Tristan Cleary’s great spiritual segue to tarot

When settling into a consult with a spiritualist, tarot card reader, or medium, you’d be forgiven for expecting a kaftan-clad certain someone who looks the part.

But 21-year-old Tristan Cleary breaks the mould.

This young, gorgeous woman looks as if she has just stepped off the pages of a glamour magazine.

Cleary’s not what you’d expect someone narrating a spiritual path would look or be like. And it all came as a surprise to her, too.

Because by now she thought that she’d be in the trenches at medical school.

Instead, she’s shuffling up Celtic Crosses and taking spirituality and divination into the age of Instagram and TikTok. She’s the new poster it-girl, the Kendall Jenner of the New Age.

Cleary’s introduction to tarot was almost as if it was predestined. Her curiosity was sparked by an encounter during a meditation circle.

Encouraged to reconnect with something she was told she had practised in a previous spiritual life; she found herself drawn to the cards.

The process came naturally as if she had always known how to interpret their meanings.

While some may see tarot as a mere tool of divination, for Cleary, it was an intuitive and deeply personal immersion that came quickly.

Intuitive and deeply spiritual

“I honestly think this was supposed to happen,” she said. “It’s not necessarily destiny, but it felt necessary for me to grow and help others.”

During the meditation circle, the group leader told her this.

“He kept saying his guides were telling him I had done all this spiritual work before, but I had lost touch with it. He encouraged me to rekindle it, and tarot just felt natural.”

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Cleary’s spiritual journey wasn’t something she ever imagined for herself. Before tarot, she worked as a server, which she credits with teaching her how to connect with people. But in the background, the universe kept giving her cues, nudges, and clues about where she would head.

“It’s funny,” she said.

“My manager at the time was a medium, and he’d always make these comments about my aura or say he knew things about me. What I should be doing. That I have a gift. It made me curious, but he kept telling me I wasn’t ready yet.”

Then, after hanging up her apron, she got a storefront job at esoteric centre Heavenly Healing in Benoni. “Everything just aligned,” she shared. “It felt like the right time and place.”

She began practising tarot professionally just a few months ago and has already built a steady clientele. She admitted her age can sometimes cause scepticism.

“At first, people are unsure because I’m young,” she said. “But the sessions are very give-and-take, and I bring empathy and kindness. I think people appreciate that, even if I might not have experienced what they’re going through.”

But what she’s doing, knowingly or not, is taking the tarot to a new generation, and Cleary makes it cool.

Taking the Tarot to a new generation

Her clients often come seeking clarity on universal issues like relationships, family, and careers. “Anxiety is a big one,” she explained.

“A lot of people feel unsure about the future. The cards don’t provide answers though,” she said. “They guide. It’s about possible outcomes and helping people feel less anxious about their choices.”

Despite coming from a family with mixed religious beliefs at extreme opposites, her mother being devoutly religious and her father an atheist, Cleary has always received support for her choices.

“They see how much joy and comfort this brings me,” she said. “It’s never been a question of why I’m doing this.”

Overcoming the stigma and typecasting often associated with tarot and other divination practices was a burden she had to carry.

“People outside the esoteric world sometimes think it’s dark or scary,” she explained. “But it’s just a tool, like anything else. Once you learn about it, you realize how beneficial it can be.”

Tarot and its spiritual aura are more than a practice. For Cleary, it’s a lifestyle.

“Every day involves some aspect of it,” she said. “Even just waking up and feeling grateful for another day is part of the journey. It’s about raising your vibrations and being open to what the universe has to offer.”

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