Witch Shit?

Kat Von D’s Break from Witchcraft: When the Illusion of Tarot and the Occult Falls Apart

By Annette (Annie) Fundora

New York, NY - All it takes is for a girl to hear from her tarot reader once that her boyfriend is cheating, and suddenly she’s analyzing every text, every late reply, every change in tone, convinced that something is off. Was the tarot reading accurate? Maybe.  But now, instead of dealing with reality, she’s stuck in a cycle of paranoia and self-fulfilling prophecy. The tarot reader didn’t need to be psychic—just suggestive enough to turn doubt into certainty, keeping the girl coming back for more “guidance.” I was there once too. I onced lived off of every word that a Tarot reader told me. I had even spent money for readings as well. 

There was a time when I was completely obsessed with Kat Von D. Not only was she Latina, but she was also the baddest tattoo artist out there, holding her own in a male-dominated industry. Her portrait work was unmatched, and I followed her career religiously—from before she got married to when she bought her dream home to the birth of her son. Everything she did felt larger than life to me. At the same time, I was deep into New Age spirituality, Tarot, and witchcraft. I was young and on TikTok—what do you expect? It was the era of the witch, where every girl on the app had a crystal ball, a spell book, and a tarot deck.

The whole thing is built on illusion, on keeping people stuck in a mindset where they think the universe is guiding them when, in reality, they’re just being nudged in a direction someone else profits from. And when you finally step back, you realize—it was never magic. It was just suggestion, belief, and a whole lot of confirmation bias.

Tarot, like astrology and other mystical beliefs, can create a false sense of control. For Kat Von D, it became clear that relying on the cards wasn’t giving her any real answers—only feeding an illusion that kept her from facing life as it was. When people start seeing tarot readings as truth rather than symbolic storytelling, it can become a form of self-deception. And when bad things happen, instead of taking accountability or making rational choices, it’s easy to blame “bad energy,” a “wrong reading,” or an imagined spiritual force working against them.

There’s something undeniably seductive about the idea that the universe is whispering secrets just for you. That the cards, the stars, or the spirits have a plan, a hidden truth waiting to be unveiled. But the danger isn’t just in the illusion—it’s in how quickly that illusion can replace reality. When you give a deck of cards or a stranger’s intuition more weight than your own logic and experience, you stop thinking critically. You start seeing patterns that aren’t there, letting superstition dictate your emotions, your relationships, and even your future.

I’m not saying Von D’s decision to become a Christian wasn’t badass—because it absolutely was. She seemed to be at a point in her life where she was ready for change, seeking something deeper, and committed to personal growth. That’s something I genuinely respect. With my own mother being Catholic, Von D decision made sense. My only fear is that she is trading one belief system for another and what happens when she no longer finds Christianity the answer? 

What makes her decision even more compelling is that it wasn’t driven by public pressure or external expectations. If anything, it would have been easier for her to continue on the same path, to keep selling the aesthetic that had made her famous. But instead, she did something unexpected: she let go of an identity she had worn so publicly and embraced something new, knowing full well that people would criticize, question, and even mock her for it. That kind of change isn’t easy—it requires serious self-reflection, a willingness to be vulnerable, and a genuine desire to grow. 

And growth is what all women need when it comes to their beliefs surrounding their own spiritual practices and what they decide to invite into themselves.  In a culture where people are often afraid to change their minds, afraid of backlash or being labeled a hypocrite, Von D’s transformation is a refreshing statement. It’s a reminder that we’re not meant to stay the same forever. Growth isn’t about sticking to an aesthetic or an ideology just because it’s what people expect of you—it’s about following your convictions, even when it’s uncomfortable.