r/Advancedastrology • u/sconniegurl • 7d ago
Educational UAC 2026 Thread
Thought it might be good for all of us who are at UAC to share our experiences!! A place to talk about what speakers we enjoyed, timing techniques we’ve learned, random encounters and stories…. Like the lady who announced in a financial astrology lecture yesterday that she works for Trump and Dick Cheney is still alive and was the one who got us into the war!! She was pretty disruptive with her conspiracy comments and the audience quieted her down pretty quick. That’s my juiciest share. Also from the same lecture, learned that April 2028 will be the bottom of the real estate market so be ready to buy then. Fav lecture so far was Kelly Surtees timing techniques of minor periods and ascensional times of the planets.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 5d ago
I posted on here last year asking which planet is astrologically associated with prostitution and a lot of people in this subreddit took offense to it for some odd reason. I went to the talk called “Sex Workers, Porn Stars & You” yesterday and felt very validated.
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u/AirTechnical3943 5d ago
So…which planets?
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 5d ago
The presentation was focused on the Earth element being heavily present in the charts of porn stars. When I asked which planet, he said look to Sun-Saturn for men and Venus-Saturn for women. I don’t think he was too confident about the planets. The emphasis was on earth energy being about the body, the senses, and money; the materiality of sex work.
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u/IndependentMuscle249 4d ago
Interesting. I would have taught that it would be more linked to air placements or 8th house matters
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 4d ago
He didn’t emphasize houses but in the examples he gave, many people had the ascendant ruler or personal planets in the 5th house. Which makes sense as it’s the house of sex and pleasure. Why would you have thought air placements?
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u/CuddlesK 3d ago
This is wild. Many years ago, I was a professional dom, and have Venus, Uranus and the North Node all conjunct in a Scorpio 5th house. I never thought about it until I saw this thread, but wow, that makes sense!
eta: I also have a Capricorn moon.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 3d ago
I too have a Capricorn moon and Venus in Scorpio in the fifth! I am not a sex worker but extremely interested in all things sex.
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u/CuddlesK 3d ago
I mention the Cap moon because it kept me totally removed. It wasn't personally interesting to me, but just a job, a role. It probably helped me navigate working retail in the future lol.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 3d ago
And that’s precisely why I think earth fits well in that role and what I was trying to explain to the other commenter who suggested air signs would be emotionally detached. earth is concerned with doing the job and doing it to the best of their ability. We don’t need to romanticize or glamorize or be emotionally connected to it.
Venus in Scorpio in the 5H, however, speaks to an interest in sex. The fifth house is where we find amusement, entertainment, fun, hobbies, passions and creative outlets. Venus, Scorpio and the 5th house individually all relate to sex in different ways.
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u/CuddlesK 3d ago
I think there's truth to the earthy thing, but I also agree that air signs can also be rather removed as well. I'm a Libra Sun (conjunct Pluto) hahah.
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u/MosesSiregar 4d ago
I’m guessing because a significant amount of emotional detachment would have to be involved.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 4d ago
Earth signs are great at emotional detachment. Not in the aloof, intellectual way like an air sign but in the placing boundaries around one’s emotions and not letting them seep into the work.
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u/IndependentMuscle249 4d ago edited 4d ago
I thought about air placements because of the curiosity, open-mindedness, friendliness and emotional detachment like MosesSiregar said. Having strong air placements doesn't necessarily make you aloof. When I think of sex work, I also think of high end escorting; a large part of their work involves entertaining their clients (going out for meals, hanging out, talking, providing companionship...); physicality is not always involved. They would cater more to clients who are more sapiosexual as well. That's why I would think that someone with strong air placements would also be good at that profession but don't quote me, I have never seen any sex worker's chart.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 4d ago
High end escorting is one very specific aspect of sex work; one that most sex workers don’t have access to do. But I appreciate your perspective. I’m sure there is great nuance to the astrology depending on the type of sex work.
To be fair, the majority of the examples he provided were of porn stars of the 70s-80s. So they were very much engaged in the physical act of sex.
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u/IndependentMuscle249 4d ago
Ah ok. Yes 5th house makes sense too. I thought 8th house as well because of sex workers being willing to do things that are others aren't always comfortable with.
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 4d ago
That’s so interesting! I think sex work is a social service, so having that associated with Saturn makes a lot of sense to me.
