From Altar to Algorithm: Why My 15-Second Scrolling Brain Craves 'Pick-a-Card' Videos
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Look, I’m 54, they/them, and years of voice acting have trained me to pace a monologue to perfection. But lately, I’m watching my attention span dissolve into 15-second TikTok clips. I used to spend hours over a moon ritual spread, mapping out lunar phases and astrological influences on love. Now? I’m scrolling through viral “pick a pile” videos, hoping for a quick hit of insight. It’s kind of pathetic, but hey, at least I’m still trying to find meaning in the chaos.
Jung talked about the collective unconscious and archetypes—the Magician, the High Priestess, the Lovers. In a traditional sit-down reading, those symbols breathe and open up over time. You lean into the mystery. But algorithmic tarot flattens them into content. It’s divination as a dopamine drip-feed. We’re trading the slow burn of deep spiritual work for the quick spark of digital fast-food.
As a former evangelical, I know how rigid dogma can shrink the soul. Now I’m in a deconstruction phase, using Jungian psychology and tarot to find a more fluid spiritual language. But even that’s getting swallowed by the feed. There’s an irony in turning ancient wisdom into swipeable entertainment for a generation wired to scroll at 15-second intervals. It’s not that it’s “wrong”—it’s just the new normal. My brain wants the quick hit, but my heart still craves the deep dive.
Does anyone else feel that tension? Or am I just an old dog chasing algorithmic breadcrumbs?
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