Spooky fads or everyday spirituality/practice

Why do people practice tarot cards, zodiac signs, manifestation exercises and more?

By: Anthony Vystoropski

It’s October, which means we’re approaching Halloween and spooky season. Certain practices get brought up during this time of year because they fit the theme and mood of the season. Some people think tarot cards are a fad, while others practice this as a form of spirituality or cultural practice. Tarot cards are a form of cartomancy, which is fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards. The difference between tarot cards and cartomancy is that with cartomancy, you use a regular deck of cards, in which each card has an individual meaning and little room for interpretation. It is able to tell you when and where things will happen. Tarot uses a deck of 78 cards and more interpretation is involved. They tell you about the different aspects of your life in the past or future.

Why practice spirituality? Well, there are always great effects on anything if one practices for a long time. The same goes for spiritual practices. For tarot cards, one will become more in tune with the meaning of cards and be able to see patterns. With zodiac signs, one will be able to tell who is and who is not compatible, along with knowing if it will be a good or precarious day for them. And for manifestation exercises, one will be able to manifest with ease and know where to focus their intentions. On the other hand, there is spiritual bypassing, which is the tendency to use the explanations of spiritual practices to avoid complex psychological issues that are happening in one's life. One of the most common giveaways for this is the following: “everything happens for a reason,” “it was for the best,” and “thoughts and prayers.” Sometimes people use this spiritual bypass as a defense mechanism instead of evaluating the situation that they are put in and accepting the results that came forth as a means of their own actions. If used in times of severe distress, saying those phrases can significantly ease tension, but if one were to use this bypass method long-term, it could lead to negative consequences such as developing anxiety, codependency, and feelings of shame.

Maybe some manifestation exercises can help bring the right person into one's life. These exercises can be very helpful. They are a technique that one can use to channel goals and ambitions into reality. Whether it be a long-term future (in a couple of years) or short-term future (a week or month) is up to the person at hand. One of the simplest ways to do a manifestation exercise is to print some pictures and words and put them somewhere where you can see them every day (like a collage on Pinterest or on your phone). This exercise helps you stay in focus and helps to remind yourself of your goals for your future. You will consciously and unconsciously be reminding and propelling yourself towards that goal every day, little by little. For some examples, the internet has it all and there are tons of other manifestation exercises. But if Shawn Mendes sounds at all interesting, there is a great example from the celebrity/singer who uses daily manifestations, which can be seen in “In Wonder,” a Netflix documentary about him. These manifestations were helpful for him and maybe they can be helpful for you as well.

Personally, I think that trying out a spiritual practice or two will benefit anyone in the long run, as long as you come into the practice with respect, patience, and an open mind. Hence the big question: fad or not? I would say no. Spiritual practices are not a fad. There are people out there who use spiritual practices in their everyday lives. I think it is great that spiritual practices are brought up during this time but if you do not know something or are curious about it, please look up the basics, because some of these practices are people’s culture. I want you to consider why you do something in your day to day life. Maybe you are missing something or just do not have the final piece of information to add it all up. Grab a book (or your computer, if you must), snuggle up with a blanket, and ponder how you can further benefit yourself this season, whether it be self care or the aforementioned spiritual practices. Take some time for yourself and see what comes to mind.