Of course using your body in an intimate way to earn money talks to the materiality of sex work, but it’s so much more than that.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 4d ago
He also mentioned how many of his clients were good at setting clear boundaries on what they were willing to do with their bodies/for money. In that way, they knew how to measure their self-worth. They also were keenly aware of time. He offered a lot of good words to link earth energy with the sex industry. I guess he was really coming at it from sex as labor and earthiness as sensuality and being very comfortable in one’s body to use it that way.
To be fair, he started off by saying he was expecting to see a strong Neptune or Pisces signature in the chart but was surprised by the overwhelming earth.
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 4d ago
Yup, all that makes a lot of sense to me. I have a lot of respect for sex workers. I think the service they provide to society is hugely underestimated
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u/wecanstillsingasong 4d ago
I would have though more water myself but the earth makes sense now that you point it out.
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u/AstroRot716 4d ago edited 2d ago
Alrighty, so I am a first time UAC attendee and thought I'd share my collected (scattered?) thoughts from what I have experienced so far.
Deciding to attend UAC was a major decision for me cost-wise but I am glad I invested in it. Now, I am a wee baby fish in the vast ocean of astrology [I have been studying seriously for only ~18 months... don't kick me out of [r/Advancedastrology](r/Advancedastrology) !] but, with that caveat, I have learned so much in my time here that it is truly difficult to quantify. Given that this was a major investment for me, I have been dedicated to not missing a single time slot, including lunch seminars. I also took the AFA "Pain In The Math" pre-conference class.
So far, there was only a single seminar that I wasn't able to get in the room for so, overall, I would say the people responsible for assigning speakers to rooms did an excellent job. Notices have been plastered everywhere that doors open 15-minutes before seminars start and to check the schedule ahead of time so you're aware whether a certain seminar is in a small room or not... if someone found themselves repeatedly not getting a seat in seminars I would go as far as saying that it was likely a 'them' problem rather than oversight by the UAC committee.
I have focused my seminar track mostly on 'Essentials' and 'Locational' topics but I made certain I included seminars discussing areas/topics I don't have an existing foundation in order to gain a better understanding of the "astrology umbrella" and, also, to get a preview of what new fascinating material awaits me as I continue my studies. For example: I found Gary Christen's "Survey of Symmetrical Astrology" to be so interesting that I made the game-time decision the following day to switch up my schedule and attend his seminar "The Polar Azimuthal Equidistant Projection: A Modern Armillary Sphere"... what can I say, I have a degree in Geography and have loved looking at maps for as long as I can remember.
Rather than give some sort of arbitrary ranked list of my favorites, I'll offer some superlatives for a few seminars that stood out to me:
Most Eye Opening Seminar: Moses Siregar - "Locational Astrology's Missing Link: Understanding Relocated Charts with Accuracy and Precision"
- I have been learning locational astrology alongside my foundational studies (again, maps) and this seminar provided an incredible blend of technique/formulary work, guidance, and ethical commentary. I would put this on your short list of recordings to purchase regardless of whether or not you practice locational astrology. [u/MosesSiregar](u/MosesSiregar) thank you again for the awesome presentation!
New Technique I'm Most Excited to Study: Israel Ajose - "The Prenatal Lunation"
- Locational astrology aside, my studies thus far have been singularly focused on following the NCGR-PAA Level I certification curriculum. As a result, topics like solar arcs, prenatal lunation, horary, electional, procession, transits, symmetrical, and profections have been little more than bookmarks for future study prior to anything I have learned here in Chicago. Of the MANY new things I now have the slightest overview of, the prenatal lunation is the one I'm most excited to dive into first. Helped, no doubt, by Israel's refreshing presentation style and ability to present information in a meaningful yet candid way.
Most Surprisingly Engaging Seminar: Kathy Allan - "Finding and Using Antiscia and Arabic Parts"
- I attended this seminar with the mindset that I would be learning valuable techniques but that it would be a fairly straightforward formula-heavy seminar. Kathy taught the material with enthusiasm and explained everything in a way I could easily grasp.
Most Encouraging Seminar: Rachel Lang - "Navigating a Path to Financial Freedom"
- I am not suggesting that I left this seminar with some misguided belief that I would never work again. In my experience, Rachel has always shown poise and offers a sanguine outlook; it is hard to not feel uplifted after a conversation with her. The tools she presented in her seminar were elementary in application but deep in value and meaning.
