Paul Buckingham - Blog Philosophy and life in general

It seems that there are greater difficulties to grapple with in France than than the collapse of the government. There is a clairvoyance crisis. Which means that now the real-world and its fake version are both in turmoil. The Times reported last week:

'The French authorities are under pressure to regulate... after claims by the National Institute of Divinatory Arts (Yes, there is such a thing) that three-quarters of the country's estimated 100,000 fortune-tellers are incompetent and dishonest.'

The nation's ‘respectable’ fortune-tellers are appalled by the decline in standards caused by the proliferation of online fortune-telling. The institute’s chairman, Youcef Sissaoui, said that most fortune-tellers in France 'are only trained to defraud people' and estimated that, at best, 5 per cent of them are 'honest and really competent'. Which means that the other 20% are honest but not very competent.

I have the feeling that, as usual, this is rather more to do with money than competence. I don’t know if they saw it coming, but if you’re losing clients to online chatbots it must have a major effect on the bottom line of those with actual crystal balls and a darkened room.

Ironically, the Institute has a charter. It says:

...In order to improve the ethics of the divinatory arts profession and prevent the many abuses that arise from practices where anyone can become a medium, clairvoyant, astrologer, magician, sorcerer, etc. overnight, the National Institute of Divinatory Arts (INAD), which is an association for information, prevention and protection against abuse and excesses in the profession, proposes this Moral and Professional Charter for practitioners who wish to establish satisfactory relationships with their clients and in the interest of all....

The practitioner undertakes to inform their clients and to answer any questions they may have in all honesty. This obligation to provide information must be respected, including over the telephone, without the client having to travel or meet the practitioner in person to obtain it.

The professional undertakes to inform each client:

1.    of the scope and limitations of the divinatory arts
2.    of the approximate duration of the consultation
3,    of their fees, prices and rates

I’m not sure how much influence this has on the working practices of the members of the Institute. Presumably the more competent ones will already know which of their clients will report them for infractions and which ones won’t and so will know how to tread a path optimised for the maximisation of profit.

I don’t know if M. Bayrou had consulted an astrologer to advise him as to the likely outcome of Monday’s vote but, if so, he would have been following a long tradition.

Throughout his time in office, General de Gaulle consulted an astrologer, Maurice Vasset. Vasset recalled: “Sometimes he took certain things which I had pointed out to him seriously. But after the crisis of 1968 when I went to the Élysée to advise him against holding a referendum which I saw he was going to lose, he did not want to believe me.”

Between 1989 and 1994, that most cynical of French presidents, François Mitterrand, consulted Élizabeth Teissier, the author of ‘You and Your Stars’ columns for various French newspapers. A few years after his death, she released tape recordings of some of her “consultations” with him. In one of them, on February 1, 1991, he asks her what would be the most propitious day to make a speech about the progress of the Gulf war: “When is the best day for me to speak? Could you check for me?” On August 20 Teissier warns him: “From tomorrow I’m very much afraid that Yeltsin risks being ousted.” Mitterrand, sounding concerned, replies: “Oh really? Do keep me abreast of all that.”

And so, being in such eminent company, and having provided it with my date of birth, I asked ChatGPT what my horoscope was for this week. Based on its large language model of such predictions, apparently it is:

This week is emotionally charged and transformative—especially around your career and emotional well-being. Use the energy to clear away what no longer serves you, speak your truth, and step into new beginnings with clarity and confidence. It’s your time to align with your most authentic path.

Anyone? I’m not sure why it thinks I still have a career at my age, but I shall definitely speak my truth.

The Catholic church has built an entire business out of superstition. I’m not here referring to the Christianity at the heart of the church, but to all the add-ons.

There was much publicity at the week-end regarding the first time someone born in this millennium had been canonised. The new saint, Carlo Acutis, was born in the UK of Italian parents. He was a computer geek who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15. Since his death, however two miracles (required for his canonisation) have been attributed to him - both life-saving, although obviously not of his own.

And the traditions of yesteryear are still being followed. Relics of the saints have been worshipped in the Catholic Church for almost two thousand years. And Carlo Acutis is no exception. Slivers from the lining of his heart have toured the world in glass reliquaries, while hairs from his head have been given to more than a thousand dioceses for worship.

