The Otherworld of Social Media

Have you heard of conspirituality? It's this conflux of various forms of spirituality meeting conspiracy theories, leading would-be seekers into dangerous territory.

Astrology influencer Danielle Ayoka, who posted warnings about a coming apocalypse to her 100,000+ followers in the days and weeks leading up to the recent Aries solar eclipse, is suspected of a tragic double murder-suicide on the day of the event that left her 9-year-old daughter the only survivor.

You can find the details of this horrific event and her posts online if you would like to know more. I'm sure there is a lot more to the story of Ayoka's mental break than social media or conspiracy, so I don't want to speculate about that.

What I want to say is simply this: it is SO important to stay grounded as a contemporary spiritual person.

Staying grounded here on Earth is literally important for your survival, for your thriving, and for the good of others around you.

We are living in this fragmented post-modern (post-post-modern?) world of social media spirituality, where wellness influencers and witches alike make all kinds of claims about their access to knowledge and the "truth."

And whatever it is you're watching, the current of the algorithm will push you out, further and deeper, to the very center of that vortex. So you have to keep one foothold on land.

I'm here participating in the online world of spirituality.

I make claims with my astrological predictions. I claim I can accurately interpret your chart. I've recently branched out into sharing intuitive messages on TikTok and Instagram.

But I hope I never lead you to conspiracy. Because I have seen that side of things, and it can be a very dark place.

I have personally seen how people can start out with something as vanilla as Western yoga and come out the other side spouting trad-wife cliches.

I've watched crunchy friends go anti-vax. Talked to people about their previously leftist QAnon family members. Listened to occultists spiral over the "plan"-demic.

Maybe you've witnessed something similar too.

It hasn't ended any of my relationships with other people to have a difference of opinion. But when the narrative can be pulled apart with a few critical questions, it makes me wonder, how did we get here?

And the answer, I think, is by allowing ourselves to be pulled away from what grounds us.

What grounds us in our reality, in the material and tangible, in relationships and community. In our bodies, which are the keys to our intuitive knowing about the truth.

The teachers in my tradition of witchcraft taught me how to remain grounded when journeying to other realms, so that I would not lose myself.

Because that can happen to spiritual practitioners. You can leave parts of yourself and your soul in the Otherworld if you aren't careful. In the same way that too many acid trips can cause someone to disconnect from reality, or even induce psychosis.

Social media should be treated, in my opinion, as a kind of Otherworld. There are trustworthy guides and there are tricksters, safer places and more dangerous ones.

As with a spiritual journey, it is best with social media to protect your energy before and during a trip, and to ground yourself here in reality once you return (or close the app).

I've spent a lot of time on my sabbatical thinking about where I fit into this wellness / coaching / astrology / instawitch online world. The thing I keep coming back to is that it's fine to stay online in this wild space, as long as I always serve with integrity first.

So here is my message for today, and for the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus this Saturday 4/20: stay grounded. Stay here.

Protect yourself online. Use whatever spiritual/magical rituals you already have for protecting your energy, in combination with a good set of critical thinking skills.

Touch grass, really. Every day if possible. It's so much more real than the phone.

And stay in your body. When there are so many narratives floating around in the ether, your body is the one that Knows.

xo,

Brittany

P.S. I'm taking on three new coaching clients. If you want a partner on this part of your spiritual journey and help accessing your unshakeable inner Knowing, book a 1:1 coaching exploration call.