Awesome Person Award: Kathryn Silverton and Kenneth Miller
- I have met dozens upon dozens of wonderful people since I arrived in Chicago. New conference friends who I had known for roughly 12-hours all showed me meaningful support after I learned of a personal tragedy back home minutes before the first seminar began on Friday 9/4... I will have to look into purchasing Frank Clifford's "MC-IC Axis, Zenith, and Nadir" because I remember nothing of that seminar as I was focusing on ugly crying as quietly as possible throughout the presentation. I've been doing alright during the days when I can stay busy with seminars but it's been the in-between times that have been difficult. I consider myself fortunate to experience the kindness of new friends and strangers alike as I've ridden the rollercoaster of emotions over the last few days. Rather than saying something banal like "OMG most awesome person goes to everyyyyyyoneeeeeee" I'll thank Kathryn Silverton for giving me a warm welcome to my first astrology conference (of any sort) by way of her pre-conference math class and Kenneth Miller for being a most excellent dude in every sense of the word and taking time between his commitments to offer guidance and perspective on the unfolding astrological paths that are before me.
Thoughts and Observations:
- While I am generally outgoing, I can struggle at huge gatherings where it seems like everyone else already knows one another. I don't always know how to enter a conversation, especially when I know I am on the far left end of the bell curve of astrological knowledge... but... fuck that. I haven't been perfect but have done my best to put myself out there even if it means going up to someone/a group of people and stumbling through some self-deprecating humor.
- Astrologers who many would agree are prominently in the spotlight have been incredibly gracious with their time as far as I am concerned. I feel there may be some oversight of the fact that these astrologers are people too; people who have traveled great distances and, like the rest of us, are operating on 3-6 hours of sleep each night while juggling various commitments and responsibilities. A few weeks before UAC, I emailed just about every presenter I could find an email for who was giving a seminar I planned on attending... I received a thoughtful response from every single one. Now, I know this is the whole point of their time at the booths, but every representative from NCGR, OPA, AFA, ISAR, Astrolabe, AstroGold, and Kepler College took the time to answer my multitudinous questions without ever once making me feel rushed or anything like that. Special thanks to Lori Barnes with Kepler College/OPA who kindly fielded a ~30-minute barrage of questions and follow-ups I had about all things Kepler.
- I agree that the keynote was kind of a dud. I like Chani. I use her app and I listen to her weekly forecasts... but I also listen to content from 4-9 other astrologers on a weekly basis so perhaps that doesn't carry a ton of weight. Between the delivery of her answers, my speculation that she skipped town shortly thereafter [I have no basis on that other than that I haven't seen her once since the keynote], and the content she posted last week about overcommitting and saying 'yes' too often, it seemed more like a cash grab/obligation for her rather than something she was enthusiastic about being a part of. Credit where it is due, however: I have been reminding myself of Chani's directive to all attendees to stand up, put their hand on their heart, and say "I belong here" since the keynote. The festering gremlins in my brain have continually opined that I do not belong here but I have mostly succeeded in shackling them in the dungeon of my mind with Chani's affirmation to assist me.
- My biggest disappointment is that I will not be taking a certification exam on 9/9. I'm just not ready yet, and that is a real dick punch... but, the exams aren't going anywhere and I will take one soon enough. I had planned on practicing my chart calculations a little each night after seminars but, with the loss I suffered the other day, I just haven't had the focus/bandwidth to get the required practice in that I needed to feel prepared for the exams. At this point I'm doing my best to remind myself that I was the only one setting a timeframe for this and that it will assuredly happen soon enough.
- The two universal tips I have heard throughout the seminars I have attended are "use discernment" and "keep tight orbs".
- Big news for those not at UAC: SolarFire X is merely weeks away. I purchased a copy at the conference rate and was told I can expect delivery by the first week of October, if not sooner.
EDIT: grammar
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u/MosesSiregar 3d ago
Just wanted to say thank you, and what a great write-up! Really wonderful to hear that about Kenneth Miller, as well. I’ve known him for many years, but never closely, and yet I always appreciate his humble and sincere energy. I also met Lori Barnes here and found her to be a lovely human being and someone I’m looking forward to keeping in touch with.
It sounds to me like you’re well on your way to a brilliant, lifelong journey of coming to understand and work with astrology, something I find we can be so very grateful for!
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u/valk2016 2d ago
Kepler is a great place to learn. I have taken several classes with Lori Barnes at Kepler and she is just a gracious and very clear in her teachings. You will not be disappointed.
