0:07

It feels a little ironic that the idea of finding Miracle Waters to restore.

Our youth is actually one of the oldest spiritual stories ever told.

But it’s also not that surprising.

Yeah, here’s a concept that’s thousands of years old that could keep you looking less than 50.

I don’t know.

0:23

It’s true.

There are so many versions of people looking for those magical Waters.

There’s Hot Springs today that claim to have healing qualities, but how much can we really believe?

It’s hard to say, to be honest, though.

If I needed any healing, I’d be the first to believe it.

Would be all the way out there looking for it.

0:39

Hopefully, it would actually just be 100% nearby and accessible to me and just hot spring in Burbank, California.

There’s actually one just in my bathroom and I can just chill out and D age at the same time.

1:04

Hi everyone, and welcome to rituals a Spotify original from Park ass.

I’m Christine Schieffer, and I’m M Schultz every week.

We’ll explore the evolution of spiritualism and the Occult through stories practices and the impact on Modern culture.

Today.

We’re talking about the fountain or I guess one might say Fountains of Youth, since there are so many allegedly and we’re going to see if any of them really, you know, say what they’re cracked up to be.

1:29

Give us a little D aging as you.

Get rid of some of those wrinkles.

Oh, yeah.

So in preparation for this episode, I got to be honest with you.

I watched a 50s cartoon short of Donald Duck, and he was tricking his nephews into thinking that he fell into a fountain of youth.

1:46

What a very strange cartoon.

You just described he fell into the world.

He wanted them to think he fell into a fountain of youth and then he tricked them into thinking that he D aged all the way to an egg.

Basically, I learned nothing about the Fountain of Youth in preparation.

2:07

Basically, the weight is still all and me to explain all of this information to you.

Got it.

Yeah, let’s crack into it.

2:32

Well, I’m despite your really extensive research via Donald Duck.

Do you have any experience with a fountain of youth?

Well considering I am almost 30 and look like I’m almost 40.

No, but I feel like I feel like I’ve always heard about them, but I’ve never really thought about them as I was thought of it, as more of a lure.

2:54

I guess.

I always considered it.

Maybe like an ageist concept of, like, needing to stay young.

Yeah.

No, I get that.

I get that.

I always saw versions of it growing up.

Unlike in children’s movies, like the witch in Snow White, eating an apple, which was basically a fountain of youth or the like the Sanderson sisters having to suck the youth out of children to stay young, things like that.

3:16

Yeah, so just a lot of Pop Culture references.

As well, which I feel like Yes, actually makes sense.

But yeah, I know a little bit about the concept of the Fountain of Youth.

I never heard of one that actually necessarily works.

But I have heard a lot of like Healing Waters.

I mean as a Catholic at least as a recovering Catholic, you know, you really are raised with the idea that like rituals, you know, work and so do relics and, you know, there are types of waters that are healing and can heal the sick.

3:45

And so that’s definitely something.

I’d I’ve heard of ya.

I grew up next to a lake and I grew up always hearing that the lake had healing properties.

But I feel like everyone that lives near Le says that about their literally never heard anyone say that about a lake.

I think that was just your mom or whoever was saying that.

4:02

So really, I feel like I just heard it all the time.

Also.

I spent a lot of time as a kid in Saratoga and that’s supposed to be like the one.

Well, we’re going to talk about it.

Saratoga Springs.

That’s right.

That’s one of them.

So when I was in Saratoga, I did see signs everywhere that it was like a healing space.

4:18

Case and my family grew up there and they swore that it was a healing space.

But, you know, spoiler alert.

I drank some water of it when I was Swimming by accident and then I was violently ill for three days.

So, I beg to differ.

My question is, did they charge you to drink the water?

4:37

No, thank God.

I was also ate.

So if they didn’t charge me, I certainly didn’t pay it.

I dined and dashed is what happened.

I didn’t dash at the Saratoga Springs.

That’s quite a t-shirt idea.

Thirsty t-shirt idea.

I do have a memory of learning about the Fountain of Youth and like Ponce de Leon and I think I always had thought, I don’t know if this is what I learned or what.

4:58

I just kind of picked up that the Fountain of Youth was actually in Florida.

Oh, that’s what I learned from.

You know, Ponce de Leon discovering it there.

In my mind.

It was always in some Faraway magical land.

I really think it always was a part of my like, a mythical thing a mythical thing.

5:16

Yeah.

I think it was like Atlantis, really?

I never, yeah, I never thought I’d accidentally find it.

Like, I and swallow it in New York.

I always heard about it from like my, my grandma was very into like the beauty industry and all about like her anti-aging kind of stuff.

5:35

And say I would hear her say like, oh if only the Fountain of Youth existed that was kind of the furthest I went for me, right?

Right.

Well that and then Donald Duck and his Antics.

Yeah.

Turning into an egg Donald Duck.

You know, he gave me the most interesting.

Saying plot twist of the mall, with no kidding.

5:51

With a fountain of youth that you just turn back into an egg.

He really found the secret to Everlasting youth.

I guess it worked too.

Well, it worked to work too.

Well.

Well, let’s get into it.

I’m have a lot to tell you.

So clearly it’s in the name.

The Fountain of Youth is apparently the mythical water spring that restores your youth.

6:09

If you drink from it or bathe in it, I guess it didn’t work for you and Saratoga, but if it were real and you really did feel like you believe.

