Social media for tarot readers shouldn't feel like pulling the Tower card every time you open the app. Here's why BlueSky might be the platform you've been waiting for, and how to make it work for you.
Whether you're new to BlueSky or you've been here since the beta days, building a positive social media presence shouldn't feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. This guide brings together everything I've learned about making BlueSky work since I opened my account - from basic account setup through to those hidden features that even long-time users often miss. You'll find practical advice on keeping your space pleasant, building meaningful connections, and making the platform work for you rather than the other way around.
Why I've Chosen BlueSky as My Social Media Home
After deleting my Twitter (I have no shame in dead-naming it) account the moment Musk took it over, and dabbling with Meta's Threads for a short while, my choice to make BlueSky my primary platform wasn't just about algorithms or engagement metrics - though those certainly played a part. It came down to something more fundamental: responsibility. When major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads removed their fact-checking systems and relaxed their stance on hate speech, they made a clear statement about their priorities.
As someone who exists at the place where mental health, tarot and spirituality intersect, I believe in creating genuinely safe spaces. Not the sort of "safe space" that exists only in marketing materials, but one where people of all backgrounds can truly feel welcome. I can't truly claim my social media is a safe space free from judgement regardless of race, religion, sexuality or neurotype if the platform itself condones hate-speech, misinformation and judgement against marginalised communities. Currently, Bluesky's content moderation policies are very clear that this behavior is not acceptable, and in my experience, they have been quite proactive about enforcing these policies.
There's also the practical matter of sharing content. Most of my readers find these articles through social media, but platforms like Twitter and Meta's suite actively suppress external links. When I was actively using Threads, my website stats can tell you almost down to the day when they made this change to the algorithm - the traffic to my site dropped like a lead balloon. Why should I give my time and energy to a platform that doesn't give back to me? It's a bit like trying to have a conversation while someone keeps putting their hand over your mouth. BlueSky's chronological feed means every post has the same chance of being seen, whether it's a casual thought or a link to a full article.
The BlueSky open API offers some particularly satisfying possibilities too. Comments on my blog posts now flow directly from BlueSky discussions, and readers can see real-time engagement stats right on the article page. It creates a proper conversation between the blog and social media, rather than forcing them to exist in separate boxes.
What Makes BlueSky Different
The key distinction between BlueSky and platforms like Twitter or Threads lies in its decentralized nature. Think of it like the difference between a monarchy and a democracy - instead of one company controlling everything, the power is distributed. BlueSky itself says that it's not a platform, but a protocol - just like you can use any email client to send and recieve emails and everything magically works, you can have any number of apps and websites interacting with the BlueSky protocol.
But what does this actually mean for you, a tarot reader looking for community?
- No algorithmic suppression of external links or spiritual content
Twitter actively promotes content that aligns with Musk's views, and Threads/Facebook also prioritize certain types of content and views - The ability to create and choose your own content filters
Want a feed of just cats? You got it. Prefer to see only posts that are popular with people you follow? No Problem. You get to choose the content you want to see, rather than the algorithm deciding for you. - Ownership of your content and following If BlueSky changes the interface or their policies in a way you don't agree with, you can take your username, content and followers to another server on the network.
The Ethical Angle
While Twitter and Meta's platforms boast larger user bases, their practices raise serious ethical concerns that go beyond mere technical choices:
- The systematic suppression of external links forces users to keep content within their walled gardens, reducing the open nature of the internet to a series of corporate fiefdoms
- Their algorithms actively boost content that creates outrage and division, while quietly burying posts that promote understanding and nuanced discussion
- The removal of fact-checkers and content moderators sends a clear message about their priorities - and it isn't truth or user safety
- Their political donations support authoritarian regimes and policies that directly harm many of the communities I serve
BlueSky takes a different approach. When content violates their terms of service - whether it's hate speech, harassment, or deliberate misinformation - their moderation team responds promptly and effectively. They may not always be perfect, but they're consistently working to create a platform where genuine discussion can flourish without drowning in artificial outrage or orchestrated harassment campaigns.
Setting Up Your Space
Setting up your account is straightforward, but a few thoughtful choices at the start will make your experience much more enjoyable:
Handles and Identity
Your BlueSky handle automatically ends in .bsky.social (think of it as your digital postcode). If you own a domain name, you can use that instead - It's like having your own house name rather than a flat number. This serves as a simple way to verify your identity without the fuss (or expense, in the case of Twitter) of traditional verification systems.
