Why the rise of spirituality among young women is not a passing fad

From TikTok tarot readers to memes about mercury being in retrograde, a whole new generation of women are finding themselves drawn to the mystical. Ciara Byrne explores

Tara Marzuki: ‘Being in New York helped me discover who I wanted to be.’ Picture: Tara Marzuki

As a self-professed lapsed Catholic, I left organised religion behind after leaving school over a decade ago. For years, the idea of faith or ‘something bigger’ felt distant — until the pandemic hit, and a string of losses in my twenties drew me to the concept of spirituality.

And it seems like I am not alone.

On Gen-Z’s favourite social platform TikTok, my For You page is full of tarot readings, memes about mercury in retrograde and users letting me know what traits to look out for in my Taurean friends. The hashtag #tarot has over 16.2m posts at the time of writing, with Irish creators like Jonathan Boyle racking up millions of views offering “guidance”.

Cork’s Tara Marzuki ( @TarMarz) is one such creator.

Earlier this year, the Passage West native announced an in-person event, after recognising her spiritual content was connecting with people on the platform. The night, called Modern Mystic, took place The Fumbally in Dublin and was designed for those seeking “soulful conversation”. Energy work, higher consciousness and
practical ways to live a life more mindfully were all on the table.

Tara Marzuk recognised her spiritual content was connecting with people online. Picture: Tara Marzuk

The 32-year-old likely couldn’t have predicted her path would take her on this direction when she started making content for YouTube in her college days. Studying fashion design at Queens University in Belfast, the then 23-year-old felt a calling for something bigger and made a solo move to New York to pursue a career in fashion.

Catching up over Zoom, Marzuki is grounded and present. She opens by candidly chatting about her career and life to date. Reflecting on her spiritual journey, she speaks on the dissonance that often comes between reality and a dream life. Often, Marzuki says, the things people really want from life can be found on the other side of their comfort zone.

“When it comes to your purpose and the things that you’re meant to do, they’re not often things that you actually want to do.”

“I hate public speaking,” she continues. “ I had a little bit of exposure therapy doing YouTube and connecting with people online, but that’s very different to standing up and holding a room for a few hours and being okay with feeling like you have something to share.”

The nights have attracted women from across Ireland, London and Lisbon to date, and the calling of spirituality to Gen Z and millennial women isn’t just unique to Marzuki’s audience.

Last year, psychologist Sabina Brennan released her book The Neuroscience of Manifesting, which explored the connection between science and spirituality.

Dr Sabina Brennan: Younger generations crave meaning, connection and guidance. Picture: Lorraine Teevan

Looking at the connection between cultural change and the turn towards spirituality for guidance, Brennan believes there is evidence that young women are especially drawn to non-religious forms of spirituality – whether that’s tarot, astrology, or manifesting.

“Part of this is cultural: younger generations are less likely to identify with organized religion, yet they still crave meaning, connection, and guidance,” she explains.

“In a 24-hour news cycle that often amplifies fear, and in an online world that thrives on emotional, shareable content, mystical practices can feel like a source of comfort, empowerment, and community.”

This is something Marzuki can relate to.

Her initial brush with spirituality came after moving to New York to pursue a dream career in fashion – something she quickly realised didn’t align with her expectations.

“ I was hit pretty soon with the idea that fashion was not going to be for me,” she recalls.

“It didn’t align with the values that were important to me, and it was a very fast life.

“I was a bit disheartened. I went through a bit of a career ego death, I think. But that was the start of a really expansive time for me, because being in New York, the world is a blank slate.

Tara Marzuk: 'I went through a bit of a career ego death, I think.' Picture: Tara Marzuk

“ New York is such a wonderful place for making anything a job,” she says. “It’s a city that welcomed me with open arms.  It allowed me to be myself and express myself in a way that was less self-conscious.

“I think in Ireland people have this very deeply ingrained sort of self-consciousness. The anonymity that I felt in New York helped me to really discover and choose who I wanted to be.

“It was very empowering because I had my social media bits kind of starting and I realised I could pave a new path for myself,” she says.

This new path led Marzuki to a career in content creation. Today, a confident and centred woman shines through her social media platforms, something which might appeal to an audience that may be struggling to find their own path – particularly a generation that doesn’t feel beholden to a particular religion in the way our parents or grandparents may have felt.

Earlier this year, a poll carried out by Amárach Research found that 54% of Gen Z were comfortable describing themselves as ‘religious and/or spiritual’ compared to just 17% who were comfortable identifying with the term ‘religious’.

54% of Gen Z are comfortable describing themselves as ‘religious and/or spiritual’

Growing up in Cork with a Catholic mother and Muslim father, Marzuki tells me she felt she had the space to make her own mind up.

“ When I went to New York, I felt myself opening up more and refinding the things that used to bring me joy,” she says. “I have quite a naturally positive disposition, but for a while I lost my spark. I really was disconnected from the things that made me happy.

“I used to love music, I used to look at art and I wasn’t doing any of those things.”

Spirituality, Marzuki says, can be linked very closely to creativity. Being in New York and having the opportunity to express her creativity more through her sense of style, her content and working in photography and creative direction for brands felt like a heart opening time. Refining her spirituality was a process that at its core meant coming back to her true self.

“It was just re-finding myself,” she reflects. “To me that is what spirituality is. It’s a relationship with yourself.  It’s just deepening your relationship with yourself and your connection to the world around you.”

When we’re in a period of uncertainty, or have the opportunity to explore new parts of ourselves, we’re more tuned in to signs and synchronicities.

Dr Brennan explains, “Our brains are predisposed to see patterns and signs, even in randomness, especially when life feels out of our control. Think of the anxious limbo of waiting for a job offer — you start ‘reading into’ every little clue, even if none of it really means anything.

“Research shows that when people feel powerless, they are more likely to see order in chaos. That tendency makes us more open to spiritual or supernatural explanations.”

In May of this year, following the flurry of interest in her Modern Mystic nights, Marzuki released a deck of ‘Conscious Clarity’ cards, a twist to the traditional tarot.

Tara Marzuk released a deck of ‘Conscious Clarity’ cards, a twist to the traditional tarot. Picture: Tara Marzuk

I’ve had an interest in tarot cards since the pandemic, when I, like many others, started looking for comfort and guidance. Living in a household of similarly minded spiritual beginners, the Conscious Clarity cards have become a staple in our living room – with each card containing a message, a prompt on how to move forward and a suggestion for grounding.

“ I’m trying to show people that the more you plug into it, it will compound,” Marzuki says. “You can have a very different life in six months, even in one month. If you choose to make little decisions that are closer to your perfect day or your perfect life, all of that will get you to a place eventually where you’re living more of an aligned life.”

Dr Brennan reflects: “Ultimately, the rise of spirituality among young women is not a passing fad. It reflects something deeply human: in uncertain times, we all look for meaning, comfort, and connection.”

Perhaps this embrace of spiritual understanding and connection being adopted by younger women might just be the way of the future.