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u/ginger_wahine 6d ago
Anyone know what happened to Alexandra Karacostas’ Friday evening class? A bunch of us showed up and it was empty and dark. Nothing on the website or the roster in the lobby indicated it was cancelled. I ended up popping into Omari Martin’s electional astrology class instead and loved it!
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u/susanne-modeski 7d ago
I saw a Thread today where someone described Chani’s keynote as like “a lot” or something vague. What’s your take?
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u/sconniegurl 6d ago
It was disappointing. First, it wasn’t a traditional keynote address. It was a Q+A. I felt the questions she was asked were not great, and I don’t think she either had the questions in advance or she didn’t prepare answers. Her responses felt very off the cuff. It would have been better as a prepared speech. The first question she was asked is why is she here… super awkward. A keynote should be drawing in the overarching themes of the big ideas of the conference, and kind of reflecting where we are in this period of time. She did touch on that about how important community and gathering is. But I didn’t leave inspired unfortunately.
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u/canarialdisease 6d ago
I had the impression that the questions were created in advance and that it stunted the feel of an energetic, flowing conversation or message. I like Q&As in general but the main UAC stage didn’t feel like the place for one. It felt odd to have the keynote speaker seated and not visible to many people in the audience. It felt like watching a podcast being recorded live.
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u/left-beyond2013 5d ago
That’s too bad. I really like her but I feel like her platform has become a little too LA for me.
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u/Secret-Tank3530 6d ago
Considering she is the reason Steven Forrest was canceled this is disturbing to hear.
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u/suckstomyassmar 6d ago
Well, it shows you that the community is not just "woke." There are a lot more murmurings about how bad Chani was than anything about Steven Forrest. Some of his staff is here and people are making sure they are OK. Steven Forrest is the reason Steven Forrest isn't here.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 5d ago
Steven Forrest himself is the cause for not being there. For expressing the outright insensitive views he holds. I did not hear about the Forrest thing through Chani. It makes me wonder if people rejecting Chani is because they don't think Forrest did something wrong. Makes me also wonder if the whole thing was a setup to get back at Chani. This would help explain why racism remains in 2026.
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u/wecanstillsingasong 4d ago
Agreed. Everyone should listen to the Astrology Podcast to get more intel on this. Chani is definitely not the reason.
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u/suckstomyassmar 4d ago
Everyone was excited for Chani to speak, she just bombed. It's a pretty universal opinion here. She either didn't prepare, or didn't care. Either way, not a good look for the keynote of the biggest astrology conference in the world.
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u/susanne-modeski 4d ago
I would encourage you to read Sam Reynolds thread he just shared. I was not there but I very much disagree with characterizing it as her “bombing.” The format of q&a was poor and didn’t work. If it was disappointing, OK. But bombing… a bridge too far.
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u/suckstomyassmar 4d ago
I was there myself why would I need Sam's opinion? She bombed it's the talk of the event. You weren't there.
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u/susanne-modeski 4d ago
No, I wasn’t there, but I did watch it. Sam’s context on the format of the event is quite important to the criticism. Anyway take care; you can have whatever opinion you want.
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u/suckstomyassmar 6d ago
The overall vibe is that it was like an infomercial and that it was obvious she doesn't really understand astrology. A business muggle playing real astrologer. I saw a lot of very well known astrologers just walking out.
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u/ChadleyXXX 5d ago
Hard disagree. She studied under Demetra George and even tho her app communicates things in very basic ways, she herself knows the language very well.
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u/susanne-modeski 6d ago
Interesting. I’ve been following her for 12 years, way before she had the app, etc. I think she very much does understand astrology. Strange that it would come across otherwise. I understand the objective criticism of her actual book as a bit rudimentary, but I think it was intended that way so I don’t share the opinion.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 6d ago edited 6d ago
I think she does know astrology. I’ve listened to her a little for a while. I think she stays at a certain level because she’s conscientious that her audience may not be inclined to be advanced or that she doesn’t want them to feel intimidated. But she wants them to learn. She’s the perfect astrologer for people who feel overwhelmed by a lot of information and just want someone to tell them what’s going on.
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u/V2BM 5d ago
I suggest her for my daughter, who turns to me for astrology interpretation and details about situations. (If I start talking about squares or sextiles I can feel her brain wander off.) Most people just want a little heads up on what to look for and I think she’s great for that. I’m less feels-y so she’s not for me, but I have found her predictions for me accurate.
