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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.

I don’t know about all of you. Maybe I am writing this article from a ridiculous niche point of reference that no one else can truly relate to. However, considering some of the videos have not just millions of views but millions of likes, I’m sure someone knows what I am talking about. For the past couple of months, my TikTok For You Page has been a pretty constant bombardment of astrology and tarot card reading videos. I never like or otherwise interact with the videos but they keep coming up.

In most cases, they are love life readings telling me and thousands of others about the supposed coming or return of a twin flame or soulmate or karmic partner. In many cases, for the reading to come true, the TikToker insists you must like the post and give a follow.

This is not an article meant to insult anyone that believes in astrology or tarot. The more I see it the more I get lured into the mysticism of it although I am not personally a believer. However, let’s say it is true. How could there possibly be so many people gifted with the ability to read tarot and understand astrology on TikTok? How could a post that has reached hundreds if not thousands if not millions of people be an accurate read for each person that sees it? How would liking or following a TikToker boost the powers behind the reading?

At first, I thought this upcoming trend on TikTok was fun. I liked seeing an idea of what would be happening to me even if I did not really believe it, but the more I see it the more danger I realize it possesses. It started to get to my head, and I am sure I am not the only one. These tarot card readings are preying on a demographic of vulnerable young girls, struggling in some way with something in their lives as most people are, whispering sweet nothings into their ear, and pushing toxic behaviors onto them.

Being a young woman with a love life is hard. Getting over people is hard. Hearing that the deep part of you that wants your ex back or thinks that the crush that has pretty much made clear he/she/they do not like you not only wants you back but is your cosmically destined partner only reaffirms the yearning these people should be trying to get past. Sometimes exes are meant to be exes. Sometimes crushes aren’t meant to be more than crushes. Sometimes “your person” will only be “your person” in your head for a little and nothing more. These things are okay. These things are normal. Trying to predict the future of these things, being made to think that these things can be changed by liking or following a TikTok account is not a healthy coping mechanism.

I am sure some of these tarot readers and astrology TikTokers out here are doing it out of an honest space where they really do feel as though they have a reading they feel the need to share, a reading that might actually benefit people. There is a lot of merit in things like manifestation. However, if you are posting on Tiktok telling people what you think they want to hear, looking for likes and follows and shares, you need to stop. Think about your effect on people.

Sammi Fremont is a freshman at WashU intending to major in environmental analysis and comparative literature.
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