The man placing half-centimetre sections of Acutis’s hair in cases is Antonino Cottone, one of the few relic experts trusted by the Vatican to work with the bones, flesh, hair and clothing of saints. Cottone, 43, also framed a small, dried stretch of Acutis’s skin in an ornate silver reliquary which will be given to Pope Leo.

Cottone explained how relics were taken from Acutis’s body when he was exhumed at the time of his beatification, a stage requiring only one miracle, but the step leading to sainthood. He said there were only about three people plying his trade in Italy today, one of whom removed Acutis’s heart, which is on display at the cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi. Not at all creepy.

But it seems that the land of make-believe is all around us. On Saturday last, at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the main stage was given over to Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist and adviser to Trump’s health secretary Robert F Kennedy jnr.. Dr David Bull, Reform UK’s chairman, praised Dr Malhotra as a “brilliant clinician” and explained that he was the co-author of Reform UK’s health policies.

Malhotra then delivered a tirade against mRNA vaccines and Covid vaccines in particular. He cited claims by a British professor of oncology (apparently also a member of Reform UK). He had told him that he believes it “highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a factor, a significant factor, in the cancer of the royal family”.

Quite how anyone, least of all anyone purporting to be a doctor, could arrive at this conclusion is unclear. None of them know what type of cancer Charles or Kate have or will have been able to consult their medical records.

But RFK jnr. has told us with complete certainty that these vaccines have killed more people than they have saved. This even though other versions are being developed to cure cancer and other diseases. And I have received multiple doses of the mRNA COVID vaccine, with another one scheduled for October💀. Strangely, I am still miraculously alive. So perhaps after my death, I too should be canonized.

However, the party has now stated that Malhotra's speech was not approved by the party—being simply an example of the party's support for freedom of expression.

This though clearly contradicts David Bull's introduction and explanation of Malhotra's key role within Reform UK. So what is the truth? I have already asked my local Reform UK counsellor for his truth.