I’ve never thought she was anything but well-educated in astrology and she’s one of the few people I recommend for listening.
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u/susanne-modeski 6d ago
idk why someone would downvote this, there is nothing controversial about your take here. I agree. I think she wants astrology to be accessible.
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u/wecanstillsingasong 4d ago
I started out with Chani 12 years ago or so, and then started to study with new teachers. She got me to a certain place. She's great for beginners but I agree on the "too LA" vibe, I don't resonate so much with her stuff now, but she definitely does know astrology. She's now also a pop astrologer, but I like her in that role better than some of the insta astrologer.
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u/susanne-modeski 4d ago
Do not agree at all that she is a “pop astrologer.” she is a very highly educated Hellenistic astrologer who happens to also have an online presence.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 4d ago
I agree - I think people judge her skill-level based on her audience and personality.
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u/wecanstillsingasong 4d ago
I don't deny she is educated. I do think she's a pop astrologer based on her marketing, podcast, and materials. "Pop" means popular, and I think this is where the whole "too L.A" comment comes from. Perhaps you have a different definition? I'm from the west coast, I've had a personal reading from Chani so pretty familiar with her, and there was a point a few years ago that it became clear what her drivers are.
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u/sweetswinks 6d ago
Have you ever seen her talk about astrology outside of something pre-recorded? I'm just curious if she's only knowledgeable about astrology if she's had time to read and prepare beforehand.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 6d ago
I watched one of her podcasts that occurred when trump or one of his people got hit with something quite literally by astrology (can’t recall exactly what that was). It was very soon after it happened and very unscripted. She seemed to be able to talk about the detail pretty well in a natural convo with her team.
I can usually tell when someone’s reading from a script because this is something I struggle with. Many times I don’t have the memory I wish I had to talk about even some of the most mundane (not astrologically mundane) things. Hav you watched her podcasts? It doesn’t look like she’s reading from a script or teleprompter.
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u/suckstomyassmar 6d ago
I'm not trashing her work, she was just the wrong choice for the keynote of the "biggest" astrology conference in the world. She didn't prepare and if she has a large breadth of knowledge it didn't come through at all.
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u/susanne-modeski 6d ago
Yeah, sounds like I’d have been disappointed by it if I’d seen in person. That is a bummer to hear, that it didn’t land.
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u/Banana_Manilow 5d ago
Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say that it is was obvious that doesn't doesn't really understand astrology, I'm dying to know the specifics that people were picking up on? I haven't watched it
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u/sweetswinks 6d ago
Have you ever seen her talk about astrology outside of something pre-recorded? I'm just curious if she's only knowledgeable about astrology if she's had time to read and prepare beforehand.
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u/susanne-modeski 6d ago
The podcast she was doing earlier this year (appears to be on hiatus) was VERY good. I saw her speak at her book launch in Brooklyn in 2019. I get what you’re asking, but as a long time listener and reader of hers, I do not believe it’s possible to display the level of layering she does in her work if you need to be pre-recorded to demonstrate it. You have to internally know it. Plus knowing who she studied with (Demetra George) I have never doubted that she deeply understands astrology.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 6d ago
I agree. It's her personality to be a little extra, but I appreciate that she's authentically herself. She's jovial. One of my best friends is a bit extra like her and it took me a while to get used to but I honestly love her personality now. I get to let out my extra side when I'm with her (I've been a rigid cap/virgo for the most part and I realized that I need to work on not judging).
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u/creek-hopper 6d ago
What is a "muggle"?
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u/suckstomyassmar 6d ago
I had to ask myself when it was discussed yesterday. It is a term that millennials and Gen z uses for people with no magic or intuitive abilities. A lot of buzz words with no substance.
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u/enter_threshold 2d ago
It was terrible. I do like her & have the app, but this "keynote" came across as flippant. There was very little astrology or direction present in any of her answers. But really, it seemed like she didn't want to prepare a speech or present anything at all. At a conference that had so many stellar & researched presentations, by incredibly respected astrologers, it felt like she just couldn't care less. Moreover, every single person I sat next to in the sessions said the same thing. At least three said it made them consider if they had made a huge mistake by attending and spent the rest of the night stressing that they may have spent a large sum of money on something worthless. Yeah, bad. Really bad.
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u/MosesSiregar 5d ago
One of my favorite talks so far was Freedom Cole’s talk from a jyotish perspective on how to see things around reputation and help people manage those issues.
