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There\u2019s no doubt about it, the \u2018spiritual service industry\u2019 is big business. <\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s making mega<\/em>bucks. Worth $3.6billion last year alone, it\u2019s only predicted to increase.<\/p>\n No longer seen as fun seaside pier fodder, whether you\u2019re after an aura cleanse, tarot read or psychic encounter, you can find it with the tap of a button, any time, anywhere \u2013 and for any price.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise, considering there are currently 3.8billion views on TikTok for\u00a0#astrology, 12.6billion views for\u00a0#astrologytiktok,\u00a0and 74.9billion views for\u00a0#zodiacsigns. <\/p>\n With Gen Zers and millennials most closely associated with this the astrology revival, 43%\u00a0of Gen Z women even said they would make a big decision based on astrology.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just us \u2018civilians\u2019 who love a bit of spiritually. Gemma Collins famously spent over a \u00a31,000 pounds on a psychic after a breakup, in the hope she and her ex would get back together, while Kendall Jenner and Taylor Swift love a bit of tarot card action. Then there\u2019s Anya Taylor-Joy of Queen\u2019s gambit fame, who even carrries her own cards and crystals around with her. <\/p>\n But there\u2019s one spiritual practice in particular that is making massive social media waves: tarot readings. <\/p>\n On TikTok, practitioners charge set fees for card readings, however a \u2018live\u2019 video \u2013 which is more for their collective following \u2013 is free, although donations are more than welcome, the audiences are told. <\/p>\n Viveca Chow, 28, is a Broadway musical performer living in New York and has paid a TikTok tarot reader \u2018multiple times\u2019. <\/p>\n She considers herself \u2018picky and cautious of who I get a reading from\u2019 and these days she has a go-to practitioner that she uses to help guide her through life when things get tricky. <\/p>\n \u2018I came across her TikTok live where she gives free mini readings to viewers,\u2019 Viveca tells Metro.co.uk. <\/p>\n \u2018I happened to get picked for one of those readings after staying on the live for a while, and she said something about me being in an upcoming advert. The next week, I was part of a Pepsi commercial.<\/p>\n \u2018I was very surprised when it happened, but comforted in a way. It was cool to have something come into fruition that felt like it was mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018I actually didn\u2019t make the link when it first happened, but when I remembered, I was like \u201cOh my god!\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018That prediction got me very curious about booking a private reading with her, so I did.<\/p>\n \u2018Overall, she was very positive which is why I like her, and everything seems to be aligned with what she\u2019s said so far.<\/p>\n \u2018For example, she told me that she \u201cis seeing a lot of dollar signs\u201d during my readings, and that money was incoming. I\u2019m very happy to say that I\u2019ve had a really nice steady increase of money and I\u2019m at the best financial phase I ever have been in my entire life.<\/p>\n \u2018But she does also give me cautious advice, such as warning me that there are friends in my life who are a bit envious of me. <\/p>\n \u2018She said she sensed female energy, and it wasn\u2019t that they\u2019re malicious or a bad person, but it was a lot of insecurity. She told me to take note of this and show the friend some tender love and care. That turned out to be true, and it informed how I treated that person.\u2019<\/p>\n Viveca isn\u2019t the only one to have made TikTok her go-to for Tarot. A spokesperson for the social media platform told Metro.co.uk: \u2018Tarot card readings have taken TikTok by storm. The\u00a0#tarot\u00a0hashtag alone boasts 65billion views. Beyond the cards and stars, users are exploring the power of crystals, with\u00a0#crystaltok\u00a0achieving 7.1billion views.\u2019 <\/p>\n However, similar stats can be found on the likes of Instagram too, and platforms including YouTube and Etsy are also hugely popular with tarot users.<\/p>\n Viveca says she donates to her reader\u2019s TikTok lives intermittently \u2013 usually around $10 (\u00a38) \u2013 on top of the cost of private sessions which are $30 (\u00a324) for 20 minutes. She does this on an ad hoc basis, and has been as of three years ago. <\/p>\n \u2018I do think it\u2019s worth it. She is the only spiritual guide on TikTok I have invested in,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n Having built up this relationship with her reader, Viveca says she often reaches out to astrology to help soothe her, when she previously didn\u2019t. It\u2019s become a kind of coping mechanism.<\/p>\n \u2018I love a good tarot reading, but I don\u2019t want to become dependent on it,\u2019 she adds. <\/p>\n \u2018Sometimes it ruins life\u2019s adventures when you\u2019re expecting or anticipating news of some sort, good or bad. However, there\u2019s also something very comforting when you find a tarot reader who is able to give you some faith. <\/p>\n \u2018There\u2019s no proof of course, but I always leave the sessions more empowered and positive and that\u2019s what\u2019s important to me.\u2019<\/p>\n While Viveca says that she\u2019s only had good experiences with her reader, it\u2019s not always the case. <\/p>\n Kerry Ward, Metro.co.uk\u2019s resident astrologist, warns that scammers often lurk on social media ready to pounce on those seeking spiritual reassurance. <\/p>\n \u2018As in all fields and walks of life, there are unscrupulous people,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n \u2018However, I can honestly say I have never encountered a genuine tarot reader who was in it to rip people off. The main scourge of our profession right now is online scammers. <\/p>\n \u2018They set up fake social media accounts. I have had many of them using my image, posts, name and creating a \u201chandle\u201d that looks like my Instagram name but tweaks it with a changed letter, so it fools people that it\u2019s me. <\/p>\n \u2018Then they follow my followers and get them to follow back. And then they start DMing them, pretending to be me and telling them they need a reading and then asking for money.