reblogged.

The Picture Ranch: A Micawber Fisher P.I. Novel.

Amsterdam (2022), Prime, Written and Directed by David O. Russell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_(2022_film)

Amsterdam screenplay claims to be based ‘mostly on true events’. What it means by that is there was a first world war and a second world war and there is a place called Amsterdam. Hokum stretched thinly over two-and-a-quarter hours.  

Anyone that watched Scooby Doo knows how this film will end with those industrialists plotting against American democracy unmasked. It had me thinking there may be some allegory with the moron’s moron, Trump. Maybe that’s why it’s based ‘mostly on true events’. Discuss.

Dundee 0—3 Celtic

What is Mikey Johnston for? I’ve often asked that question as have quite a few Celtic managers. Here he came on to settle the nerves. Two quick-fire goals in the 83^rd and 91^st minute and a 97^th minute shot that bent past the post and would have given him a hat-trick had him looking like a world beater. We’ve been here before with Mikey and with Celtic.

Celtic had around 20 attempts on goal in the first-half—Kyogo’s miss against Carson the pick of the bunch. But with none scored and the score 0—0, this is a team that got bullied in the second-half at Rugby Park, and lost two first-half goals to Hearts and never looked like salvaging even a draw, I remained anxious.

Paolo Bernardo’s opening goal, in the 52^nd minutes, settled the nerves. It was a bit of a fluke. The Portuguese midfielder scoring from near the touch line from a Luis Palma pass. The ball bobbling and bounced through the Dundee keeper’s legs. Carson should perhaps have also done better from Johnston’s first goal. His second goal, from inside the box, in contrast would have taken a world-class save to keep it out.   

Five points ahead of Rangers. They’ll cut that lead to two points with a game in hand tomorrow night. We know it shouldn’t be that way. I’m confident we’ll beat Rangers because quite simply I don’t think they’re that good. But they’ve bullied us in the past. If Carter-Vickers is out, he’s a huge loss because he’s such a good passer of the ball and his pace is an out for us pressing high. Brendan Rodgers suggested he felt his hamstring but should be OK. Here’s hoping.

The team that featured in our recent back-to-back wins will in all probability start on Saturday. Goal scorer Bernardo looks talented but light weight. Of course, I’d like Hatate in there, but he wasn’t even on the bench today. Maeda is back. But he’s been rotten in the last three games. His work rate makes him a first pick and it helps that he always plays well against Rangers. Our wingers are so important. The low block is simply a way of stating the obvious. Ten men behind the ball, sometimes with an attacker as an outlet. Target wee Greg Taylor on the left for long balls. Long shys and free kicks into the box. Corners. These are the tactics of which we’re overfamiliar. Rangers will leave more room in behind. Maeda, in particular, has shown he can utilise it.

With Mikey Johnston scoring goals, anything is possible. Time to put those defeats behind us. Rangers are going to lose more games than us. That’s why they’ll win the league. But I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that’s all we’ll win.

Jan Murphy (2023) The Psychic Fairy Queen.

I’m blessed enough to have a roof over my head. Blessed enough to have light and warmth on Christmas Eve. Blessed enough to be able to sit and read The Psychic Fairy Queen from start to finish without interruption, other than the necessary gallons of tea.

I used to love books like this. I was brought up in a big Catholic family. There’s a joke in there about a small Catholic family not being Catholic enough. Not much call for Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. Vaginal, jade, eggs with its alleged health- giving properties.  Mass on Sunday and Holy Days. Catholic schools. Grace before meals. Grace after meals. And murder committed during meals to decide who got the best bit. Supernatural events were kept for Sunday. And they weren’t very super and kept to a minimum diet. Swallow the body and blood of Christ and shut up about it.

Grimm’s fairy tales were good for what to do with witches. Cut their heads off before they got the jump on you. Kahlil Gibran The Prophet had me thinking I knew something which I didn’t. Carlos Castaneda The Teachings of Don Yuan was like Bruce Lee for psychics. I wasn’t very psychic. I couldn’t even bend a spoon when Uri Geller came along and hadn’t been on a spaceship with him either.

‘I shat it,’ as my mates Cammy, Jim and Summy would say when they were in Summy’s house playing with an Ouija board. I also shat it when sleeping in a church hall and heard ghostly steps clunking up the stairs, which happened several times. But there were other people there and it didn’t keep us awake.

I imagine most of the people Jan Murphy meets are open-and-closed books like me. Insensitive but not entirely ignorant. When my partner Mary went to our local pub with her pal, Trisha, to get a reading done by a psychic for £30 or £40, it amused me that one of the psychics had given much the same reading to another friend, using much the same stock phrases and probing for information. Confirmation bias. I didn’t need to be Derren Brown to believe it was staged, but I felt a bit sorry for the psychic. She was going through the motions like the Whiskey Priest in Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory also titled The Labyrinthine Ways.      

No need to feel sorry for Jan Murphy, her labyrinth way, and the publication of her memoir by the aptly named Spellbound Books. I’d be interested in sitting in with a meeting between her and Derren Brown. Most of the things she relates matter-of-factly, you’d find implausible in a Stephen King novel.

She explains in her introduction:

‘For many years I have been asked by clients and friends to write a book about all the amazing happenings and experiences I had in my life.’

If my partner had told me she’d been in our local and met this amazing medium, Jan Murphy, and she was able to tell her…

I’d have got my jacket, put it on and went to see for myself and listened to her in the same way beat-cops did after her car was stolen by a lodger. The problem here is of demand and supply. If everybody that wanted to get a reading from Jan Murphy (including me) turned up at her doorstep and queued to see her, how many lifetimes would it take? Would it cost more than a Gloop egg?

Jan Murphy, in writing a book, has channelled her thoughts in a way accessible to millions simultaneously. Her insights are on par with the nineties bestselling spiritual novel titled The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. We are moving in a deterministic way towards a more spiritually evolved world. She is part of the vanguard of change. Amen to that, I’d say, but I don’t believe it. I hope she’s right, but neither of us will be here to measure progress in this lifetime.  

The Sixth Celestine Insight: Clearing the Past: It discusses the importance of dealing with unresolved emotional issues from the past to achieve personal growth and spiritual advancement.

I had to add a few words to this post because the word number came out at 666. With a second name, Damien, of course, that sat uneasily with me. I wouldn’t do that for any other blog post. But I probably would. Once a Catholic…Measure us by our insecurities?

I am a Witch, Prime, produced by Frankie Guerra and directed by Andrew Castruita.

Blurb: Witchcraft is mainstream. The rise of Witchcraft has been steadily rising and for good reason. Hear from practicing Witches on how being a modern day Witch is not what your parents warned you about. For better or worse, Witchcraft is here to stay.

Reading is what I do. I’m reading (and enjoying) Jan Murphy (2023) The Psychic Fairy Queen. I’d guess she would be considered a witch. Witches are poetic and lie outside mainstream narratives in their beliefs. Perhaps it’s no coincidence she’s published by Spellbound Books. (https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/173847934X?ref_=pe_27063361_487360311_302_E_DDE_dt_1 ).

The miracle in Jan’s case was twofold her recovery from polio. But also the larger miracle of the establishment of the NHS. Right time. Right place.

It’s a way of life for us. It’s who we are:

Lucille Fur,

Dr Barbara Ardinger,

Michelle Peterson,

Amanda Yates Garcia,

Jamie Della,

Emerald O’Kelly,

Oruel Rising,

Laurel Rising,

Dana Kirkendoll,

Cassie Inez.

Christmas is a magical time. In Christian theology, Jesus was or is God, born to a woman. Whether naturally (i.e. the Virgin Mary had sex with her husband, Joseph) or unnaturally, the Virgin Mary remained a Virgin, but became pregnant through the intervention of the spirit is a shibboleth. But most Christians agree that Jesus was a baby. He was crucified for our sins. He rose from the dead in accordance with the scriptures which foretold such a coming. These miraculous events form the narrative of Christianity.

Most of us will be familiar with the saying: Thou shall not suffer a witch to live, which doesn’t sound very Christian-like in any language.  My favourite come-uppance was Marge Simpson in an episode of The Simpsons, flying on a broom-stick, green faced and cackling.

Harry Potter has made witchcraft widely popular. But the Bible condemns the practice of sorcery, divination, and witchcraft. This involves attempts to seek supernatural knowledge or power through magical or occult means (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Leviticus 20:6).

Consulting Mediums or Spiritists: Those who consult mediums or spiritists to communicate with the dead or spirits are also condemned in biblical texts (Leviticus 20:27, Deuteronomy 18:11).

Use of Magic or Spells: The use of spells, incantations, or magical practices to manipulate or control natural forces or spiritual entities is regarded as forbidden (Isaiah 47:9, Malachi 3:5).

Punishment for Witchcraft or Sorcery (as mentioned in the Bible):

Death Penalty: In certain instances, the punishment for engaging in witchcraft, sorcery, or consulting mediums is prescribed as death. For example, Leviticus 20:27 states that those who practice witchcraft among the Israelites shall be put to death.

Banishment and Exclusion: The Bible also mentions instances where those practicing sorcery or witchcraft were to be banished or removed from the community (Micah 5:12, Exodus 22:18).

