Second Servings: #Occultea

OcculTea

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[00:00:00] Welcome to second servings. It is your weekly something extra. And, my concept actually for a second servings is changing a little bit. I thought I was always going to do something based on the episode prior, but I think I'm going to mix it up. Especially cause like last week I talked about my story with my previous mentor. This week we're talking about. Something I saw on. Instagram. That I wanted to get into and be part of the conversation.

[00:00:38] So I saw a post by Polish folk, which, who I follow who also tagged to other creators that she was collaborating with. Ella Harrison. Who is a German folk wage and the red headed, which so I follow, they put up a very interesting post. They wanted to [00:01:00] start these conversations about centered around like social media and. The spiritual slash witchcraft community. And I thought it was really interesting.

[00:01:10] And I was like, Ooh, I want to participate. So there's a lot of really good questions and prompts that she has in here. I'll give you my opinion on everything and I want you, whoever's listening to also think about what your opinions of these different topics are, because I think they're really interesting. So I gave you guys a lot of my background last week, but I'll just do a quick overview. So got really into the taro community in my early twenties, when I started reading taro then I started my shamonic apprenticeship in my mid twenties, I met people through that and then I started getting really into the more spiritual community. I'll call it alternative spirituality or whatnot. I got really into that maybe three, four years ago. I was doing. A lot of [00:02:00] fairs. And I met a ton of people. Actually. I've been doing fairs since I was like 23, 24. A lot of people I know in the spiritual community are through. The fairs I've done. But I started doing a fair that's really popular here in New Jersey called lunar fair. I met a ton of people through that.

[00:02:17] I did a like marketing cohort last year, I met a lot of really cool people through that. And then just on Instagram, and then of course, lastly, through this podcast, I've met so many cool people and connected with so many awesome people. In the online spiritual slash witchcraft community.

[00:02:36] So it's been really fun to get to know people and see what people practice and have them share their stuff online.

[00:02:43] On my personal page. I do share some stuff. I don't share a ton about my practice. I work a lot with ancestors and things like that. Part of the reason I like to share stuff and I even started sharing anything was because when I started sharing stuff years [00:03:00] ago, like with tarot, I didn't see a lot.

[00:03:03] There was, I know a few of them there's that's it for purser at first person I can think of is V who I love so much. But there wasn't a ton of. Black taro card readers that I would see. I know I'm leaving like big ones out and it's just gone out of my head. I'm sorry, but there wasn't a ton of black taro card readers.

[00:03:21] I knew a few of them. But I thought, let me put my face out there. Like I'm part of this community too, which was really good. And I've shared some other things about my practice, just about how I do healing work and just trying to explain it.

[00:03:36] And I really love connecting with people online because I love seeing how other people practice their spirituality.

[00:03:44] I love seeing, I like I'm not gonna lie. I really do love via static. Like I'm a cottage court girly. If it were up to me, I'd wear flip frilly dresses every single day with bows in my hair, because that's honestly that's my core. Like that's who I am and [00:04:00] I love kind of the witchy aesthetic. I'll get more into how I feel about which you started later, but I enjoy a lot of these content creators who I know spend probably so much time doing their content to make it look absolutely beautiful. I enjoy it.

[00:04:16] I enjoy looking at it, not going to lie. I think it's awesome.

[00:04:19]

[00:04:19] As for how I think social media has affected the community.

[00:04:24] There's a lot of pros and a lot of cons to this. I feel that on the good side, it's connected people, you find a lot of people practicing different forms of spirituality. In places where they don't know anybody else, I've met people who live in the middle of the Bible belt and they're like, I don't know, have anybody for miles practicing what I practice.

[00:04:47] So it's really fun to meet people online people, and you don't have to be in the Bible belt. You can be anywhere. It could be in the middle of New York city and not know somebody, but. It's like the, it brings people out of isolation. People get to talk about [00:05:00] their practice. And what they do with others. Get to compare practices.

[00:05:05] If that's what they want to do. And.

[00:05:09] I think it's a really positive thing in that way now I think. The negative ways that social media comes in. To it is that.

[00:05:22] There's a lot of people who think they know what they're doing, just because they saw it on social media or because they did it one time. So they're like on social media talking about how they're experts they're on social media at charging $400 for a taro session.

[00:05:36] And they've only been reading taro for three months and they're still reading out of the book. In that case? I don't think it's so good because I feel like they're exploiting people. And. We'll get more into this in a second.

[00:05:49] Polish folk, which Ella Harrison and the red-headed, which broke these things up into like how many different. Basically like five different topics.

