(no subject)
I don't know, sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
Raging cultural insensitivity aside, this is an eminently sensible notion. I mean, I check in with the witch-doctors of my aquaintance every chance I get. I actually quite like the fantasy of having Western woo-woo merchants look at how their gear stands up against folks from cultures where modern medicine is a distant dream and magic is the only treatment available. In my brane this would go like:
Real shaman: So let me get this straight. You dilute the active ingredient how much?
Homeopath: Er, so there's one part in ten to the power of 30...
RS: And then you shake it.
H: Actually it's called successing. You see we--
RS: And while you shake it, you do what? You pray?
H: No.
RS: You chant?
H: Um, no.
RS: You enter trance and commune with the spirits of your Ancestors and ask them to intercede on behalf of the client?
H: Not... really... no.
RS: Oh...kay. And how did you learn your craft? Did the elders of your group train you?
H: I went to the local community college.
RS: Okay, so to perform this ritual, what initiation did you undergo?
H: Initiation?
RS: Yeah. How did you become a healer? Did you suffer a sickness, journey into the underworld and return with the knowledge? Were you subjected to trial by ordeal? Did you go out to a holy place and meditate for many days until you were granted this ability by your spirits?
H: Well, the course fees were pretty steep.
RS: And what happens if your clients do not recover? Do you go hungry? Do their angry families accuse you of witchcraft and burn your house?
H: Uh. You see some people actually choose to be sick, either becuase they want attention or because it's their karma, and in those cases--
RS: I've seen enough. Book'em, Danno!
Although in real life it would probably go more like:
RS: Yeah, the spirits are telling me that you're a sacred healer, you are a blessing to your people, you are destined to become a shaman and things and stuff oh yeah and you're a what was it, an indigo child. That will be my kid's malaria shots and a new roof, thanks.
H: (hands over 6 grand, does not shut up about encounter for REST OF LIFE.)
Raging cultural insensitivity aside, this is an eminently sensible notion. I mean, I check in with the witch-doctors of my aquaintance every chance I get. I actually quite like the fantasy of having Western woo-woo merchants look at how their gear stands up against folks from cultures where modern medicine is a distant dream and magic is the only treatment available. In my brane this would go like:
Real shaman: So let me get this straight. You dilute the active ingredient how much?
Homeopath: Er, so there's one part in ten to the power of 30...
RS: And then you shake it.
H: Actually it's called successing. You see we--
RS: And while you shake it, you do what? You pray?
H: No.
RS: You chant?
H: Um, no.
RS: You enter trance and commune with the spirits of your Ancestors and ask them to intercede on behalf of the client?
H: Not... really... no.
RS: Oh...kay. And how did you learn your craft? Did the elders of your group train you?
H: I went to the local community college.
RS: Okay, so to perform this ritual, what initiation did you undergo?
H: Initiation?
RS: Yeah. How did you become a healer? Did you suffer a sickness, journey into the underworld and return with the knowledge? Were you subjected to trial by ordeal? Did you go out to a holy place and meditate for many days until you were granted this ability by your spirits?
H: Well, the course fees were pretty steep.
RS: And what happens if your clients do not recover? Do you go hungry? Do their angry families accuse you of witchcraft and burn your house?
H: Uh. You see some people actually choose to be sick, either becuase they want attention or because it's their karma, and in those cases--
RS: I've seen enough. Book'em, Danno!
Although in real life it would probably go more like:
RS: Yeah, the spirits are telling me that you're a sacred healer, you are a blessing to your people, you are destined to become a shaman and things and stuff oh yeah and you're a what was it, an indigo child. That will be my kid's malaria shots and a new roof, thanks.
H: (hands over 6 grand, does not shut up about encounter for REST OF LIFE.)