So there I was this morning, coffee getting cold ’cause I kept messing up readings with The Devil card reversed. Again. Seriously frustrated.
Thought I had these reversed card meanings locked down. Like, Devil reversed? Easy – breaking chains, escaping bad habits, all that positive freedom stuff. Textbook stuff. Then bam, my friend Gina asks about her toxic ex situation, and I laid out this whole “liberation is coming” spiel. Felt confident handing her that interpretation.
The Moment I Realized I Was Full of It
Later that day, Gina texts me: “Yeah, so I called him back. Felt kinda trapped, actually. Like I couldn’t really escape?” My stomach dropped. Total misread. My “positive” take completely bombed. She felt powerless, not free. I reread my journal entry where I’d scribbled just “Freedom! Release!” beside Devil reversed. Ugh. Too simplistic.
Where I Went Wrong (Big Time)
Sat down with my worn-out Rider-Waite deck and my messy notebook. Started flipping pages. Realized my mistake number one was being lazy:
- I stuck ONLY to the “free from chains” idea. Didn’t consider maybe Gina wanted those chains? Or felt addicted still?
- Ignored the damn context. She mentioned feeling shaky and scared, not hopeful! My keywords blinded me to her actual emotions staring me right in the face.
- Forgot the “trapped inside” feeling. Reversed Devil doesn’t always mean happily skipping away. Sometimes it’s feeling the cage walls even tighter. Like, really panicked about being stuck.
- Didn’t ask clarifying questions. Jumped straight to the shiny positive interpretation without checking what “free” even looked like to her.
How I Fixed My Approach (Or Tried To)
Took a deep breath, brewed some strong tea, and pulled Devil reversed again for myself. Stared at it hard. This time, I wrote down EVERY feeling, positive and nasty, that popped into my head:
- Relief? Yeah.
- Fear? Oh hell yes.
- Addiction withdrawal? Yup.
- Self-sabotage urge? Unfortunately, also yes.
- Feeling overwhelmed by choice? Bingo.
Huge difference. Instead of one flat “freedom” sticker, I saw a whole messy landscape. Test drove it with a quiet, simple question for the next client drawn to this card: “Where do you feel stuck, even if you know it’s time to let go?” Way better opening. The floodgates opened. Suddenly it was about resisting help, feeling unworthy of freedom, fear of the unknown. So much deeper than just “break free.”
The Takeaway After Making These Mistakes (Again)
Learned the hard way – reversed Devil ain’t just sunshine after a storm. It’s complicated, often messy freedom. Before blurting out “you’re free!”, gotta dig:
- What chains are loosened? And, crucially, does this person want them gone?
- Context is king. Listen to the feelings around the question, not just the question itself.
- “Freedom” feels different for everyone. For some it’s terrifying emptiness.
- Use the keywords, but don’t be shackled by them. Devil reversed demands nuance. Keyword lists are just the starting point.
Slapped a sticky note on my deck now: “Devil Rx? ASK HOW FREEDOM FEELS.” Gonna save me a lot of cold coffee and bad readings, hopefully.