[00:05:59] So the first [00:06:00] topic is the impact on the community. So we're talking, I'm just talking about Social media community.

[00:06:04] The next question is talking about how do I feel that social platforms such as Tik TOK, Instagram, and YouTube have impacted education and sharing information. I think that those are the, all of these channels are great. In their own ways. I think that it's awesome to be able to go on YouTube, to learn what other people are doing in their practice. But I also, like I was saying before, there's people who really don't have a lot of experience in what they're doing and then they go and teach it. To other people not just share it.

[00:06:38] Cause there's some people who are just sharing their practice and that's great. Do what you want to do. But there's people who are actually teaching and telling people how to do things when they've only been doing it for a month, or they've only done it once. And I'm like, That's a little iffy, especially if they don't know exactly what they're doing. But they're giving everybody else advice on what to [00:07:00] do.

[00:07:00] I don't. Love that. The other. Thing. I have a little bit of an issue with sometimes with social media. And the spiritual community is.

[00:07:12] Like making people feel like they need. All this stuff. Like I said, I love the witchiest static. It's cute. But in the end of the day, we all know that you don't need a thousand crystals. If you can't afford that or you don't want that, you don't need all the fanciest stuff, you don't need to go to this organic garden.

[00:07:36] That's so far from your house that you have to drive to, to get these expensive herbs. You could use more common, there's a lot of things you don't need. So when people see these as static, sometimes they think oh, I got to buy this. I got to do that. I got to do this. You don't need to buy the expensive oil from this maker, if you can't afford it or don't want to there's alternatives.

[00:07:59] So I think [00:08:00] sometimes people think they need all those things to accomplish what they want to accomplish. It's just not necessary. And I do think that a lot of that comes from social media. Now this question I thought was so interesting. This is the last question on this impact on the community. Is consuming witchcraft content becoming a substitute for practice and I, yes, I, 100% believe so. I see so many people just being I heard blah. And if you do blah, blah, blah, blah.

[00:08:26] This'll happen. Okay. Here's the thing, everything is done with intention. We all know that. I don't have to explain that to you, but the issue is if, just because you saw it and you do it. Does it mean that it will work? Aye. Seen people who have huge, massive social media followings performing their work on social media and it's great.

[00:08:55] And it's. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's great. I like to watch it. [00:09:00] It's cool. But other people watch it and they don't think, oh, this person did any work before that. They don't even realize that these people have relationships with, if they work with certain deities, they have relationships that they've built up over a years.

[00:09:14] They have practice, they have spoken, they have prayed. They have done everything to develop these relationships. With their spiritual teams, whether it's our ancestors or guides, DDS, whatever. And that's why these things are working. It's not working because they're just beyond anybody. And they're just so special. It's working because they w they work to have these special relationships with their people. I have seen and have heard of people going online, seeing these things.

[00:09:47] And then all of a sudden they're like it didn't work when I did it. First of all Just consuming the car, just watching it. And then you doing exactly the same thing as that person doesn't mean it's gonna work. Doesn't mean it's going to work, especially if you don't have that [00:10:00] relationship.

[00:10:00] If you haven't built your practice up. If you're just like I'm just going to do it. Okay. You can, but you. But nine times, that is how you're wasting your time. You haven't built that relationship. So how's it going to work? Just cause you saw on social media. I because, I don't know some popular which he she, they gay, it doesn't matter. Did it, it doesn't mean it's going to work because you do it girl.

[00:10:21] It's just not, you got to watch out for that. Got to watch out. Okay. Next topic. Number two. We're going to go to influencer authenticity. They're asking like for influencers, how much is stage and how much is reality?

[00:10:36] I always think that because I will watch. Videos and real and Tik TOK videos of people doing things. And again, aesthetic. It's picture perfect. But I'm like, how long did it take them to do this? To get everything just right. To videotape it, to edit it. And again, it's not bad. That's fine.

[00:10:59] It's not a [00:11:00] problem. We consume it because we enjoy it. But I always wonder, like how much of that is real practice. And how much of that is just I'm just going to make this look really good for the camera. It reminds me of people always post these like spiritual baths. If you ever see them, and it's like a bathtub full of flowers and floating candles, and the water is blue and I'm like, Nobody's taking a spiritual bath like that.

[00:11:27] Maybe they are. And just, nobody told me, but I've never seen anybody take a spiritual fat it's full of, first of all, you got to clean up all those flowers afterwards and you don't want to throw them in the garbage. If it's spiritual, you probably got to put them outside. And if you're in the city, then where are you putting them?

