Re: If you could do anything with your life, what would it be

[Guest guest]

`

Tom wrote:

" I may have actually asked this question before in one form or another.

But let's say you could do any job or activity in the world and suffer

absolutley no restrictions whatsoever, and get paid for doing it. What

would you do with your life? "

My answer:

My obsessions lie around wishing I could crawl into other peoples' heads

and understand how they *really* feel and think. And so, I have spent

most of my life devouring everything I could related to psychology,

world religions, etc. I have fantasized about being an archaeologist or

an anthropologist... and I've also thought I'd make a good nun- if I

could then spend a lot of time meditating in isolation (I'd love being

surrounded by old religious artifacts and other mystical stuff).

Several years after I left the religion of my youth, I happened to buy a

tarot deck just out of curiosity. And I've been hooked on the tarot ever

since. I now have collected over 200 different tarot decks and just as

many books on that topic. If I could do anything I wanted, I'd be a

tarot reader-- but NOT the kind that predicts anyone's future or tells

you what you should do. What *I* like to use the tarot for is to use the

card images more as psychological triggers... to project my (or

another's) own situation onto those images and see what insights can be

drawn from that. As a reader, I'd like to just help facilitate other

people doing this and, in so doing, be a sounding board and let them

tell me their stories.

I've actually done a little bit of on-line tarot reading. But

unfortunately, most people want a tarot reader who presents herself as

" psychic " -- someone who magically knows all the answers and who can

solve their problems for them. *That's* certainly not me! LOL

If I ever DID do this type of thing, though, I wouldn't ever want to be

paid for doing it. For *me*, having to pay someone to take an interest

in listening to me would set off all kinds of trust issues (you know,

the social games and so on). ...No... I would want to form a connection

with people such that they would KNOW it was based only and entirely on

my sincere interest in hearing their stories.

Tom wrote:

" With my accumulated wealth I would be filthy rich and so I would assist

Inger in building her Aspie community for all of us to live in. EVERYONE

would be invited to join! "

Me:

Okay, but with all your wealth, would you also be willing to support

*my* psychology/tarot work too? (lol) ---- Really though, this " Aspie

community " you mention, here, sounds very interesting. Inger, tell me

more about the community you'd build. What would it be like?

Tom:

" And we'd all live happily ever after! "

Me:

Yay!! I'd vote for that.

Tom, you post such interesting questions for the group...

Thanks!

--

[Guest guest]

Tom wrote:

" I may have actually asked this question before in one form or another.

But let's say you could do any job or activity in the world and suffer

absolutley no restrictions whatsoever, and get paid for doing it. What

would you do with your life? "

:

> My obsessions lie around wishing I could crawl into other peoples' heads

> and understand how they *really* feel and think.

Great thing about hanging aroud with Aspies is that us you only have to ask

and we'll give an *honest* reply. With those who are more inclined to give a

polite answer than the truth, the whole truth and nothing but, it can be a

lot trickier figuring out what they *really* think.

> And so, I have spent most of my life devouring everything I could related

> to psychology, world religions, etc.

Cool!

> I have fantasized about being an archaeologist or an anthropologist...

and I've also thought I'd make a good nun- if I

could then spend a lot of time meditating in isolation (I'd love being

surrounded by old religious artifacts and other mystical stuff).

Sounds like good Aspie jobs all of them. :-) I too have felt attracted to

the beauty and simplicity of the monastic life, although I think it may be

just a litte bit *too* austere and monotonous even for my Spartan tastes.

> Several years after I left the religion of my youth, I happened to buy a

tarot deck just out of curiosity. And I've been hooked on the tarot ever

since. I now have collected over 200 different tarot decks and just as

many books on that topic. If I could do anything I wanted, I'd be a

tarot reader-- but NOT the kind that predicts anyone's future or tells

you what you should do. What *I* like to use the tarot for is to use the

card images more as psychological triggers... to project my (or

another's) own situation onto those images and see what insights can be

drawn from that. As a reader, I'd like to just help facilitate other

people doing this and, in so doing, be a sounding board and let them

tell me their stories.

