeat customers, so you can go in with confidence.

Ranked #1 in the industry for accuracy — "Purely"

Purely is known for remarkably accurate readings — some reviewers even say readers correctly described what kind of person their partner was, which has built the site's reputation for uncanny accuracy.

Its readers specialize in everything from predicting the future to rekindling old relationships, finding love, and matchmaking, including readers with unusual spiritual gifts — you can trust your reading to skilled hands here.

New users get a free 15-minute first session, a great way to test whether the site is the right fit for you.

If you want to try the #1-ranked reading service by reputation, start with the free reading.

Etiquette and Precautions to Keep in Mind When Using Fortune-Telling Services

Keeping the following points in mind will make your experience with any fortune-telling service smoother and more comfortable.

Decide what you want to ask about in advance

→ If the service charges by the minute, not thinking ahead means you'll burn through paid time simply deciding what to ask — wasting both time and money.

There may also be other customers waiting, so taking too long eats into the reader's time and everyone else's as well.

To make the most of your session, decide what you want to ask about while you're still waiting.

Don't compare readers to each other or dismiss a result outright

→ You might get the same question read by multiple fortune tellers, but telling the reader in front of you what another reader said is considered rude.

Comparing the current result to another reader's and dismissing it is even worse — it only signals distrust and makes the reader wonder why you came at all.

Listening to and accepting what the reader in front of you says helps leave a good impression, and can itself be part of turning your luck around.

Know the common scams and complaints around fortune-telling services

→ Whether it's a website, an in-person reading, or a phone service, there have been reported cases of trouble with fortune-telling services.

Real cases have included:

• Being pushed to book more frequent sessions under the promise of "better results"
• An app that seemed free at first but switched to a paid subscription a few days later, resulting in unexpected charges
• A phone reading where the free minutes were supposed to apply, but the call never disconnected and the customer ended up being billed

A quick search for complaints about fortune-telling services will turn up plenty of these stories.

Some people really have ended up paying large sums of money, so it's worth researching reviews of the reader or the company running the service before you commit.

⚖How to Cope and Practice Self-Care When The Devil Appears

Here are a few ways to work through pulling The Devil — try whichever approach fits you best.

Face the difficult result and your current situation honestly

Pulling The Devil is not, in itself, a reason to spiral into worry.

What matters is not just the result itself, but thinking through why it came up.

Every result has a cause behind it, and thinking that cause through can point you toward a resolution.

You may find yourself realizing things like, "I was interfering too much," "I was pushing my own opinions and values on them," or "I was always the one adjusting to fit them."

Rather than fixating only on the surface-level fact that the relationship has soured, start by looking inward and considering what really went wrong.

Try creating some distance

If things aren't going well and you genuinely can't pinpoint a cause on your side, it may help to suggest putting some distance between you.

If they still reach out to you afterward, you might decline with reasons like:

• "I'm swamped with work or studying right now"
• "I've got a lot going on at home"
• "I just need some time to myself for a bit"

This can give the other person space to reflect on whether they contributed to the problem too.

Focus on what's in front of you

Letting your love life consume all your attention can cause other areas of your life to slip, potentially inconveniencing people around you.

To avoid that, try not to be bound by the tarot's result — concentrate on and commit to what's directly in front of you.

Or, deliberately fill your schedule and keep yourself busy with work or daily life.

When you're absorbed in something, your worries have a way of fading, or even disappearing altogether.

Change your routine and try something to reset your mood

When your daily habits stay exactly the same, it's easy to keep circling the same worry indefinitely.

Try boldly setting the tarot result aside and doing something — even something small — to refresh your mindset.

For example:

• Change up your hairstyle or fashion sense
• Pick up a new hobby or try something you've been wanting to do
• If you're usually busy, allow yourself to simply relax for once

Doing something different from your usual routine can shift your lifestyle, which in turn can shift your thinking and even your behavior.

That shift may work in your favor, and gradually change your current circumstances and relationships too.

☀Summary

When The Devil turns up in a love reading, here's what it generally represents.

Upright, it points to "dependency," "jealousy," and "obsession," suggesting the relationship may be difficult to bring to fruition or move forward — or that things are likely to stay stuck as they are.

Reversed, it carries hopeful meanings like "breaking free of the current situation," "closure," and "recovery," suggesting progress in the relationship, the end of a troubled connection, or generally positive change ahead.

Unlike most tarot cards, then, The Devil upright tends to describe a difficult situation in love, while reversed it points to a good sign on the horizon.

If you pull The Devil and aren't satisfied with the interpretation, or want a more detailed reading, turning to an outside professional for a second opinion is always a reasonable option.

Many fortune-telling sites offer a free first reading or a few free initial minutes, so take advantage of that to find a reader who's the right fit for you.

Whatever the case, when it comes to matters of the heart, talking to someone else is usually the best path to working through it. Simply putting your worries into words can lighten the load and help you see a clearer way forward — so if you're feeling stuck, reaching out to someone is the real key to better fortune.