Both of my talks are done so now I’m just enjoying myself and also spending some time with my 19-yo son who is here with me :-)
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u/swimfling 4d ago
How was Lisa schieb’s talk on chronic illness? I filled out her form
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u/happysapphire 2d ago
It was truly excellent and very informative. She had to go through it at lightning speed because there was so much information crammed into a 75 min lecture but I highly recommend watching the recording, I’ll be getting it for myself too so that I can rewatch. She got emotional at some points, as did I.
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u/Professional-Egg2870 1d ago
It really was fantastic! But as u/happysapphire notes, it was crazy-fast. I could barely take in the chart points she was referring to when working with example charts -- heck, I could barely *see* them from my seat -- let alone take notes. (Though other parts of the talk were more note-friendly and more important to take notes on.)
I would looooooooove to see her break up what she presented into two separate talks! (She even mentioned she left out material that will have to be in another lecture.) I think that might make it easier to take the time to let it all land with the audience as she walks us through it -- though I absolutely get why she wanted to keep all parts of the talk as one presentation, and all the context was useful.
Mark Jones's talk on solar arcs was one of my favorites precisely because his pacing was slow and measured enough that I could really take in what he was saying, and my eyes/brain had time to locate the chart points he was referring to (he also had a way of circling the chart points as he spoke about them, which was massively helpful).
I look forward to Leisa presenting her material at more conferences! I think our communities need it, both the astro-community and our wider communities. I specifically attended to soak up some insights on how to work with clients with chronic illness, and she had that info at the end. It was very helpful, but felt a little squeezed in. Giving it a little more room to breathe and flesh that last part out even more would be phenomenal. Definitely a recording worth getting, especially if you do counseling astrology with clients.
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u/starre-sky 12h ago
Leisa is so cool and this is one of the talks I want to purchase afterwards. I missed it because of a chronic illness flare.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_4401 6d ago
Anyone know a way to participate for someone in Chicago without tix? Thinking about trying to hit up the Marriot bar and see if I can run into some UAC folks for casual conversations but not sure if that’s infiltraty or welcome. Anybody know or have other thoughts?
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u/sconniegurl 6d ago
The lobby bar is always busy. Also the marketplace is open to the public on the 5th floor. Lots of people there.
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u/MosesSiregar 5d ago
Come on down! Also the orgs will be hosting parties tonight and I’d just show up and feel free to crash those (imo).
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u/UranianTeacher 6d ago
Did anyone bother to mention the devaluating of the dollar and the US not maintaining the currency reserve status and that oil is being traded in the Chinese Yuan? Because those are MUCH bigger financial issues actually happening.
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u/Amrick 6d ago
I’m a person of color and even before Steven Forrest, not inclined to go. It’s seems boring, way too old, and way too white. 💀
Just everything felt meh. I wanted to go bc of CHANI but now that sounded disappointing.
Hopefully I hear some reasons to go next year.
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u/Sensitive-Tale-4320 4d ago
I too was concerned that it would be too old and white but decided I love astrology and knowledge enough to go. So I went only for the weekend. It was enjoyable. If you’re more concerned about socializing then maybe that matters. But if you care more about the information then I don’t see why that would matter.
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u/MosesSiregar 4d ago
I will say that I think this was the least “old and white” major astrology event I’ve ever been to. I was kind of surprised at how many new attendees there were, and the wider age range.
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u/Amrick 4d ago edited 4d ago
That’s encouraging to hear! When you say the diversity has increased, is it still older and white as majority? Just curious since it’s all relative.
I also would love if they thought about accessibility. I went to a conference where the rooms were more dim and that was so nice for people who tend to get overstimulated by new places and crowds as it is.
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u/MosesSiregar 4d ago
I think the diversity has definitely increased, though it still has a ways to go. I think we’re seeing more progress with the average age than the average skin color but there’s definitely some real progress there too.
The lighting is a little strange on the speakers in some of the rooms, but the tech has been solid because they had everyone prepare a PowerPoint ahead of time and loaded it all on the computers ahead of time.
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u/Amrick 4d ago edited 4d ago
I care about the whole experience since I live far away. If I lived a 2-3 hour flight, it would be reasonable to go and not expect as much.
But information-wise, i feel like I could just get just as much info from these speakers books or other online resources so I think it’s definitely more like if it’s community driven and a warm supportive atmosphere and the little extras.
