Tarot reading has evolved from a niche spiritual practice into a global creative enterprise — and two of its most fascinating entrepreneurs, Munisha Khatwani from India and Gabriela Herstik from the U.S., stand at the forefront of this transformation. For today’s spiritually curious audiences, Tarot isn’t just about prediction; it’s about empowerment, identity, and community. Both Khatwani and Herstik have tapped into this evolution with distinct business models that reflect their cultural contexts while redefining what it means to make a living from intuition.
The rise of Tarot as a business and brand
What was once confined to metaphysical bookstores and private readings has now become an industry estimated at billions globally. The rise of social media, wellness culture, and influencer marketing has turned Tarot into both a lifestyle and a brandable product. Within this booming ecosystem, Munisha Khatwani and Gabriela Herstik represent two different yet equally powerful archetypes: Khatwani as the Indian celebrity-turned-spiritual-consultant who brings Tarot to mainstream television, and Herstik as the Western digital witch who merges mysticism with fashion, feminism, and branding.
For global audiences, their stories offer a masterclass in how intuition-driven entrepreneurship works across markets.
Munisha Khatwani’s tarot business model: mainstream credibility meets spiritual consulting
Munisha Khatwani’s journey from Indian television personality to one of the country’s best-known Tarot readers underscores how brand credibility and visibility can drive a spiritual enterprise. Her background in entertainment provided her with two crucial assets: access to India’s celebrity ecosystem and an instinct for media storytelling. Both now serve as pillars of her Tarot business model.
Income generation through services and celebrity consulting
At the core of Khatwani’s monetization strategy lies her personalized Tarot consultations. Her clientele includes Bollywood actors, TV personalities, and entrepreneurs who see her not just as a reader but as a trusted energy guide. These one-on-one readings, often premium-priced, are positioned as personalized life strategy sessions rather than mystical predictions — a key distinction that helps justify her upscale pricing.
Her additional income streams include corporate workshops, brand collaborations, and media appearances. By conducting Tarot and numerology sessions for public events and television features, she bridges the gap between mainstream entertainment and spiritual consulting. This media exposure continuously feeds her brand credibility, translating visibility into paying clients.
Digital platforms and audience reach
Khatwani maintains an active digital presence on Instagram and YouTube, using short-form video content to deliver positivity-driven insights, astrological forecasts, and glimpses of her professional life. Her tone — empathetic yet authoritative — appeals to India’s growing middle-class audience seeking spirituality with modern aesthetics. Unlike traditional practitioners, she rarely positions herself as a mystic; rather, she embodies the role of a spiritual lifestyle consultant. This distinction makes her brand more marketable across age groups and corporate segments.
Brand positioning: spirituality meets celebrity culture
Khatwani’s brand thrives on aspirational energy. Her audience isn’t just buying Tarot guidance; they’re buying access to a spiritualized version of celebrity culture. The visual branding — bright colors, modern typography, and Bollywood glam — reinforces her position as India’s most media-savvy Tarotpreneur. It’s a formula where credibility is built not through mysticism, but through visibility and relatability.
Gabriela Herstik’s tarot business model: fashion, feminism, and the modern witch economy
Across the Atlantic, Gabriela Herstik represents a different chapter in Tarot entrepreneurship. Known as an author, columnist, and digital witch, Herstik has cultivated a brand that fuses spirituality with pop-culture aesthetics. Her business model thrives on creative diversification and audience intimacy.
Income generation through publishing and digital experiences
Herstik earns from multiple revenue channels: bestselling books (including Inner Witch and Bewitching the Elements), writing columns for major publications, paid Patreon memberships, online workshops, and brand collaborations. Unlike Khatwani’s client-centered approach, Herstik’s income leans toward content-driven scalability. Books and digital courses allow her to monetize her expertise globally without geographic limitation.
Through Patreon, she provides exclusive Tarot readings, essays, and Q&A sessions for subscribers. This model emphasizes community-based monetization, where followers become patrons supporting her creative and spiritual work. It reflects a distinctly Western approach — authenticity and accessibility as economic value.
