Thursday 23 September 2010

Philosophy ?

I've been pondering something for a while, and today my friend Sharon was talking about the same sort of thing: blogs and websites, better connected or separate ? And whether to keep a blog 'pure' to one's main interest, or include other aspects of one's life?

For instance, this blog is tarot themed by virtue of the fact that I choose a card for each post that, for me, reflects in some way the main topic of that post. For me - as for many other tarotists - tarot cards are a shorthand way of communicating something. Another tarotist can look at my Ace of Swords today and have a pretty good idea of what I'll basically be talking about.

In spite of this, my blog is not a tarot blog: I talk about way too many other things that are also part of my life. Tarot is an underpinning, so omnipresent and part of the structure and foundation of my life, and how I think, that I just don't consider it separately, and I don't often think to mention it or talk about it. It's just there, you know, like the sun and the sky. I'm getting close to what I'd consider to be philosophy, so let's drag this post back on track, shall we ?

I've been considering whether to amalgamate this blog and my tarot website. On the plus side, it would be far quicker and easier to update; on the negative side, do I want my customers knowing quite so much about me ? And would that put them off having a reading with me ? Of course, they can always use the link, or Google to find the blog, but that's not the same as having it right there in your face. Would I have to post more regularly - or solely even - about tarot ?

Some of these issues could be resolved by having another, separate, blog that is purely about tarot. However, realistically, I'm not the kind of person that could maintain more than one blog to a decent standard . And that's if one assumes that this current blog is readable. Also, my own personal preference when it comes to blogs I follow and read, is for blogs where I see more than one aspect of a person's life: I read them because I'm interested in the people themselves, not just whatever it is that they do.

And thus it is often disappointing when one scrolls through other people's blogrolls, to find that those blogs too are all connected to merely one subject.

So here are two other topics that I discuss sometimes, just for variety:



This is lye melting frozen goatsmilk, for making soap. Thanks to all my Twitter friends who kept their guffaws silent (the more empathic amongst them merely sniggered behind their hands) when I asked 'does 100g of ice weigh the same as 100g of water ?' which was not what I actually meant. I promise I can tie my own shoelaces.
































One of ''me gladdies'', as Dame Edna refers to them, and our lovely generic dahlia, chosen by DH; I've never had a dahlia before - my mother thought that they, and gladioli too, were vulgar: along with Tchaikovksy and the color purple.

11 comments:

  1. Does 100g of water give you 100g of ice? I have no idea! I would think, yes....but I am quite often wrong.

    I say link both. These days blogs and websites help feed each other. Blog readers become customers and customers become blog readers. It's about establishing friendships and thereby creating security about dealing with you - you are no longer a stranger to your potential customer.

    Well, that's my slant ;-)

    Ali x

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  2. Yes, I've wondered the same thing about my blog - whether to connect it to my website or keep it separate. Keeping it separate for now as it's not just about Tarot. I like reading yours, Ania's and Alison's because they are varied and about real life. X

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  3. I'm with your mother on dahlias - never liked them.

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  4. I wondered too about the advisability of connecting my blog to my business page and was all set to detach it when I got a comment from a customer on a non-work topic, so I've left it. I think it all helps to engage with people, but I tend not to be too personal in what I am prepared to publish.
    Glad you like my blog Lori :D

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  5. I would link them as I think they compliment each other... I found your tarot website very interesting after only having read your blog before :) ... and your blog adds a more personal dimension to your tarot website ^..^

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  6. I like dahlias - I think they're due a come-back. Bishop of Llandaff looks great in a border of green stuff - just vivid shots of red. Lovely.

    Lori - thanks for reading m'blog. It's nice to know that people read it and I'm not just standing there on my own, shouting obscenities into the wind..... ;-)

    Ali x

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  7. I'm with Ania on the "I'm not sure how personal I want to get on the interwebs" front. My blog is mainly tarot/yoga focused, though I think I come through a bit, too - hard to avoid, and I don't try too hard. My blog and reading page are linked but not amalgamated, but then I don't get many hits on either :-(

    Still, through tweeting, I am slowly building some followers. I guess what I come back to is that a tarot blog that sticks fairly close to the subject doesn't necessarily rule out showing other bits of your life - for example, doing readings for yourself about stuff going on IRL.

    Overall, I'm with Ali - link them and you might get tarot shoppers who also want to buy yummy home-made soaps, for instance ;-D

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  8. I think it turned out to be an interesting and useful discussion :) Personally speaking... I like reading the blogs people have taken the time to add to their sites, It creates an open, friendly, approachable atmosphere. I like variety but I also know a lot of people out there like the information they read to be accessible and organised... that's why I'm attracted to 'tabbing'. This looks to be a good way for me to 'have my cake and eat it'. I'll be able to blog what I like and by keeping the navigation simple visitors can stick to one topic if they choose or have a look for other things that might be of interest.

    I love the look of your soaps and hope to try Rajah's Romance soon. And the flowers are gorgeous... especially the dahlia, that's such a vibrant pink.

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  9. I saw the ice and water conversation on twitter whilst at work and it had me pondering all day :D

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  10. Totally uninformed opinion, but my feel for tarot is that it can be pretty personal--akin to going to talk to someone for therapy. If that's the case, I'd think your clients would be interested in your blog musings, so a link on your site might be a good compromise to completely combining them.

    So what were you trying to figure out about the water and ice? Dork alert for stephcuddles - 100g of ice is 100g of water is 100g of steam. They are just changing phase, but the mass will stay the same. Density is another story though...

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  11. I'm late to respond to this, and maybe you have already decided, but I think life at it's best is complicated, overlapping, and tangled. Look at nature. It is all interconnected. My understanding is that Tarot if not just about the cards, its about the life of the seeker. And you.

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Thanks ! I love comments :-)