In the Bible, there are instances where biblical figures are said to have consulted with soothsayers, mediums, or spiritists. These actions were generally condemned or disapproved of, but the specific punishments for these figures varied. Here are a few examples:

1. King Saul: Saul, the first king of Israel, consulted a medium or a woman with a familiar spirit at Endor when he was distressed and seeking guidance before a battle (1 Samuel 28:7-25). Saul sought to communicate with the deceased prophet Samuel. Samuel’s spirit was summoned, and he foretold Saul’s downfall. As a consequence, Saul and his sons died in battle, fulfilling the prophecy given through the medium.
2. King Manasseh of Judah: Manasseh, a king of Judah, was criticized for practicing various forms of divination, witchcraft, and consulting mediums (2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 33:6). However, there isn’t a specific narrative that details his punishment for these actions.
3. King Ahab and the Queen Jezebel: Ahab, King of Israel, and his wife Jezebel were known for promoting idolatry and engaging in wicked practices. Jezebel, in particular, supported prophets of the false god Baal. Although not explicitly stated as consulting mediums, they were associated with promoting practices condemned in the Bible. Ahab met his end in battle (1 Kings 22:29-38), and Jezebel met a gruesome fate as prophesied (2 Kings 9:30-37).

While these biblical figures engaged in actions that involved seeking guidance or engaging with practices considered contrary to the laws or beliefs of ancient Israel, the direct link between their actions and specific punishments can sometimes be ambiguous or attributed to broader narratives surrounding their lives rather than solely their interaction with soothsayers or mediums. The consequences often entailed tragic ends or judgments pronounced upon them through prophetic warnings rather than immediate punishment for the act of consulting mediums.

When this cinnamon blows, abundance will come to stay =spell.

I think it’s more about intent. Everyone should do this once a month and see what happens.

Misconceptions.

Emee. We’re devil worshippers. We’re in a relationship with the devil. We attack people. Or attack people  needlessly. Just that we’re evil…

Ourel, Chaos Magician.

Dr Barbara Ardinger, author of Pagan Every Day.

We don’t fly through the air on broomsticks (why not?) We don’t worship any kind of devil, because the devil is a Christian invention. The devil was modelled on a European forest god, Cernunnos (Karnonos), because he had horns.

In the middle-aged the Christians invented the devil because they were mysoginsitc. And they were anti-nature. They had to persecute everything that didn’t go exactly in their path.

So  you can find lots of stories about witches lining up to kiss the devil’s rear end. That’s nonsense. We are just ordinary people. Men and women.

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer. We’re not all evil, devil worshipping people. A lot of times witches can be wiccan. But not all wiccans are witches.

In the wiccan religion, they don’t believe in Satan. They don’t believe in the devil. So that’s a huge misconception that we worship the devil. We hold ritualistic spells. We’re slaughtering animals and small children. We ride broomsticks and have green skin. Wear the pointy hat and have the long black dresses. But that has nothing to do with our magic. Our craft.

Amanda Yates Garcia author of Initiated Memoirs of a Witch. One of the most annoying things about practicing witchcraft now is people don’t really have a frame of reference for it…So they think it is somehow ridiculous. If  you’re a witch they believe they have powers that just can’t be real. It’s like Harry Potter. We live in this fantastical world. Really that we’re trying to escape from reality. And I’d say it’s the exact opposite.

Lucy, Chaos Magic.  What I feel like witches are give a really bad rep. The Salem Witch Trials. There was no magic at Salem…Just a place where people got murdered. I don’t even think there were practicing witches…Everything I’ve learned is karma. So I don’t see anybody going out there way to do something bad…It’s just people don’t understand. Nobody ever talked to a witch. Cause even if we didn’t like you. And we put out bad spells that would come back three times worse.

Laurel Rising, Witch. So I think there’s this big misconception, either we’re worshipping the devil or sacrificing animals. We’ve got a big cauldron in the woods and we’re dancing naked under the moon. There are a million misconceptions people have about witches. And that’s not to say some witches don’t dance naked under a full moon. A big one is that all witches are part of the same practice or religion. That’s a misconception I even had.

Julia Della author of  The Book of Spells.   People think that being a witch is the equivalent of being a bitch…Not being careful with their power…  And what they’ll say is aren’t there bad witches? One of the ways I answer that to someone is ‘Being a witch is being able to learn how to manifest and being in tune with the earth.’ So you can manifest a lot of things. You can manifest money. If you were a wealthy person. Are there good people that have money? Or bad people that have money? Of course, there’s both. And that’s a power. So the power of your witchcraft. The power of your ability to manifest something can be used for good or it can be used for not so good. For myself, I will believe in karma. I believe in the threefold law. That whatever I plant to the universe… I’m not going to plant tomatoes and get back cucumbers. I plant seeds of hope and light and inspiration. Then that’s what’s going to come back to me.

Be cautious with your thoughts (chaos witch) some things you put out there, you hex yourself.

You’re creating your own negative energy.

Family and Friends.

Dr Barbara Ardinger, author of Pagan Every Day. My mother had been dead for a long time and my father had a stepmother and she cut off the whole family. My grandmother didn’t mind. She was in her eighties at the time. She didn’t understand it. But she didn’t object. Other members of my family were confused. But who cares? I was the one that moved to California. Out of Missourri. So they knew I was nuts anyway. So it didn’t matter. A lot of friends I’ve had have not been witches. A lot of them have been witches. I don’t sit and think there’s any difference. When you’re friends you’re friends. You accept each other.

Ourel, Chaos Magician. My mother I’m sure feel negative about it because she’s very religious. But she has not expressed any malcontent with myself or my sister, who’s also a witch… she even has expressed a slight curiosity, which is intriguing. I thought that people over a certain age become stuck in their ways, but maybe there’s more hope than that.  

Laurel Rising, my brother, whom I’m closest to, is a witch himself. And so we can connect on that. My mom is still very much so a committed evangelical Christian. Has asked me question, but the thing I’ve appreciated about her is she has not tried to talk me out of it (or burn  me at the stake). Or tell me I’m going to hell or anything like that. She asks questions. I answer  them. She says, OK, you know?

Emee, I kept it a secret by hiding the books I read. Hiding it behind the guise of really liking Harry Potter. That was a really good way of doing it. ‘Oh, I like this wand, Oh, it’s Harry Potter’. [hiding in plain sight] But I would go to church. I’d read the Bible. And I would go to group Bible studies. And I’d talk with my father who’s a big Christian. I’d basically do anything that needed to be done to make sure nobody knew who I really was. Now, I don’t go to church. Because there is no church for us. I do have group meetings with my coven. I read books now. Just like before. I’m not prepared to hide the symbols of my faith.

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer. When I first  met my husband many moons ago, my husband is very logical. There’s a logical explanation for everything that happens. Something goes bump in the night, it was the wind. But as we progressed in our relationship, he asked more questions, and he starts understanding and become more open to that kinda thing. He’s always been very supportive. He may laugh at some things. Be like ‘Yes dear, it was a ghost’. But everybody, my mum’s religious, but sensitive. She’s been very accepting. My two best friends, are very, very accepting.

  Lucy, Chaos Magic.  I’m not crazy, open about it. It’s just something I didn’t believe and I do now. I’m very vocal about not believing in God or being a supporter of like, religion. I’m not super open about it. I’ll definitely bring it up if somebody talks about stones or… once that door is open, I’ll open the door. I’m just not the one opening the door.

Ourel, Chaos Magician. Nobody has ever said I can’t be friends with you because of what you believe. Or I can’t spend time with you. Or I can’t listen to you. Most people have been pretty respectful and open to or hearing more even.

Esmee: ? There are times I’ll kinda get quiet and say that’s not what’s going to happen. I have my belief and you have yours. Agree to disagree and we go our separate ways. Not stop talking. We just don’t talk about it. I’m open. I know they’re open. And I know they’re open about theirs. So we just go back and forth and share information now. And when it gets a little much, we take a step back.   

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer. My dad, on the otherhand. I just found out who my dad was a few years ago. And thanks to my husband’s great detective skills and looking at Ancestry.com I found my birth dad. Funny enough, my birth dad is a minister. Yep. That was kinda my karmic joke. My friend and I were laughing, like, he’ll be either a preacher of or a minister, or something. Sure enough, he’s a minister. So when we first started talking. And he found out I was a witch. I was into witchcraft. Oh, I got the lectures. Even a couple of years ago, he sent me a Bible for Christmas. I appreciate that and take it’s done out of love. But it was frustrating because I’d told him where my path was and why. Look, he said, I accept you for who you are. And I love you. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying. And I said, OK, that’s fair.  

Julia Della author of  The Book of Spells.   Put it into a jar and you’re really thinking about everything you grow. While you’re thinking of your intention. Well, I heard,  you’ve got to turn it inward towards yourself. Unless advised otherwise.  Alright dropping that (the spell) in first. Oh, we didn’t blew it. I knew it. I forgot something. I feel I do this every time. I have to unfold it. Maybe, that’s just secretly part of my state. OK, we’re going to do more blue. Whoo. That doesn’t look blue. Then drop your nails or thumbtack in. Terra? Basil and cinnamon ginger. You don’t have to do that, but that’s OK. We are going to do salt. I would do a little bowl. But this thing works as well. I will do my best. Why I like this one is it didn’t say you can use tap water. Since it is a way of purifying your enemies or something. Rainwater? I don’t believe you have to leave it out in the rain. If it was a full moon. That water now becomes moon water. It’s powerful and I think it can energise stuff through your walls. So keep that in mind. If you’ve got a full glass of water. And you don’t use it. You’ve got moonwater (all water that it’s in the oceans, seas, rivers etc is therefore moom water). Rainwater. I never remember. Because we’ve go so little water in South Cal. Snow would be cool. If you could just collect snow. And energise it with the moon. Alright. We’re going to pour in the water and imagine the negativity flooding away. I’m going to grab a little cup for that. Cup of water.

Definition of a Witch.

