Gambling

I have a friend who works in a betting shop and I'm fascinated by his tales of what happens because gambling is completely alien to me. I have never set foot in a bookies and have never even done the lottery. I can see how it could be addictive but of course my substance of choice has been smoking.

When I was a student I shared a house with a man who started playing backgammon at a casino. To start off with he won hugely but then suddenly started consistently losing. To me this was so obviously fixed that he should have cut his losses but by that time he'd decided he'd got too far in (this was only a matter of weeks) and had to try to get the money back by keeping going, with the predictable result that he kept losing.

I think what makes gambling distasteful to me is that as a witch, a former mental health professional and an INFJ I'm pretty good at predicting the future. I also know that predicting the future isn't rocket science. Given these weather conditions that horse will run like that. That football team won't win, and I'll tell you right now we're not likely to have a white Christmas. Betting works by you gambling on something and the bookie works out the risk. To my surprise there are actually people who are professional gamblers who make a good living, and obviously the bookies absorb that risk to make the other punters think that it could happen to them. In reality of course they are supporting the professional gamblers.

Insurance of course is the same exercise reversed. The insurer bets that something won't happen based on the likelihood and risk. Again it's not rocket science, and of course if you're a young man you're likely to crash your car. See, I said predicting the future was not rocket science. The only difference is that where the bookies make you think some good thing could happen, insurers want you to worry about bad things happening so that you will essentially gamble on them happening. House insurance is just you betting that your house will burn down and getting the payout if it does.

If this sounds like a scam it's because it's definitely got one foot there.

Similarly I have discovered that casinos use all sorts of tricks which aren't that different from the tricks supermarkets use, to keep the punter in there and keep him betting. No windows, free gifts, disorienting in time and even the carpet are among them. I'd just assumed the people who furnished casinos had no taste but the carpet is to create a prison of sensory perceptions. 

It's no wonder I don't do betting when I'm so cynical  attuned to the nature of the risk assessment and psychological tricks and can do the risk assessment myself and conclude it wouldn't give me pleasure and I'm unlikely to profit from it. The reason the subject is appearing here is that I've only just realized that this in itself is a gamble and after my risk assessment I've decided the risk isn't worth it. If gambling is about risk and prediction rather than 'chance' then I'm not giving myself good odds so am not making bets.

... which is in itself a gamble! And I haven't lost any money!

Oh go on, I know you want some tic tac men:

Spirit of Place: Bordesley Station

High time I did another post about some part of this great city, which is my 'hedge'. 

The last one I did was about Duddeston Viaduct and this one is about a site on the nearby active railway viaduct. You enter Bordesley Station, the least used station in the Midlands, through this entrance under a railway arch, which you wouldn't know was there. You have to go up to the station because it's up on the level of the viaduct, rather than ground level.

Bordesley station was opened in 1855 by the Great Western Railway on their main line from London (Paddington) to Birkenhead (Woodside). It was originally a two platform station, but was rebuilt as a four platform station with two island platforms when the line was upgraded to four tracks during 1915. The station once had extensive cattle sidings adjacent to and on Bordesley Viaduct. This viaduct was intended to link the line from Bordesley to the Derby Line but was left incomplete when it was realised that trains would be unable to serve Birmingham Curzon Street railway station, where rail services then terminated.

The station still carries the painted lettering "BR(W) Bordesley Cattle Station", and "Bordesley Cattle Station GWR" from the time when, as part of the Great Western Railway and later British Rail's (Western) region, it was used to bring cattle from the countryside to the Bull Ring markets.

The station was downgraded in the 1960s to minimal facilities and services, and one island platform was taken out of use. Source

I love this station dearly, but mainly because of its Sapphire and Steel vibe. It does actually feel like the sort of place an errant ghost train would drop you off to be tormented by a long dead stationmaster with a grudge, cheered on by the ghosts of all the cattle who had been transported there.

In line with this vibe, incredibly for a city it is usually only served by one train a week, away from it and into the city centre. While this is colloquially referred to as a ghost train the marvellous technical name under the Railway Regulation Act 1844 for these sort of trains is parliamentary train.

What if you missed it and got locked in the station with a bunch of resentful cows?

I think the reason it's kept open is that it also gets used when Birmingham's only football club play at the nearby St Andrew's stadium. I'm sure the dead stationmaster supports them.

In fact you can probably see him on this old picture:

Finally, on the subject of ghost trains, have a butchers at this steam train, in the livery of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway which ceased to exist in the 1940s, going through nearby Bournville Station LAST YEAR. Imagine seeing that if you weren't expecting it!

Economising with the Hound

An important symbol of witchcraft is the cauldron and so in addition to the wommonly arts of hexing, changing and leading the revolution we are skilled at the arts of domestic economy. Reading around on Twitter I'm getting the impression that some people don't know how to economise so this is just a few pointers from my extensive experience of being a student twice and paying off a mortgage in ten years.

Follow Martin Lewis. This post is not a systematic collection and he has a better overview.

Financial

If you have any spare money and have a choice between saving and paying off debt, always pay off debt first and focus on the debt with the highest interest. It seems wrong but you always pay more interest than you earn.