[00:11:41] If you're in the suburbs, maybe you can put them in your yard or somewhere outside, but like, Oh, the work right. Nobody's doing it. If I've taken a spiritual bath, there's a little oil. There's a little blessing, maybe a little bit. Holy water sprinkled in. Cause I love it. And that's it. I'm not doing this whole thing, but again, if you do, that's fine.

[00:11:57] I'm just saying that's not what most people are [00:12:00] doing when they're taking a spiritual bath. So there's that. So I always wonder, what's the reality between that and what is. Another question in these influencer authenticity. Oh, this one's a crazy one. However it talks about encountering Grifters in the community. And how do we recognize them? And what are the significant signs of Grifters?

[00:12:23] If you have a good again, I'm talking about the aesthetic again. If you have a good aesthetic, you can become popular quick. Right? If you have all the beautiful wall hangings or plants, and you have that, dark academia, look maybe in your home, it doesn't have to be dark academia, but if the girls love dark academia, right. If you have all that you can become popular very quickly online because people will just like to consume your content because it's cute. Which is fine.

[00:12:54] But that's how the Grifters get in. Is that they're just really good at that. [00:13:00] So once people have the witchiest static, Another thing about online is you don't know how people really live. You see these people and they're always running through fields with flowers all over their hair, or like they're always like in the woods where the Cape and they're doing. Magical spells over a fire in the woods, is that there every day?

[00:13:21] People present in a certain way. That makes you think they are extra special or that they are extra? Spiritual because all the, all you ever see is them doing that kind of stuff.

[00:13:32] I don't mind that, because it's none of my business, what people want to post, but it's also like beef really, for real right now. You don't live like that. But I think that when people post like that All the time. And they just come out of nowhere. That's another thing. That's the other key.

[00:13:49] There's lots of people I know who posts like that and I love it. But when they come out of nowhere and they're like, I'm a super spiritual and I'm a. List, some title that you've never heard of. [00:14:00] That's indication there might be a grifter also when you've never heard of this person. Never heard of them from Adam. And. They're charging outrageous prices.

[00:14:14] I'm talking about like a 30 minute consultation.

[00:14:16] It'll cost you two 50. And all you're getting I'm when you get there, you're getting somebody who's reading taro to you from a book. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not saying nobody's worth that much, but what I am saying is if I do a zoom tarot card reading and your ass has the book next to you. And I paid you $250.

[00:14:39] My friend. We're going to fight today. We're going to fight today. How do we recognize the Grifters? I'm telling you pricing can be a thing. I know pricing is a big point of contention with people, but when I've never met you from Adam, nobody. And that's another thing. Not like everybody I know in the spiritual community is like the important ones or anything, but I [00:15:00] never heard of you.

[00:15:00] And I don't know anybody who knows you. Like I've never heard anybody be like, oh yeah. I have readers. Like I know people. Who are readers who charge a bit much, but I know why, because they're good because I know them. And I've heard of them. And people are like, oh yeah she's so good.

[00:15:18] She's this? She's that? Yeah, I'll pay that much because I know this person is so good. I got a reading a couple of months ago, a flash sale from Kaitlin. Granja they are freaking amazing. So like, I don't mind I'll I'm going back to them. They deserve it. You know what I'm trying to say?

[00:15:34] And like also I think if they have no lineage, What I mean by lineage is like, Where did they learn from where did they learn their information from? They don't need to have A definite lineage, but explain to me how you gained the knowledge that you gained, how. And if you tell me some story that don't make no sense. Wow. You're probably a grifter. A [00:16:00] Sunbeam came down and now don't get me wrong. I believe that a son be made, maybe did come down to you and tell you that.

[00:16:06] How did you, like, how did you explore that? And don't tell me this happened to you last week. I'm sorry. Time does matter. Don't tell me that you learn all this stuff last week. Because I don't believe you. I'm sorry. I just don't like if you're a year in and you're like, yeah, I started reading taro a year ago. And here I am.

[00:16:25] I'm giving carer hard readings. Okay, fine. I get that. You better not be charging two 50 for 30 minutes, but I get it like, yeah. Okay. You been reading taro, you learn, even if you were like, I'm in Rio Tera for six months and now I'm starting to charge people. Okay. I get that. That's not so bad all the time, but like, I need to know, and I better not see a book in your hand.

[00:16:46] Let me tell you something. Okay. So we're moving on. I only go on about this book thing, cause I've seen it cause it's happened to me. I am paid somebody for a tarot card reading and they pulled out a book.

