argument mapping by Katelyn Jeon

How Mercury Retrograde Went Viral

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:08:54 UTC

Astrology Won’t Liberate Anyone

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:09:06 UTC

Social Media and Celebrities

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:11:09 UTC

Influencers and celebrities make Mercury retrograde a meme that can be applied to everyday experiences

Astrology's Association with Right Wing Politics

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:16:52 UTC

Historical Link

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:18:25 UTC

Ex. Nazi Germany's interest in occultism

Adorno's Analysis

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:19:17 UTC

Astrology is inherently conservative; "ideology of dependence"

Taylor Swift

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:20:07 UTC

"a video Taylor Swift did with MTV in 2014 to account for its sudden leap into the mainstream... looping clip of Swift saying “Hella in retrograde!”"

Modern Leftism's Adoption of Astrology

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:21:02 UTC

Usage in Left-Wing circles

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:24:24 UTC

Astrology used as metaphorical vehicle to weave narratives

Historical Context

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:25:32 UTC

became tied to digital world during the "traditional revival" of astrology and the rise of computers

Winstanley-Smith's Analysis

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:26:03 UTC

“It might be asked: perhaps can we help ourselves to the interesting potential of astrology if we simply clean up our ideological commitments and clarify the role of astrology as a methodological resource?”

Astrology's Complex Political History

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:27:27 UTC

Eric Hobsbawm's “invented traditions”

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:28:15 UTC

blaming Mercury's backward movement for technological mishaps; "generate origin myths for themselves"

Early Modern Europe

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:28:55 UTC

Astrology used to both assert and undermine existing power structures

Early Astrologers

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:31:18 UTC

Served imperial power structures such as the HRE and could be considered "progressive" in the sense of pushing modern ideas

Modern Astrology is a Consumer Good

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:31:55 UTC

Modern Astrology is Self Fashioning

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:33:44 UTC

Like a fandom, consumers build identity through participation

Astrology

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:36:03 UTC

Mercury's movement disrupts communication & technology --> tech glitches like missed text/broken phone

Modern Astrology is Rooted in Capitalism

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:38:24 UTC

Sun Sign system developed by British astrologer in 1930s to make astrology mass-producible and accessible

Shortcomings of Modern Left-Wing Astrology

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:42:32 UTC

Mythology

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:43:41 UTC

Mercury: mischievous messenger god, create confusion b/w other gods and mortals; reflects Mercury Retrograde phenomenon

Fails to Challenge Economic Structure

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:44:18 UTC

Modern astrology rooted capitalism as a consumer product, selling a false sense of empowerment

William Lilly

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:47:02 UTC

Unexpected return (not necessarily bad) rather than disaster for everyone

Fails to Challenge Social Structure

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:47:26 UTC

Enforces a dichotomy between queer and cisnormal, implying queer and women "operate in the realm of whimsy"

Digital Era

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:47:48 UTC

astrological concept --> digital age phenomenon

The Real Housewives

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:49:16 UTC

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:51:03 UTC

Mercury is appearing to move backward, an explanation for things going wrong

Crossroads

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:52:38 UTC

represents decisions and transitions

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:53:26 UTC

Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler astronomers and astrologers served in the courts of HRE emperors

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:55:01 UTC

concept evolved alongside technological advancements and astrology's role in pop culture

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:55:43 UTC

Closest historical queer political astrology from Karl-Günther Heimsoth, a communist astrologer and gay rights activist, but also a Nazi

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:56:46 UTC

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 21:57:23 UTC

Make sense for a pseudoscience that purports that behavior and personality is determined by birth

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:58:30 UTC

people believe that Mercury is in Retrograde so they anticipate things going wrong

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 21:59:14 UTC

notice smaller details/changes --> attribute it to Mercury Retrograde

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 22:00:34 UTC

these things reinforce the idea of Mercury Retrograde causing problems --> look for more things that are affected by retrograde

jjp380 — 2024-11-14 22:00:38 UTC

I've seen an opinion article on the Washington Post argue that the dismissal of astrology is based on society's sexist tendency to dismiss women's hobbies.

Feedback Loop

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 22:00:50 UTC

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 22:02:55 UTC

shortly after, Kyle Richards, tweeted the same question

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 22:03:18 UTC

"In February 2013, New York Housewife Bethenny Frankel tweeted, “Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Bc I am having a shit day.”"

jeonk2007 — 2024-11-14 22:04:08 UTC

the power of Mercury Retrograde is amplified through shared belief