Once upon a time, our social feeds were full of other people’s home renovations, holiday photos and outfit selfies. Now you can’t go ten seconds without stumbling across manifestation courses, live channelling or angel whisperers. Modern witchcraft movement #WitchTok has amassed over 60 billion views to date, while plant medicine retreats have replaced the spa break. Want to reach spiritual enlightenment in six easy steps? No problem, there’s a masterclass – or spell - for it.
Higher power is booming. The global spiritual market was worth over £136 billion in 2025 and is predicted to surge to £203 billion by 2035. More than 68% of consumers globally engage with at least one form of spiritual product use or services, while nearly 54% report increased spending on mindfulness, meditation and faith-based offerings. With the decline of organised religion and the modern world in freefall (Wars! AI! Global warming! Mental health epidemics!), millions of us are turning to the esoteric to find comfort and meaning.
I should know. I was one of those people. I am 50 now, but from the age of 37 to 47, I went on an exhaustive search to find myself. Psychic fairs, past life regressions, tarot readings, soul retrievals, aura cleanses, harmonic healing, sound healing, normal healing, reiki, chakra unblocking… the list goes on. If it looked shiny and promised me enlightenment, I was all over it.
Some people were well-meaning, but a lot of dodgy folk populate the spiritual space. Like the psychic who claimed he could talk to Princess Diana, while telling me nothing about my life, or the woman who claimed to have performed psychic surgery and banished dark entities from my auric field. As time went by, all I gained was growing disillusionment and a dwindling bank account. These people had promised me the answers to the Universe. Why was nothing happening?
We can all get taken in by a good sales patter – look at the beauty market – but midlife women are especially vulnerable to spiritual charlatans. It’s a time when many of us struggle: loss of identity, lack of purpose, an erosion of confidence. No wonder the idea of a more elevated lifestyle calls to us and more health, wealth and happiness. Why wouldn’t we be interested?
'I should have got therapy'
The problem is that the spirituality industry is largely unregulated. How can you verify someone who claims to have an invisible hotline to the heavens? In the best case scenario, you walk away thinking, ‘Well that was a waste of money.’ At worst, in a space that encourages you to let go of worldly concerns and bear all, you end up revealing parts of yourself to someone who isn’t qualified to hold it.
Looking back kindly at my former seeking self, I was just a bit lost. A long term relationship had ended and my career as a full time author was coming to an end. The shiny seductiveness of the spirituality scene appealed. What I should have done was get some good therapy and talk to my friends, instead of consulting self-help books.
Despite this, I am still interested in spirituality. It has valuable, wonderful gifts for us. I have met some genuinely gifted people, who I call ‘The Real Deal.’ The problem is, they usually aren’t the ones who feel the need to shout about it on social media, or charge tens of thousands for a six-month healing programme.
So the next time you hop on Instagram for a self-help fix, remember this: a good Reel does not make you the Real Deal. The great thing about midlife is that we have tons of hard-won wisdom and experience. Self-belief is often the missing ingredient. The more we start listening to ourselves, the less we spend looking to others for answers.
How to spot a spiritual scammer
- Avoid anyone who uses FOMO to get you to sign up - e.g ‘One spot left! This offer will never be available again!’ You should never feel pressured into anything.
- Be cautious of people charging ‘angel numbers’ like £111, £444, £777, £999. Generally, this is another marketing hook
- Get a personal recommendation if you can. Testimonials can be inflated/made up.
- If you’re making a significant investment, do your due diligence. Ask what qualifications/and or experience someone has. Do they offer aftercare or signposting to other services, if needs be? A reputable spiritual practitioner will be happy to answer your questions.
- Do they look good rather than feel good? There is a lot of style over substance in the spiritual space, so trust your instincts.
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