Upright meaning
The Devil names the chains you carry willingly — the patterns, addictions, and attachments that hold you not by force but by the belief that nothing else exists. This is the card of the shadow self made visible, the raw animal energy that has not yet been transformed. Its power is real, but so is the looseness of the chains.
Reversed meaning
In reversed position
Reversed, The Devil marks the moment you first notice the chains — the discomfort before liberation, when the illusion cracks but freedom has not yet arrived. This is often felt as worse than the upright position: you can no longer pretend everything is fine, yet the exit is not yet clear.