More than 30 per cent of Americans believe in some sort of esoteric knowledge and regularly consult astrology, tarot readers or fortune tellers, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Centre.

Even though the survey says these Americans are doing so “just for fun” and claim they rely on the information gained by divination “only a little,” the persistence — and apparent rise — of these practices suggests something deeper is at play.

People have always turned to divinatory methods to search for unanswered questions and to gain additional knowledge that could help them to prepare for the future, especially in times of uncertainty. For example, searches for “tarot cards” increased by more than 30 per cent during the pandemic.

I study ancient divination, but to better understand how diviners work, I have observed contemporary diviners at work and talked with them about their practices. They say their clients request tarot consultations more frequently than they did in the past.

Anthropologists define “divination” methods as “practice(s) that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omen or by the aid of supernatural powers.”

Divination methods, including tarot and astrology, offer a way to ask questions when other systems fail to provide answers. These questions can be highly personal and difficult to address in a formal religious setting. The divinatory answers allow people to feel they’ve gained insight, which in turn gives a perception of control over an uncertain future.

Apart from astrology and tarot, some of the best known........

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