if the internet is home, where do we live?
an invitation to a new home, & a reflection
Jeanna! I have to say I had to process some gatekeepy feelings as I went to write a testimonial [for the astrology for writers discord] because I love this space so much and am afraid of change. (1/2)
— Mel
I am someone who is, and has always been, chronically online. In middle school, I was on Left Behind message boards. In high school, I discovered fanfiction, and my corner of the fandom lived on LiveJournal; the only bachelorette party I had before my ill-fated evangelical wedding was hosted by my fandom friends, many of whom flew to my then-home of Minneapolis to celebrate with me. I was late to Twitter, not joining until 2014, but it’s quite literally how I met my bestie Cora Harrington, my writers’ group (through fellow ex-Twitter bitch
), and my agent Dana Murphy. It’s how I got my start in freelancing for places like Electric Literature and LitHub and Autostraddle — those were the days when you could still tweet an idea to see if an editor would just pick it up.This is all to say: for me, the internet is home.
It’s hard to pin down the source of why internet connection feels so normal to me. Is it my in-hindsight obviously ADHD brain which has ten different streams going at any given time? Or my also-always-spinning Mercury in Sagittarius, which is in the 11th house of the internet and wider networks?
Is it that I always felt different, a little bit out-of-place, never quite fitting into my in-person life, and that my obsessive interests being shared by strangers on the internet made me feel less alone? Was that also due, in part, to the fact that I was a queer child closeted to myself, constantly reaching out to others to help regulate and understand my emotions?
All of it. None of it. Does the reason even matter, when I can point to online communities as the source of so much of my personal and professional life? I have physical, tangible objective goods, bylines and books and best friends: the consequences of my time spent in cyberspace.
Because I have grown so much through the internet, because through it I have met so many people I now can’t imagine my life without, it is heartbreaking to witness the loss of the digital spaces that made my life possible in the first place.
LiveJournal was decimated by Russian buyers years ago. More recently, Twitter was lost to Elon, and no number of copycat platforms can recapture its golden years. Growing up, I thought the internet was forever. I have learned that this is not the case, that online archives and communities can (be) disappear(ed).
The larger the digital graveyard grows, the more I’m drawn back to the kind of communities that first introduced me to online connection: message boards and interest-driven chat rooms. This is Reddit; it is also the far more private and easy-to-individualize Discord. Every D&D game/friend group I’ve ever been in has its own invite-only Discord server; the platform was founded for gamers, after all. I’m in servers dedicated to fandom ships and sapphic literature, where I’m a relatively anonymous lurker, and as well as in occult servers like Meg Jones Wall’s 3am.tarot sanctuary, where folks primarily know me as Meg’s almost-wife.
I’m also the founder, moderator, and host of the private, invite-only Astrology for Writers server, est. August 2023.
I started the Discord as an add-on for paid newsletter subscribers, a place where they could mix and mingle and maybe get extra nerdy about astrology. But it has grown into a holistic community space: a soft place to land during life’s tender times as well as a place to gather one’s creative courage alongside comrades.
The Astrology for Writers Discord is one of my favorite online communities ever, as someone who has been very online for almost two decades now! In the time I've spent here, I've not only learned more about astrology and how to apply it to my life (what's a better teacher than practical application through comparison and study across a range of experiences?), but have made friends both digital and IRL. When I'm struggling I can rely on the people here to offer a listening ear, kindness, friendly outrage, advice, resources, or even just healing vibes. As such, I also am myself often drawn to uplift others when they need it, because it's all so very reciprocal and not in a transactional way. It's powerful! As a queer, trans auDHD person I often struggle to fit into groups and be myself but this one has been nothing but welcoming from the start and is only growing stronger with time.
—
, indie author and creator of The Numinous Tarot & Magic Pantry Tarot
The Astrology for Writers Discord is my favorite place on the internet. Jeanna has curated a space full of people who truly want to build a community—sharing advice, resources, jokes, and connection. I’ve learned so much about astrology from all the wisdom in the server, but also about so many other things. I often yearn for the message boards and internet communities of years ago and this feels like a return to that in all the best ways.