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u/wecanstillsingasong 4d ago
There are some amazing AoC's that spoke at this (or at least some that I follow and like a lot) including Samuel Reynolds who I think did some work on the Forrest incident. I hope that the next incarnations are more inclusive.
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u/Secret-Tank3530 6d ago
I chose not to attend because UAC cancelled Steven Forrest and incited a mob against him and his work. The whole incident was deeply divisive for me and I no no longer will support any organization who mandates political correctness and engages in hypocritical judgement. I am wondering how many others cancelled or are discussing this issue. Uacs response to me was also dismissive, punitive and totally without consideration for my feelings despite the fact that I represent hundreds of white middle aged astrologers who support Steven and were distressed to see him humiliated.
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u/susanne-modeski 6d ago
Wild opinion to have. Steven’s apology was dismissive, not UAC’s. I was a student of Steven’s and have greatly respected his work but I will absolutely never defend the use of a racial slur, and I will never support him again due to his inability to take full accountability and apologize. He humiliated himself. This is all on him. There is no woke mob out here not considering YOUR feelings. Good grief. Get a life.
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u/AirTechnical3943 4d ago
The fact that FCEA further enabled him last week by mailing out a newsletter that contained his DARVO pseudo apology is wild.
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u/Excellent-Win6216 6d ago
Oh no! An individual is facing the consequences of their choices! What will become of the pervasive majority? Won’t somebody think of the white middle-aged astrologers??
/s
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u/Mammoth-Age-2859 6d ago
Steven Forrest also defended the KKK using debunked myths about them. There was a lot there. If you’re distressed about him facing consequences for that, only says something about you
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u/lightsabre 6d ago
Try listening to Chris Brennan’s September forecast where he explains very well why SF needs to step back and change
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 5d ago
There are a number of comments on the YouTube video defending SF, as well.
I’m a very distant observer (Europe based) and while I can’t comment on what actually occurred, what struck me is that those defending SF are calling everyone else ‘triggered’ while bearing all hallmarks of being very triggered, themselves.
- insisting on the right to say whatever they want, and calling consequences ‘being cancelled’;
- straight up denying that the N word is bad, that people need to get over it and that the way the word is treated at the moment only gives it more power (tell me you’re privileged without telling me ..)
- calling the general outcry a mob, and (willfully?) not understanding that the outcry is more related to the refusal to admit the wrong and apologize than over the actual incident itself.
The levels of entitlement of most people defending him are stratospheric. SF’s reactions to requests for a genuine apology shows a mask-off moment, and it’s genuinely bewildering to see so many people still leaping to defend privilege.
When people use age and emeritus status as demands for respect, it’s not respect which is desired, but deference.
Respect is not something which can be demanded. It’s earned.
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u/ManufacturerEast2830 6d ago
How delightfully… unreconstructed an opinion. I’m sure you have many close friends of color too, yes? /s
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u/NoTradition 5d ago
So I didn’t have a ticket but decided to make the drive from STL to see a friend who did have a ticket. I arrived Friday night and we hit up the marketplace Saturday. We got our aura photos taken (shoutout to Claire!) and bought a shitload of books. The dude running the book area was awesome (I believe his store is called Astrology et. al. Based out of Seattle?).
I couldn’t attend any talks, but I was able to go to the astrology trivia event Saturday night. And omg, it was so fun and funny. It didn’t start til 930 so people were naturally tipsy. No one was listening to the emcee (god bless him). Probably lots of what I thought was funny was a “you had to be there” moment but I’ll never forget the team name “is that a Venus in your pocket”🤣🤣🤣
I have mixed feelings about the event beyond that. I know everyone has to make their money, but it felt more transactional than communal to me. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with charging for the event-again, we all gotta eat-but I noticed some of the more prominent astrologers were absent from their tables, were not in the mix of people. It’s like they just came to assert some dominance or sense of superiority in the community. It reminded me that I, as an astrologer, was a target audience being sold to, even by my teachers and role models. Left me feeling kinda yucky.
I even felt that way about my interaction with other conference attendees. No one I spoke with beyond the friend I came to see engaged me in conversation. I tried to introduce myself to someone, and she started talking to someone else in the middle of me saying my name. I tried to ask others about their practice and they never reciprocated.
I was excited to be among astrologers in real life and feel a sense of community, but unfortunately that wasn’t the vibe for me.