Amanda Yates Garcia author of Initiated Memoirs of a Witch. As a wordsmith I tend to look at the etymology of a word. And the word witch come from the word wicce. And that means wise. So a witch is a wise person. And it doesn’t have to be a woman. It can be a man. It can be any gender. It’s not specific to that. Just about living your life in a wise way. The wise ways are living your life attuned to nature. Living your life with the cycles of the season. And I’m member of a community of sentient beings. And not a separate energy outside that.   

Ourel, Chaos Magician. My definition of a witch is someone that believes they have the power to manipulate unseen natural forces to affect a goal.

Laurel Rising, I think there is this common definition of a witch is like a woman with some kind of magical abilities or powers. I don’t ascribe gender to it. Guys can be witches. Non-binary can be witches. So to me a witch is anyone that considers themself to be a witch. Who is connected to a type of spirituality that includes magic. Nature. You know. Herbalism. Anything that can be considered …of a world.

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer. For me, personally, there are so many definitions and versions of the word witch. For me, personally, it just means somebody that is comfortable with themselves and may have a little bit or lot of magic in them. They’re unique. They’re different. They may not be cookie cutter. You know the dictionary said it’s a woman who has supernatural or mystical powers. I don’t think the word powers means what media thinks it means. You can be a healer. And that can be your superpower. So for me, a witch is very personal and what makes you special.

[esmee?] a witch is someone who uses the powers of witchcraft in order to engage with the natural world. So a witch is someone who uses spells, incantations, prayers, rites, rituals, to connect with the spirits of the land and as a tool for personal empowerment.

Dr Barbara Ardinger, witch is said to be an old English word that means strong or powerful or wise. Today witch has a broader meaning. And mainly, thanks to the social media, it’s taken on a more glamorousness.  The Hollywood kind of glamour. And it’s supposed to be something fancy and romantic. A young woman, maybe, says she is a witch and she’s working on maybe being a seductress who uses magic. As I see witchcraft it’s a religion. We worship the goddess Diana. I’m an initiated…I pay attention to the pagan gods. But not the standard brand or religion. And I’m a very grounded witch because I don’t go out and do a lot of glamorous things. Glamourous in the Hollywood sense. You’re not going to find me on Facebook doing …

  Lucy, Chaos Magic. Wow, I didn’t start calling myself a witch. I realised that when I’m sitting there concentrating on things, I’m like manifesting. Then when I realised that was witchcraft, when I started calling myself a witch. Then if you manifest a lot. Or someone that plays a random rock or stone in your pocket. Then you’re a witch to me. Even if you’re not doing it intentionally, with the like, you know, carrying a rock around for good luck. I feel that… for whatever reason. That to me is what makes you a witch.

Esmee? The word witch to me is someone that identifies as a witch. Not everybody practices paganism. Or even kitchen witchery, identifies as a witch if you identify as a witch, you’re a witch. But you can be a Christian and still be a witch. It’s very personal. It’s a very personal journey.

Julia Della author of  The Book of Spells.  My cup of tap water. OK. Now, I don’t have a black candle. And I feel like… OK… we’ll need this one (white candle).  White candle is basically your go to if you don’t have the colour necessary. A pack of birthday candles is the easiest way, you get all the colours for sure. Technically, I should be doing this on my altar. But that’s OK. We’re going to cover this in wax and then…I’m going to keep it on my altar…but not my working altar.  Now, technically, I’m not going to have to wait for this candle to burn all the way out. I use this to put it out. I always just put them out. I don’t allow them to burn all the way out. I always rated it more of a fire hazard than anything. Safety is important. How you do this is… I don’t need a lot of wax, but at least I can get it started. The little sprinkle bottles work really well. And these tiny little jars, when empty, are perfect. OK, a little bit more. The wind is being unfriendly to us. Oh…I didn’t use a word in there. I used salt instead. See, sometimes you think you use everything and you don’t. This is sea salt. I feel is such a powerful, protection on its own. Almost sealed. Fuck off to all the negative energy. Now…cool…

Religion & Witchcraft.

Laurel Rising, There are some religions that have a witchcraft practice. Wicca being one of them. I’m not Wiccan. So I can’t speak on the specifics of their religion. But it is a specific religion. Paganism is another. Many of the followers of pagan will call themselves witches. And then, there are some, like me, eclectic witches who consider witchcraft our spiritual practice but not necessarily an organised religion.

We worship the 8 stations on the wheel. The old Pantheon.

Julia Della author of  The Book of Spells.    

The Pentagram is fire, water, air, ground and I think, your soul?

When you’re dreaming, you can go to parallel universes or somehow. Then you should be protecting yourself. A way to do it: imagining a white light around you. And usually, like a circle. You can point with your finger or a wand as well. Five points of the pentagram.

Magic’s Role

Esmee: Magic is a way of breaking down the membranes of truth so that we can expand our world view. See form multiple points of view and then find solutions to our problems, we maybe hadn’t seen before. Find opportunities we hadn’t recognised before or create allies in the world, where before there was no connection. It’s about re-enchanting the world through the connections we have with other people. Creating lines of intimacy. Different beings. Whether that’s another person. Or a place. Or an animal.

Transforming reality according to your will. Witchcraft is known to be done through a shift in your will or awareness. That’s the first step. You can’t just wave your wand and everything is different in your life. But what you’re doing with magic is your opening up to seeing reality from a different perspective. Often we get locked into visions of what our reality is. Who we are. What our life is like. What the truth is.

Laura: A lot of magic we do has to do with our intentions.

I think the magic is within us. The Higher Power to focus on what our goals are. And think about the actions we want to do to achieve those goals and set our mind to it and interact with energies so we can produce the result.

Witchcraft in pop culture

Lucy: That was like the eighties was the Satanic panic. I actually didn’t know a lot about. My fiancée was explaining this to me. How bad it was. Everybody thought these pagans were eating like…babies! Or something… Witches got thrown in there too. I realised that because I put myself in the category of witch and wear pentagrams for protection… I get looked at as a Satanist. I think it’s funny, but in reality that’s just giving the negative…that’s not what it is.

The Satanic Panic was a period characterised by a moral panic centred around allegations of Satanic ritual abuse and widespread conspiracy theories involving Satanism and occult practices. While there were similarities in themes and concerns, the manifestations and scale of the panic differed between Britain and America:

In America:

Scale and Impact: The Satanic Panic in America was more widespread and had a larger cultural impact. It emerged in the 1980s and extended into the early 1990s, gripping various parts of the country. The panic led to numerous high-profile cases, media sensationalism, and a national fear of Satanic cults and rituals supposedly involved in child abuse, kidnapping, and ritualistic killings.

Media Sensationalism: The American Satanic Panic was fuelled by sensationalised media coverage, talk shows, books, and movies that portrayed lurid and unsubstantiated claims of Satanic abuse. Personal testimonies, often from children, were given significant weight despite lacking credible evidence.

Legal Cases: Some high-profile legal cases emerged during this period, resulting in arrests and trials based on allegations of Satanic ritual abuse. However, many of these cases later fell apart due to lack of evidence or the realization that the allegations were unfounded.

Therapy and Recovered Memories: There was a reliance on controversial therapeutic techniques, such as recovered memory therapy, which led to individuals supposedly recalling repressed memories of Satanic abuse during therapy sessions. These memories were often later discredited as potentially being influenced by suggestive or leading therapeutic practices.

In Britain:

Smaller Scale and Duration: The Satanic Panic in Britain was not as widespread or enduring as in America. While similar concerns arose, they did not reach the same level of hysteria or cultural impact.

Influence from America: Some aspects of the Satanic Panic in Britain were influenced by media reports and literature originating in the United States. However, the panic did not take root to the same extent in British society.

Lack of Legal Cases: There were fewer high-profile legal cases or trials in Britain related to Satanic ritual abuse compared to the United States. Allegations of Satanic abuse did not result in as many legal actions or convictions.

Cultural and Religious Context: The cultural and religious landscape in Britain, including differing attitudes towards religious conservatism and sensationalism, might have contributed to a lesser degree of societal impact compared to America.

The Devil & Witchcraft.

Lucy: Satanism. It’s like the church of Satan is bad. One of them is. But the actual Satanists don’t believe in Satan. I think there is like, eleven commandments and the eleventh are like the others, like being a good person. Satanists aren’t practicing and believing in Satan. I know there are people praying to Satan. But I don’t know. I don’t think Satan is about Satan at all.

Laura. When I do think of Satanism, I do think of the Satanic panic of the eighties. Being told in my Christian schools and worship that anything that was not of God was of Satan. You know when Christians say ‘The Devil’, they are talking about Lucifer or Satan. So to me, we’re talking about two different things. Because…Are there people that worship Satan? Are there people that worship the Devil? Probably. You know, I’m sure there are. None of the witches I know do that. You know that’s not to say not any witches do that. But from everything I’ve learned, that’s not what witchcraft is about. That’s what’s put out there by, em, Christianity. Because of the fear.

Dr Barbara Ardinger, Yeh, the medieval Christian message. Priests and Pope and Bishops did it. And one reason they did it was they were misogynistic. And in those days, women, especially older women, and especially women that had healing abilities, oh… they were devilish. You know the doctors were men. And all they did was use astrology. It was the women that actually got down and done the herbal healing. Delivered babies. So witchcraft was associate to the devil by Christian Popes. And preachers. Protestant and Catholic. But it was almost all Christian. And it was almost all men. Very, very, few women.