Never let contracts (phone, insurance, energy supplies) automatically renew, they will stiff you.

For the love of the Goddess look at your bank statements and see if you're paying any subs you have forgotten or can cancel. Add up what you're spending on things so that it shocks you.

Get off the rat race of updating electronics. You really really don't need the latest iPhone. The reality is that technology is not moving as fast as manufacturers make out it is and you can usually get by with the year before last's technology if you're buying new.

The law gives you a fourteen day cooling off period to return something if you don't like it. Use it.

You can save huge amounts of money by buying stuff nearly new. The important thing is to go to a reputable dealer and get a warranty (for example Cex test the stuff they sell and give a year's warranty). Again, if you get it home and find the battery's knackered you can change your mind within fourteen days.

Look through your drawers for any old technology, games and DVDs and sell them to Cex or you can get a higher amount of credit to use in the store. If they're rubbish and Cex won't take them there are places that will.

Some people find this really difficult but it's best to plan ahead. For example buying a season ticket for the train or bus pass might be cheaper than individual fares if you know you're travelling.

Shopping

I'm afraid you have a clear choice between supporting local small retailers and saving money. Your corner shop is the most expensive way to buy anything.

Shop with a list and be wary of retail tricks. For example the items near the till are there to tempt you or your kids and should be treated with caution.

To economise, get supplies in. I don't mean massive hoarding but a shelf of the things you will use anyway will tide you over if they're unavailable like in any other third world country. It will also help when your brother turns up with no money after being evicted.

Shop around if you can and if you are in a town so the savings won't be eaten up by the cost of travel. Use delivery services or if you can't  shop around, do a big shop at Aldi, Lidl or Asda.

Many shops do a special offer of a reduction on your first shop and you can always make it your only shop.

Frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh and have no loss of nutrients. In fact frozen is cheaper to buy a lot of things like sausages BUT they can take a fair time to cook so the savings can be lost in energy expenditure. Iceland is good to stock up on frozen food and have a good range of takeaway stuff for treats.

If you're desperate the following foodstuffs are your friends: red lentils, rice, tinned tomatoes, oats, frozen vegetables, frozen mince, baked beans, microwave jacket potatoes. Oats are an incredibly versatile and rich foodstuff. Look at Charles Bronson: he literally got those muscles on porridge and no fancy supplements. Don't forget to have a treat now and then so it doesn't get dreary.

Buy savers ranges and economy packs.

Consider yellow reduced stickers but be cautious because if there is only a small reduction on a luxury item it will still be expensive. Shop in the evening to get the best of these.

Cooking

Microwave rather than using the hob as much as possible. If you must use the oven cook lots of stuff to fill it and heat it once instead of several times.

Be strict about Use By dates but if something is past the Best Before date and looks and smells okay it probably won't kill you.

Microwave dahl recipe. Into a microwave bowl put some frozen chopped onions, frozen spinach, red lentils, spices of your choice, pinch of salt and less water than you think you need. I like some dessicated coconut as well. Microwave loosely covered for about fifteen minutes at full power, keeping an eye to make sure it doesn't dry out. Halfway through stir and add more water if it's a bit dry. Let it stand a bit and serve with rice. If you want to avoid the hob you could microwave one of those packets of rice while it's standing. The description of this recipe does not sound appetizing which is why it's all the more surprising when without fail it turns out gorgeous.

The psychological bit

This is really important to stop economising wearing you down: have treats. However you could have say a frozen curry instead of a takeaway. Basically every treat is also available in an economy version. If it comes to survival there is no shame in doing this.

Notice how our capitalist society has connected the things you enjoy to money. Some people are actually shocked when they realize their enjoyment is dependent on shopping or the cinema, etc. The internet is your friend here. YouTube and the Internet Archive are never ending wells of wonderful stuff. If capitalism has deceived you, you can find new things to enjoy that don't cost money.

The two most important bits

Every time you save some money or preserve your life and dignity in any way, in your mind's eye see the power of the Conservative Party waning and see them losing their seats. See them eating shit. See them in prison. And know that this is happening now.

Finally, vote. Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does. And this is really important: vote tactically to get the Tories out whenever we get an election in this shithole. I can truthfully say I don't care what you think about Starmer the most important thing is to get the Tories out and a vote for a minority party may actually be a vote for the Tories in our electoral system. A guide to why this is and a tactical voting guide is here.

Of course there is a tune to make this a magical enchantment.

How to Read Tarot for Someone who may be Autistic

This post is a number of pointers for how a tarot reading can tend to come across when the subject may be on the autistic spectrum, because it can tend to trip up the reader. Being an ancient divination tool, of course there isn't an autism card but the experience of it can come across loud and clear.

Ethical note: you really can't diagnose autism or anything else with a tarot reading and anyone wanting that should not have a reading and should be pointed to their doctor. Rather, this would be about how things can look in a reading if the person may be on the autistic spectrum. It also would not be ethical to suggest that the tarot indicates the person has autism if they have not been diagnosed. Otherwise I think you could ethically talk about the experiences an autistic person has with someone who is not diagnosed as long as this is about the experience, not the label. For example, 'It looks like you often find it difficult understanding what this person is saying to you,' because then it's about a common human experience and there isn't an assumption it comes from a specific neurodevelopmental condition.