[00:16:59] [00:17:00] Me, somebody who reads taro. Don't you dare pull out a book in front of me because you're just telling me you don't know how to read, like, oh my gosh. Anyway. Okay. Let's keep going. I'm hung up on this reading thing. So let me stop. Okay. So next.

[00:17:13] So some of the things, so the next question is about tools.

[00:17:17] What's good for, to decipher misinformation and how can we help? Prevent as a community, the widespread information misinformation. Sources. Sources, please list your sources. Where'd you find that out? Where'd you find that out. If I ask you how you know, something. You better be able to tell me, like there's a lot of really cool creators on here.

[00:17:43] And I, so if you listen to this podcast, obviously, you know that I love some history. And I love some like different love it to learn from different culture. I need to know how you learned it. So my author's out here. That's why I love them because the authors they're out here giving you facts. They're like, this is where I [00:18:00] read this. This is where I read this book that was written in 1542.

[00:18:04] And this is where I got my info from. I love that. We need to source and cite things. You or at least know where somebody can find it. I'm sorry. I hear so much stuff that people say that's not true at all. Never happened. What are you talking about? Let people just see stuff. About, oh, this spirit, that spirit, that's not even true.

[00:18:28] And it's even like a tradition. I probably don't follow a man. I know that's not true because even knowing that culture, that doesn't make sense. We need to be able to site where we get our information.

[00:18:42] You don't need to read every single book on it to save it. This fact, I'm not saying that what I'm saying is if I say, Hey, where'd you learn that?

[00:18:49] Where'd you get that from? Oh, there's a really good website. There's this professor, there's this book. There's this person who told me who I went to this town and [00:19:00] I met this person and they told me that, you know what I'm trying to say. Even oral history matters. That's another thing we can talk about.

[00:19:06] Somebody tweeted that I didn't come up with that somebody's not tweeted thread. Talk about how oral history is so important

[00:19:12] anyway site citation. We need to cite our sources. In the community. We need to say where we get stuff. We need to say how we learned it. Yeah, sources super important. The next one is what I touched on before. Is

[00:19:27] Talking about people with large followings and how we all automatically assume that people with large followings are experts. Ooh, this is a hard one because I know people is very large followings. And as soon as we hear, oh, this you see this person has, I don't know. 900,000 followers. We're just assuming. That, that person knows everything right.

[00:19:48] Because why wouldn't they, why do they have

[00:19:50] so many followers? The reason again, I'm going to not stop saying this about aesthetic. The reason this person has so many scholars is because of their [00:20:00] aesthetic. It's because of the aesthetic half the time. It's not like the person. I'm not saying that person doesn't. No what they're doing, but I'm also making the point that like a lot of the time it's because this person has a great aesthetic and we all like to look at it. So it doesn't make them more of an expert than anybody else.

[00:20:17] You don't need to go to college to know stuff you don't. I don't believe that college education is the end. All be all. Of understanding something. But we have people in the community. Who have master's degrees in these types of histories, religious education. And they don't have thousands of followers, but they know more than people who have a million followers. I follow professors who will have like 700 followers, like maybe say something so interesting. But it's just not like exciting, it's not exciting to hear this guy explain to me what jihad actually means.

[00:20:55] Nobody wants to hear this guy, this random Islamic scholar tell me that because he doesn't [00:21:00] have a cute aesthetic. He's just talking, what he's saying is super educated and very fascinating, but nobody wants to listen to that. You said I'm trying to say so. I don't think a big following necessarily means anything.

[00:21:12] I think anybody can have a big falling But also, it doesn't mean that just because you have a big following, you're fake. It just means you're really good at marketing. That's what I think. Okay. So we're going to move on to topic number three, which is imposter syndrome and FOMO.

[00:21:28] So this question actually really pertains to me a lot because they're asking about, okay, I used to have a profound jealousy. I'm not gonna lie. I'll tell you guys the truth. I used to be very jealous of certain creators because I'm not like a clever. Instagram person. I'm not a clever marketing person.

[00:21:46] I've never been. I don't know what to put on it on Instagram. I used to be really jealous of other creators that they had so many followers and like they were making all these interesting videos.

[00:21:58] But.

[00:21:59] I [00:22:00] think now I realize that's their ministry. That's what they're good at. And everybody's good at something different. Right? Everybody can't be. An influencer. Everybody cannot be excellent at social media. Everybody does not have the drive to, or the time to make these videos. I now just enjoy the videos that I watch and the information that I get from them. Way more. 'cause I'm like I stopped comparing myself to people who they're just really good at it. You know what I mean?