9 August 2025

Paul Buckingham

	The Land of make-believe

	It seems that there are greater difficulties to grapple with in France than than the collapse of the government. There is a clairvoyance crisis. Which means that now the real-world and its fake version are both in turmoil. The Times reported last week: 'The French authorities are under pressure to regulate... after claims by the National Institute of Divinatory Arts (Yes, there is such a thing) that three-quarters of the country's estimated 100,000 fortune-tellers are incompetent and dishonest.' The nation's ‘respectable’ fortune-tellers are appalled by the decline in standards caused by the proliferation of online fortune-telling. The institute’s chairman, Youcef Sissaoui, said that most fortune-tellers in France 'are only trained to defraud people' and estimated that, at best, 5 per cent of them are 'honest and really competent'. Which means that the other 20% are honest but not very competent. I have the feeling that, as usual, this is rather more to do with money than competence. I don’t know if they saw it coming, but if you’re losing clients to online chatbots it must have a major effect on the bottom line of those with actual crystal balls and a darkened room. Ironically, the Institute has a charter. It says: ...In order to improve the ethics of the divinatory arts profession and prevent the many abuses that arise from practices where anyone can become a medium, clairvoyant, astrologer, magician, sorcerer, etc. overnight, the National Institute of Divinatory Arts (INAD), which is an association for information, prevention and protection against abuse and excesses in the profession, proposes this Moral and Professional Charter for practitioners who wish to establish satisfactory relationships with their clients and in the interest of all.... The practitioner undertakes to inform their clients and to answer any questions they may have in all honesty. This obligation to provide information must be respected, including over the telephone, without the client having to travel or meet the practitioner in person to obtain it. The professional undertakes to inform each client: 1. of the scope and limitations of the divinatory arts 2. of the approximate duration of the consultation 3, of their fees, prices and rates I’m not sure how much influence this has on the working practices of the members of the Institute. Presumably the more competent ones will already know which of their clients will report them for infractions and which ones won’t and so will know how to tread a path optimised for the maximisation of profit. I don’t know if M. Bayrou had consulted an astrologer to advise him as to the likely outcome of Monday’s vote but, if so, he would have been following a long tradition. Throughout his time in office, General de Gaulle consulted an astrologer, Maurice Vasset. Vasset recalled: “Sometimes he took certain things which I had pointed out to him seriously. But after the crisis of 1968 when I went to the Élysée to advise him against holding a referendum which I saw he was going to lose, he did not want to believe me.” Between 1989 and 1994, that most cynical of French presidents, François Mitterrand, consulted Élizabeth Teissier, the author of ‘You and Your Stars’ columns for various French newspapers. A few years after his death, she released tape recordings of some of her “consultations” with him. In one of them, on February 1, 1991, he asks her what would be the most propitious day to make a speech about the progress of the Gulf war: “When is the best day for me to speak? Could you check for me?” On August 20 Teissier warns him: “From tomorrow I’m very much afraid that Yeltsin risks being ousted.” Mitterrand, sounding concerned, replies: “Oh really? Do keep me abreast of all that.” And so, being in such eminent company, and having provided it with my date of birth, I asked ChatGPT what my horoscope was for this week. Based on its large language model of such predictions, apparently it is: This week is emotionally charged and transformative—especially around your career and emotional well-being. Use the energy to clear away what no longer serves you, speak your truth, and step into new beginnings with clarity and confidence. It’s your time to align with your most authentic path. Anyone? I’m not sure why it thinks I still have a career at my age, but I shall definitely speak my truth. The Catholic church has built an entire business out of superstition. I’m not here referring to the Christianity at the heart of the church, but to all the add-ons. There was much publicity at the week-end regarding the first time someone born in this millennium had been canonised. The new saint, Carlo Acutis, was born in the UK of Italian parents. He was a computer geek who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15. Since his death, however two miracles (required for his canonisation) have been attributed to him - both life-saving, although obviously not of his own. And the traditions of yesteryear are still being followed. Relics of the saints have been worshipped in the Catholic Church for almost two thousand years. And Carlo Acutis is no exception. Slivers from the lining of his heart have toured the world in glass reliquaries, while hairs from his head have been given to more than a thousand dioceses for worship. The man placing half-centimetre sections of Acutis’s hair in cases is Antonino Cottone, one of the few relic experts trusted by the Vatican to work with the bones, flesh, hair and clothing of saints. Cottone, 43, also framed a small, dried stretch of Acutis’s skin in an ornate silver reliquary which will be given to Pope Leo. Cottone explained how relics were taken from Acutis’s body when he was exhumed at the time of his beatification, a stage requiring only one miracle, but the step leading to sainthood. He said there were only about three people plying his trade in Italy today, one of whom removed Acutis’s heart, which is on display at the cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi. Not at all creepy. But it seems that the land of make-believe is all around us. On Saturday last, at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the main stage was given over to Dr Aseem Malhotra, a British cardiologist and adviser to Trump’s health secretary Robert F Kennedy jnr.. Dr David Bull, Reform UK’s chairman, praised Dr Malhotra as a “brilliant clinician” and explained that he was the co-author of Reform UK’s health policies. Malhotra then delivered a tirade against mRNA vaccines and Covid vaccines in particular. He cited claims by a British professor of oncology (apparently also a member of Reform UK). He had told him that he believes it “highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a factor, a significant factor, in the cancer of the royal family”. Quite how anyone, least of all anyone purporting to be a doctor, could arrive at this conclusion is unclear. None of them know what type of cancer Charles or Kate have or will have been able to consult their medical records. But RFK jnr. has told us with complete certainty that these vaccines have killed more people than they have saved. This even though other versions are being developed to cure cancer and other diseases. And I have received multiple doses of the mRNA COVID vaccine, with another one scheduled for October💀. Strangely, I am still miraculously alive. So perhaps after my death, I too should be canonized. However, the party has now stated that Malhotra's speech was not approved by the party—being simply an example of the party's support for freedom of expression. This though clearly contradicts David Bull's introduction and explanation of Malhotra's key role within Reform UK. So what is the truth? I have already asked my local Reform UK counsellor for his truth. 9 August 2025 Paul Buckingham
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