In this day and age, pretty much all the business advice out there pushes you to have a social media presence. 

Be where your customers are. Be everywhere. Post relentlessly. Monetize your following. 

But what if you don’t want to do any of those things? What if you don’t like social media? What if you prefer to create differently, at a different pace and volume? 

Enter Amelia Hruby, creator and host of the podcast Off the Grid: Leaving Social Media. 

Keep reading to discover how Amelia helped me navigate the internet beyond social media, a decision that ultimately led to owning a personalized astro sweater. 

This is the table of contents: 

1. The Influence of the Podcast off the Grid: Leaving Social Media 
2. But What About the Astro Sweater? 
3. My Very Own Astro Sweater, Based on My Birth Chart 
4. Would You Like to Have Your Own Customized Astro Sweater? 

Let’s go

The Influence of the Podcast off the Grid: Leaving Social Media 

I discovered the podcast Off the Grid back in 2023 (Or was it 2022? Never mind, that’s not the point). 

Back then, I was considering closing my Instagram and Twitter accounts for good. 

Luckily, I closed my Facebook account in 2011, and I was never on TikTok. Snapchat is a mythical creature in my life, just like Be Real, and if there are other platforms, I’m glad I’ve never heard of them in the first place.  

There was a time, at the height of the pandemic, when I had four accounts — one personal Twitter and Instagram account, and one Twitter and Instagram account for my astrological work. 

I was most active on Twitter since I’m a writer, and I used to enjoy posting morsels of witty banter. 

Related: My Experiences with the Saturn Return: From Hobby to Business Back to Hobby

In 2021, I had over 15,000 followers on that platform. And I realized I liked it a little bit too much. 

I spent a lot of time on Twitter. Scrolling through it was the first thing I did in the morning and the last thing I did before going to sleep. This behaviour was repeated dozens of times throughout the day. 

My life seemed to revolve around thinking about what to post to keep my followers engaged. Then posting. Then checking the likes and replies. Then replying to the replies, retweeting, or quoting them. Then, interacting with other accounts. Then thinking about what to post and so on and so forth. 

A vicious cycle indeed. 

I met some really lovely people on social media, and I’m still in contact with some of them. But others were just mean. 

Fortunately, that’s not my life anymore.  

Amelia’s podcast helped me get off the grid and onto other activities that I found more nourishing and refreshing. 

But What About the Astro Sweater? 

It’s coming. Wait for it. 

Off the Grid is one of Amelia’s offerings, but not the only one. 

She also has a paid newsletter and podcast feed called off the grid clubhouse. 

Furthermore, Amelia has created a private membership known as The Interweb. 

The Interweb contains business classes, a directory of members, and virtual social activities to meet other people who also want to have small businesses outside of the classic social media platforms. 

During one of those virtual social events, I met Margaux Williams, creator of La Manteca Studio.  

In Margaux’s own words, “La Manteca Studio is my knitwear brand. I make one-of-a-kind, handmade clothing and accessories—pieces that blur the line between art and fashion. It’s about touch, texture, color, and shape. I want every piece to feel like a little sensory world of its own. A moment in time.”

You can read about her background and how she started her fashion brand here: How my small fashion brand started (plus my astro placements)

In that virtual meeting, Margaux and I met randomly (or not?) in a Zoom break-out room created randomly (or not) by Amelia. 

We bonded over our love of astrology and the Spanish language. Margaux was living in Argentina at the time, my homeland. 

After we clicked during that virtual meeting, we kept in touch. And then she had an offer I couldn’t refuse. 

My Very Own Astro Sweater, Based on My Birth Chart 

Margaux told me that she creates astro sweaters based on people’s natal charts. I found that idea brilliant. 

I see the astro sweater as a talisman. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a talisman is “an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune.”

Instead, an amulet is defined as “a charm (such as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to aid the wearer or protect against evil (such as disease or witchcraft).” 

Related: Astrology Basics: Your Birth Chart States of Consciousness

There’s some overlap between the definitions because both a talisman and an amulet can protect the wearer against evil. 

However, talismans have more positive connotations because they can bring good fortune. 

A talisman protects you AND brings good fortune. An amulet just protects you. 

I wanted an amulet in the form of an astro sweater. Now I could have it. 

When I shared with Margaux my birth details, I “warned” her about my stellium in Sagittarius. 

My Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Mars are in the sign of the archer. But I’m not a big fan of the colors traditionally associated with fire signs, such as red, yellow, orange, or gold.  

Related: The Fire Element in Astrology

I told Margaux that, and she was kind enough to offer me an alternative that would honor the Sagittarius presence in my birth chart while respecting my aesthetic choices. 

She sent me this proposal: 

And I wholeheartedly loved the colors and the model! 

Upon my approval, Margaux started working her magic. 

A couple of weeks later, a package arrived at my mom’s house in Argentina. 

It was the astro sweater!

This is how the gift arrived, in a well-cared manner: 

This is me wearing it for the first time, with no make-up, no glasses, no filter, no nothing: 

In true Sagittarian fashion, the astro sweater came with me on my next adventure. 

This is me in the Netherlands, pet-sitting Mandela, a lovely pomeranian: 

And in an even more Sagittarian fashion, I wore it during the Summer School of the Faculty of Astrological Studies in Oxford, where I worked as a member of the hosting team. 

Check this beauty (the sweater, of course) on the quad of Exeter College: 

Astrologers are observant people, and some of them praised the sweater. When I told them that it was based on my natal chart, they became very curious about the idea and its rationale. 

The astro sweater/amulet is genuinely a one-of-a-kind treasure. And you can have one as well. 

Would You Like to Have Your Own Customized Astro Sweater? 

In this collaboration with Margaux, she provided me with a code to share with you, allowing you to receive a discount on your own astro sweater! 

With the code SATURN10, you receive a 10% discount on The Astro Sweater Wool and/or The Astro Sweater Cotton (mine). 

So, to recap: 

• If you want a winter astro-sweater, go here, click on “Add to cart”, insert your personal data, go to the upper part of the website towards the right, click on the bag, and in the checkout, add the code SATURN10 to get a 10 % discount! 

• If you want a summer astro-sweater, go here, click on “Add to cart”, insert your personal data, go to the upper part of the website towards the right, click on the bag, and in the checkout, add the code SATURN10 to get a 10 % discount!

Before ending this text, I want to thank Margaux for this collaboration and Amelia for being such a community builder! 

I would also like to thank you, dear reader, for being here and for your support of my work. 

If you decide to get a sweater, please share some pics with me! I would really appreciate them. 

Until next time!