Town Hall Meeting on Self-Governance for TDB Re: No Mods or Sean Currently
I'm calling a town meeting right now to highlight the issue of self-governance now that we are in a state of total anarchy without mods to enforce rules, or any rules whatsoever at this point.
There are issues going on with people derailing threads and spamming them to suit their agenda.
This is a fine example and was Sean's last moderation, but there were no punitive measures taken.
There are plenty of other threads here that I need not bring up because it's not hard to find a topic title and find people deviating from it and forcing an agenda completely unrelated.
Two arguments that I hear often are "Just ignore them or use the ignore function" and "Be spiritual and tolerate", but the problems with those two approaches are 1) they normalize bad behavior, 2) they distract and detract from the discussion (especially for those not logged in who don't have the ability to use the ignore function that members do), 3) it makes every thread a bait-and-switch because a random search for a topic that was once Mr. Rogers and spirituality for example becomes laden with conspiracies involving the CIA and someone declaring his own authority as a Christian and educator, 4) for members who come here to talk about cultivation or philosophy, history, or relevant issues, it's like tuning in to watch Mad Men and trolls coming in to change the channel to watch Fox News and spammers making you watch infomercials instead.
Obviously, we do not have the ability to suspend or ban and remove or hide threads and posts.
But behavior such as threats (several members have sent out very obvious public and private threats) also accompanies this unmoderated dialogue. So while some may argue to tolerate it or get out, this means "Accept spamming and trolling, accept threats and abuse".
I also believe in exceptions, such as this and this, where we are dealing with potential dangers to other members on the forum. On the one hand, the topic is deviating from what was posted in these two examples, on the other hand, why let seeds of what is harmful be planted and even allowed to grow and take root when we can stop it from even happening?
Some may say that this is an eclectic community and we are not a VIP club or elite group, but then there runs the issue that runs with playing with qi and how misinformation and disinformation can seriously harm complete neophytes trying to avoid spending money on teachers or who just don't have access to quality teachers and lineages at all, and the sad fact is, many are coming for power and techniques. These can ultimately cause harm to people and to the forum community as a whole.
I've come to a point where I had to take a two-week stress leave because it was becoming too much, and while I am not proud of my behavior with personal insults and getting angry (to put it mildly...), I do believe that it is understandable given the fact that a simple thing like having a discussion on topic without having to worry about spamming, trolling, seeing misinformation and disinformation, or being threatened, should be here.
I propose discussing what we can do collectively without moderation privileges to enforce rules and without resorting to mob mentality to create some sense of balance and order here rather than chaotic unrest, the bad chaos, as opposed to primordial chaos and true creativity.
So, talk amongst yourselves.
8. Show us how to communicate the importance of proper lineage to those who are not interested in it, specifically the self-initiates. Hermit Queen of Swords Off with their heads ! Or, has she just removed the head if the patriarchy ? BUT ... se represents the watery part of air and its .... " power of transmission " The character, excellent in itself, cannot support interference. Foresight and prudence, care in preparation of action, are a safeguard (line i.) Advantage is to be won, moreover, by reliance on help from apparently unsuitable comrades (lines 2 and 5). This alien strength often supplies the defeat of inherent weakness, and may even create definite superiority to circumstance (line 4). In such an event, there may be temptation to undertake rash adventures, foredoomed to failure. But even so, no blame is incurred (line 6); the conditions of True Will have been satisfied, and the issue is compensated by the feeling that the right (however unfortunate) course has been adopted. 9. Show us what those focused on getting along need to know about lineage. Ace of Cups .... a secret and original form of an elemental energy . It is the Yoni and Moon to the Ace of wands lingam and Sun . Ether becomes water. The dove descends into the cup and consecrates the element . 10. Show us what those focused on proper lineage and teaching need to know about eclecticism. 5 Wands . 'Strife' The symbol represents the wand of the Chief Adept, showing that the authority is derived from the superiors; 11. Show us what is important for everyone to know and understand that they don’t know they don’t understand about the need for integrity of training. AEON - new formations ... everything is different now in the world in which we operate The time for the birth of an Aeon seems to be indicated by great concentration of political power with the accompanying im provements in the means of travel and communication, with a general advance in philosophy and science, with a general need of consolida tion in religious thought. ... It is a thought far from comforting to the present generation, that 500 years of Dark Ages are likely to be upon us. But, if the analogy holds, that is the case. Fortunately, to-day we have brighter torches and more torch- bearers. 12. Show us the same about self-initiation. Hanged Man. 13. Show us what is important to know about the forum that we aren't aware of. Knight of Discs .... slow and steady trudging at times - but he gets there . He rides through the fertile land; even the distant hills are cultivated fields. Those whom he symbolizes tend to be dull, heavy and pre- p.165 occupied with material things. They are laborious and patient, but would have little intellectual grasp even of matters which concern them most closely. Their success in these is due to instinct, to imita tion of Nature. They lack initiative; their fire is the smouldering fire of the process of growth. If ill-dignified, these people are hopelessly stupid, slavish, quite incapable of foresight even in their own affairs, or of taking an intelli gent interest in anything outside them. They are churlish, surly, and jealous (in a dull sort of way) of what they instinctively realize is the superior state of others; but they have not the courage or intelligence to better themselves. Yet they are always irritably meddling about petty matters; they interfere with, and inevitably spoil, whatever comes their way. 14. Show us what is helpful to begin a dialogue to talk about it right now (based off of answer to 13). 10 Cups This card represents a conflicting element. On the one hand, it receives the influence of the Ten, Malkah the Virgin. The arrange ment of the cups is that of the Tree of Life. But, on the other hand, they are themselves unstable. They are tilted; they spill the water from the great Lotus which overhangs the whole system from one into the other. The work proper to water is complete: and disturbance is due. This comes from the influence of Mars in Pisces. Mars is the gross, violent and disruptive force which inevitably attacks every supposed perfection. His energy displays the greatest possible con trast with that of Pisces, which is both peaceful and spiritualized. 15. What is the #1 thing that TDB needs now? Hexagram card 16. If there is something that we need to be asking that we all want to ask but don't know the words or what it is, show us what the question is and what the answer is. Lovers 17. Anything else the MTLs want us to know before we close? 2 Cups ' love '
