What was once considered a niche interest is now gaining momentum, tarot reading and spiritual guidance is on the rise. Sadie Reid finds out why we’re turning to psychics for life advice…
Given recent events, it is no surprise that everyone, everywhere is looking for some guidance and reassurance when it comes to their lives. During times of turmoil and uncertainty it can be incredibly unsettling but isn’t it also a time for growth? With over 9.5 million instagram posts hashtagged #tarot and 3.5 million for #psychic, it is a movement that is hard to ignore – and why would we want to when it can provide so much good for us.
This is why I was delighted to meet the founder of The Wellness Foundry, Fiongal Greenlaw. A company that offers psychic readings, tarot and spiritual guidance. The business was launched in 2018, after Fiongal experienced burnout whilst working in the fashion industry and at his lowest point found himself in hospital for five days with symptoms that Doctors were telling him there was no treatment for. Seeking the healing he required he embarked on his wellness journey starting with Acupuncture and Reiki, to try to reach the root cause of why he was unwell. Both of these therapies, plus yoga, led him on a path to health again and he felt he had to share this with others looking to heal, hence setting up his business. The Tarot reading and Spirituality grew out of this and Fiongal now offers sell-out classes that also help others develop their own intuition, “my Intuitive Development Course has proved exceedingly popular {during this time}, as many want to be guided on how to connect with their own intuition and connect with like-minded souls. My main focus is to build a community and a resource for people to be able to ask the spiritual questions they need.”
Freelance Writer, Lucy, turned to spiritual guidance first when she was going through her own life-altering event – trying to get pregnant. But since Covid hit and we all went into lockdown, Lucy found that she delved even further into what spirituality had to offer her. Having more time to slow down helped her reflect on what was important to her, like spending time with the kids and enjoying nature. “I believe we are all connected, and I use spirituality as a way to feel supported throughout my journey on this planet and find a higher sense of self”, she comments. Fiongal agrees and adds that because “people have had time to sit and reflect on their priorities in life, they’ve had to look at what in their life truly holds worth, and that isn’t usually materialism, but rather solidarity and the soul”.
Queen of spiritual guidance and all-round-wonderful person (can you tell i’m a fan?), Gabrielle Bernstein also remarked that “People are seeking a spiritual practice now more than ever. They need tools for clearing their stress and regulating their nervous system. People are looking for ways to transform their fears into faith. Often people find a spiritual practice when things are tough. They are looking within for what they cannot find outside of themselves.”
This appears to be a common thread with people turning to practices such as tarot and psychic readings. Take myself for example, exactly like Lucy, I have often turned to spiritual guidance when I am in a particularly tricky spot. Covid for me meant touching on so many issues such as my severe anxiety around health and my desire to find a bigger purpose in life and chatting to Lucy made me realise that I wasn’t alone. I asked Gabrielle for her advice on how to stay calm and centred during this time of uncertainty and I wanted to share her words of wisdom; “One minute of the day spent in stillness can change your life. Commit to one minute a day and use this practice to silence your mind and calm your energy:
The One Minute Breath:
For one minute follow this breathing technique
Breathe in for 5 seconds
Hold your breath for 5 seconds
Release for 5 seconds
Hold for 5 seconds
Practice this breath pattern for one minute a day.”
Another brand that is trying to make the spiritual more accessible is Temple and the Moon. From moon rituals to guided meditation, yoga nidra to tarot, founder Katrina Johnson believes that none of this should be off limits to anyone. “Everyone can do it” said Katrina, who facilitates the tarot readings, ‘it’s about learning from the cards and feeling enlightened by them. Consider how you might move forward from a situation”. Katrina also finds that many people ask the cards big life questions such as “what is my purpose?” or “should I leave my husband?” and rather than providing a straightforward answer, Katrina believes that the cards instead offer insights into a situation, perhaps a different perspective, but that ultimately they are a tool for transformation”.
Katrina has also found that since lockdown a lot more people have become more in tune with the moon and are much more open to rituals that have been in place for thousands of years and are now gaining traction again. “I see things like spiritual guidance, and tarot reading and moon rituals as part of a really important self-care practice. It also often provides a deep sense of connection that we are all yearning for”. And I agree, although “spiritual self-care” may not always provide us with the immediate answers we are looking for, I tend to find that it nearly always points me in the right direction, perhaps even sometimes asking more questions of ourselves afterwards. And it is that type of growth that I am 100% on board with.
Three of the best places to seek spiritual growth right now:
Gabrielle Bernstien Tarot Deck
words by Sadie Reid
READ MORE
SHARE THIS STORY