Amanda Yates Garcia author of Initiated Memoirs of a Witch. So the way the myth of devil worship to attached to witchcraft is when… so we have the divine female, the great goddess energy, that’s typically, if you’re really going to simplify it that’s defined as the Gaia. The mother earth energy. And the male energy is typically the great god, it typically considered the horned god. The spirit of the vegetation. And so this is a green god. And if you think of him like Puck, from A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. Or Peter Pan. Pan means all [universal]. So that’s the etymology in me again. The writer. Back to the wordsmithing. Pan means all. So a pandemic. A panic. You know it’s all a panacea. So it’s all. We used to have a conference called pantheon. Pan>all. Theo>God. Conference all. So Pan was green. Half man. Half goat. Viral. Seed-energy of life. Mother energy is we go to rest. And we go to grow. And the god energy is this expansive. Like ying and yang. Yang is the male and the outward. The doingness. The female is the rest. The inward. So the green god has horns. Has a beard. Goat. Well, what do  you do the first time you take over a culture? You kill the storytellers. Or you re-tell their stories. Or you paint their god red. Call him the devil. And tell them that’s who you worshipped.

Tools & Process.

   Ourel, Chaos Magician. Magic is a process by which you first identify a problem you want to fix. You figure out some kind of ritual. Some sort of behaviour. Ritual. Action. You decide this ritual means this problem is solved. You perform the ritual and then let it go be part of the universe. We need to perform the magic and then forget about it.

Esmee? Tools are not required. They’re just helpful. All tools are.

Jars are a big thing with witches. You put everything in jars. Candles are big. Stones. Eggshells that have been ground down. Really useful in multiple ways. For me I use herbs and spices. Just regular  food. Regular household items. For a garden witch, growing plants. Soil and a shovel even. They are items of trade. It just depends on your specific path.

Dr Barbara Ardinger, author of Pagan Every Day. I’m too old. You don’t need them. But it’s good when you’re doing something to have a concrete symbol in your hand. If you’re familiar with the tarot. The tarot has four suits. And they are… if I can remember them… Sword and Wands and Cups and Air. And Witchcraft uses what is called an athame or ceremonial knife.

  In various witchcraft traditions and practices, a ceremonial knife is often referred to as an “athame” (pronounced ath-uh-may). The athame holds significance as a ritual tool and symbol within certain Wiccan and pagan traditions.

The athame typically has a double-edged blade and a black handle, although variations can exist based on personal preferences or traditions. It is considered a consecrated tool used for specific ceremonial purposes and is not intended for physical cutting or practical use.

The athame serves several symbolic and ritualistic purposes:

1. Representation of Elemental Energy: In some traditions, the athame represents the element of Air or Fire, depending on the specific tradition or individual belief systems. It is often associated with the masculine energy or the divine masculine principle.
2. Directing Energy: During rituals and ceremonies, the athame is used to direct or channel energy. Practitioners may use it to cast circles, trace symbols, direct intention, or focus energy during spellwork or rituals.
3. Ceremonial Symbolism: The athame holds symbolic significance within rituals, representing the witch’s will, personal power, and the ability to transform or direct energies. It may also symbolize the cutting away of negativity or barriers.
4. Consecration and Ritual Work: Prior to use, the athame is consecrated or ritually cleansed and charged. It may be used in rituals for invoking, banishing, or as part of other magical workings.

It’s important to note that the athame’s use and significance can vary among different witchcraft traditions and individual practitioners. In some traditions, other ritual tools, such as wands or swords, might serve similar or different purposes within ceremonial practices. The use of ceremonial tools like the athame is deeply rooted in symbolism, personal belief, and ritualistic practices within specific spiritual paths.

Usually it has a black handle and it has symbols on it. You don’t stab somebody with it. You don’t cut stuff with it. You cut air with it.

You’ve heard about wands. I’ve got a whole bunch of wands.

Wands have held significant symbolic and ritualistic importance in various cultures, traditions, and belief systems throughout history. The purpose and symbolism of wands have evolved over time, and their significance varies among different practices. Here are explanations of the purpose of wands, both historically and in contemporary contexts:

Historical and Mythological Significance:

1. Magical and Spiritual Tools: In ancient cultures, wands were seen as instruments of power and magic. They were associated with practitioners of magic, shamans, and priests who used wands in rituals, ceremonies, and spellcasting.
2. Symbolism of Authority and Power: Wands were often considered symbols of authority and leadership. In ancient Egypt, rulers and pharaohs held a scepter or wand as a symbol of their divine authority.
3. Elemental Associations: In some traditions, wands were associated with specific elements such as fire or air. They were believed to help channel and direct elemental energies during rituals or ceremonies.
4. Mythological References: Wands appear in various mythologies and folklore, such as the wand of Merlin in Arthurian legends or the wand of Hermes in Greek mythology. These wands were often associated with magical powers and wisdom.

Contemporary Usage in Spiritual and Magical Practices:

1. Ritual and Spellwork: In modern witchcraft, Wicca, and other pagan traditions, wands are used as ritual tools. They can be employed in directing energy, casting circles, invoking or banishing, and conducting spellwork. Each wand might be associated with specific intentions or magical purposes.
2. Focus and Intention: Wands serve as a focal point for the practitioner’s intention and energy. They help concentrate and direct the practitioner’s will and magical energy during rituals or ceremonies.
3. Representation of Elements: In some contemporary practices, wands are associated with specific elements (fire, air) and might be used in rituals involving those elements.
4. Personalized Tools: Many practitioners create or select wands that resonate with them energetically. Wands can be crafted from various materials (wood, metal, crystals) and might be personalized according to the practitioner’s preferences or spiritual beliefs.

It’s important to note that the purpose and significance of wands can vary widely among different traditions, magical practices, and individual practitioners. Their symbolism often revolves around directing energy, intention, and serving as tools for spiritual or magical workings.

And wands you use to point and to touch. Water conveys emotion. So if you have a chalice. It’s just a glass. It can be a bowl. And water conveys emotion. Then it can be cleaning. And air just… moves things around.

Esmee. I work a lot with herbs, with plants, with crystals. Things that are, I guess, in nature. Things that are accessible. But I guess as my knowledge is expanding, I’m working more and more with astrology, with tarot. The more I learn about these things I still feel like a beginner. I think as I learn more I’ll be using them in more ways. I work with a lot of, you know, moon magic. Kinda nature cycles.

Wicca is a modern pagan religious movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, primarily in England, and was popularized by figures like Gerald Gardner. It is a modern form of witchcraft or neo-paganism that draws inspiration from ancient pagan practices, folklore, and ceremonial magic.

Key aspects of Wicca include:

1. Nature-based Spirituality: Wicca reveres nature and its cycles, often celebrating seasonal festivals known as Sabbats, which coincide with equinoxes, solstices, and agricultural cycles.
2. Worship of Deities: Wiccans may honour and work with a variety of deities, often including a dual deity of a god and a goddess, representing the divine masculine and feminine energies. These deities might be derived from various mythologies or pantheons.
3. Ritual and Magic: Rituals, ceremonies, and magic play integral roles in Wiccan practice. Rituals involve casting circles, invoking deities, conducting spells, and working with energy for healing, empowerment, or spiritual growth.
4. Ethical Principles: Wiccans often adhere to ethical guidelines such as the “Wiccan Rede,” which promotes the idea of “harm none” and emphasises ethical responsibility in their actions.

Wicca is considered a form of modern paganism due to its incorporation of ancient pagan beliefs, practices, and symbolism, albeit in a more contemporary context. Paganism, as a broader term, encompasses various pre-Christian religious and spiritual traditions that were practiced in ancient times. These traditions were often polytheistic and connected with nature, worshiping multiple gods and goddesses associated with natural elements, celestial bodies, and agricultural cycles.

In terms of how Wicca relates to pagan and modern beliefs:

1. Connection to Paganism: Wicca is a subset of modern pagan belief systems. It draws inspiration from ancient pagan traditions while incorporating modern concepts and practices. Many Wiccans identify themselves as pagans because of their reverence for nature and incorporating ancient spiritual elements into their practice.
2. Continuation of Ancient Traditions: While Wicca is a modern movement, it seeks to revive and reinterpret ancient pagan beliefs and practices in a contemporary context. It shares similarities with historical pagan practices but is also influenced by more recent ceremonial magic, occultism, and modern interpretations of spirituality.
3. Individual and Eclectic Practices: Within modern Wicca and pagan communities, there’s diversity in beliefs and practices. Some practitioners follow traditional Wiccan practices, while others adopt eclectic or personalized approaches, drawing from multiple spiritual traditions, beliefs, and magical practices.

Wicca’s relationship to paganism and modern beliefs lies in its blending of ancient spiritual elements with contemporary interpretations, creating a vibrant and evolving spiritual path for many practitioners.

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer. A lot of it has to do with intent. Words. If I’m doing healing, spell-healing work, I’ll use candles. Crystals. I’ll use spirit guides. My familiar, who is past [dead]. He’s in the spiritual realm. And he still helps me. So for me it depends on what I’m doing. I don’t necessarily need tools for that. Being out here, I can pick up a rock. Pick up a twig. And those can be magical tools.

Future of Witchcraft.

Esmee? My hope for witchcraft is that it becomes more and more specific to places and time. So the witchcraft that I/We practice in Los Angeles is going to be different from the Witchcraft practiced in, like, Kansas. My hope is the witches of the future bring their own background. Their own knowledge. Their own places into the work. And let the spirit of the land and the spirit of their own connections inform them. I’m looking forward to a liturgy of witchcraft. Witches are poets. Witches are artists. Witches are healers. Are dancers. Are actors and I’m looking forward to the arts being the stewards of witchcraft in the world. Letting it find its own voice. I’m really looking forward to and hoping, we can just get over this idea that witchcraft is a spooky, sensational thing. I just don’t want to talk about that anymore. Done. I don’t want to talk about that anymore. It’s really boring. It’s just not like that. I hope we can just get over that. I just feel that witches just have a much more interesting point of view for us and the world, which is about their relationship to the natural world and the rituals of honouring the sacred within the natural world. And my connection to it. And you know, witches are environmentalists. They’re ecologists. And I think it’s more interesting to talk about that. Rather than coming back to the same old thing: Is witchcraft about Satanism? And where’s your warty nose. It’s just like so boring. I don’t want to talk about it ever again. Like, I think, the more witchcraft gains in popularity, the less groundwork that we have to do every time to get people to understand what witchcraft is. There’s just more interesting things to say that it’s not about cursing people. Just frustrating to have to go back every single time.   

