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Those are great thoughts. How much do you think this is related to celebrity culture as well as the way current internet culture has increasingly encouraged us to objectify (meme-ify) strangers?

After reading this, I flipped over to Instagram to see first on my feed a meme someone put together likely by filming a stranger who was eating by herself. Anything seems up for grabs these days if you can you can get a reaction.

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this is so important and so helpful. thank you.

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The point you raised about missing teachers leading to disorganized ethics was so good and important. I'm also wondering what the astrological ethics of discussing violence are, outside of death and dying.

In my context, there was a recent assassination attempt on an ex-PM in my country, where all candidates are right-wing but the other alternative is a military dictatorship so everyone rushes to protect the politicians instead. I guess the closest comparison I can make is the recent attempt on Pelosi, where she's not great either but the alternative seems to be much worse. Would it be okay to discuss that attempt, even though her husband suffered?

Political histories and power are part of what's okay to discuss and what isn't and I was wondering what the rules of discussing acts of violence are. If a person was injured but didn't die, what would be the ethics then? If they got sick, if they were stolen from, if they were abducted and returned? I'm from Pakistan so there isn't really any offline astrological presence here for me to discuss with. I have to rely mostly on the US (especially astrologers of color) for guidance.

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Nov 3, 2022·edited Nov 3, 2022

This is a very thoughtful essay. While there has always been people who practice these arts (astro, tarot, divination etc) in sometimes tasteless ways, the theatre in which they do so --- social media, the internet, what have you --- is vastly more public than ever. And unfortunately, it may not *feel* public at all when the poster-practioner is in their bedroom, their car, wherever. Which is why we have so many people saying and doing stupid, tasteless shit at a global scale.

I think the examples you give --- about honoring the deceased --- are great and a model for how we can practice, and make the field richer. Additionally, if you want to explore these things --- and we know you do! ---, consider using your immediate community as a sounding board for your work. It's common sense.

BTdubs: very excited by this new Substack, YWY!

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