[00:22:32] There's a couple

[00:22:33] People I'm thinking of like right now, oh, like I remember a year ago. I started seeing Mara Starling on my tic talk and I was just like, damn, she's really good. Tick tock. I was like, damn, she's very good at this.

[00:22:50] Like she is like your, her personality.

[00:22:52] And I just, I let go of being jealous because some people are just good and some people like me just, I don't know what to do. [00:23:00] Sometimes I'll post a meme or two and just whatever. I'm trying also, and another thing, I'm just going to start mentioning names too, of people I know. I took a course with cap Talia. Aliyah and she, it was all about barcoding. She is such a good teacher, and she, we had a whole section about social media and she made me realize this is all it's my own journey in social media.

[00:23:24] Right? Like it's whatever you want to post. And it's supposed to be fun. That's the whole point of it. It's supposed to be a good time. Not supposed to stress you out. Let it be fun. Let yourself shine through the way you want to, whether it's educational, whether it's for fun. And then I see people like Moss and Mara Starling, and I see that's how they use it for fun.

[00:23:43] Like yay me. And also to educate because they actually have very informative videos, but. Like people like that, they're just being themselves, but also like getting their point across and I'm like, ah, that's social media, right? So if I. Get better at it. That'd be awesome, [00:24:00] but who knows? I might never, and it's okay. Because I was just not my ministry. Podcasting is something I love and podcasting is something I realized that I'm good at that. At least, I think I am this is my ministry.

[00:24:12] Another really good question that they have here is if I've ever experienced like the FOMO of like the social media spirituality world, has it ever taken advantage of me financially or otherwise? I'm feeling like I need to get something or I need to fit in. To buy a certain book or something like that.

[00:24:32] I think in the past, yeah, I can't think of. Examples off the top of my head, but I know like, I think in the past, I wanted to be connected with certain people because they seem like they were the up and coming person. And I really desperately wanted to be not like popular, but like I wanted to be. I want to be with people are like, I want it to be cool.

[00:24:57] You know what I mean? Now I don't care [00:25:00] about that so much. It's not like I don't care. Because, like I said, through this podcast, I've met so many cool people, and I'm very excited to call those people, my acquaintances, but Now it's more I am just enjoying people for who they are and letting them be themselves and not having to be like connected with those people.

[00:25:17] I could just be like, oh, that person's really cool. And like, just from afar and let them be them. Why do I have to be like all up in their business? Also I don't need to fit in anymore. I can be who I am. I am who I am and everybody is who they are, and I don't need to fit in anymore. And it's okay.

[00:25:33] I think it all has to do with me though. That's not their problem. It's my problem. I think I was lacking self-confidence I think I wanted to be part of this community, but I didn't know where I belonged. And now I realize maybe I'm in my own category, but it doesn't matter because everybody's in their own category.

[00:25:50] It all had to do with me and my own. Self-confidence when I felt like I had to. Do what everyone else was doing or by the books, everybody else was buying. Now I don't [00:26:00] feel like that's so much.

[00:26:03] And then when I practice my craft, do I compare myself to people? What I see online, not really cause my cross a little different. I don't completely identify as like a witch. I don't know what I identify as I had just here doing some stuff and talking to the ancestors. So I don't know, but I don't really try to compare my practice, especially people who, especially because. I know a lot of people online who are doing either closed practices or practices from their native Homeland or their ancestry.

[00:26:33] I have nothing to do with me. So I'm not going to compare myself to them because it's completely different experience that they're having that I'm having. So it's not a problem. My practice is not really influenced by other people. I don't do stuff because other people tell me to do it. My relationship in my practice. Is my practice is completely based on my relationship with my deities. And my guides and my God. It's more based on that.

[00:26:58] It doesn't really having anything to do with social [00:27:00] media.

[00:27:01] So I don't think it would look much different. I think it's, I do want to hear what other people have to say about that though, because I wonder, I really do want to know how much people think like, I do stuff. Based on other people or what I want people to see. I really, I can't wait to hear some of the answers.

[00:27:18] People are going to have to some of these questions.

[00:27:20] Okay. We're getting into it. Capitalizing off the community.

[00:27:25] Do I consider online communities as equally valid to in-person communities? Yes. 100%. Okay.

[00:27:34] Y'all remember. COVID right. So I know COVID is still here. Don't yell at me. I know. But during COVID online was how we all got our solace.