The information about autism here is all taken from the National Autism Society website: autism.org.uk, and they have an excellent introduction to autism here.

Communication difficulties

Biggie, this one. People on the autistic spectrum can find it very difficult to read situations and other people's emotions or intentions. The major way this affects a tarot reading would be that if you are seeing things in the reading as they do, the feeling of perplexity can be the thing that comes across rather than the actual situation. With their airy nature, Swords can indicate communication and thus communication, and similarly the watery Cups represent emotions and problems understanding them. Otherwise specific examples would be High Priestess (something hidden), 10 of Pentacles (being excluded from the conversation), and 9 of Wands (just finding every conversation overwhelming).

This one is relatively easy to deal with in reading because seeing things differently is the whole point of divination, simply pull clarification cards or pull cards to see the subject of the reading from a different perspective. Without diagnosing autism you could phrase this as, 'It looks like you're finding this difficult to understand. Shall we see what [Name] thinks?' If the person is finding it difficult to understand what you are getting at as a reader, obviously you can ask them what helps with communication but generally try to say it as literally as possible, avoiding metaphors, use concrete terms and don't be afraid to name emotions. You know what, we've all asked tarot why the hell someone else is behaving the way they are, so this is actually something we can all appreciate.

For example I have had people with autism tell me that they like my communication because I've got all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. People without autism tell me I'm a rude cunt. Hey, my gifts are unique.

You may have to adapt the reading slightly to give more time, and of course there's nothing wrong with returning to a point to create clarity.

Anxiety

Autistic people can have very high levels of anxiety (often triggered, as anxiety often is, by something apparently not anxiety-provoking). This can come across in the reading as an apparent over reaction to minor things and can confuse the reader. Anxiety comes across in any of the fairly distressing cards, although tarot doesn't depict anxiety very well in my opinion. That said, it would be hard to deny that the man in 4 of Pentacles is anxious about money, or that the man in 7 of Wands is anxious about what will happen to him. 

Avoidance

Many autistic people avoid normal everyday situations, either because of anxiety or sensory overload. In a reading this will come across as the person turned away from or unable to look at a situation, so obviously we have 5 of Cups, 2 of Swords, 8 of Swords and 9 of Swords. If you get The Fool for avoidance, that could be a special caution not to avoid any warnings about things they're getting. The direction the characters are looking in could also indicate avoidance.

Routines

Many autistic people find sudden changes to their normal routine very distressing. Again, as a reader it is essential to be aware that if you are seeing things from the autistic person's perspective in the reading, things may come across as much more distressing than they would be for a neurotypical person. Similarly, many autistic people have a return to routine or repetitive behaviours as their standard coping strategies so don't think you've gone off your head if these appear in the reading. Tarot tends to communicate options with cards featuring a number of something, and rather annoyingly, that's also how it communicates repetition, for example I think 4 of Cups and 8 of Pentacles represent this.

Highly focussed interests or hobbies

These can come across in a way which may confuse the reader, and may appear to be obsession. You may get one of these appear as a 'stalker' card for example, which just keeps on appearing. That said, I think the 9 of Cups is of great relevance here - just look how satisfied he is!

Meltdowns

A meltdown is an intense response when the person finds a situation overwhelming and in the moment loses control of their behaviour. If you get a meltdown appearing in a tarot reading it will look like all the varied ways a meltdown can look; shouting, screaming, crying;  kicking or lashing out; or as total withdrawal with no interaction. Naturally the varied experience of meltdowns would make them look very different in a tarot reading. The more outgoing type might be Page of Swords, Knight of Swords or 5 of Wands. The overwhelm itself might be represented by 10 of Swords and withdrawal by 4 of Swords.

The point of all this, of course, is so that the reader is prepared for the things they might see in an autistic person's reading. Surely nobody tells the querent everything they see in a reading?

My own limited experience of autistic people and tarot has been totally positive, in fact they've always taken to the idea like a duck to water and been seeing all sorts of deadly accurate stuff in no time. I don't want to generalise, so in case your querent - not just autistic querents but anyone - finds it difficult to engage with the cards there are three techniques which almost always open things up again. 

The first is to ask the person to describe the card, just describe it without interpreting in any way. This always always brings out a unique meaning for them and has always left me gobstruck as a reader.

The second is the dramatic technique attributed to Pamela Colman Smith herself, which is to get the person to assume the posture of the character(s) in the card. This creates a physical rather than emotional sensation of what is happening in the card, which then can move on to an emotional sensation.

Finally, the Tarot School of New York's Voice in the Card technique turns the conventional ways of reading on their head. You let your eye drift over a card and pick up on some detail which is then the meaning for you. For example, you had noticed that the 9 of Pentacles could mean things being slow, going at things slowly and carefully or being protected by a shell, hadn't you?

Happy reading!