I'll Follow You Anywhere ~ he whispered

 

As the old saying goes... You can follow me too, all over the ding dang internet.  And this isn't everything.  I'm trying to gather myself up and take inventory of what's still out there.  I was met with a surprise when "Amythyst Raine" brought up a lady offering readings on Facebook, not me, but I didn't report the page.  I also discovered a couple pirating websites where you could get "free" downloads of my books and a thousand more books, totally illegal.  I use to report these to my publisher, but there's just way too many out there, can't keep up.  I'll probably be adding to this list as I find more pages and platforms that I've totally forgotten about.  I should have done this a long time ago.

BOOKS @ Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Amythyst-Raine/e/B004NMWMX4
BOOKS @ Weebly:

https://thewitchscorner.weebly.com/
The Witch's Corner:
http://amythystraine.blogspot.com
The Tarot Parlour:
http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com
Every Cat Has a Tale:
http://everycathasatale.blogspot.com
Magickal Connections:
http://wytchymystique.com
The Mystic Crone:
https://bristolwicks.blogspot.com/
Spirits n' Stuff:
https://spiritsnstuff.blogspot.com/
Youtube: Phoenix Rising
https://www.youtube.com/c/Amythyst
Raine
Youtube: The Mystic Crone
https://www.youtube.com/@mysticcrone5761
Youtube: Spirits n' Stuff
https://www.youtube.com/@spiritsnstuff
Tumblr: The Enchanted Cottage
https://amythystraine.tumblr.com/
Tumblr: The Mystic Crone
https://www.tumblr.com/mysticcrone5761
Tumblr: Spirits n' Stuff
https://www.tumblr.com/spiritsnstuff
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/amythyst_raine/
Pintrest:
https://www.pinterest.com/LongMountain57/_saved/

Other sites:

The Goddess Grove:

https://thegoddessgrove.weebly.com/

AboutMe:

https://about.me/amythystraine

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4611763.Amythyst_Raine

LiveJournal:

https://lady-amythyst.livejournal.com/

I've also deleted websites, blogs, or a promotional page from Bravenet (boy, was this old, back in the day); Typepad; Wix; two other sites at Yola; Simple Site; Webs (this is where the original Witch's Corner was birthed); Website Builder; Spruz; Zazzle (where I created all kinds of products under The Witch's Corner logo).

I think this is it, but I'm not 100% sure.

Algorithm Anxiety ~ Stop worrying about the algorithnm

 

The internet has changed drastically over the last few years.  In the early days, it felt busy and exciting, and you felt very connected with all of these new people who suddenly appeared from all over the world.  We were all united on a journey within this fabulous new tool called the internet.  There was so much interaction.  It was so easy to promote your book, or your latest YouTube video, or posts on your social sites.  It was so easy to make new friends, to share experiences, to develop creative relationships.  It was FUN.

Then along came the algorithm.

Eveything changed.  The new world created within the internet felt like it was rapidly shrinking, it was being constricted.  Contact became more and more minimal, as though some invisible hand had come down to intervene between our connections.  It suddenly became taboo to talk about your new book, or a video, or a blog post, or a website.  They began calling it "self-promotion" and it was prohibited on more and more social media groups, social sites, and networks.  And then came the age of "paid promotion".  Give us your dollar and we'll spread your image and your opinions and your products and your services to a select few.

And always, lurking in the shadows was the algorithm, like some jealous and destructive aquaintance who wanted to confine your internet experience to your own computer.  We were cut off from all the people, and experiences, and social sites, and networks that we had enthusiastically built and cultivated and breathed to life.

This week I made a concious decision to stop worrying about the algorithm.  I have come to terms with the new reality of the internet and to understand that I cannot control it, but better yet, I will not allow it to control me.

I will write books because there is something I need to say, or proclaim, or reveal.  I will write books because I love writing, and I love holding the finished product in my hand, warmed by the sense of accomplishment.  I will continue to create videos because I derive pleasure in the process, and I derive satisfaction at viewing the completed project.  I will continue blogging because my blog is as personal and dear to me as a physcial leather-bound, weathered, and tattered old journal.  I will step back from social sites and networks that feed me algorithmic posts and steal my time and attention.

I will stop worrying about the algorithm and enter the internet world on my own terms, in my own way, defining who I am, what I enjoy, and how I choose to interact with the world at large and people near and dear to me.  Within our blogs and videos and books and social connections, I will reclaim what I enjoy and love and watch and interact with.  