Amanda Yates Garcia author of Initiated Memoirs of a Witch.  I think the true area of witchcraft is coming true as we allow our personal power to becomes actualised? Wherever you come from in the world, the more words like ‘manifest’ are being used. Even though people aren’t necessarily calling that witchcraft. That is what it is. Knowing that you’re wise enough. Your words have power. Because that’s all that a spell is. A spell just means ‘to cast your word’. Another way I describe it is the word ‘prayer’. People understand that word. It’s easy for them. It’s been used in a lot of different religions. So it doesn’t have any frightening connotations. A spell is a prayer in 3D. So in other words, we put out these symbols. These ideas that represent, for example, you have creative writing block. And you might create an altar that represents Air. Because Air is part of the East. And East is where the sun rises. So new ideas and inspiration. And beginnings all happen in the East. So if you put down a pen, and a fan, and all these feathers. And all these things that represent that energy to you. You can show anyone from any religion. That’s a feather. Feathers are flight. We know the sun rises in the East. There’s a picture of the Sun. This is what I mean to be inspired from the divine energy. You start taking away the words that frighten people. And you use the common words. Then we can begin to grow into that. There’s always going to be people who don’t understand. And don’t understand that we need equality for all. Right? But if we keep talking. I we keep talking about the life. And about the diversity. And about the free will. Then I believe that’s the language that’s going to open up more doors, where people can get rid of their fear. False evidence appearing real.

Ourel, Chaos Magician. In the future I see witchcraft more accepted by groups that still uncomfortable with it. I see it being more spoken about in day to day conversations. I see us eventually able to meet in a world without our armour on. We can come together as witch and non-witch. As this religion. That religion. All of use together as human beings [I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony? New Seekers?] And talk about the things that matter to each and every one of us. Without anyone of any group, passing judgement on anybody else. I see witches as themselves evolving. And I see the rest of the world evolving too.

Laurel Rising,  Witchcraft is very popular right now.  So there’s a lot of people exploring, especially with the quarantine that’s happened. People are exploring more. Because it makes sense to them. Or they’ve been doubting. Depression sometimes does that. Even being by yourself definitely makes you question. So people are exploring more. So I think we’re going to see a rise in paganism and in witchcraft.  But it might not last. Because Christianity and other religions are very prominent in the world. They have an iron grip on people. And not matter what, it’s going to go back to it. And it kind of flip-flops.

Lucy, Chaos Magic. I think we’ll see it more accepted. Hopefully, you know, having, like a social app would be amazing. Because that’s always what I see apps trying to do that. Whether it’s just not having the funding or…it would be just amazing to have a social-media app. Of witches. Or baby witches. Just… Allies of witches. I feel like would be really cool. Like I was saying how in the UK they have a witch newspaper. I hope we have that. Like even if it’s a silly little magazine. I feel like, if a newspaper were to print a witch newspaper, that we’d have people gathering and rioting about it for some silly reason. Like I think there’d be mom’s that were angry and shouting ‘No, my children cannot see a witch newspaper.’

Michelle, Reiki Master/healer: I’m hoping it will be more obvious. There will be more people that are open about what they are doing. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening. Like what I was saying before about social media. And you have the difference of opinion or different in your lifestyle. You get it from all sides. Because you’re different. I’m really hopeful people will be more accepting of you. And more people will be apt to come out of the broom closet so to speak. But I’m really sceptical if we’re going to be allowed to do that. I think tools and things will become… I think they’re going away. The thing is so digitalised.  I’m afraid there won’t be books. Everything will be online. I’m old school. I’m an old witch. I like tangible stuff. I don’t want a digital candle. I don’t want to click a button and the flame lights up. I want that energy. I want that heat from that candle. I want to see it flicker. So I’m hoping that technology doesn’t take away certain aspects. Certain personal aspects of the craft. I’m hopeful, but sceptical.

Esmee 2: Like the witches of the future developing a more sophisticated, grounded, rigorous, understanding of what they’re doing in their work. I love practicing it. Gaining power. Looking to connect with other spiritual traditions through the world.   

Amanda Yates Garcia author of Initiated Memoirs of a Witch.  I think as we begin to believe and recognise our vulnerability. We begin to recognise more of our humanity. The more we become human. The more everyone will become accepted.

Chaos magic is a contemporary form of magical practice that emphasizes individual belief systems, flexibility, and experimentation in the pursuit of magical goals. It diverges from traditional magical systems by prioritizing personal experience and results over adherence to specific dogmas or established rituals.

Key aspects of chaos magic include:

1. Belief as a Tool: Chaos magic operates on the concept that belief itself is a tool for manipulating reality. Practitioners may adopt and use different belief systems, symbols, or deities based on their effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes rather than strict adherence to a single tradition.
2. Eclecticism and Adaptability: Chaos magicians often borrow techniques and concepts from various magical traditions, religions, psychology, science, pop culture, or any source that resonates with them. They mix and match practices to create a personalised system that works for their goals.
3. Paradigm Shifting: A significant aspect of chaos magic involves “paradigm shifting,” where practitioners deliberately change their belief systems to suit their needs or goals. They might switch between different belief systems or paradigms to enhance their magical workings.
4. Symbolism and Sigil Magic: Sigil magic is a common practice within chaos magic. Practitioners create sigils (symbolic representations of their desires) and charge them with intent to manifest those desires in reality.
5. Experimental and Results-Oriented: Chaos magic encourages experimentation and practical application. It focuses on achieving desired results through various techniques, often without being bound by rigid rituals or doctrines.

Uses of Chaos Magic:

1. Manifesting Desires: Chaos magic can be used for manifesting personal desires, goals, or intentions through various magical techniques such as sigilization, visualisation, and altered states of consciousness.
2. Psychological Exploration: Some practitioners use chaos magic as a tool for psychological exploration, self-discovery, and personal growth. It can involve altering one’s perception and beliefs to explore different aspects of the psyche.
3. Empowerment and Self-Transformation: Chaos magic may be utilized for self-empowerment, enhancing creativity, overcoming personal obstacles, or fostering a sense of personal agency and autonomy.
4. Experimentation and Innovation: Chaos magic encourages innovation and experimentation in magical practices. It allows practitioners to explore unconventional approaches to magic and spirituality.

Chaos magic, as a fluid and adaptable practice, is less concerned with adhering to established traditions and more focused on achieving practical results through personalized and experimental approaches to magic. Its applications are diverse and can vary widely based on individual goals and intentions.

Julia Della author of The Book of Spells. Top of Form

Chaos magic is using the powers within yourself to change your current reality. It’s just your thought process. And how you think about things. And your intent and stuff before you do things. It’s just working with your own natural chaos. Other that by a book [rejects book learning?]

Disco: Sound of a Revolution, BBC 2, BBC iPlayer, Director Louise Lockwood.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tkyf/disco-soundtrack-of-a-revolution-series-1-1-rock-the-boat

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tkyp/disco-soundtrack-of-a-revolution-series-1-2-aint-no-stoppin-us-now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001tmjk/disco-soundtrack-of-a-revolution-series-1-3-stayin-alive

‘It’s so important people know this. This is history.’

Here is the music test. What do you listen to when driving? I grew up with disco. But I don’t listen to anything. I don’t turn the radio on. I don’t listen to audiobooks. I don’t play CDs. I listen to my thoughts, which make me seem far more interesting than I am. I’m not for or against disco. I just don’t really care.

We’ve had classical music since the world began. Capitol, Mercury, Columbia, Decca and RCA. The 78 revolution per minute (rrm). Jazz. Ronnie Scott and the Ginsberg/Jack Kerouac beatnik poetry culture of first thought-best thought, which was more suited to 33 r.r.m.

Swing and the big bands and crooners like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Bill Haley & His Comets didn’t Rock My Clock. Looking at them now, they seem middle-aged, middle-class extras that wouldn’t have hung around with the other middle-aged girls like Rozzo in Grease.

P.J.Kavanagh nails it when he talks about the forgotten war in Korea. ‘We went away to Glen Miller and came back to Elvis Pressley.’

 We all remember Vietnam, the euphoria of it ending. Just as disco was Stonewalled.  Climbing out of the black and gay clubs in New York. From loft apartments and basement bars injected into the mainstream. A generational change that gave us that white jacket John Travolta wore in Saturday Night Fever. I wore a similar white jacket following out of the fire-exit of bus and onto my arse. Perhaps I’m still on that bus somewhere in Ireland. Too drunk to care or wave my hands in the air.

I remember The Budgie Song. I fucking hated the fucking Budgie Song. If Steve Dogs or Steve Dolls, or whatever he was called, got together with Meatloaf at Comiskey Park and arranged to blow up The Budgie Song, I’d be there cheering him on with the other loonies from the Christian White is right party of good ole Ronnie Reagan, the vanguard of the moron’s moron Trump.

Funny that. How you can love and hate records. Cultural changes isn’t just the stuff left to the politicians. Disco allowed the black and brown and gay community to express themselves in ways that were not just acceptable but could be monetised and exploited. The seeds of its own destruction to quote Marx. Or  somebody with a similar vibe.

Notes.

Episode 3. Stayin’ Alive 1979.

