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Have you even been a human on this doozy of a planet until you’ve survived a Tower card moment? Do you know what it’s like to draw the Death card, and then find out it’s actually a good thing and a sign of rebirth? What about surviving a V pull of any suit and then making your way to an X card when completion has come your way and something new is on the horizon?
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you’re among the dwindling population that isn’t looking to tarot and oracle decks for inspiration. Believed to have originated in 15th-century Italy as a card game used by nobility, the original deck was expanded and popularized by 18th-century French occultists; and again later in the 20th century, when modern tarot was born thanks to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909. Now, this mystical tool includes 22 cards known as the Major Arcana (including the Tower and Death cards), and 56 cards known as the Minor Arcana that are separated into cups, pentacles, swords, or wands—and oracle decks, of course, which are a freer, more personalized take on using cards as messengers of the divine.
As belief in traditional religions decreases and the rise of spirituality and skepticism in traditional institutions continues, this form of divination—looking to cards for answers for future, present, or past events—is on the rise. According to the analytics platform Spate, U.S. searches for “tarot cards” and “how to read tarot cards” increased by over 30% during the pandemic, while another study suggests the tarot and oracle industry is slated to become a $93 million market by 2027. The pandemic served as a major catalyst, with many turning to tarot as a form of self-care and introspection when faced with life’s bigger questions and fewer distractions.
But now, almost five years after the pandemic, what exactly is driving this metaphysical renaissance? One theme seems consistent: in times of uncertainty, humans seek guidance from beyond.
“Counterculture is more important now than it has been in quite some time, especially since we are in a political backspin,” explains Devany Amber Wolfe, creator of the Serpentfire Tarot and the Your Wise Animal Body oracle deck, among others. “The occult and witchcraft help remind us that we are one with nature, the elements, the moon and planets, and unseen forces—which can be quite grounding and provide meaning in uncertain times.”
As interest in tarot and oracle cards expands, so do the decks themselves—each one a reflection of the moment in which it was made. Artists across generations have reimagined the tarot through their creative lens: from Leonora Carrington’s Major Arcana, a hauntingly surreal take on the archetypes painted in 1955, to Salvador Dalí’s Tarot Universal Dalí, a gilded, cinematic set completed in the 1970s after an abandoned James Bond commission sparked his obsession with the cards. Today’s tarot scene is remarkably diverse, with popular decks including the Dust II Onyx: A Melanated Tarot by the artist Courtney Alexander to celebrate the Black Diaspora; The Gay Marseille Tarot designed by Charlie Claire Burgess with LGBTQ+ themes; and Secrets of Paradise Tarot by author Leticia Ferrer-Rivera and illustrator Laura Bello, which incorporates Caribbean and Latin American spirituality. There are even sex positive decks like the Goddess of Love Tarot by Gabriela Herstik.
“There is power when artists create their visions, and now there are tarot decks for every fandom,’ says Herstik. “I created Goddess of Love specifically for lovers, witches, and anyone who’s connected to their sexuality.”
Even luxury fashion has caught on. Dior released a limited-edition tarot scarf collection, while Gucci’s Alessandro Michele has frequently woven tarot imagery into his collections. Even Chanel and Hermès have joined the mystic wave—Chanel’s ‘Clairvoyance’ makeup collection featured tarot-inspired blushes, while Hermès released silk scarves adorned with intricate card motifs.
But despite its popularization and mystical connotations, many modern practitioners view tarot less as fortune telling and more as a psychological tool. “Tarot and oracle cards help us gain perspective,” explains Herstik. “They are spiritual, mystical tools that override our conscious mind and work on our subconscious.”
For Holly Simple, creator of the Holly Simple Tarot, the practice provides an essential pause in our chaotic lives. “Tarot cards have always provided me with a moment to pause, reflect, and delve deeper into myself. Even the ‘scary’ cards are a reminder to seek willingness, openness, and trust.”
It’s this blend of introspection and mysticism that appeals to today’s seekers. As Nicole Pivirotto, creator of the Prism Oracle, puts it: “With how fast-paced life can be, tarot decks create a sacred pause, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.”
In an era when nearly everything feels politicized and uncertain, these mystic tools offer something precious: a means of reconnecting with ourselves. “It is no surprise that this tool is having a resurgence,” Holly Simple explains. “We are navigating unique times. Spirituality is always the answer in times of darkness and uncertainty because it is the opposite of fear.”
Alana Fairchild, creator of over 36 oracle decks, points to our increasingly complex digital landscape: “Our world is rapidly evolving into expressions of unprecedented complexity. There is increased difficulty in navigating the world and greater uncertainty about the future. For younger generations, particularly those born in the digital era, grounding can be difficult, which increases anxiety and a sense of instability. Often, their elders and their peers don’t know how to deal with the world that they are experiencing because it’s so unfamiliar and unpredictable. The beliefs that anchored previous generations in a sense of certainty for their future don’t exist in the same way now.”
For younger generations especially, this uncertainty has seen them embrace technology as a gateway to greater understanding, seeking out digital tarot decks via apps and online for virtual readings. “Tarot will continue evolving in a more digital direction,” predicts Pivirotto. “AI will likely play a role in generating readings and interpretations.”
Yet in our increasingly digital world, the tangible nature of oracle and tarot decks offers a rare form of material connection—something to hold, shuffle, and physically engage with outside the digital realm. “There’s something really special about how tactile cards are,” says Herstik. “Just as there’s a shift to analog—like film cameras and vinyl—I think there will be a shift to tarot in the physical.”
Whether pulled from a physical deck by candlelight or through an app during your morning commute, tarot and oracle cards are offering what many desperately need: a moment of reflection, a spark of inspiration, and the reassurance that, even amid a Tower card moment, transformation awaits on the other side.