Curating Your Experience
Since there's no algorithm choosing content for you, creating a satisfying feed takes a little bit more intention. Think of it like tending a garden rather than having a mysterious landscaper show up at night:
- Follow accounts selectively
- each one you follow will appear in your main feed, so choose ones you're genuinely interested in seeing regularly. Before following back:- Check their profile
A completed bio suggests someone investing in the platform rather than a drive-by account - Review their post history
Be wary of accounts that only repost without adding original content - Look at their engagement patterns
(You can see their replies under a seperate tab from their profile). Are they participating in conversations, or just broadcasting?
- Check their profile
- Subscribe to specialised feeds that match your interests
- TarotSky
This is the main Tarot-related feed in BlueSky, and collects all posts tagged with #TarotSky. - TarotTalk
This is an additional feed I made that filters most of the Card of the Day/Pick a Card type posts. To post to it, use the #TarotSky as normal, but it will also show posts tagged with #Tarot and #TarotTalk. - WitchSky
Not tarot-related, but I'm including here since there's a large intersection between the Tarot and Witch communities.
Note: If you tag a post with both #TarotSky and #WitchSky, it will only appear in the #TarotSky feed.
- TarotSky
- Make a habit of checking your different feed subscriptions - they won't automatically mix into your main 'Discover' feed.
Keeping the Your Space Pleasant
BlueSky offers robust tools for maintaining a positive environment, with blocking being your first line of defense.
Using the Block Function
Don't hesitate to block accounts that make you uncomfortable. This includes:
- Obvious bots and spam accounts
- Users who bring hostile energy to your posts
- Anyone whose presence would make your followers feel unsafe
- Accounts spreading misinformation or engaging in harassment
The beauty of blocking on BlueSky is its thoroughness - blocked users can't see your posts or interact with your content in any way. It's a true "block" rather than a "mute".
It's worth mentioning here that in an effort to negatively impact the user experience of BlueSky users, several botfarms have sprung up that use chatGPT to argue and negatively impact otherwise civil discourse. These accounts might seem real from a cursory glance at their profile, but usually give themselves away when looking at the replies tab: they will invariably only consist of negative and argumentative replies. Don't hesitate to block these type of accounts - you're not only saving yourself from having to waste time and energy dealing with them, but your followers as well.
Block/Moderation Lists
These are community-curated collections of problematic accounts. When you subscribe to a block list, you automatically block all accounts on that list. These are ones that I've personally subscribed to that keep my feed positive and free of bots:
- Pornbots
- Porn Accounts
- Coordinated Inauthentic Accounts
Accounts that engage in inauthentic coordinated activity. Clusters of accounts on this list behave in near-identical ways to one another. - RMVE/IMVE
Accounts that advocate for or support racially, ethnically, or ideologically motivated extremism. - One Blocklist of MAGAs to Rule Them All
- ZAP EM
MAGA -Trolls - Spammers - Bots - Crypto trolls - Bigots - Mavis Ads. - Fully Automated Luxury Reply Guys
Applied to accounts which engage in seemingly polite but disruptive "I wish to politely disagree" reply spam. These are often automated accounts using ChatGPT to cause disruption without appearing to be trolling. - Trolls
Label for posts and accounts which spam users with off-topic replies, engage in troll like behavior, or which engage in concern trolling. Also applied to accounts whose bio contains several terms that are frequently used by troll accounts. - Casino, Sports betting, Animal racing, Gatcha Games
- Far Right Accounts
- Bots, Scammers, Copypasta, Blank Accounts
- Nazis
- Nazi Symbolism
- Pro Self-Harm
Thinspo, (Anorexia)Pro-anna, Pro blemiemic(Pro-mia), Harmful Dieting, Binging. people who like, share, and repost such content. - Elon Musk
Username, handle, and / or description which includes reference to Elon Musk. - Profile/Reply Lottery Scams
Listing criteria is scams of all types: Lottery / cash giveaways, PCH Prizes, Illuminati Membership, Free crypto / forex - 'isms', bigotry misinformation, and prejudice
Racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, Maga, Centrist, libertarian, Fatphobia, Contrarian, Antivax, Misinformation Spreader, Shitposters, Zionist, AntiBlack, harassment, bullying
You can find further block/moderation lists on the BlueSky Directory.
Starter Packs
Starter packs are another great feature of BlueSky. These user-generated collections let you follow multiple accounts in your area of interest with one click. (Pretty much the opposite of a block list)
If you regularly post quality content in an area that's covered by a starter pack, send a message to the owner and ask nicely to be added, often they'll be only
too happy to oblige!
Here's some useful ones:
- Tarot Starter Pack by Midnight Ivy
- Tarot, Astrology and all the Witchy Things by Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady
I'm currently making a Secular Tarot starter pack, but it seems like the community on BlueSky isn't so big right now. If you'd like to be added to it, get in touch!