\u2019<\/p>\n Instagram is the main venue for this type of hoax, and in Kerry\u2019s experience the app they rarely removes the accounts. However, most astrology devotees are getting wise to it, she believes.<\/p>\n Pepper*, who is in her late 20s and is based in London, regularly uses tarot readers.<\/p>\n Having experienced disappointing results amongst the magic, she\u2019s keen to keep her identity hidden as she works in sales and doesn\u2019t want colleagues to know about her personal spending habits for fear of being judged.<\/p>\n She tells Metro she purchases readings via Etsy and YouTube, and also sometimes goes to Covent Garden market for face-to-face experiences.<\/p>\n On Etsy, Pepper spends \u00a34 and can ask three questions, which she will then receive a paragraph-long answer for each one within 24 hrs.\u00a0For the YouTube psychic, it\u2019s \u00a360 for a 30 minute reading.<\/p>\n That comes to around \u00a366 a month on spiritual buys, though she also will occasionally spend on other things in the industry, having tried crystals, her own tarot decks, and aura readings.<\/p>\n \u2018I use them often if I\u2019m going through something in my life,\u2019 explains Pepper.<\/p>\n \u2018If it\u2019s heartbreak for example, the cheap \u00a34 ones I use weekly to ask about the situation. The expensive ones I tend to do once a month.<\/p>\n \u2018I usually ask about romance, and sometimes about work. They have sometimes got it wrong, and it leaves me disappointed.\u2019<\/p>\n She once encountered a psychic that she used once and vowed never again.<\/p>\n \u2018This was a few years ago, I was very upset that a man I was seeing ended it very abruptly after Covid. She said he was regretting this and deciding between me and another woman, but she was adamant he would choose me. <\/p>\n \u2018Although she was right in part \u2013 he was deciding between me and another woman \u2013 but he chose her instead.<\/p>\n \u2018When I told her this, she told me to book in for another reading straight away and that\u2019s when I thought, this particular psychic just wants my money.<\/p>\n \u2018I got over it, but it can give false hope.\u2019 <\/p>\n Pepper recalls how on other occasions multiple readers predicted she would have children with a man she\u2019d began dating, and that they\u2019d be in a serious relationship in the near future. However, in reality, the man stopped replying to her soon after the readings.<\/p>\n Even so, it didn\u2019t leave her feeling too concerned.<\/p>\n \u2018I have a strong understanding that energy is constantly changing, especially when it involves another person,\u2019 she explains. \u2018So when things don\u2019t work out the way that a psychic tells me they will, I know that this is often because the energy of the other person has changed. <\/p>\n \u2018I do sometimes still hold hope for the future in certain situations that haven\u2019t worked out instantly, but I take everything with a pinch of salt.\u2019<\/p>\n That\u2019s why, for now, Pepper says she still happy to pay to have readings.<\/p>\n \u2018The cards created a sense of excitement, almost like a dopamine hit,\u2019 she says. \u2018I never invest more in the person I\u2019m dating as a result of the reading though.<\/p>\n \u2018I just become more excited for my potential future with them. Although, it does make me think that maybe things won\u2019t happen that have been shown in the cards anymore, which is a little disappointing.\u2019<\/p>\n \u200cAccording to astrologer Kerry, people need to be vigilant if they\u2019re looking to a psychic or tarot reader online. <\/p>\n \u2018To tell if someone is legitimate, look how long they\u2019ve been around, if they write for recognised publications or have their own books and decks,\u2019 she advises. <\/p>\n \u2018Read their reviews. Very similar to if you were trying to choose a plumber or accountant. Do some homework. Never ever respond to \u201cphishing\u201d where someone DMs you and tells you that you need a reading. This is fake.\u2019<\/p>\n There are of course financial issues at stake here. Astrology is a business after all, and there is money to be made from willing clients.<\/p>\n As for the future of astrology, it\u2019s influence only looks set to keep growing. <\/p>\n Do you believe in aura readings? #aura #aurareading #vlog #vlogtok #comedy <\/p>\n Aura readings \u2013 which first came to light, so to speak, in the 90s \u2013 are proving hugely popular nearly 30 years later, with holistic centres offering them, such as Covent Garden\u2019s The Astrology Shop, and content creators sharing videos of their aura experiences. <\/p>\n Kerry adds, for those unsure but in search of astrological guidance: \u2018My advice around readings, and even reading horoscopes, is to enjoy it, use it as a life tool, but not to rely on it or take the advice over and above professional or expert opinions (especially medical or legal). <\/p>\n \u2018Legally, tarot readings are classed as \u201centertainment purposes only\u201d and I kind of agree,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n \u2018When I spot clients coming to me too often or displaying symptoms of continued mental anguish or \u201cchasing\u201d answers \u2013 usually about love \u2013 by having the same reading over and over, then I withdraw the service, refund them, and advise them to seek a different kind of help.\u2019<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/metro-parent\/img\/fallback.png\")
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