29 of 43 Grammy Awards went to Disco and Disco songs. We’d created a culture that was unstoppable.

Fashion industry created clothes to match the beat.

National magazines do articles about it.

A lot of people wanted to capitalise on that. It got bloated. It also got rich.

You’d songs that were powerful. Then you’d corny songs that killed the disco vibe.

In every successful thing have the seeds of its own destruction.

Disco started with soul. But totally lost it. This is we want the money. So let’s do this bullshit.

TOTP. Our Number 1 this week is Village People. YMCA.

Nicky Siano: Village People were a studio band. That means they were a group of musicians picked to record a song a producer wanted to make.

John Parikhal: Marketing and Media Strategist: The answer with the record company is if there’s money in it, I’m interested.

Jacques Morali (producer) Village People from France.

Ad: Must dance and have moustache. Greenich Village.

Village People: Village People (album)

2^nd album Macho Man.

Village People. In the Navy.

Sharon White, DJ. They were a lot of fun. They brought energy to an audience. {Navy] didn’t realise, the guys behind the scenes couldn’t get into the navy because they were out and openly gay.

Larry could stop a room cold. They’d be chanting…Larry…Larry…Waiting for the next thing he’s going to do.

AnaMatronic, Scissor Sisters: Their songs are very repeatable and singalong. Not a lot of people understood. It was quite a Trojan horse.

Nicky Siano: The US Navy wanted to use In the Navy as a recruitment tool.  It just proved to me, the US Navy didn’t get the song/band was filled with gay stereotypes. And it was kinda of an off-colour joke, to a lot of people.

The agreement was they would allow us to use one of their ships to shoot the song. If we allowed them to use it.

2 of their albums Platnium sold a million.

At the end of it they gave us jets that flew over.

Larry would take a ladder out at 2 o’clock in the morning. Get a ladder and clean the mirror ball. Have 2000 people sitting on the floor. Shut the lights Put a record on. The place would go crazy.

Honey DiJon, DJ Producer: That was great for those people in Kansas. But people of colour and gay people weren’t listening to it. Records in Clubs. This was a time when New York was the clubbing capital of the world. Clubs were church.

Studio 52 or Paradise Garage.

Bill Bernstein, Photographer. Paradise Garage was an old garage that was converted to this dance base. That was their life. They would become a persona that made them seem free. There was a smell of poppers in the air. A smell of marijuana. And they said the punch was spiked with acid.

No other club had a DJ like Larry. Who played the music he did. That made the decisions. As much in charge of the night as Larry.

Extremely loud. You could hear the base through the wall. And the quality of the sound was extremely good.

Michelle Saunders, Paradise Clubee. We used to make our own outfits. They had nothing to do with fashion. Gays, Straight. Any colour. It was mostly gay.

Dave Depino, DJ. No clocks. No mirrors. No alcohol. What could they had done to stay awake? Could it have been…drugs?

David Maroles, DJ: Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Boy George, Michael Jackson, they’d all come and hang out.

Back in the day, the best crowd was the gay crowd. Never any arguments. Never any arguments. Never any drama.

Larry was ahead of his time. The first mixer. The first  producer. The first artist.

Nicky Siano: Then I used to hear about Larry LaBelle the DJ, who was always upfront. Grand entrance. I’m here. I’m queer. Get used to it.

One afternoon he said Nicky, would you teach me how to play records? I’d work with him on mixing techniques. How to beat match. How to pick the next record.

He is the template of what a DJ is now. Larry would go into a recording studio. See through all the excess tracks and pull out the gold.

Eg Inner Life Feat, Jocelyn Brown, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Mixed by Larry Levan.

It’s what we call a Garage classic.

Mark Riley, Radio Presenter, Music Creator. He was obsessed with the music. He’d be messing with the records as people came into the club. To be sure the sound wrenched your guts out.

Joceyln Brown, Artist. You’d the trend of music you didn’t hear anywhere else. It was incredible. He allowed me to sing it in my way. It might not have been Number 1, but it was Number 1 in a lot of people’s hearts.

Performing this song at the Garage was one of the most major things I’ve ever been involved in my life. Everybody was singing. It was fantastic. I’m trying to stay a good girl inside. The way things were touching on that level. It was more spiritual than anything else. It tore me up.

Frankie Crocker, biggest DJ in New York city would come to the garage and steal things.

Francis Kervorkian, DJ Producer. He’d force Larry to give things to him. And the next day you’d hear on WBLS records that weren’t going to come out for six months. Suddenly, everybody was crying to get a copy of, but couldn’t buy it. Cause it’s not out.

Larry’s fame got the Garage bigger. Then the Garage got bigger and got Larry bigger.

John Parkihal Record companies then were like film companies. The big hits paid for the losers. The more you sold. The more money you made.

I think it was a racial backlash. Because so many of the stars, like Gloria Gaynor or Donna Summer were black. And I don’t think white, rock and roll America was ready for that in the seventies. 

Every night, almost, the photographers were there showing people getting turned away from Studio 54. Showing people being turned into losers. Showing people being turned into unworthy. This is a country, only 10 years earlier had gone through a period of massive inclusion where racial walls were tore down. Everyone wanted to love. Kumbuya. Brother and sister and sing in a circle. Then  all of a sudden, news cameras all over the country show people being excluded.

Anita Ward; Ring My Bell.

When I was younger. I never thought of having a hit record. That never came to my mind. I graduated from college in 78 with a degree in psychology.

After teaching for around 4 months, Ring My Bell came out. It was a hit. Overnight. Number 1 in 20 countries.

I was called a one-hit wonder. You’re a commodity. That’s what you are.

They weren’t seen as artists. They were seen by the producers as vehicles for their songs.

Nicky Siano: Most of the one-hit wonders were on independent labels. Always looking for the next hit. They weren’t looking to develop artists.

More marketing. Looking for more artists that sounded like that. Eventually, they began to fade.

They’d commercialised it so much, that every record sounded the same. I no longer had any interest in words like ‘Shake your booty.’ Or ‘Get up and disco dance’. I didn’t want to hear about it. this is turning into a shitshow.

Then you had the negative backlash like you sold me a record, with a disco banner that was absolute crap. My girlfriend went out again with those fucking gay guys to go dancing, instead of staying home with me.

Then you had Studio 54 turning around 1000 people away every night.

Vince Aletti, Music Critic. That’s what music labels do. They didn’t understand what was going on half the time. [50 songs in Billboard top 100 disco]. They saturated a market that couldn’t absorb it.

Jamie Principle. Artist/Producer. There were novelty songs.

Eg Ricky Dee and his cast of Idiots. Disco Duck.

Ana Matronic. You had garbage. Cash-grab music. Coming out of garbage. Cash-grab record labels.

Marshall Jefferson, DJ Producer. I really hated it. It was just so corny.

Robert Williams. Founder of the Warehouse. Artists just couldn’t get their music out. You’d put a record out and it was just a regular ballad singer or regular folk singer. You couldn’t get your music out. They were too busy discoing.

Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters. It was too much. People were sick of it. If you were going to oversaturate the culture with a sound to that degree. People are going to turn on it.

By 1979 200 radio stations had switched to all-disco formats.

Bill Bernstein, photographer. The fact that rock and roll was overtaken by disco for a while, for a lot of people had a really negative effect.

People saw disco as a threat to the white hegemony straight people had for a decade and a half.

America saw New York City in particular as this very wild, decadent city. Everybody sleeping with everybody else.

Lee Abarms, Media Consultant. I really wasn’t a fan of disco. I was definitely in the rock category. This Studio 54 image was terrible among rock listeners. Because you couldn’t get in unless you looked the right way or acted the right way. Or just had that look…

  Ana Tronic. There was already in America a movement to turning the stations that were disco back to a rock format. You had a lot of stations doing things like disco demolitions.

Nicky Siano: I think it came to a head at Caminsky Park. 12^th July 1979. Chicago Whitesocks and Detroit Tigers. Highlight a disco demolition.

Steve Doll. Demolition. Anti disco.

Tickets 99c. So it was packed. People brought their kids. Double header. Best bargain in the world.

Chicago a very segregated city. 90% of blacks prefer the Y-socks. Northside have a lot more white fans.

All these white people coming to a Whitesocks game to blow up disco records.

Steve Dog out in a jeep and wearing full military gear.

It was theatre. And everybody knew that. They knew it wasn’t real. But they wanted to play along. Listeners did.

It was an amazing promotion. Probably one of the best ever. It was kinda like Woodstock. The second game in the double header had to be cancelled.

Everyone was there. Of course they weren’t. But either, the greatest moment in rock and roll. Or evil. Like burning books. But at the time it was kinda the perfect storm.

The Christian Right. The Bible thumpers were trying to press it down. But it was coming up.

Nobody was ringing my bell. I had to go back to teaching.

Candi Staton. Shame on you Steve.

Events at Comiskey Park hastened the commercial demise of disco.

Two years later, change would also come to the dance floor.

1981. AIDS. [at the time referred to as a rare form of cancer]

Talking about this gay cancer and friends of theirs had it.

Nicky Siano: I was scared to death. We didn’t know how it spread. Or if it was going to be fatal to everybody. It was a horrific time.  We quickly learned, having a diagnosis of AIDs meant you had 2 years to live.

1-5 chance a victim will die in the first year of illness.

Gays became stigmatised. People that went out to clubs didn’t want to go out to clubs with gays.

Allen Roskoff. Gay Rights Activist. It was scary shit. Because people you had know for decades were suddenly gone. I lost 2 partners from AIDs. So…many people disappeared. It’s like coming back from a war. Seeing people like, oh, you made it out. I’m serious. You made it out of a war.