[00:27:44] I do think online communities are just as equal as in-person, because I think sometimes even more and I'll explain. We are able now because of the internet. To link up and hear ideas from people all [00:28:00] over the world. You can get stuff from anywhere in the world. You can talk to people from different parts of the world and see how they practice their practice and how they do this.

[00:28:10] And it's fascinating. I've had people on my podcast who I've interviewed. And the UK who are in Australia, who are in Southeast Asia. I've had people all from all over the world. Be able to talk to me and relay their ideas, not only all over the world, but all over this country. The United States.

[00:28:33] I live on the east coast. I've had people talk to people in the west coast, from the south, from the Northeast, from the south. East lake from everywhere.

[00:28:41] I think it's awesome. That we can all connect.

[00:28:45] In this way and learn so much from each other. I think the it's an It means communities are invaluable. I've learned so much from people who live thousands and miles away from me, oceans away from me. [00:29:00] And I've loved connecting with every single one of them. It's been such a wonderful experience. That's why I love the internet, honestly, for that reason.

[00:29:09] And that's why I really do like social media because I've met so many awesome people that I know. If it were for social media and the communities that I get to participate in, I would not meet these people. So I love that.

[00:29:22] What are some of the current dangers? Where are some of the dangerous of the current phenomenon of capitalizing off the witchcraft community? All right.

[00:29:31] There's a couple of things going on with this question. I feel like number one.

[00:29:34] There's nothing wrong with making money. Okay, I'm just going to say it. I know people hate to hear it, but there's nothing wrong with making money. We all need money to survive. I need money to survive. I don't know about you unless you live off the grid and you grow all your own food and you make your own clothes and you generate your own light.

[00:29:51] You're going to need some money.

[00:29:53] I think the problem with people making money off witchcraft. There's a couple. Areas that make no sense. [00:30:00] First of all, let's even start with the whole Sage thing, now we heard about like white siege is They're saying it's not endangered anymore, but it is , stop. Picking it from everywhere, basically. But also smudging is its own ceremony. I know so many people who call it that, and that's not what they're doing. They're just smoke cleansing, which is also fine, but don't call it smudging if it's not smudging.

[00:30:24] And we all know that now. But because of, because so many people saw people use Sage all the time, that's all everybody does now. Everyone's just like, oh, I gotta use. You can literally use Sage. You are in your garden. I use my common Sage because it grows and if I want to use, I can use it. And I also use Rosemary because it's cheaper and it's easier to grow.

[00:30:43] And it's also easier to find it. You can get that in the grocery store, but. I digress. People look at it. It's like people don't see the depth in it because of like the internet and because like people like I can just buy siege and clear. You're not putting your [00:31:00] intention into that.

[00:31:01] You're not smoke clearing with intention everything's you can, I can burn whatever herb I want. I walk around my house. It doesn't do anything if I'm not putting intention into it, if I'm not putting my practice into it, what does it really mean? And I feel like people are now. Seeing like people also see how much money you can make. From.

[00:31:26] Showing people. Oh, the other issue I have with. Capitalizing off like witchcraft. Is that. There are true and real practitioners doing wonderful work in this community. You know them. I know them. And there's tons that I don't. Oh, we're doing absolutely wonderful work.

[00:31:50] And then there's people who see that person can make. Who's making like a good amount of money. I could make that kind of money. We work as [00:32:00] spiritual practitioners with people who are a lot of the times at there. Not at their best, I know I do healings for people who are going through shit.

[00:32:09] People who are going do stuff. And. If all I wanted to do is make money. I could do it, I could pray on people. I could make them, and we all know those people, the oldest things in the book where like you have to buy this crystal or this candle and do this and do that in order to get this lifted. When people are going through stuff, I have been a victim of this 100% people do whatever, I think there are not so great people who see that. Oh this person gives readings and all these people give them money. If I do it, I can make money.

[00:32:47] And those people don't really care about their clients. They're just doing it to make money. And they're just doing it to exploit them. Not because they want to actually help them heal. And they're charging for their services [00:33:00] because they're putting out their energy. They just want to make money and they don't really care what happens to the client.

[00:33:04] So I feel like that's something people see a lot. The people who are exploiters are now doing the exploiting. Based on that.

[00:33:14] I have been personally affected by that before I have met again, a grifter, like we talked about earlier. And I've been in a bad place and been exploited by people because I wasn't in a good place. Thank God. It wasn't for thousands of dollars or anything, but it's happened to me. And honestly, I got this call.

