We recently connected with Ethan White and have shared our conversation below.
Ethan, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?
TikTok has really blown up in the spiritual community, which is both a good and bad thing for the spiritual community. I almost think TikTok has done more bad than good. I was a big advocate for spirituality on TikTok at first, but more and more I’m starting to change my opinion. I see a lot of inexperienced spiritualists/readers on TikTok spreading a ton of misinformation. We don’t really have an industry standard for certifications, so some of these TikTokers don’t really know anything. I don’t have a certificate myself, so I’m a hypocrite, but I’ve had some amazing spiritual mentors + I’m in an astrology course right now to get my certification. I’m also still learning new stuff about tarot all the time, the learning journey never ends. You can never reach perfection, perfection is an illusion, so you have to always be open to continued learning.
Psychics and tarot used to be confined to psychic network websites, but TikTok has given people the ability to start their own spirituality related businesses easier, and without a middle man. Oftentimes, the psychic network websites take a good percentage of your money, so it’s better for the reader to be independent. A lot of readers and spiritualists of all types also use Etsy to sell readings, and I’ve been debating about getting on there as well, but I just feel like the quality of readings over there are not the best. There’s a lot of really cheap readings on there, which is good, but many of those readings aren’t in depth, or don’t resonate the same. People undercharge to grow their clientele, but the thing is undercharging equals lower quality, and that means you won’t retain clients. I don’t overcharge, but I don’t undercharge either. I sell a quality service, so I’m not going to undercharge. That means I have to grow my clientele elsewhere, which is fine with me. There’s so many ways to build up your own platform nowadays, social media is free. Also, word of mouth is very helpful, just saying.
One really positive trend I am seeing is pick a card readings, mainly on YouTube, but also on other platforms too. It’s a general reading, but there’s multiple options to pick from, so the reading is more in-depth, despite it being a general reading.
Ethan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello, my name is Ethan White, I’m 24, A Leo Sun, Sagittarius Moon, & Capricorn Rising. I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I’m a remote psychic medium tarot reader, social media manager, & content creator. I first got into astrology & psychic realm topics through Youtube, and the different psychics and so called psychics on there. I got into the tarot industry through getting a reading for myself. In late 2017 I was going through a spiritual awakening, and around New Years 2018 I got my first ever personal reading. The reader I got the reading from was a YouTuber I watched, and immediately I resonated. I even said to her “I don’t want the Death card,” and then the card flew out … That really made me a believer. I grew up atheist, so this was a little bit out of my comfort zone, but tarot ended up changing my life in such a positive way. I started doing Tarot readings here and there for a few months before I officially started my tarot social media accounts in May of 2018.
Starting to do tarot on social media was a slow process, 2018 was really a big learning curve for me, both in regards to tarot, and how to run a business. Often times people seek out free readings, and it’s good to do free readings for your audience, but some people take advantage of that. Learning to set boundaries is essential for tarot readers, and just for any entrepreneur in general. Also, I was learning how to create content for my business, and I was just doing a ton of readings to build up some reviews. As that year went on I eventually got a website, and my website made it easier for people to book a reading with me. Slowly and slowly I was building my foundation, which I believe is essential for long term success. In a way I’m still in that process with my business 6 years later.
2019 is when I really started posting more content with substance. I did a lot of long form content that year, and it really did help build up my clientele. I’m soon going to start making long form content again as well. Anyway, I did multiple different general tarot reading series like “Moist Mondays” & “Therapy Thursdays.” The “Moist Monday” series did the best, but I really found a passion with the “Therapy Thursday” series. I want to make more content like that in the future.
Also, in late 2019 I started to embrace my comedic/entertainer side (I’m a Leo, I have to express that side of myself), I started making fun characters like my character “Juicy Judy.” My characters have evolved and changed over the years, but I really still want to master in-character tarot readings, but it’s something I’m still working on starting years later.
I also do many Instagram lives. They help showcase my abilities, and I love to connect with other creators, both big and small. I even got to do an Instagram live with Stormy Daniels, and the iconic Lorna Luft! I’ve gotten so many crazily awesome opportunities through tarot, but I also remember that helping people with my readings is the most important thing. Yeah, the characters and the lives are fun, but at the end of the day tarot is supposed to bring a sense of clarity to people, so that’s my ultimate main focus with my tarot business.
