hehe there is this hard core wiccan chick that comes into the bar i work, and she interrupted a convo i was having with a coworker about my meds. she informed me in the most serious and dramatic tone possible that soaking raisins in gin til they rehydrate was the best cure for what ails me...yes gin soaked raisins. i tried not to laugh so she wouldn't curse me, but its sounded like madness to me. esp since i work in a bar, and all and she had been drinking! a quick google brought up several articles about the topic and since there hasn't been a study to prive it yet i am skeptical. and my dr told me not to drink on the prednisone so i wont be trying it but i thought it was pretty funny!
Erica,
Just so you know a Wiccan wouldn't curse you. They don't use any negative energies and stay right away from what we perceive as the 'dark side' of witchcraft and they don't proclaim to be witches either.
Typically, they are about nature, the earth and working with natural remedies and rituals. What she gave you was to her the 'Wiccan' solution to RA, yes, to her that would seem a reasonable and sane thing to do.
So, she isn't about to curse you and stick pins in a voodoo doll to make you sick...Wiccans are basically about revering nature and working with it.
I have had several Wiccan and Pagan friends.
With many apologies for being both off-topic and nearly ranting...
[QUOTE=erica3347] ... i tried not to laugh so she wouldn't curse me,[/quote]
Your prejudice is showing Erica. I am not a Wiccan but am a from-the-womb pagan. I was taught by my very pagan mother to honour the Earth, revere the Moon and display esteem for life in all its forms-whether human, animal, vegetable, or mineral. I was also taught to respect others beliefs and faiths.
If it would have been a Catholic woman who, drunk or sober, offered the gin-soaked raisin cure would you have referred to her as a "hard-core Catholic chick?"
While I am certain you meant no offense, your throw-away descriptor is less than charming.
Being skeptical of "cures" is admirable, even being skeptical of people is OK.
However, I sincerely doubt "this", or any other "hard core wiccan chick" would "curse" you for being skeptical, although you bedam her and by extension her beliefs.
May all your roads be smooth, your skies clean, and your life be blessed with peace and kindness.
Respectfully, HappThat " Gin " cure has been around for 25 years. The Gin might make your day seem better !! But thats itThis is an interesting post
although I Do not know much about it I do believe that the cultures who honor the earth and use it wisely probably are a little more in tune with their bodies than say a more... use it an abuse it culture.
I find it interesting that at the time the Pilgrims came to North America they were a far less sturdy lot than the Native Americans and thats before they stepped off the boat.
Maybe this is off subject but I guess what I am trying to say is that there is most likely a natural cure out there for many things in fact correct me if I am wrong but most of our medicines do originate from a natural source (another reason to protect the amazon)..I know that I personally would be open to trying many things for my daughter if it would ease her pain and not hurt her .
I will say though that I was in Seattle on a city bus once and a woman cast a spell on me :-) in loud tones, I have noooooo idea why :-) I was about 16 and it freaked me out! nothing has happened to me though or .. maybe it has who knows .. she was VERY strange...
Interesting subject though.
I'm Catholic - I would have assumed a Gin soaked Catholic - especially in a bar. Now, all the other Catholics, don't get your knickers in a bunch.
And while Wiccans and Pagans are all about nature and the good earth - there are some old fashioned 'witches' out there who do 'curse' others. Some modern primitives are really into that aspect. And some of them do a good business in 'curses'. Now, the person that bought a curse seems to have a problem to me...but maybe that's just me.
Hugs,
Pip
Hm I've had....*thinks* FAR too many to count .... a LOT of wiccan friends. Some were not so nice. They were way into the black magic aspect. I'm sure that's not the norm, but there are fruit loops in every crowd.Where and when did this remedy start? Since this is a folk remedy, it's hard to say just when and where it got its start. Purportedly the remedy got its first real boost in the 1990's when radio icon Paul Harvey mentioned the remedy during one of his popular broadcasts.
After the remedy got press, it made its way into media outlets across the country. Several versions of the recipe, including many convincing testimonials on its effectiveness, have now been included in several books about home and folk remedies.
More recently, according to a report in the New York Daily News, on the 2004 presidential campaign trail, Teresa Heinz Kerry (wife of democratic presidential candidate John Kerry) ended a Nevada visit to discuss health care with a discussion on what she called “a highly effective” remedy for arthritis that drew laughter and some skepticism from the audience. She was reported to have said, "You get some gin and get some white raisins - and only white raisins - and soak them in the gin for two weeks. Then eat nine of the raisins a day." Needless to say, the political bloggers had a heyday with her comments, which only added to her quirky image.
To date, there have been no placebo-controlled double-blind studies to prove the efficacy of the remedy. However, many "theories" do exist as to why this remedy might have some value.
Never begin any new treatment without first consulting your doctor. If you are considering this remedy, you should discuss it with your doctor. There could be negative interactions with your current treatment. As a guideline, when home remedies are considered, they should be "in addition to" rather than "instead of" current medical treatment.
http://arthritis.about.com/od/alternativetreatments/f/raisin sgin.htm
Ok I just wanna know if gin soaked martini olives will make me better?
I drank one of my oldest brothers martini's the other night, because he was not to be drinking in the first place. And he had them put ice in the martini. I mean COM'ON! It tasted like PURE water! Where the hell was the Gin?! And at a pop I wanted to at least feel tipsy off of one martini LMAO!
All my siblings went back and told our mom I chugged a martini. Well... I had to so oldest brother could not have a chance to drink it. I excuse for chugging the martini was ... that I gave her oldest son 2 more days of life.
sigh, i was certainly not trying to be offensive. that's just my light hearted silly humor. i said the same thing to her, in jest, and she laughed and said exactly the same thing as aforementioned. i am really not a small minded type of person and i ironically enough just saw a NATgeo special on this very topic. i use the term hard core to describe many things like my lip gloss addiction and my headaches. the girl and i both laughed at the idea of suggesting gin while drinking a cold one. as for the curse joke she laughed at the common preconceived notions of hexes and curses and told me seriously that she fully 100% believes in what you put into the universe you get back, so she didn't have any curses up her sleeve. she was for more understanding and kind about my humor, and indeed gave it right back to me joking that i should give up my hard core addiction to harry potter. she took time to come by the next day (sober;)) and bring me some literature about the gin soaked raisins and how they have been helpful to people. also she suggested mixing the substance in jello with grape juice and drinking it.
i made the mistake of being too comfortable here and posting in the same manner in which i speak, and humor and kidding do not always translate well with typed posts. i will not make the same mistake twice. i certainly meant no offense to her, her religion, nor was i trying to down her beliefs. i simply was sharing an interesting alternative remedy suggested to me and the anecdote that went along with it. aside from gin and raisins, i am sorry that my language came across in a way that gave any of you the misconception that i am in any way prejudiced or ignorant.
oh edited to say mrs alexander-that looks identical to the site i found about the gin soaked raisins! crazy huh-the old wives tales people have for what ails us. that was the point of my original post! soap in my bed sheets, jello, gin...there are more i am sure. katie-i tend to have an adjective of the week, hard core is this week;)
I suppose I also have a way of typing like I talk and I completely encourage you to be yourself and continue to do so.
For me, I believe in allowing everyone their beliefs and think it's sad that those beliefs can be misconstrued and judged. It just cam across that way to me at first. I am sorry for judging you and I apologize. There are nasty people in this world of all kinds of persuasions and I suppose that was what I was trying to say. There are also good people in this world too.
I am really glad you explained. I don't know you very well yet but now I know some more.
Take care.
awl thanks babe! i know, the absence of body language and facial expressions is always noticed for me when i am online or texting!
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