SpiritualTok Explained: Manifestation, Divination, and the Rise of Toxic Online Spirituality

From manifestation techniques and tarot readings to angel numbers and collective divination sessions, SpiritualTok has become one of TikTok’s most influential online subcultures. Emerging during the pandemic alongside a dramatic increase in screen time and social media consumption, the trend has transformed how younger generations engage with spirituality. But as spiritual practices become increasingly intertwined with algorithms, virality, and short-form content, important questions arise about authenticity, accessibility, and commodification. This article explores the origins of SpiritualTok, the popularity of ManifestationTok and DivinationTok, and the growing debate surrounding the commercialization of spirituality in the digital age.

The Origins of SpiritualTok

The hashtag #SpiritualTok originated on TikTok, where it currently has 1.6 million videos. It arose in 2020, an interesting year when two world-changing phenomena occurred: COVID-19 and the rise in popularity of the most famous online platform for short-form content, TikTok. This was actually launched back in 2016, but only became a global cyber sensation years later, after the fall of the app Musical.ly (which showcased similar short, engaging content to TikTok), now no longer existing.

TikTok’s ascent in popularity during the pandemic is far from a casualty, as that was a time of worldwide extreme social media usage. A recent study on how the pandemic affected Americans’ relationship with the internet proves that by April 2021, most parents noticed their kids were spending even more time in front of screens. In fact, 72% of K-12 parents said their children’s screen time had increased since the start of the pandemic. Only 20% felt it stayed about the same, while just 7% reported a decrease compared to pre-pandemic times.

TikTok thus initiated a different way for us to interact with social media through endless scrolling and bite-sized news and information. The link between the pandemic’s role in increasing our screen time and changing how we interact with the internet, and TikTok’s rise as a colossus in short-form content, is relevant to understanding why lifestyle trends like #SpiritualTok gained momentum during a time of hyper cyber-connection.

What is SpiritualTok?

SpiritualTok is an online category showcasing spiritual content, including manifestation techniques, divination readings and lessons, meditation tips, crystal therapy, aromatherapy, numerology, and astrology, among others. The hashtag does indeed go hand in hand with #WitchTok – a viral cyber subculture presenting a modern approach to witchcraft – which currently has 9.1 million videos posted on TikTok.

Spirituality online today cannot be condensed into one single, clear-cut definition. Spiritual TikTokers touch upon a myriad of topics, but in this article, we will focus on two major subcategories of SpiritualTok: Manifestation and Divination.

#ManifestationTok

In her book Manifesting Reality, Dolores Cannon lays the foundation of manifestation work, introducing key concepts such as intention, which in her words, “… emerges as the true engine of manifestation, transforming awareness and understanding into concrete actions and tangible results.”

Spiritual TikTokers follow and share a wide array of other definitions of manifesting in tangible terms, but Cannon’s words neatly capture the core of this trend: a goal-setting practice meant to turn your thoughts, beliefs, and desires into physical reality.

With over 33K posts on TikTok, #ManifestationTok is one of the wider subtrends within the online spiritual community. Some affiliated hashtags are #LawOfAttraction, #ManifestationMethod, #AngelNumbers, #Synchronicity, #ManifestLove, and even #ManifestMoney. Content creators involved in it share techniques – such as repeating and/or writing down daily affirmations – and systems that anyone can apply to materialize their thoughts.

#DivinationTok

Similarly, divination has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, evolving from a niche and largely private practice into a widespread online movement. In the past, learning divinatory arts like cartomancy, tasseomancy, or palmistry meant seeking out books or attending actual classes. Now, however, #DivinationTok has made access to these traditions far easier and more approachable for anyone interested.

More than 41.1K posts are uploaded daily on TikTok under this hashtag, each referring to a different approach to divination. A vast majority of content creators in this space are tarot readers. Their videos range from offering viewers basic interpretative guidance to providing comprehensive tarot readings. Two popular interactive formats have emerged: “collective readings” and “pick one card” readings. In the collective readings, the TikToker shuffles the cards and interprets the message, often adding a caption indicating that the reading is intended for anyone who comes across the video. In the “pick one card” format, the TikToker presents two cards (or sometimes simply displays them); both are revealed at once, with separate captions offering different interpretations. This approach is more participatory, inviting viewers to choose the card they feel most drawn to.

The Commodification of SpiritualTok

Spirituality is a great tool to get more in touch with both our inner selves – our ambitions, desires, and thoughts – but also with our outer reality. It provides helpful, grounding techniques to feel more connected to others and to something greater than us.

But, as noted earlier, with significant changes in our social media use and interactions, we might want to approach spirituality online with careful consideration. The rise of short-form content made much useful information accessible, but it also created a culture of spectacle in which virtually anything can be turned into a trend or hashtag. This is a time where we do not have to sit through long YouTube videos or read a three-hundred-page book to learn something new. Why take the time when we could more simply look up a hashtag and watch a bunch of TikToks that compress all the information in a minute or less?

This is not entirely wrong per se; we are all subjected to a global hustle culture. But when it comes down to spiritual practices, TikTok’s algorithm often commodifies them into rushed and anxiety-inducing types of content. Once you get into the SpiritualTok loop, it is almost unavoidable to come across videos bearing captions like “Stop scrolling! This message was meant to find you!” or “If you happen to see this on this date, it’s for you.” You will also see TikTokers offering tarot readings or manifestation affirmations, often accompanied by phrases like “Like and comment to claim!”

Even spiritually restorative practices such as Remote Healing or Distance Reiki – involving TikTokers posting videos of themselves as if speaking to each viewer individually while claiming to be cleansing their auras from negative and even malignant energies attached to it – can be not only intrusive but also disquieting.

Recognizing Toxic Spirituality

The “TikTokfication” of spirituality often turns audiences into passive spectators of content creators who, though perhaps well-intentioned, are still primarily fishing for likes and visibility. Although there is nothing wrong with desiring for your content to reach higher peaks, it is still important not to foster anxiety around online communities who are being inadvertently told that negative energies are prying on them, or that that specific message of economic abundance and romantic prosperity will only manifest if they interact with that video.

Fortunately, not all Spiritual TikTokers follow this path. Many still remain frank and passionate tarot readers and spiritual mentors who only wish to help. There is, in fact, a growing counterculture of creators who intentionally use captions that contrast with those mentioned earlier. These creators are careful to let their audience know that interacting with a video is not necessary to benefit from an affirmation or a reading; rather than urging viewers to linger, they use open, inclusive language that welcomes everyone without creating pressure. These creators cultivate hope and reliability, and their doing might explain why a trend born during the pandemic still remains relevant today.

What SpiritualTok reflects is a broader shift in how spirituality is practiced, shared, and consumed online. While platforms like TikTok have made manifestation techniques, tarot readings, and other spiritual traditions more accessible than ever, they have also encouraged the rapid packaging of deeply personal practices into highly shareable content. The result is a digital landscape where meaningful guidance exists alongside algorithm-driven engagement tactics. Understanding the difference between genuine spiritual exploration and content designed primarily for visibility is essential for anyone navigating SpiritualTok. As the online spiritual community continues to evolve, critical thinking remains just as important as openness to new perspectives.

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