In the last couple of years, tarot card videos have increased in popularity on YouTube and other platforms. I started to get them recommended to me, and once I started watching them, I was hooked! I was never into tarot cards or psychics before watching those videos, but these made me fall into a rabbit hole of thinking I could have some way to predict my future in order to rid myself of the deep uncertainty I felt on a constant basis.
What are tarot card readings on YouTube?
If you don’t know, tarot cards readings use the cards to predict the past, present, or future around certain topics. These YouTube videos are described as “general tarot card readings” and are often segmented based on zodiac sign. For example, if your zodiac sign is Taurus, there are tarot card readings for your sign for specific time periods. The readers usually note you should “only take what resonates and leave the rest behind” (more on why this is dangerous below).
The danger for someone with a fear of uncertainty
For many viewers, these readings might be a novelty they participate in once in awhile. But the readings do have an addictive quality that make them particularly harmful for someone with OCD.
So, why are these types of readings harmful to someone with OCD?
They give a false sense of reassurance that doesn’t last
As I’ve mentioned before, OCD is centered on an inability to cope with uncertainty. Because the uncertainty causes so much anxiety, we seek reassurance using compulsions. These compulsions can come in all shapes and forms — checking a doorknob ten times, flicking a light on and off until it feels just right, and watching tarot card readings that tell you everything will be ok.
The problem with tarot and with the other compulsions? The relief doesn’t last. You might watch one reading that tells you that everything will be alright in your life. But then you’re onto another one because hey, that one might not be accurate. And if the other one is slightly different, then maybe they’re both wrong. So, I’ll just watch one more. That one will really tell the truth.
There are endless amounts of them
This leads to another issue — right now there are thousands of videos from channels that update fairly often. This means there is always another one to watch. I, and others I’ve read about online, have spent hours daily just watching readings and trying to make ourselves feel reassured.
Because anxious thoughts are usually always there, having a compulsion that is so easily accessible leads you to spend a lot of time on it. And the tricky thing is: this one doesn’t feel like a compulsion. It’s not profusely checking or repeating something arbitrary. It doesn’t feel as active. You’re just watching YouTube videos….
Because the readings are so vague, they can seem truthful
But are they accurate? Because they are so vague, they can sometimes feel accurate. Telling someone a big change is coming or that they will make advancements in their career might feel accurate. If all of a sudden you were praised for a project at work or your friend decides to move to a new city, you might feel this was predicted by the cards.
But there are usually many more wrong predictions that we choose to brush aside for the one or two vague maybe-accurate predictions.
This speaks to the reader’s directions to “take only what resonates.” They say this because they know this is the nature of readings. Most of it will not apply to anyone, but it will just have enough truth that viewers will latch on to something.
And the most sinister part? This is because we want to believe. Those of us with OCD hate uncertainty so much, we will latch on to anything that will make us feel just a little bit better. If only for a moment. But this never lasts.
So how you can stop the compulsion of watching tarot card readings?
I did it, so I know it’s possible. I have been seeing a therapist for my OCD, so that was helpful. But I actually ended up quitting them cold turkey, rather than the tapered approach that worked for other compulsions. In this way, I treated it like an alcoholic may tackle their drinking problem. Because one reading can lead to another, much like one drink can lead to another, I knew I had to stop watching any all at once.
I suggest taking some of these steps:
- Take steps to understand and treat your OCD. I highly recommend speaking to a specialist.
- Unsubscribe from any channels so you’re not tempted to watch any videos.
- Find something else to do anytime you find yourself navigating to a video. Maybe go for a walk or watch a video about OCD.
- Be kind to yourself. You’ll probably fail many times, but in the end, you’ll feel a lot of relief.
- Seek out similar stories. I found it helpful to read about other people’s experiences with this particular compulsion.
I highly recommend making the commitment to yourself to stop watching videos starting today. They cannot predict your future, and thinking they can stalls your progress in dealing with your aversion to uncertainty. In order to heal, we need to come to accept this uncertainty and learn to live with it, rather than fix it. I’m still working through it, but stopping this compulsion has greatly helped my overall mood and mental health.
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Photo by Viva Luna Studios on Unsplash