Building Community Without Algorithms
Without algorithms artificially boosting certain types of content, building an audience on BlueSky works differently than you might expect. Those who've moved from other platforms often notice their usual content - particularly group readings or "pick a card" posts - receiving less engagement. This isn't a flaw; it's simply a reflection of what this particular community values at this point in time. I'm sure that as the community expands, this will change though.
What works on BlueSky right now:
- Focus on sharing insights and starting discussions rather than readings
A thoughtful post about your interpretation of The Tower will typically generate more engagement than a "pick a pile" reading - Use the repost function liberally
With chronological feeds, posts quickly move down the stack. When you find useful content, give it new life by sharing it with your followers. You'll often find that good karma will get you reposts back in return. - Engage in actual conversations
BlueSky users tend to value substantive discussions over quick reactions - Be selective with hashtags
Most tarot content uses #tarotsky, but this feed can get crowded with readings. For focused discussions about tarot practice and theory, use #tarottalk instead
Success on BlueSky comes from genuine participation rather than performance. The posts that gain traction tend to be those that add something meaningful to the community - whether that's a fresh perspective on a traditional card meaning, a question that sparks interesting discussion, a useful resource others might have missed, or a meme that makes everyone chuckle.
Quick Tips
- During your first week, you'll see the 🌅 sunrise emoji next to your account name. This is to let other people know that you' new to the platform. Your posts will also be boosted in the Discover feed so that more people see them during this time.
- Don't forget to adjust your moderation settings to your liking. Here, you can add words and phrases that you know to be problematic and don't want to see in your feed, and set up if and how NSFW content should be shown.
- For your first post, introduce yourself and what you stand for, add a picture to it, and pin that post to your profile. Anybody checking out your profile with a view to following you will see this post first, and can straight away get a sense of what you're about. You can always pin a different post later on as you get a better sense of what type of content you end up posting.
- BlueSky doesn't yet have a bookmarking function, but you can subscribe to the 📌 feed. Once you do this, any post that you comment a 📌 emoji on will show in this feed for you.
- There's also no edit function at present. Before you post anything, give it one last read through for mistakes!
CREATE with intention
- Start conversations, don't just broadcast
- Share unique insights from your experience
- Add value to discussions beyond quick reactions
- Mix thoughtful posts with lighter content
- Amplify others' work by reposting - good karma returns
- Take breaks when needed - don't burnout
CURATE with intention
- Check profiles before following back
- Use block lists to keep your space pleasant
- Subscribe to specialized feeds that match your interests
- Find and subscribe to starter packs
- Only follow people you want to see in your feed
- Quality of engagement > quantity of followers
CONSUME with intention
- Make time to check different feed subscriptions
- Engage meaningfully with posts that resonate
- Support content creators by sharing their work
- Read threads before jumping into discussions
- Save useful posts with the ???? feature
A Word About Expectations
BlueSky is still growing, which means the tarot community there is smaller than on established platforms. But this can be an advantage - it's easier to build meaningful connections in a more intimate space. Think of it as getting in on the ground floor of something promising, rather than trying to make yourself heard in an overcrowded room.
About Those Follower Numbers
You might notice some accounts with suspiciously large follower counts offering to help you "grow your audience." These follower farms and bot networks might provide impressive numbers, but they won't engage with your content or support your work. A hundred genuine followers who actually read and engage with your posts are infinitely more valuable than ten thousand bots.
Building a real audience takes time, but it's worth the effort. When someone follows you on BlueSky, it's because they're genuinely interested in what you have to say, not because an algorithm pushed your content into their feed. These are the followers who will actually read your articles, book readings, and engage in meaningful discussions about tarot.
Useful Links and Tools
- The Bluesky Directory
Search people, moderation lists, feeds and starter packs. - BlueSky Insights
Get beautiful data-driven Bluesky analytics for any user. - BlueSky Counter
Keep track of your BlueSky follower count over time. - BlueView
Provides all kinds of useful tools and insights to help you grow your account and keep on top of notifications. - ClearSky
Shows detailed server and blocking information for any account. - GreySky blog commenting system
Needs some technical knowledge to get working, but this is the basis of the code I used to implement BlueSky comments on this blog.
And Finally...
I really hope you found this introduction to BlueSky helpful - if you did, don't forget to follow me on BlueSky @TarotTherapy.space!
I've tried to cover everything I wish I'd known when I first joined, but if there's anything you'd like me to cover in more depth, or you know of a resource or tip that you think should be added, just add a comment to this post, and it will automatically get added to the comments section under the article!
Happy skeeting! (yes, that's what they're calling BlueSky posts! 🤦)