Have you even been a human on this doozy of a planet until you’ve survived a Tower card moment? Do you know what it’s like to draw the Death card, and then find out it’s actually a good thing and a sign of rebirth? What about surviving a V pull of any suit and then making your way to an X card when completion has come your way and something new is on the horizon?

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you’re among the dwindling population that isn’t looking to tarot and oracle decks for inspiration. Believed to have originated in 15th-century Italy as a card game used by nobility, the original deck was expanded and popularized by 18th-century French occultists; and again later in the 20th century, when modern tarot was born thanks to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909. Now, this mystical tool includes 22 cards known as the Major Arcana (including the Tower and Death cards), and 56 cards known as the Minor Arcana that are separated into cups, pentacles, swords, or wands—and oracle decks, of course, which are a freer, more personalized take on using cards as messengers of the divine.

As belief in traditional religions decreases and the rise of spirituality and skepticism in traditional institutions continues, this form of divination—looking to cards for answers for future, present, or past events—is on the rise. According to the analytics platform Spate, U.S. searches for “tarot cards” and “how to read tarot cards” increased by over 30% during the pandemic, while another study suggests the tarot and oracle industry is slated to become a $93 million market by 2027. The pandemic served as a major catalyst, with many turning to tarot as a form of self-care and introspection when faced with life’s bigger questions and fewer distractions.

But now, almost five years after the pandemic, what exactly is driving this metaphysical renaissance? One theme seems consistent: in times of uncertainty, humans seek guidance from beyond.

“Counterculture is more important now than it has been in quite some time, especially since we are in a political backspin,” explains Devany Amber Wolfe, creator of the Serpentfire Tarot and the Your Wise Animal Body oracle deck, among others. “The occult and witchcraft help remind us that we are one with nature, the elements, the moon and planets, and unseen forces—which can be quite grounding and provide meaning in uncertain times.”