Ostracism. Incomprehension. Total lack of sympathy from the public, whatsoever. You’re gay. You deserve it. Good riddance. It was just bad in every way.

There was never a time when the Garage looked emptier. But you’d look in a group and say, ‘where is he’? and you knew.

Nicky Siano:  Most of my friends died of AIDs. Eg David Rodriguez (DJ) was the first person, close to me, that died of AIDS. 

Huge backlash. That’s when Ronald Reagan came into power.

One of the worst days of my life was watching RR get elected. I knew how bad it would be.

Ronald Reagan wouldn’t close the blood banks. Blood was getting transfused. Straights were getting AIDS.

4 years after AIDs emerged. RR publicly acknowledged the epidemic for the first time.

RR: We will not rest. We will not stop. Until we’ve sent AIDs the way of smallpox and polio.

Alex Roscoff: I’m not sure how much disco came back after the AIDs crisis. I don’t think it did.

By the 1980s, some of disco’s pioneers had moved to Chicago (from NY). Sounds of a new underground movement (Candy Staton: You can’t stop creativity).

Marshall Jefferson. DJ/Producer; you got rid of the disco. Wait and see what you got next.

Ron Trent, DJ/ Producer: Chicago is an interesting place because you’d people coming from the South, eg Mississippi. That kinda thing.  West Kansas. My folks were from Kansas. City more industralised. More opportunities. Factory work. Bar tending. Let’s be clear, big budding scene. Outside the factory, you could be a musician. That’s what we Afro-Americans do. We take the scraps off the table (gig economy) and turn them into high cuisine. And that’s exactly what house music is. Then later it became associate with a style and genre that came out of Chicago.

A formula lots of people don’t understand. Very simple. But very powerful.

Frankie Knuckles is considered the godfather of House.

Our version of going viral. Frankie would take one tape and give it away. Exponential growth. Giving the music to the people. That’s how a lot of records got introduced to the public.

Basically, disco breaks in R&B songs. And Frankie used to play a lot of things reel-to-reel and he’d drum machines. So he was using those drum machines and disco loops and he was creating this new genre of music without anyone really knowing it.

Frankie worked at the Warehouse. And the term House music came from the Warehouse.

Prof Francesca T Royster, Writer/Academic. House music was disco’s revenge.  The very parts of disco that were lost. Black and brown creativity. Queerness. The way that disco was part of a soundtrack of exploration before its whitewashing. House music picked that up and ran off with it.

Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters. When the disco suck’s movement came, all the budgets got cut. Suddenly there was no money for them anymore. I think those cut budgets made people more innovative with the sound.

It was unique. It was different. It was fresh off the block.

Prof Francesca T Royster, Writer/Academic. In the way hiphop grew out of the physical disinvestment in the black and brown community’s of NY, house music out of these neglected spaces became communities of creativity. And entrepreneurship.

Robert Williams. Founder of the Warehouse, Chicago, Illinois.  I didn’t go to Chicago to open a club, but I saw this little …building. Which was on Jefferson.

That was Frankie’s entre to Chicago, when Larry (The Garage) said no.

Prof Francesca T Royster, Writer/Academic. Primarily a gay club with African American members. Though other folks came as well. And it was a place where you could go and dance and feel safe.

 Frankie Knuckles became the most powerful DJ in Chicago.

In 1986 he mixed one of the most influential house tracks.

Jamie Principle, DJ/Producer. I didn’t get into the whole culture until I met Frankie. I wanted to do something a little different. I didn’t want to be like the norm.

Jamie Principle & Frankie Knuckles: Your Love. (b.w. Baby Wants to Ride) First house vocalist. I didn’t know I was going to be a figurehead. I look at other singers and they do great. Maybe I was the first person they gravitate towards because they could actually see. And feel connected with.

Jamie Principle DJ/Producer I didn’t know how popular the song was. Traffic jam on a Sunday. Me and my boy were in a car. And I said ‘that’s my song playing. And it was jumping from one car to another car. And we were like…stuck in traffic. He was saying, you should tell them that’s your song. And I said ‘Really?’  They don’t believe that was me. But they were hearing your love.

By the mid-80s, piano had become the dominant sound in house music. Inspiration came from an unlikely source. Elton John.

At that time there was nothing remotely resembling piano on house music. I was doing the graveyard shift on letter sorting. It was as boring as it sound. The trick was to make music in your head. I had to get home before I forgot it.

Yamaha 2×1.

Entire session. 2 hours. I’m going to give it to Ron Hardy at the music box. Plays it six times in a row.

Marshall Jefferson: Move Your Body.

April May 1986. That’s when it started leaving Chicago. That’s because all these journalists flew to Chicago and started interviewing me.

Started interviewing everybody else. All of us got record deals. With major labels.

Ron Trent, DJ/ Producer: Marshall is a smart man. He came up with something that changed the pulse.

It was different. There was nothing like it.

Vinyl Mania Records.

Then suddenly all music, tech, afro, latin, soul, disco. > all under the genre> house. [Simplification]

Ani Tronics. Marrying punk and disco> Blondie, Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime. New wave. New Order, Blue Moon. It was just a wildly creative time.

Disco didn’t go away. The name just went away. The rhythm, the beat, the sound carried on.

Grandfather Flash & The Furious Five: The Message.

Ron Trent, DJ/ Producer: Everybody stands on somebody’s shoulders. Let’s be clear.

I used to be into hip-hop. That’s how I got started. Later 80s. Moby: Go.

Early 90s? here comes Rave. Prodigy: No Good (Start the Dance).

New group of people. The story being re-written.

If you take all the electronic music today, it owes everything to disco.

MNEK Artist Producer: We’re all dancing to a variation of what disco was.

Jesse Ware, artist: Disco’s legacy to teach, inspire, elevate. Safe space. Fun space. Liberating space.

The future of disco, is more disco. I’m very grateful for the forefathers.

It’s so important people know this. This is history.

Produced and directed by Shanne Brown.

The Burial (2023) Prime, Directed by Maggie Betts, Screenplay by Doug Wright and Maggie Betts based on The Burial by Jonathan Harr.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_(film)

This is Erin Brokovitch in the undertaking industry. Black and white. Good versus bad. A story of triumph we expect when the little guy fights corporate corruption that so rarely happens in real life (as this is purported to be) it becomes memorable.  

The Set up.

 Calvary of Love Baptist Church, Indiantown, Florida 1995. Will Gary (Jammie Lee Foxx) is bringing the Lord down. At first we think he’s a preacher. And he is in a way. A lawyer, some would call an ambulance chaser. He sticks it to the big man, the white man and makes him pay for the grief of the poor black man.

Kissimee, Florida (court). Clovis Tubbs v Finch & Co. Food Services. $75 million damages. No good Clovis might have been drunk, might have been depressed. He might have been all of these things. But he had himself a green light against Corporate America. Without Will Gary there would be no justice for the poor oppressed blacks of this world. Will Gary takes a cut of the damages. And he never loses. He makes enough to fly his own plane and give himself the kind of life he thinks he and his family deserve. He’s living proof of the American Dream.

Kurt Vonnegut of Slaughterhouse-Five reminds us:

‘Every other nations has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor.’

Jeremiah O’Keefe, aged 75, is rich in years and wisdom (he is Tommy Lee Jones after all) and his wife Annete O’Keefe (Pamela Reed) are having a little party at their grand home in Biloxi, Mississippi. He’s a funeral director, but has hit a bit of financial difficulties and has to sell off three of his funeral homes.

It’s worth quoting Jessica Mitford’s (1963) essay here on The American Way of Death.

Jessica Mitford was, of course, one of the Mitford girls. Privileged daughters of Lord and Lady Redesdale. Unity joined Hitler’s inner circle in Germany. Diana Mitford married British fascist leader Oswald Mosley. Jessica couldn’t therefore be taken as a Red. She’d know more about price and other kinds of gouching better than most.

She quotes from the a handbook used by funeral directors and successful businessmen such as  Jeremiah O’Keefe.

[my italics]

A funeral is not an occasion for a display of cheapness. It is, in fact, an opportunity for a display of status symbols, which by bolstering family pride does much to assuage grief. A funeral is also an occasion when feelings of guilt and remorse are satisfied to a large extent by a fine funeral.

In other words a funeral is not a once in a lifetime opportunity. As the bad guy, Raymond Lowen, (of the Lowen Group) explains to Jeremiah O’Keefe and to the viewer, this was the Golden Era of death. When Baby Boomers meet their demise. 51 million Americans over the age of  65 were on their way out. Boom time for funeral directors.

 Joseph O’Keefe is forced to sell parts of his business to meet financial demands by the Mississippi State Insurance Commission. He makes a contract with Raymond Loewen of The Loewen Group. But they do not follows through on their oral agreement to buy three funeral homes at the 1995 market rate. In other words, they behave like a big company with leverage. Like Trump that doesn’t pay for his lawyers until they sue his corporation.

The bridge between black and white is a young black lawyer, Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie). He suggests to O’Keefe,  Loewen is intentionally trying to run O‘Keefe into bankruptcy. A common tactic used by Agrifeed  industries to snatch farms from farmers. To snatch up bankrupt businesses at rock-bottom prices. A tactic used by estate agents globally. Capitalism in its usual form.

Hal Dockin represents the better self. American morality that rights all wrongs while whistling The Star Spangled Banner. Selling bullshit that doesn’t stink. But like all stories of injustice. All morality plays. We want the good guys to win. For once the black guy does, even though he’s white.

Rick Rien (2023) Viva Nothing.

Rick Rien (a pseudonym) sent me a copy of his book, Viva Nothing. The title comes from a virtual race. He fancied the name, placed a bet, and won. Usually, he loses. It’s in the title.

