The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of social media

I am actually half way through writing a tarot focused blog, and have paused to write this instead.

A cautionary tale of bully tactics, plain stupidity and ego maniacs.

I rather love Facebook- I have some great friends here and have learnt so much by being involved in a few key groups.But I have come to appreciate just how unequal Facebook groups are.

I have either left, or in certain cased been kicked out, of groups for;

#1 Refusing to photoshop my Rider-Waite tarot deck which is considered to show too much nudity. (that was a pagan group!)

#2 Being constantly trolled by members of the group demanding free tarot readings- after all it is just a gift from spirit (pagan group again!)

#3 Being told off for sharing my personal experiences of shamanism because they are not "authentic traditional experiences "and any way- new members are expected to "lurk a while first"

#4 For using my name- Maddy Elruna (yes it is my name!) as it is also my professional name- and I'm not allowed to use anything connected with my business, even my own name from my personal Facebook page.

I have stuck very closely to key groups recently where I feel they are moderated gently. I tried stepping out into the wider Facebook world- and far too many groups seem to be administrated by egomaniacs for my liking.

The frustrating thing is the helpful groups- those that have simple rules and encourage everyone to express opinions and experiences are such an amazing place to learn. There is an amazing wealth of wisdom- so inspiringly shared- that I feel I have really been able to understand more about tarot, shamanism, business and paganism.

So a bit of a rant blog post really- but you know the minute you feel judgement being slung at you by an admin (not a gentle reminder of the rules) ditch the group. Because I promise you- there are some amazing groups to nourish the soul.

As for me- I cried the first time I shared a tarot blog post especially to Tarot Professionals & Tarot Nerds- they felt like big places to share my thoughts. I was very anxious about the reception I might get. Looking back I realise just how much I have learnt from both of these groups and how much I appreciate the gentle moderation that has supported my growth.

Included below for your amusement the image that got me banned for nudity.