[00:33:32] I'll never forget this call. This happened to me maybe two years ago, I got a call from it was a young woman. And she was hysterical calling me about how oldest trick in the book. Right. She met this woman. I, her church actually. And the woman told her she would do a reading for her. She did a reading for her.

[00:33:56] This girl's boyfriend had left. He [00:34:00] moved out and the woman said she was going to help her. She's going to help her. Get him back, took $6,000 from this girl. And the girl just didn't know what to do. And she's asking me, what should I do? And I was like, I don't like, I didn't even know what to do. I told her to call the police.

[00:34:15] Like, I didn't know what to do for this poor girl. I wasn't going to do a reading and take money for, and she was still asking by her boyfriend at that point. I did a reading for her, like a quick one. But mostly I told her, you got that lady still your money, and educating people on like those things to look out for is how we can help those people.

[00:34:34] So the next question is, should there be pay walled communities and online courses?

[00:34:38] Yeah. Absolutely. If the people who are. Teaching you something have gone through years of training. I believe they deserve to be paid for that. And they can pick whatever prices they want and you can pick if you want to be part of that community. I do believe there should be pay well. I do believe people should get paid.

[00:34:57] Teachers get paid. Teachers [00:35:00] get paid for their for their education because they went to school. Professors get paid because they want two years of school and didn't years of research to get to where they were. So I do believe there should be paywall communities. And again, people have done apprenticeships.

[00:35:14] People have gone and done all this spiritual work. Why shouldn't they get compensated for that? I think they show.

[00:35:24] And how does somebody ensure the authenticity of courses, workshops or memberships? As a financial investment. That's also a good question. Do your research. Do your research to the best of your ability? Try to find out, like I said, that person's lineage, where did they learn from. Where are they from?

[00:35:41] How did they learn? Do they have a degree? Did they do an apprenticeship? To have they lived amongst the people. Maybe if they practice a specific. Lineage, have they lived amongst those people? Did they learn from an elder? Can you. See where they are from, like, you really have to do your [00:36:00] research to the best of your ability.

[00:36:01] Find other people who have maybe taken courses with that person. What was their experience? That kind of thing. I think it's really important to do all that.

[00:36:12] Okay. Then we get to the conclusions. What are some of the conversations I'd like to see more of than the community?

[00:36:22] Research. I think we need to talk a lot more about research and origins. That's probably the reason I started this podcast is because. We practice a lot of stuff in the community. Our, nobody knows where it's from. Everybody is pho. Okay. A lot of people are doing folk magic now or calling it folk magic. And they're 100%, right.

[00:36:42] It's folk magic, I saw somebody on say this on threads the other day. And I think I We posted it. And I cannot remember at the moment who said it, but somebody said. There's a lot of people call themselves folk. Magicians and folk, which is, and they don't even know they're folk.

[00:36:57] And I said, say it louder for the people [00:37:00] in the back. That's one big problem that I see a lot. Is people would be like this tradition, I'm a folk magician and folk from where, what folk, which folk. I ain't never heard of your folk. Like I need. People to do a little bit more research, just a little bit, just to do 20 minutes of Googling, ain't going to kill you. SIS,

[00:37:21] you can do it. You need to know where your information is coming from. Don't just believe somebody because they have 800,000 followers on Instagram. That's that doesn't make them a reputable source. Not at all. Not at all. It makes them a good marketer, nothing wrong with being a good marketer. But I'm just saying.

[00:37:41] What are my community needs?

[00:37:43] I want to be honest, I love entertaining content. That's why we love the internet. Right. Also. That's why we love the internet at times, but I just need people to be a little bit more real about stuff sometimes. Tell it tell us how it really is once in a [00:38:00] while. I guess that's that?

[00:38:02] How can we help each other remove external peer pressure and grow? I think that we all need to remind each other that , just because my practice looks like this, your practice never has to look like this. And you can have a wonderful, fulfilling, spiritual practice that. That helps you grow. In every way. Doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be Instagramable.

[00:38:27] Doesn't have to be tick talkable. And you can have a beautiful practice that. Makes you happy and fulfills your every need that you need from a spiritual practice.

[00:38:41] How can we as a community come together with more constructive criticisms without it see me shady or passive aggressive. I think that we could do it, but I think everybody has to

[00:38:50] oh, I hate to sound like this, but I think everybody has to relax a little bit. Everybody's not coming for your neck. When they say you've culturally [00:39:00] appropriated something, everyone is not coming for your neck. We're just trying to make you aware. And people have to say things with kindness. And diplomatically and not just be like, yeah, don't be caddy.