~ Amythyst

Algorithmic Anxiety is a real thing:

"Algorithm anxiety" refers to the feeling of unease or discomfort that arises from the perception that one's life or actions are being judged or controlled by opaque algorithms, often associated with online platforms where the decision-making process behind how content is presented or users are targeted is not fully understood by the individual; essentially, a fear of being negatively impacted by mysterious algorithmic systems.

Lack of transparency:

A major contributor to algorithm anxiety is the lack of clarity regarding how algorithms operate, making it difficult to understand why certain outcomes occur.

Social media impact:

Many people experience this anxiety on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, worrying about how the algorithm might affect their visibility or engagement with their content.

Fear of control:

The feeling that an algorithm is making decisions that significantly impact one's life, without their full understanding or agency, can lead to anxiety.

The Age of Algorithmic Anxiety by Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker

Do You Suffer from Algorithmic Anxiety? by Jay Clouse, LinkedIn

The Echoes of Algorithm and Anxiety  by Universiteit Lieden

I Deactivated My FB Page

 

Yep, I did it.  It was about time.  Ever since the birth of the algorithm, even though I had thousands of people on my friends list, I think three of them saw my posts (sarcasm, kind of).  True.  I had been reading about "shadow banning" on YouTube, Facebook, and a couple other platforms, and I wanted to see if this is what happened to my FB profile, so I logged into my other profile (come on, we all have one), and even though I was on MY OWN FRIENDS LIST, I saw virtually nothing -- no posts --  when I went to view my main profile.  I thought, boy this is odd, I'm my own friend, but I see virtually nothing.  I'm thinking this must mean that other people on my friends list see virtually nothing as well.

I think I figured out why.

I've been promoting my books on FB for years, literally YEARS, and I got a nice bit of back and forth, responses, comments, and the like, until FB started charging you to "run ads", to pay for "sponsored" ads, and I've seen quite a few of these ads come through my feed from other authors.  But, hey, I don't make enough money off of anything to pay for promotion, and I'm not really sure how much I trust their spiel:  "If you pay us $50 for an ad, it will be shown to 3000 people".  No, I don't believe it.

So, there you go.  

I have a private page now, consisting of family, a handful of people I know from The Real World, and a few internet friends I've had for years that I've become very fond of -- and I have a few more of these people that I need to reconnect with.  Less than 30 people so far, and it feels much more cozy than 4000 people who were mostly total strangers.

I do want to say that with my private page I have now, I did take the opportunity to create three new public pages at Facebook, and I'm going to give you the links to those pages here.

The Mystic Crone
click HERE

I began this page with a few posts which include episodes #30 to #37.  From now on, when I post on The Mystic Crone Blog and The Mystic Crone YouTube, I'll make sure that I post the latest podcast on this Facebook page.  Let it be known that there are a slew of podcasts @ this YouTube, if you haven't checked them out, and as we say -- spiritual readings are Timeless.

You'll find mystical readings inspired by Spirit using the tarot.  

They say that once you reach a certain age you become invisible, and to an extent, that's true. However, with age and invisibility comes a certain sense of power.

"Reclaim your power, O' ancient one.

Walk the paths of your ancestors,

communicate with the spirit world,

and challenge the shadows.

The universe will be still to hear

your whispered words of wisdom."

~ Mystic Crone

Spirits n' Stuff

click HERE

I have 22 podcasts uploaded to my Spirits n' Stuff YouTube, and I managed to post all of these to this new Facebook page.  I will certainly try to post new podcasts, as they're created, to this page as well.  You can subscribe to this YouTube channel to be notified when I upload a new video.

Spirits n' Stuff explores the world of spiritualism, the supernatural, the paranormal, cryptids, myths and legends, hauntings, and the unknown.

BOOKS by Amythyst Raine

click HERE

At this Facebook page, I've created ten posts, a post for each book, including info from the back cover text, a banner created for each book, and in the comments you'll find a link to purchase each book at Amazon.  I won't be creating anymore posts on this page.  Basically, you'll find my books here with the info you need to browse & purchase.

Amythyst Raine is a Best-Selling author of metaphysical books on tarot and intuitive reading, witchcraft, Wicca, paganism, women's mysteries, new-age spirituality, the pagan Goddess, gray magic, and green witchcraft.

There you have it, my new experience and journey on Facebook, going forward.  I would be absolutely thrilled if you visited these pages and click the like or follow button, feel free to leave comments, watch podcasts, buy books, or enjoy an intuitive inspiring spiritual reading.

Episode #37 -- Audio Version, silence is golden

 

The Mystic Crone Blog

The Mystic Crone @ Tumblr

The Mystic Crone @ YouTube