Rick’s addiction is gambling. Most of us know someone that is addicted to something. ‘Some of my best mates are drunk drivers,’ is a line I used in one of my longer stories, Ugly Puggly. Smoking and drinking used to be the big-hitters. Drugs (legal, illegal or both) coming on the outside rail. Hash to help you sleep, medicinal and non-medicinal. Gambling and porn. They’re not kept in different pots. Rick reckons he’s had a bash at most of them. He also reckons he’s clinically depressed and suicidal.

Queen Elizabeth II died 2022. Rick’s 200 page journal was near completion. He’d a bit of success with an illustrated children’s book with Queen Elizabeth as the main character. The illustrator that did his graphics had also died that year.

Rick also name checked the writing site he belonged to: ABCtales. I also belong to it. So I was familiar with his backstory. We’d already met on the page and are around the same age. He reminded me of one of my best mates, Laughing Boy. I’ve known him about thirty years. He’s also a painter. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist tended to think everybody he worked with was an arsehole, and if they’d just get out of the way, he’d finish the job. Laughing Boy has worked offshore, in shipyards, and painting submarines. When he talks about work, I get that sinking feeling.

I’ll also say to Laughing Boy, what are you putting all your money into a machine for? Rick knows the answer to that better than me.

He started like LB on the fruit machines, when he was a boy, winning big. He believes in beginners’ luck, like others believe in poltergeists. Then followed the demonic curve of infestation, oppression and possession.

‘This is the stage where the entity takes control of the individual’s body or mind. Signs of possession can vary widely and may include speaking in strange languages.’

Rick’s mate, and fellow gambler, Kieran, for example, trying to convince him not to go into rehab.

‘You’re fine with a few drinks mate.’

I was a fool and I’d have my personality gouged out of me.

‘They’ll turn your brain to mush mate. I’ve seen it dozens of times.’  

Rick had sent his (unpublished) journal to a charity that specialised in helping addicts. Rick lives in London and supports Arsenal. I’m never sure how anybody can afford to live in London. Rick isn’t Paul Merson that had blown around £7 million in bets, nor John Hartson, or Tony Adams. He was living hand-to-mouth and couldn’t afford their charitable fees. The best he could hope for was the cops that pulled him over didn’t breathalyse him or fine him for speeding. He’d been in rehab before. But that was mainly for alcohol.

It had been around the time he’d split up with his wife. He’d lost access to his two daughters. It still enrages him twenty years later.

Laughing Boy experienced a similar split. Rick Rein has a Lady friend. The language is antiquated and harks back to a time that didn’t exist. If it was Laughing Boy, I’d just say to him yer shagging a married woman. She’s got a house and kids and she’s no gonnae leave him for an arsehole like you.

Women fall off pedestals. Usually they’re pushed. Laughing Boy’s partner, who was a Lady, suddenly became a fucking cow. All her foibles were out there. He didn’t want to speak to her again. When I read Rick Rein, I think of my sister’s husband. They never bothered divorcing. He’s in Australia. That’s near enough.  

Viva Nothing shows he may think he’d make a great father, but the evidence is on the page. Like my sister’s son, his children are adults. They can make their own mind up.

The guy in rehab asked a simple question. What do you hope to achieve by sending this book to me?

Rein wasn’t sure. ABCtales has just over 20 000 authors, who have published virtual stories, including him and me. My dream around ten years ago was to make a living from writing. I no longer think that way. Rein’s dream was in boldface: the book, the film, the success story.

There’s a meeting with a spiritualist who tells him he’s on the right path. Viva Nothing is a punt. Somebody up there likes me. With over four million books published by Amazon every year, I just hope it’s their algorithm. Read on.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=9780956781154&i=stripbooks&linkCode=qs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=9780956781154&i=stripbooks&linkCode=qs

Celtic 2—1 Feyenoord

Sometimes you can’t make it up. Gustav Lagerbielke nods in Matt O’Riley’s cross in the 91^st minute to win it. Fans celebrated as if we’d won the Champions League (me included). If I say we will next year, you know I’m getting carried away.

Substitute, Yankuba Minteh, who’d been booked and should have picked up a second yellow card, was home alone at the back post and equalised in the 83^rd minute. Feyernoord looked the team more likely to score the winner. We’ve been here before many times in the Champions League. Lazio stealing the winner in extra-time of added time. A sucker punch we know all too well.

Even in the 96^th minute, when the Feyenoord keeper came up for a corner, if he’d equalised it would have felt like déjà vu. We’ve grown used to swapping victory for defeat.  

Much was made of the defeat to Kilmarnock. Let’s put that into context. Three points in the Champions League tonight guaranteed more money than the combined budget for players and staff at Rugby Park for a year. Much the same team that capitulated to Kilmarnock started tonight. Nat Phillips, who for many is the reincarnation of Shane Duffy, not surprisingly, drops to the bench.

Stephen Welsh, who hasn’t kicked a ball since August, comes back into the team. He was caught ball watching in the first half. Gimenez’s goal was ruled marginally offside. He’d a shot blocked by Joe Hart. Geertruida hits the inside of the post. Celtic rode their luck.

It’s 50/50 whether we score with a penalty now. Luis Palma slotted it away on the 33^rd minute. Zerrouki wrestles man of the match, Liam Scales to the ground at a corner after the referee had warned him twice. He, too, should have picked up another booking. But to score from a penalty and a corner is perhaps to ask too much from the Papal blessing.  

Lagerbielke, joins Phillips on the bench, but it shows where he stands with Welsh playing in front of him.

The exclusion of Oh Hyeon-gyu for Kyogo is no surprise. The South Korean missed a few sitters on Sunday. Kyogo was Scotland’s player of the year. The Japanese international had a couple of pot shots on goal. He worked tirelessly as you’d expect, but it’s still not going for him now.

Oh had the ball in the net after shrugging off a defender and rounding the keeper. But he was pulled back for fouling. A strange decision since the referee let a lot worse than that go. But I’ve ran out of conspiracy theories for this week. I’ll begin again when we play Rangers, or even Hearts if it’s a slow week.

Result in Europe have made grim reading. Even under Sainted Ange we only picked up two points. We can stop using metaphors like monkeys and backs. We’ll maybe stop being compared to Man U. Well, maybe not. But it feels good.

It was a big night for Lagerbielke for all the right reasons. Perhaps he won’t be such a dud. Perhaps even he’ll start the next game (unlikely). Let’s not get carried away. I always get excited by wingers. Mikey Johnston did put a great ball across the goal that was crying out to be knocked in. But Mitchel Frame (17) to make his debut in a Champions League game. Wow. I hope he gets used to winning. I hope he’s not another Mikey. We’ll wait and see about both.   

Rosie (2021) BBC3, BBCiPlayer, Script by Roddie Doyle, Director Paddy Breathnach.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09lk76z/rosie

Roddy Doyle makes you smile. You just need to think of that line from The Commitments, ‘We are the black men of…’ whatever it was. I’m never that grand at remembering. He wrote about the housing crisis in Dublin. But they can’t be that bad that Conor McGregor threatens to lead a posse of Irishmen to deal with the immigrant problem. Whisper it, I could claim an Irish passport too. I’m an immigrant of an emigrant, or something like that. Anyway, I like my Guinness.

Until recently, we gloried in a reading of history and the title of THE MOST OPPRESSED PEOPLE EVER.

We all know about the Irish Famine years. British indifference. Coffin ships. The Irish Diaspora and an Irish population that hovered around 7 million, yet in the 1950s and 1960s was still exporting its working men and women and was largely a rural society with half the population of 100 years earlier. Irish men and women were everywhere. They were Gone With the Wind. Sure, wasn’t Scarlett O’Hara being courted by another Irishman, Rhett Butler, who’d won his lowly estate by cheating at cards and winning a Southern Plantation?    

Rosie (Sarah Greene) is our Scarlett O’Hara of the Dublin rental sector while trying to sort out housing—over 36 hours—for her three kids, while being on benefits, which brings little benefit, and only grief. Her husband is no Rhett Butler. John Paul (Moe Dunford) leaves her to it. He tries to work as many hours as God sends in the infernal underworld of Dublin’s kitchens.  

The message here for those that missed the link is how letting the market sort things out is darkest doublethink, whilst helping take a hammer to poor people’s lives.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/11/ireland-housing-crisis-far-right-europe-refugees

The average Dublin rent is now €2,102 a month. That is equivalent to the entire monthly take-home pay of a newly qualified teacher. Since 2015, rents have increased by 13% across the euro area, but in Ireland they’ve increased by 60%. And this is despite a rent cap on existing rental tenancies.

[creation of rentier class]

Spiralling rents are directly connected to the fact that most of the new-build housing supply is expensive, investor-fund build-to-rent, backed by government through tax breaks and incentives. In 2022, 58% of all newly built homes in greater Dublin were bought or developed by investor funds. Countless people are being locked out of buying a home by the reliance on these global vulture funds. I prefer to call them vampire funds because they seek not to buy and sell, but to extract high rents in perpetuity.

Roddy Doyle (2021) Life Without Children.

Life Without Children, ten short stories, set during Covid and Lockdown they’re readable, but unremarkable. I’ve already forgotten them before I read the last story. Something about memes and a man searching the streets of Dublin for his son.  Doyle’s a Booker Prize winner. He isn’t going to come back and bite you on the arse. Being the son of an immigrant means you don’t have to arse-lick. Nobody cares what you think. I don’t jump in like Conor McGregor. I question when I read books like this, if they posted these stories to various agencies and competitions, how would they fare? You tell me—not about Roddy Doyle’s achievements—about Life Without Children? I’d love a little of that magic dust. And yes, that’s being small-minded. Read on.