[00:39:12] Don't be nasty. You can just tell somebody they're wrong without being mean. Oh, I, I wouldn't, I don't think that's, that seems like a tradition that's closed. That might not be something you want to speak on.

[00:39:26] That's a closed practice as a close tradition. That's not something you want to speak on.

[00:39:33] I've sent it to people before. I'd say I've said it to people before I said, Hey. I know what you posted. That's cool. But and it was somebody don't get me wrong that I was cool with at the time. But I said, man, I, if I were you, I wouldn't be posting about that. That's not your, that's not your ministry.

[00:39:49] Those aren't your people. And I don't think the people who do belong to that group are going to appreciate you talking about that. Like, it. Like, I don't think that's a good idea, but I think we have to approach each other with [00:40:00] kindness. And also under. Like understanding because sometimes people say or do things that there's no. It like harm meant. Right.

[00:40:11] But even if they do harm. We can tell them like, Hey, you've done something. That's not cool. I don't and like, honestly, Four out of five times, people will be like, oh shit. I didn't realize, I didn't know. Let me go back and retract that statement. Like. Like people, most people are good. Most people don't want to, especially in this community, most people don't want to cause harm. Most people don't want to be assholes mean they really don't. They want to have a good time and they want to talk about spirits.

[00:40:43] They don't want to be cruel. So I think we have to approach each other with kindness. Now somebody starts being nasty to you. I'm not saying keep approaching them with kindness, but I'm saying at first. Let's approach each other with a little bit of kindness. When we remind each other, Hey, maybe you shouldn't say that, or maybe we shouldn't do that, or maybe [00:41:00] that's not your ministry.

[00:41:00] Don't talk about that. But just do it with kindness.

[00:41:05] How can we as a community do better when we receive criticisms and feedback. Listen to what people are saying. What did I do wrong here? Did I, do I feel like I did something wrong here? Find a friend. Accountability buddies. I'm saying this is okay. If you're truly confused and again, I know we always say it's true.

[00:41:27] It's not other people's job to educate you. I understand that. And do your best educate yourself. But if you are truly confused, if you've done research, if you've read and you're like, I can't figure out why it says only wrong. Phone a friend. Photo friend, phone somebody and ask them, Hey, what do you think of base phone?

[00:41:43] A friend. Somebody who you trust. Who will tell you the truth? Okay. Do your research first, but phone a friend. Who are some of the community members that I look up to? They're reliable resources, aspirations, to be honest, I can't even go through the list. I can't even go through the list. [00:42:00] Honestly, if you go on. If you look at people on die with the divine Instagram people, I follow, I trust all them bitches, all that bitches.

[00:42:07] I trust. Sorry, if you don't like to be called a bitch, I'm not trying to be rude. I trust all of them. I'm telling you something right now. I trust them people. If I see somebody say something sauce. I'm like, I don't follow them

[00:42:19] okay. I that so many practitioners on my show. I trust them. I have practitioners who are coming on my show. I trust them. That's the only reason if I don't trust them. I don't even post their episode. Okay. There's a, there's not a lie. There's actually been a few like nephew. There's been a person or two who like, I didn't trust what they said.

[00:42:41] And I am air the episode. Never heard their episode. 'cause. I was like this is sauce. This is us. I don't think this person really knows what they're talking about.

[00:42:49] Oh, I would be like, I really don't think this person knows what they're talking about. Okay. Nope. Nope, Nope. Nope. Can I get, I can't do it. I'm not saying you have to look at me as a reliable source, but [00:43:00] just know that me out here, I'm only following people who I really trust their information, because if you don't tell me and you can't explain to me how you know this. You can tell me your history, if you can't tell me anything about your lineage.

[00:43:12] I don't trust you.

[00:43:16] I don't trust you at all.

[00:43:19] Anything else I have to say about this. Social media is awesome. It's an awesome tool, but there's a lot of people who are just talking out of their butt. So just be careful. Do your own research, ask questions any, and people shouldn't be that's the last thing I'll say, people shouldn't be offended when you ask them a question about where did you learn this?

[00:43:39] Where'd you get that people shouldn't be offended by that. Like it's okay to just say, oh, I read this here. Or I read this out of this book and then to be able to tell you the source of people shouldn't be offended. They just shouldn't.

[00:43:53] 'cause that to me is definitely the sign. Of grifter. Anyway. Those are some of my [00:44:00] opinions. I know this is a little bit of rant. But I hope that you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you guys get to listen. I hope I made some sense cause me sometimes I'd be ranting and I apologize. Okay.

[00:44:12] Talk to you later. Bye.