Doomscrolling my way into the future
The rise of tarot card readings on TikTok
"Your love life in November is looking like this." A card appears on the screen showing a big wheel surrounded by clouds and mystical creatures. “The wheel of fortune: Something is on the up in your love life.”
That is tarotwithholly’s prediction for my love life in November. To manifest I need to claim that energy, as so many other users do, in the comments.
On TikTok #TarotReading has millions of posts. Holly has 19,600 followers who watch her daily readings and get a glimpse of what they can expect in the near future. A reading starts with her shuffling the cards until a card jumps out of the deck. A clear sign from the universe.
The comment section is full of users claiming the message. Another extremely popular creator is yourfiresignbestie with 945,000 followers watching her interpretation of the cards. Her advice before every reading: “If you’re seeing this, it will likely be for a reason. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.”
Social media makes fortune telling accessible to everyone
A report by Research and Markets shows that the Global Tarot Card market will be worth $1.52 Billion by 2029. It was valued at $1.27 Billion in 2023.
Two major factors contributing to the growth are rising interest in spirituality and wellness and social media and online platforms.
The research suggests: “In an era marked by high stress levels and a quest for deeper meaning, individuals are turning to alternative practices for guidance and self-discovery. Tarot cards, with their rich symbolism and mystical appeal, offer a tool for introspection and insight.”
Through social media and online platforms tarot readings have become more accessible. Research and Markets found that social media has democratised the practice of tarot reading and has created a sense of community among practitioners and their followers.
The appeal of seeing into the future
TikTok users may ask themselves: What will my financial situation look like in the next month? Does that special person think about me too? Is my relationship really over? And TikTok Tarot offers predictions and affirmations.
How precise the answers to these questions are is written in the stars. In the end, it is the very clever TikTok algorithm which plays this content for the users who are interested in it.
And it is very engaging content. Usually users watch a large part of the video, comment to claim the energy, and send it to friends. The engagement with the content just affirms TikTok that you like this type of content and will show more of it. But what sparks so many people's interest in seeing their own future?
In an era of economic, social and political uncertainty, tarot readings can offer a sense of direction. The cards can help to calm the overwhelming feeling of chaos and give new perspectives.
Clara Servas, 29, bought her first deck of tarot cards after seeing readings on social media. For her, a reading is a tool to set impulses and to guide through situations in which you feel stuck.
She said: "Tarot cards make life more interesting and mysterious. We don't know what lies ahead anyways, so why not use the cards to gain back some hope?"
We encounter situations in life which can feel very negative if you look at them rationally. Clara adds: "Tarot cards can be like a door leading away from pessimism because they are a little detached from the rationale world."
"We don't know what lies ahead anyways, so why not use the cards to gain back some hope?"
-Clara Servas-
The art of interpreting the cards
TikTok tarot readings are most of the time very vague. The readers affirm that it could be an ex, or it could be a new job opportunity. Leaving it to the viewer to “take what resonates and leave what doesn’t”.
These vague affirmations assure the user that some form of good fortune is coming even if it is about letting something go to make room for new beginnings. There is always lots of room for interpretation.
And that interpretation perhaps is an art in itself. Even if these signs don’t end up confirming affirmations, it can make you more perceptive to things going on around you and also within yourself. Just talking about your own future or imagining what you wish to happen, offers space to reflect on your life and can confront you with what’s going on inside.
From card game to divination tool
The fascination with tarot cards and their intricate designs and mystical allure reach back centuries. The origin of Tarot can be traced back to India, Egypt and the invention of paper making and playing cards in Korea and China in the 12th century.
In the 15th century the cards, which used to be played as a game not as fortune telling, entered Europe. Tarot cards were used by merchants and traders to entertain themselves on their long journeys.
It was not until the late 18th century that tarot cards started being used for fortune telling. They were quickly adopted as a divination tool by French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette, also known as Etteilla. He published the first guide to reading tarot cards and laid the foundation for using the cards as a tool for personal and spiritual growth.
While it is clear that TikTok tarot readings land on millions of ForYou pages thanks to the algorithm and the fact that these affirmations cannot be true for everybody, it can still be a great tool for self-reflection and fulfil the desire to reflect. There is something comforting in doomscrolling my way into a glimpse of what my future could be.
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