Currently I’m moving in a more astrology based direction, I already can read it intuitively, and I do a lot of astrology memes, so I’m in the process of properly learning that right now. I would also like to do a tarot related tv show in the future, I’ve pitched it on and off for years, but I’m really ready to revisit that concept. I wasn’t really ready for some opportunities before; for example, a manager wanted to sign me once in 2020 because he liked my content, and I was honored, but I felt it in my soul that the situation wasn’t right for me, both person wise, and just in general, I didn’t have the discipline for that at that time.
I’m currently trying to build up my YouTube channel again, and also continue working on shorts based content. I’m working on migrating to Instagram over TikTok more due to the possible TikTok ban in the future. I also really want to invest in my character content again, and master it. In the next year I see my platforms and content growing a lot, but I’m always going to keep my purpose the same, it’s to help others, and put a smile on their faces.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I combine spirituality & entertainment, and I started this approach in 2019. I pride myself on being unique, its one of my best traits, and I really do think I set myself apart in regards to the industry I’m in. Entertainment & spirituality can co-exist, but people still think spiritual people have to be all serious, which actually drives people away from spirituality. I’ve even had some clients say they don’t like the entertainment factor of my readings, but most of my clients love it. Tarot & other divination tools can be scary to people who don’t regularly get readings, but bringing the entertainment factor can help relieve anxiety during a reading.
You have to remember that tarot and spirituality have been looked down upon in society by a lot of people for hundreds of years. Unfortunately a lot of the public are being fed false perceptions of tarot & spirituality. We as readers need to change our approach to really change people’s minds about tarot. For some, they can accomplish that through a video debunking propaganda about tarot. For me I like to laugh, and I feel like I’m really showcasing that tarot doesn’t have to be super serious & scary. That’s my mission
Yes, I take my spirituality very seriously, but humor and spirituality can co-exist. Don’t let anyone tell you that it has to be all serious, they don’t know a thing. Even the spirits joke and have tea time (allegedly.) Yes, sometimes things can get a little harsh in a reading. I’m very honest with my readings, but my clients appreciate that. Many clients of mine have also complimented my approach, I talk to my clients as if they’re one of my friends. A lot more people than you think appreciate that approach. Of course I still have professional boundaries with my clients, but I really do love connecting with them. You can also find a lot of creativity in spirituality, I believe a lot of my creative ideas come from the spiritual realm.
The reason why I’m so passionate about this mission is because entertainment was my first love, and in a way tarot is my second love. Combining entertainment and spirituality is like both having your highest divine soulmate, & your twin flame at the same time. Overall, I like merging two different topics into one. More recently I’ve divided some of my content for algorithm reasons, but If I could, I would just upload all of my content on one account. Overall, I will always strive to be creative in whatever I do, no matter what it is, and that reflects in my work as a tarot reader.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
This question is interesting, because I’m also an aspiring social media manager, and I’m one credit away from having a digital marketing technical diploma. Honestly building up my tarot platform gave me experience to become a social media manager. I’m still growing my social media platforms, but I’ve seen a big shift in my followers more recently.
To build a social media audience you first have to be very consistent, like I’m working on posts constantly. Tarot and my tarot content is not my only venture, so it’s a lot of work. Next, you either need to be the best at your craft, or you need to find a niche that no one else is doing. For me, I sometimes do in-character tarot readings, and I’ve never seen anyone do that before. I also do skits where I pretend I’m the Queen of Wands tarot card for example.
Another good social media tip is to use popular sounds on TikTok. It helps you reach more people, and it’s a quick way to get followers. Post one or two posts like that, and then do posts of you actually doing your craft. Also, incorporating pop culture into your content is a way to grow your audience pretty quickly, and just connecting your content to world events in general will help you grow your reach quickly.
If you want success with tarot readings on YouTube, upload some pick a card readings. I haven’t done one of those in a while, but I still get clients from my old pick a card readings from almost 5 years ago. Your content can be timeless, and follow you for years. If you’re really lazy, you can just post a quick general reading on TikTok (like taking a picture of the card, and doing a quick psychic message) and get a good response.
Don’t be discouraged if your content flops at first, that’s happened to me so many times, but then on some posts they randomly get likes later on. Social media is weird, and it can be hard at times, but if you have the talent, and put in the effort social media success is very achievable. Or, you could just hire me as your social media manager :)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://EthansTarot.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/EthansTarot
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/EthansTarot1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanwhite222/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@EthansTarot
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@EthansTarot
https:://linktr.ee/EthanWhiteTv
Image Credits
Ethan White
Animations were done by Sydney Genthe – SydneyGenthe.com