Ethical Sh*t Talk: Steven Forrest, Racism, and Accountability in the Astrology Community
CW: This episode talks about race and it is two white women talking about race. If you are white, we encourage you to get over triggers you have and listen. If you are not white, you are absolutely welcome, and also we have stuff to learn from you!
Hosts Sarai Johnson and Meredith Holley of “Cauldron Her Daddy” discuss racism and power dynamics in spiritual institutions, focusing on astrologer Steven Forrest’s comments on a podcast with Ricky Williams where Forrest used the N-word, made racist statements, and offered revisionist claims about the KKK while noting an ancestor helped found it. They describe community backlash, critiques of Forrest’s initial non-apology, and harassment and DARVO-like defenses from some supporters, emphasizing impact over intent and the need for white people to address racism. They reference broader context of racialized violence, call for following Black astrologers such as Sam Reynolds and Shani Nicole (The Empathic Realist), and note UAC removed Forrest as a speaker after public pressure, with further statements and apologies following.
Astrologers to follow (not a complete list, but a start!):
https://www.threads.com/@sfreynolds
https://www.threads.com/@empathic_realist
https://www.threads.com/@ddamascenaa
https://www.threads.com/@awesomeevery_day
https://www.threads.com/@your_hood_asstrologist
https://www.threads.com/@ensoulment.doula
https://www.threads.com/@sacredwisemagick
https://www.threads.com/@lexieforbescoaching
https://www.threads.com/@danidarlingastro
https://www.threads.com/@becomingsamcee
Me and White Supremacy
So, You Want to Talk About Race?
Caste
Learn from Ashani M'Fuko
Learn from Trudi LeBron
Learn from Louiza Doran ("Weeze")
00:00 Power Versus Safety
00:40 Podcast Intro And Topic
01:53 Why White People Must Listen
04:06 Recent Racial Violence Context
05:42 Steven Forrest Podcast Setup
06:51 Shadow Work Explained
09:11 The N Word Incident
11:02 KKK Revisionism Fallout
14:00 Humor As A Weapon
16:25 Comparing Slurs And Harm
19:07 Non Apology And Denial
20:34 White Enforcers And Backlash
26:57 Repair Matters More Than Perfect
27:41 Systemic Racism In Astrology
30:00 UAC Conference Stakes
30:53 Big Names Break Silence
33:15 Chani Chris Jessica Respond
37:03 UAC Emails And Board Reactions
38:41 Accountability Versus Intent
39:48 Cancel Culture Teaser
39:54 Cancel Culture Origins
42:26 Racism as Germ Theory
44:21 DARVO and Defensiveness
46:34 Astrology Community Fallout
48:42 Spiritual Gurus and Abuse
52:26 Apologies and Power Dynamics
57:28 Why Slurs Aren’t Equal
01:03:34 Safety Over Feelings
01:05:53 Generations and Cancel Culture
01:11:57 Reparations and Chiron
01:15:36 Resources and Closing
Work with Meredith: fourthcupastrology.com
Work with Sarai: saraijohnson.com
Follow the Daddies on social media @saraijohnson.witch and @fourth.cup.astrology
