I guess food is near and dear to all of us. A few weeks ago I blogged about breatharianism, featuring the very interesting "experiment" performed by Naveena Shine. Today I'd like to blog about the interesting relationship between the world of vegetables and woo.
Maybe, I should have added this to the list of interesting words that I blogged about previously, but here's a great one: "Tasseography" (AKA tasseomancy) which is a fortune-telling technique that uses tea leaf or coffee ground residue, or wine sediments as a means of separating gullible people from their money. Part of a long tradition of shysters that include palm readers, tarot card readers, crystal ball readers etc. who are expert at "cold reading;" that is, using clues, often aided by leading questions, conveyed by their victims to answer questions about their relationships, money problems and their futures. The video on the below left features a woman who describes herself as an "energist" and a clairvoyant. She has "a gift." Add a few great feel good-buzzwords like, "transformation," "resonated," "comfort and peace" "empowered" some lit candles, and gruvy new agey music and what-do-ya got? a nice newsvertisement video. I really hate the way that psychics twist words and concepts like "energy" or "intuition." Exactly what sort of energy is radiated by tea leaves? The only intuitive powers that psychics have are their ability to cold read their hapless victims. The middle video is another example of a tasseographer. This woman is apparently both an "Inner Faith Priestess" AND an "interfaith Priestess" and a shamanist. Why not? More new agey background music. The tea leaves are a "gift from the cosmos." Blah, blah, blah. But, why limit yourself to tasseomancy, when there are so many other plants? Below right is a different kind of quackmeister, she foretells the future using asparagus. That's right, she's "the world's only asparamancer." Will wonders never cease?
Maybe, I should have added this to the list of interesting words that I blogged about previously, but here's a great one: "Tasseography" (AKA tasseomancy) which is a fortune-telling technique that uses tea leaf or coffee ground residue, or wine sediments as a means of separating gullible people from their money. Part of a long tradition of shysters that include palm readers, tarot card readers, crystal ball readers etc. who are expert at "cold reading;" that is, using clues, often aided by leading questions, conveyed by their victims to answer questions about their relationships, money problems and their futures. The video on the below left features a woman who describes herself as an "energist" and a clairvoyant. She has "a gift." Add a few great feel good-buzzwords like, "transformation," "resonated," "comfort and peace" "empowered" some lit candles, and gruvy new agey music and what-do-ya got? a nice newsvertisement video. I really hate the way that psychics twist words and concepts like "energy" or "intuition." Exactly what sort of energy is radiated by tea leaves? The only intuitive powers that psychics have are their ability to cold read their hapless victims. The middle video is another example of a tasseographer. This woman is apparently both an "Inner Faith Priestess" AND an "interfaith Priestess" and a shamanist. Why not? More new agey background music. The tea leaves are a "gift from the cosmos." Blah, blah, blah. But, why limit yourself to tasseomancy, when there are so many other plants? Below right is a different kind of quackmeister, she foretells the future using asparagus. That's right, she's "the world's only asparamancer." Will wonders never cease?
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For my last entry into the vegetable woo hall of fame allow me to introduce Grandpa John and his electric pickle demonstration. Somehow Grandpa John twists glowing pickles as analogous to the energy that god puts into Christians. Confused? Oh, just watch the video, Gramps makes it all crystal clear. Not only is the glowing pickle cool, but you gotta love his sweater.
So, what to make of all this? I don't need to be an asparamancer to predict a cold, rainy day in Seattle. I predict my future holds a nice, tasty, bowl of homemade soup which will warm my innards this evening. Yummy.
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