Apparently, TikTok has decided that we all need a money bowl.
And honestly, I’m listening.
If you have been anywhere near my TikTok feed lately, you have probably seen them too. Little bowls filled with herbs, spices, water, crystals, coins, folded-up dollar bills, and various other ingredients that supposedly help attract money, prosperity, abundance, good fortune, or whatever financial blessing you are currently hoping will find your address.
Some people make them look incredibly elaborate. Others keep it simple.
A bowl. A few coins. Some herbs. An intention.
And apparently, money is supposed to follow.
Now, let me be clear: I am a skeptic.
I don’t believe you can put a cinnamon stick, a few coins and a crystal in a bowl, sit it on your kitchen counter, and suddenly wake up to a $10,000 deposit in your checking account.
Wouldn’t that be nice, though?
Imagine making your little money bowl on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning your bank app says, “Congratulations, we’ve decided to completely change your life.”
I would be very spiritual that morning.
But here’s where I think the conversation gets interesting.
Because even though I don’t necessarily believe the bowl itself possesses some magical financial power, I do believe there is something to setting an intention.
And maybe that’s what keeps pulling me back to these TikTok trends.
There Is Something About Making a Moment
Think about what happens when you create something intentionally.
You slow down.
You pay attention.
You choose the ingredients. You touch the objects. You think about what you want. Maybe you light a candle. Maybe you play music. Maybe you sit quietly for a few minutes.
Suddenly, you aren’t just scrolling TikTok thinking about money.
You’re actually thinking about your relationship with money.
And that part interests me.
I’ve talked before about the stories we carry around money, the things we learned growing up, the things we tell ourselves about what we deserve, what we can afford, what is possible for us and what isn’t.
Money isn’t just numbers.
It can carry emotion.
Fear. Shame. Security. Freedom. Guilt. Excitement. Anxiety. Desire.
So maybe creating a little ritual around abundance isn’t necessarily about believing a bowl can manufacture money.
Maybe it’s about giving yourself a moment to say:
I want more. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.
That’s a very different conversation.
TikTok Is Full of Abundance Right Now
The money bowl isn’t the only thing I’ve been seeing.
Manifestation practices are everywhere.
Write it down. Speak it out loud. Visualize it. Make a vision board. Create a list of what you want. Act as though the future you’re hoping for is already possible.
Some of it gets a little out there.
I’ll admit it.
Sometimes I’m watching these videos thinking, Okay, TikTok, we’re really doing this today.
But then I’ll hear something that makes me stop.
Because underneath all the crystals, affirmations, candles and beautifully arranged little bowls is an idea I actually believe in:
What we repeatedly focus on can influence how we move through the world.
Not magically.
Psychologically.
If you constantly tell yourself that there is no opportunity, you may stop looking for one.
If you believe you’re terrible with money, you may avoid learning anything about it.
If you believe you aren’t creative enough, talented enough, attractive enough, smart enough or capable enough, you may never give yourself the opportunity to find out otherwise.
But when you start entertaining the possibility that something better could exist?
Your behavior can change.
You might apply for the job.
You might finally start the business.
You might save the money.
You might make the phone call.
You might ask for more.
You might stop spending money trying to impress people who aren’t even paying attention.
You might actually begin doing the things that could create the abundance you were hoping would simply appear.
And that is where I think manifestation gets interesting.
Is It Magic?
No.
At least, I don’t think so.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that your money bowl is going to send a check flying through the window.
But I also don’t think we should automatically dismiss every ritual simply because we can’t prove that the ritual itself creates the outcome.
Sometimes the ritual isn’t the point.
You are.
Maybe the bowl gives you five quiet minutes to think about your finances.
Maybe the affirmation reminds you that you are allowed to want something different.
Maybe the crystal on your desk simply creates a peaceful little moment in a day that otherwise feels chaotic.
Maybe the ritual changes your mood.
And maybe changing your mood changes what you do next.
There is something powerful about creating a physical reminder of an intention.
It’s the same reason we put photographs on our walls, write goals in notebooks, save inspirational quotes, create vision boards or keep little objects that remind us of people and places we love.
We are physical beings.
Sometimes we need to see something to help us remember what we’re trying to feel.
So, Am I Making a Money Bowl?
You know what?
Maybe.
I wouldn’t count it out.
Not because I expect a magical financial windfall to materialize from a bowl sitting on my dresser.
But because I like the idea of creating a small ritual around abundance.
I like slowing down.
I like setting the mood.
I like giving myself a few quiet moments to think about what I want instead of constantly thinking about what I don’t have.
And if there happens to be a little cinnamon, a few coins and some good energy sitting nearby?
Fine.
I’ll take it.
Because here’s what I think we’re really talking about when we talk about abundance.
It’s not just about having more money.
It’s about believing your life can contain more.
More creativity.
More opportunity.
More peace.
More love.
More laughter.
More experiences.
More room to become the person you’re still becoming.
Maybe the money bowl isn’t magical.
Maybe manifestation isn’t a cosmic ordering system where you place your request and wait for delivery.
But if these little rituals help us become more intentional about the lives we’re trying to create, I’m not sure we need to throw them away completely.
Just don’t put the money bowl on your counter and stop paying your bills.
Manifestation is cute. A budget is still required.
And honestly, that might be the most abundant thing we can manifest of all: the ability to dream about more while still doing the work to get there.
So, TikTok…
I’ll keep watching.
And if I suddenly become $5,000 richer, I’ll let you know.
For research purposes, of course.
Photography provided by Micheile Henderson.
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