—
, author of Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Football League
Anyone who runs a community knows that communities don’t just flourish on their own. They need tending: planting and watering, but also weeding. Communities require boundaries and direction in order to grow like vines up a trellis. And I take that job very seriously:
This is one of the better spaces held in the federated socials scene. I’ve been in several, and they often devolve into pettiness, showmanship, competitive signaling or complete inactivity. I know it takes a lot to facilitate a community space and you do it kindly and with firm, appreciated boundaries.
— Raina
The Astrology for Writers discord has been such an incredible balm in these times! I echo everything everyone has said about it feeling like the olden days of message boards + the golden days of Twitter combined. The discord has amassed a loving, vibrant community full of your favorite writers (and your new favorite writers). I love that you’re as likely to get in-depth conversations on tarot spreads as you are lingerie brand recommendations and thoughtful discussions of ancestor work. As someone physically removed from witchy/astrology/tarot friends, it’s incredible to know I can pick up my phone and find them here.
I will also add that the very clear rules and careful moderation is a huuuuuge part of what sets the community up for success! It’s clear how to act here, and it makes the community a generative, friendly space!
— Whitney
Over the last year, this little sacred corner of the internet has blossomed. New channels are getting added all the time (most recently, #sports for all the sports gays), and folks appreciate how space is held for numerous parts of life, which are all just part and parcel of the same whole. To my great delight, this is also a space where astro beginners feel welcome:
I know very little about astrology--in fact it was a hunger to learn more and a deep love of words that led me to join the Astrology for Writers server. Even with my relative lack of information, I've found so much here-thoughtfulness, intentional community, support, wonder, creativity, care. It's full of dreamers, crafters, wordsmiths, builders, sensitive souls, witches, spiritualists, deep-thinkers--basically exactly the sorts of people I'm always seeking out more conversations with. It's silly and thoughtful, tender and deep and full of rainbow glitter. And yes, there is much talk of the sky! Even if you're unsure of the role astrology might have in your life, if you have even a passing interest, I highly suggest you come by and see if the vibes are right for you, because this is one of the loveliest places I've ever had the pleasure of being part of and Jeanna is a wonderful facilitator!
— Frost
love this discord for the brilliance, kindness, creativity and generosity of the members. the best place to hang out on the internet. I get reading recommendations, music recommendations, astrology reflections, mutual support and care, practical writing and publishing advice, encouragement, and i’ve developed new interests from learning what others are excited about. grateful that this literally magical space exists and that i am a part of it.
— Jen
With so many social media platforms feeling significantly less community driven than in the past, I’ve absolutely loved being a part of the Astrology for Writers Discord. Even as a relative newbie to astrology, everyone has created a welcoming space for folks to ask questions and I’ve already learned so more about the practice through osmosis. But the Discord offers so much more than even that—from discussing all things writing, to sharing photos of nature and splices of life, the environment here is so supportive and folks genuinely care about connection. It’s definitely one of my most treasured places online
— Aliya
I believe that digital spaces have a vital part to play — not only in the resistance, but in our everyday lives. How wondrous, that we can just shoot off messages to other people across the country and around the world and have them instantly seen and responded to? The ability to do this is a gift.
As Mel (quoted at the beginning) says,
You have done an exquisite job making this a safe, interesting, entertaining, challenging, and educational space that I look forward to checking in with every single day. The mutual respect and admiration, the breadth and depth of experience and knowledge, the willingness to share and to listen is truly unmatched and not something I ever expected to find in an online space. Thank you for tending this space in the way that you do, it's really special. (2/2)
If you’re looking — or have been looking — for a community space like this, where your creative ambitions seamlessly co-exist alongside your spiritual explorations, where the mundane meets the magical, I’d like to invite you to join us (invitation link below!) by upgrading your subscription to the newsletter.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for being here.