That's probably what good a reader does. I've got a friend who uses them

this way and helps people resolve issues within themselves, with the cards

as a starting point for discussion.

> I've actually done a little bit of on-line tarot reading. But

unfortunately, most people want a tarot reader who presents herself as

" psychic " -- someone who magically knows all the answers and who can

solve their problems for them. *That's* certainly not me! LOL

:-D Did you ever see the old 60's film called something like " The 7 faces

of Dr Lao " ? All he did was to reflect people's inner selves back at them and

that helped solve a lot of problems, without him really doing anything

except opening their eyes.

> If I ever DID do this type of thing, though, I wouldn't ever want to be

paid for doing it. For *me*, having to pay someone to take an interest

in listening to me would set off all kinds of trust issues (you know,

the social games and so on). ...No... I would want to form a connection

with people such that they would KNOW it was based only and entirely

on my sincere interest in hearing their stories.

I totally sympathise with this. I am exactly the same way. I only help or

support people out of genuuine care and interest, and could never do

something like that for money. Just the thought of it feels bizarre to me.

Since I am now have a meagre pension, I am lucky to be in a position where I

don't have to do anything for money, and this is how I would have wanted my

whole life to have been like. I've been happiest when I've worked for free,

just because the project was so interesting.

Tom wrote:

> " With my accumulated wealth I would be filthy rich and so I would assist

Inger in building her Aspie community for all of us to live in. EVERYONE

would be invited to join! "

Me:

> Okay, but with all your wealth, would you also be willing to support

*my* psychology/tarot work too? (lol) ----

You could be the group's councillor. ;-)

> Really though, this " Aspie community " you mention, here, sounds very

> interesting. Inger, tell me more about the community you'd build. What

> would it be like?

Well, I have a realistic plan and an unrealistic vision. The unrealistic

visions several of us had are posted in the archives here (perhaps Tom - who

has more patience than I for that sort of searches - can ferret out a link

for you if I ask him nicely?) and included various visions of a whole

society/city/part of the country with only Aspies.

The realistic plan is to just start another Aspie " living-group " (as it is

called here in Sweden) such as the one I live in now, but bigger to

accomodate more Aspies. There will be a central house to gather in when we

feel like being social, and a smaller private house for each member when we

want to be left alone. Staff to help those who are unable to do their own

shopping, cooking, cleaning, phoning, driving etc, will be chosen by us

instead of forced upon us, and shared by more of us than is usually the case

(since the current living-groups are designed for more low-functioning

autistics). The idea is for us to be as self-sufficient as possible and use

minimal help, so as to not use up more funds than necessary (everyone with

an AS dx have a legal right to all the accomodations they need here). And to

have the company and support of each other instead of beeing scattered all

over the place to fend for ourselves.

The houses would be bought and maintained by the same Antroposophical

non-profit organization that provides my current house and assistant and

they have already given me a preliminary go-ahead if only I can find a

suitable property for this. Preferrably something that has been used for

something similar and already contains lots of houses.

Inger

[Guest guest]

`

Hi Inger... I enjoyed your thoughtful comments on my post!

previously I wrote:

" My obsessions lie around wishing I could crawl into other peoples'

heads and understand how they *really* feel and think. "

you replied:

" Great thing about hanging around with Aspies is that us you only have

to ask and we'll give an *honest* reply. "

me:

Exactly! ...which is why I'm here.

you wrote:

" With those who are more inclined to give a polite answer than the

truth, the whole truth and nothing but, it can be a lot trickier

figuring out what they *really* think. "

me:

I agree with what you've said (above). And I've often wondered whether

*this* is the source of my life-long obsession with psychology - or if I

would have chosen that as an obsession anyway, regardless of being

surrounded by people (whom I *should* have been able to believe and

trust) constantly telling " polite " but still deceptive and destructive

(IMO) " white lies " .

