Halloween isn’t just about ghosts and ghouls anymore, for many, it’s a time to reconnect with something deeper, a touch of magic in the everyday.
No one knows that better than Hannah O’Neill, the woman behind Réaltaí Readings, who’s been bringing tarot, angels and energy healing to a new generation of curious souls.
Hannah works with tarot, angels, reiki, reflexology and massage therapy, but her spiritual path began in a much less mystical setting — lockdown Ireland.
‘It really started to get my attention around 2020,’ she told Extra.ie. ‘During lockdown I had nothing to do, it was very much a time of questioning a lot of things.’
Like so many people suddenly faced with time and introspection, Hannah found herself drawn to spirituality, and specifically, to tarot.
‘I feel like a lot of people kind of got into spirituality, but in particular, that was probably the first time tarot really came on the scene again,’ she said. ‘When I started getting readings, and I started to get really into them, it was the meaning, the symbols, the history of it, that was what I thought was so interesting.’
Growing up, Hannah had always been fascinated by stories and symbolism.
‘Looking back in school, I was really into English, history, religion,’ she said. ‘So I think I always had that in me, the symbolic side and the meaning side of things. Then my mom got me a tarot deck. I wouldn’t buy my own because it was seen as bad luck!’
That superstition, she explained, actually has its roots in religion.
‘I wouldn’t get a tarot deck at the beginning because I was told it was bad luck. That’s actually from the Catholic Church, that was because they didn’t want people exploring things like that.’
Hannah’s first reading wasn’t for a client, it was for a friend who was about to go on Erasmus and was unsure about taking the leap. It really resonated with her and she went on to share the reading online, a move that pushed Hannah to bring her talents to social media.
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But getting people to understand what she does hasn’t always been straightforward.
‘It’s kind of taken a while for people to get the idea of it, friends or partners or whatever,’ she said. ‘But I think that once you don’t seem like you’re trying to push your beliefs on them, then it just kind of comes naturally to them.’
She laughed, adding: ‘There’s definitely people that would be very against it, but also, I think they don’t have the full understanding of it — like my nanny thinks I tell people their fortunes!’
Sometimes, she doesn’t even bother trying to convince skeptics. ‘I don’t really try to educate certain people on it if they don’t know,’ she said. ‘There’s no point.’
Despite some of the old misconceptions, Hannah doesn’t see tarot and religion as opposites; ‘I’d be religious and I’d also be spiritual,’ she said. ‘I do think they kind of marry each other in a way.’
For anyone curious but unsure where to start, Hannah recommends easing into it. ‘For people who are kind of skeptical, but they still are willing to explore it, I find a lot of times they may just start very small,’ she said.
‘So maybe, if you’re not running to get tarot done, you may get something else done, like a birth chart reading, or maybe you’ll get something like a Reiki healing or angel cards.’
‘Angel cards are really big because a lot of people think they’re connected to religion, which sometimes they can be, but I think that it’s really just like easing yourself into it.’
And above all, she says, trust your instincts; ‘You have to trust the person that you’re going to and you need to kind of feel like it’s the right match for you. You’re not going to overnight become awakened, it can just be as simple as curiosity.’
When it comes to why spirituality has seen such a boom among Irish people, particularly younger generations, Hannah doesn’t hesitate.
‘I honestly think it was Covid,’ she said. ‘I’ve said this loads of times because I feel like none of us really knew what we truly wanted to do beforehand. And it could be as simple as like, a lot of people started emigrating after Covid, they started to travel, they started to go back to college, got into new relationships, new friendships, whatever.’
She believes that the pandemic made people look for meaning again; in faith, in energy, in connection.
‘I think that spirituality is also a huge part of that, because we were so lost in that time, and we really didn’t know what was going on, that I think faith became a thing again.’
As for her clients, she’s seeing all ages and backgrounds show interest.
‘It comes in ebbs and flows,’ she said. ‘But I also think sometimes age comes into it, like I would see a lot of young people wanting to do tarot. It’s hard to explain as well; maybe you’re closed off at that age, and then as you get older, I think maybe you’re kind of looking for a bit more guidance, and that’s probably why you’re a bit more open to it.’
So, whether you’re lighting a candle this Halloween or just curious about what the cards might say, Hannah’s advice is simple — start small, stay curious, and trust what feels right.
You can find Hannah at @réaltaíreadings on social media, because sometimes, a little magic is exactly what the season calls for.
