Just over a week ago, tarot reader Trevor Ballin posted a photo of Dior’s creative director, Jonathan Anderson, having his tarot cards read. The post, which hit 50,000-plus likes, felt fitting: Christian Dior himself was famously superstitious, consulting psychics and stitching lucky charms into his gowns. And now, scores of brands and designers are following suit, using spirituality to inform decisions, inspire products and connect with consumers, who are increasingly turning to spiritual forces to guide them in uncertain times.
Across TikTok, spiritual “WitchTok” videos like tarot readings, full-moon rituals and manifestation tips have surged over the past year, with currently 9.6 million videos under the #WitchTok hashtag. Over on Etsy, users in their thousands are flocking to hire an “Etsy witch”, where a cool £5 will get you anything from a love spell to a “hex removal” or better weather on your wedding day. The spiritual economy is no longer a cottage industry whispered about between friends. It has scaled into a global, monetized ecosystem.
The witch economy may feel suddenly omnipresent, but the conditions for it have been building for years. The post-Covid boom in manifestation culture was an early signal: in the absence of stability, people turned to tools that offered a sense of agency. This uncertainty hasn’t faded. Rising living costs, geopolitical instability and the rapid acceleration of AI have created a level of collective anxiety unlike anything in recent memory.
“People are craving clarity,” says seer and spiritual coach Zeta Webber, who’s been recommended to me by several people in the fashion industry and works regularly with brands during Paris Fashion Week, where they book private sessions with her for their A-list clients. “The intention to seek an alternative point of view has always existed. We all grew up knowing the eccentric aunt who went to psychics. But what’s changed is the level of uncertainty people are facing, particularly since Covid, but also economically. It’s pushed people to explore guidance that feels deeper and more intuitive. They want to feel connected to something that can help them make sense of what they are experiencing.”
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