Aesthetic branding and lifestyle positioning
Herstik’s visual identity — dark velvet tones, celestial motifs, and inclusive language — aligns with the aesthetics of the modern witch movement. Her Instagram doubles as both a creative portfolio and a digital sanctuary for her followers. She seamlessly integrates brand partnerships that align with her feminist and eco-conscious ethos, reinforcing her brand’s authenticity.
By merging fashion with spirituality, Herstik redefines Tarot as part of a holistic lifestyle. This integration of personal style and spiritual practice appeals to a Western audience that values individuality and ethical branding. For her followers, purchasing a Herstik workshop or book feels less like buying spiritual advice and more like participating in a cultural identity.
Cultural contrasts in tarot monetization: India vs the West
The business models of Khatwani and Herstik illustrate how culture shapes the spiritual economy. In India, Tarot remains partially faith-driven, often linked with astrology and numerology. Khatwani’s audience largely views Tarot as a guidance system for decision-making, making personalized consulting a high-value service. Her pricing reflects a bespoke model rooted in perceived trust and results.
In contrast, Western markets view Tarot as a lifestyle and wellness tool rather than fortune-telling. Herstik’s monetization, therefore, is based on content scalability — books, digital communities, and educational offerings. Her audience pays for empowerment and learning rather than prediction. Localization also impacts pricing; while Khatwani may charge premium fees for private sessions, Herstik earns through volume-based sales across digital platforms.
Social media and digital positioning: content as commerce
Both influencers demonstrate how digital storytelling has become a primary revenue driver in the spiritual influencer economy.
Munisha Khatwani’s content strategy relies on short, visually engaging videos and celebrity testimonials, helping her maintain credibility with aspirational urban audiences. Her approach is broadcast-oriented — she communicates to her audience, similar to how TV personalities address fans.
Gabriela Herstik, however, adopts a participatory model. Her digital spaces function as interactive communities, where followers comment, share, and co-create conversations. This difference in engagement reflects regional market psychology: Indian audiences often revere spiritual guides, while Western audiences prefer conversational authenticity.
In both cases, aesthetics drive engagement. Clean visuals, thoughtful captions, and thematic coherence turn content into commerce. A follower’s attention isn’t just engagement — it’s potential income.
Brand extensions and diversification: building empires beyond Tarot
Neither influencer limits her brand to Tarot readings alone.
Khatwani has extended her offerings into numerology, energy healing, and motivational workshops. Her brand collaborations with wellness and lifestyle platforms amplify her reach beyond spiritual audiences. She also uses public speaking and television guest spots to reinforce her authority, keeping her business model dynamic and media-integrated.
Herstik, meanwhile, represents the new generation of spiritual intellectuals — turning esoteric wisdom into creative media products. Her brand collaborations often involve ethical fashion and beauty labels, aligning her income sources with her personal ethics. This alignment is crucial in the Western influencer economy, where authenticity equals credibility.
Both entrepreneurs illustrate a shared principle: diversification isn’t optional, it’s essential. By blending spirituality with creative commerce, they ensure their income isn’t tied to a single format but sustained through multiple brand extensions.
Audience relationships and retention: the trust economy
For both Khatwani and Herstik, long-term success depends on trust.
Khatwani cultivates trust through consistency and professionalism. Her clients return because of her reputation for discretion and insight. Her service-oriented business model thrives on repeat clientele and referrals.
Herstik builds trust through vulnerability and transparency. By sharing her personal reflections and rituals publicly, she turns her brand into a shared experience. Her followers see themselves in her journey, reinforcing emotional loyalty.
The difference is structural but strategic: Khatwani monetizes expertise, while Herstik monetizes relatability. Together, they showcase how emotional connection can be a measurable business asset in the spiritual influencer market.
Global impact: shaping the spiritual creator economy
Both women represent a broader trend: the rise of the Tarotpreneur. As spirituality becomes a part of the creator economy, readers are now content creators, marketers, and brand strategists. Khatwani’s India-based model shows how spirituality can integrate with mainstream entertainment, while Herstik’s Western approach proves that mysticism can coexist with modern branding and feminism.
Their success also reflects the global shift from institutional religion to personal spirituality. In this new market, intuition isn’t just mystical — it’s monetizable.
This article has been curated for informational and educational purposes related to tarot readers and the business aspects of spiritual entrepreneurship. Business Upturn makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided.