Starry-eyed celebs and Gen Z love a bit of new wave tarot – but at what cost?

It’s no surprise, considering there are currently 3.8billion views on TikTok for #astrology, 12.6billion views for #astrologytiktok, and 74.9billion views for #zodiacsigns.

With Gen Zers and millennials most closely associated with this the astrology revival, 43% of Gen Z women even said they would make a big decision based on astrology.

But it’s not just us ‘civilians’ who love a bit of spiritually. Gemma Collins famously spent over a £1,000 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’s Anya Taylor-Joy of Queen’s gambit fame, who even carrries her own cards and crystals around with her.

But there’s one spiritual practice in particular that is making massive social media waves: tarot readings.

On TikTok, practitioners charge set fees for card readings, however a ‘live’ video – which is more for their collective following – is free, although donations are more than welcome, the audiences are told.

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.

Viveca says she donates to her reader’s TikTok lives intermittently – usually around $10 (£8) – on top of the cost of private sessions which are $30 (£24) for 20 minutes. She does this on an ad hoc basis, and has been as of three years ago.

‘I do think it’s worth it. She is the only spiritual guide on TikTok I have invested in,’ she adds.

Having built up this relationship with her reader, Viveca says she often reaches out to astrology to help soothe her, when she previously didn’t. It’s become a kind of coping mechanism.

‘I love a good tarot reading, but I don’t want to become dependent on it,’ she adds.

‘Sometimes it ruins life’s adventures when you’re expecting or anticipating news of some sort, good or bad. However, there’s also something very comforting when you find a tarot reader who is able to give you some faith.

‘There’s no proof of course, but I always leave the sessions more empowered and positive and that’s what’s important to me.’

While Viveca says that she’s only had good experiences with her reader, it’s not always the case.

Kerry Ward, Metro.co.uk’s resident astrologist, warns that scammers often lurk on social media ready to pounce on those seeking spiritual reassurance.

‘As in all fields and walks of life, there are unscrupulous people,’ she says.

‘However, 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.

‘They set up fake social media accounts. I have had many of them using my image, posts, name and creating a “handle” that looks like my Instagram name but tweaks it with a changed letter, so it fools people that it’s me.

‘Then 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.’

Instagram is the main venue for this type of hoax, and in Kerry’s experience the app they rarely removes the accounts. However, most astrology devotees are getting wise to it, she believes.

Pepper*, who is in her late 20s and is based in London, regularly uses tarot readers.

Having experienced disappointing results amongst the magic, she’s keen to keep her identity hidden as she works in sales and doesn’t want colleagues to know about her personal spending habits for fear of being judged.

She tells Metro she purchases readings via Etsy and YouTube, and also sometimes goes to Covent Garden market for face-to-face experiences.

On Etsy, Pepper spends £4 and can ask three questions, which she will then receive a paragraph-long answer for each one within 24 hrs. For the YouTube psychic, it’s £60 for a 30 minute reading.

That comes to around £66 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.

‘I use them often if I’m going through something in my life,’ explains Pepper.

‘If it’s heartbreak for example, the cheap £4 ones I use weekly to ask about the situation. The expensive ones I tend to do once a month.

‘I usually ask about romance, and sometimes about work. They have sometimes got it wrong, and it leaves me disappointed.’

She once encountered a psychic that she used once and vowed never again.

‘This 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.

‘Although she was right in part – he was deciding between me and another woman – but he chose her instead.

‘When I told her this, she told me to book in for another reading straight away and that’s when I thought, this particular psychic just wants my money.

‘I got over it, but it can give false hope.’

Pepper recalls how on other occasions multiple readers predicted she would have children with a man she’d began dating, and that they’d be in a serious relationship in the near future. However, in reality, the man stopped replying to her soon after the readings.

Even so, it didn’t leave her feeling too concerned.

‘I have a strong understanding that energy is constantly changing, especially when it involves another person,’ she explains. ‘So when things don’t 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.

‘I do sometimes still hold hope for the future in certain situations that haven’t worked out instantly, but I take everything with a pinch of salt.’

That’s why, for now, Pepper says she still happy to pay to have readings.

‘The cards created a sense of excitement, almost like a dopamine hit,’ she says. ‘I never invest more in the person I’m dating as a result of the reading though.

‘I just become more excited for my potential future with them. Although, it does make me think that maybe things won’t happen that have been shown in the cards anymore, which is a little disappointing.’

‌According to astrologer Kerry, people need to be vigilant if they’re looking to a psychic or tarot reader online.

‘To tell if someone is legitimate, look how long they’ve been around, if they write for recognised publications or have their own books and decks,’ she advises.

‘Read their reviews. Very similar to if you were trying to choose a plumber or accountant. Do some homework. Never ever respond to “phishing” where someone DMs you and tells you that you need a reading. This is fake.’

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.

As for the future of astrology, it’s influence only looks set to keep growing.