you wrote:

" Did you ever see the old 60's film called something like " The 7 faces

of Dr Lao " ? All he did was to reflect people's inner selves back at them

and that helped solve a lot of problems, without him really doing

anything except opening their eyes. "

me:

Thanks for mentioning this movie, Inger. I saw this movie when it first

came out (I would have only been about nine years old at the time). And

while I didn't remember the storyline (or probably didn't even

understand it then)-- I've always retained the memory of it as a very

exotic and haunting movie. I've often thought I should see it again, to

try to understand what my childhood fascination with it actually was.

Your mention of it " sealed the deal " - so my husband and I went on a

search, yesterday, to find it. And find it (and watch it) we did! What

an interesting movie! And no wonder it haunted me as a child- I'll bet

it was that Medusa-thing that scared me the most. LOL. --- This time I

liked the Apollonius-character the best. What a great fortune-teller he

made! (Some really memorable lines there, too.)

you wrote [regarding an Aspie community]:

" The realistic plan is to just start another Aspie " living-group " (as it

is called here in Sweden) such as the one I live in now, but bigger to

accommodate more Aspies. There will be a central house to gather in when

we feel like being social, and a smaller private house for each member

when we want to be left alone. Staff to help those who are unable to do

their own shopping, cooking, cleaning, phoning, driving etc, will be

chosen by us instead of forced upon us, and shared by more of us than is

usually the case (since the current living-groups are designed for more

low-functioning autistics). The idea is for us to be as self-sufficient

as possible and use minimal help, so as to not use up more funds than

necessary (everyone with an AS dx have a legal right to all the

accommodations they need here). And to have the company and support of

each other instead of being scattered all over the place to fend for

ourselves.

The houses would be bought and maintained by the same Antroposophical

non-profit organization that provides my current house and assistant and

they have already given me a preliminary go-ahead if only I can find a

suitable property for this. "

me:

Wow, Inger. This sounds really interesting. I've never heard of this

type of community before. I appreciate you taking the time to describe

it for me. As a result of reading your post, I also went on a

google-search, yesterday, to find out more about " anthroposophy " ... and

I now have added some more books to my amazon wish list. Thanks again.

And if you ever feel like saying any more about your living arrangements

or related programs and experiences, I am all ears.

[Guest guest]

`

wrote:

" I collect tarot cards too... (snip)... I like Aleister Crowleys pack,

have you heard of his (or perhaps got)? "

___

Hi ,

Yes, I've actually got two of Crowley's " Thoth " tarot (a standard sized

one and a larger one). But I haven't yet learned how to connect with it

very well. I'm not very good at connecting with the more abstract-type

art. I'd *like* to learn to use it, though. Maybe someday... (I've

learned that what I can't seem to wrap my mind around at one point, I

can often come back to later on and do well with.)

You wrote:

" I like some other systems that are not quite tarot too, like Star &

Gate, have you heard of this one? "

Me:

I own other types of " oracle " decks, too, but I love tarot the best.

Eventually, I'd like to explore the " I Ching " and " runes " a little more.

I've not heard of " Star & Gate " . Tell me more...

--

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I have one pack of tarot cards, but I have figured out how to read

them. I also read palms, and predicted both of my parents death with

a crystal ball, ( I don't touch those anymore, to scary). In fact if

I am drunk and I am scary acurate with the cards and palms, but only

really accurate if im drunk, I think my walls are down then. I temd

to avoid alot of Crowleys stuff, books, cards etc, because he was

heavily involved in black magic, and every time I try to research

that stuff, weird things start happening.

Take care

Beth

> " I like some other systems that are not quite tarot too, like Star &

> Gate, have you heard of this one? "

>

> Me:

> I own other types of " oracle " decks, too, but I love tarot the best.

> Eventually, I'd like to explore the " I Ching " and " runes " a little

more.

> I've not heard of " Star & Gate " . Tell me more...

>

> --