Leave.

That would you would you imbibe of the Fountain of Youth?

I would let other people do it for us.

Stand back and say, no, you go ahead and wait to see what happens.

6:29

Like, are we like fully Benjamin buttoning here and like, there’s no stop on this ride or do I like, do I take a sip per year or something and like, what are the side effects or does it?

Like, you dab it on your crow’s feet and they go away or is it like you swallow it and like you add years to your life?

6:47

Like I have a lot of questions.

You know, I also wonder like mentally like do you also D age or do you have the same mind and like 10 year olds body?

I don’t know.

And then would never mind if we could really this.

The question quickly to evolve quickly and I feel like honestly the Mind part wouldn’t be as bad for me because I feel like I did know and retain a lot more about, you know, intellectual things back when I was 10 or 15 years younger and actually was in classes and learning math and learning his strategically study actively studying.

7:18

And I feel like it wouldn’t be that bad for me to 8D.

If we keep saying D age, which I’m pretty sure is forward but to kind of revert back 10 years.

It’s not going to be that harmful on my brain.

I’d go back 10 years.

I feel like that’s a safe number any further than that.

I’d be a little nervous.

7:34

I think my knees would hurt a little less which would be nice.

I wouldn’t have to worry about my cholesterol.

You know, my sciatica wasn’t quite as bad but, you know, so, yeah.

Great Point.

Well, there are tons of stories about the Fountain of Youth that have been passed around.

Centuries.

If you ever read Greek mythology, I was in I was a Latin nerd in middle school.

7:53

So, yep, maybe that’s where I got all this from, huh?

If you did read Greek mythology, you’ll know Youth and Healing Waters, are a common theme.

There’s even the Greek goddess, he be and she represents Youth and is strongly connected with springs.

And so there’s just always been that kind of historic link.

8:11

There’s also a Greek historian who wrote about a tribe that would have lived in modern-day Africa, who apparently was known for living a long time and for their youth, Fulness must be nice.

Let’s be nice.

They apparently bathed in a fountain that made their skin like glossy and Sleek as if they had bathed in oil.

8:27

My skin just looks like bad, like that.

If I’m not getting it together.

I just, I’ve just really oily oily over this.

A lot of people pay a lot of money to not have that happened but you know, whatever.

Whoops.

Apparently I just look like a fountain of youth.

8:44

I look like a product of the Fountain of Youth with my very own.

Well, allegedly, the scent of violets also came off the spring.

So if you’re if you’re a rock in that lovely scent as well, maybe I’m gonna go buy some violets and to deodorant and No One’s Gonna know the difference.

9:00

You’re going to be just a spring chickens.

Gotta Be Me Better.

Us actually that’s a little too close to the Donald Duck Story.

So hang on.

That’s true was that that I feel like that would be a fun name for the episode.

The Donald Duck know it.

It should have been it was not at all to called that it was something much Lamer.

9:17

Well, there’s also a lie.

Xander.

The great who was rumored to have been searching for a river that would heal the effects of aging on his body.

And I like the specificity of that that he was looking for water.

That would heal the effects of Aging like physically on his body.

Like I’m like that.

9:32

I can follow that.

I would probably partake in that River as well instantaneously.

I would say yes to that time.

One of you if it were just to make me less feel like less garbage everyday, but also I’m shocked that All people Alexander the Great wasn’t looking to like, revert back to how he looked when he was younger, because if you seen pictures of him, no smoke show.

9:59

Alexander the Great think that’s what he was doing.

He was he wanted to reverse aging and his body.

He wanted to be youthful and a smoke show forever.

I get it.

I get it.

I mean don’t let the sculptor’s lie to you because the sculptures are not very pretty of him, but they’ve done like renderings of what he’d look like at a certain age.

10:19

Really?

I’m just saying, he’s quite a looker.

Who LOL.

Okay.

Well, no wonder.

He’s looking for that River.

Do you think when he was looking for this River?

He just kept like sticking his head in to every river and being like, did it work?

There were.

Yeah.

How do you, how do you test because he’s like, yeah.

Do you drink it?

10:34

You stick your faces flop around in there.

I bet you flop around in there.

Probably.

That’s ugly.

Yeah, I’d like to think that the rule to the Fountain of Youth was something really embarrassing.

Like, if you want this bad enough, you really got to humble yourself, you know.

I would probably do it.

I feel like people are so desperate and pay so much money to try and be youthful.

10:52

Look, beautiful that like, you could talk him into doing all sorts of stupid things.

Oh, yeah, you have to turn back into an egg.

That’s the that’s the priced and start over start all over again.

So there’s also a version where Alexander the Great discovered a fountain, not a river that transformed his elderly soldiers into buff 30 year olds.

11:11

Okay.

All right, did elderly mean been and why were all the soldiers Elder?

Where were the 30 year old Soldiers?

I was wondering.

As well, maybe they weren’t invited.

Maybe it was like, you’re young enough.

I’m taking the old guys out with me on a bright.

Boys trip to the Fountain, you know, the boys Retreat, boys or treat.

11:30

We’re all gonna flap around and, and bathe together as all.

They were going with this people did back then remembers what they thought.

They did know Jai.

Hey, I don’t judge now.

Listen sound like a fun time to me.

There’s also in Japanese fairy tales.

There were references to a fountain of youth and the water and that Of Youth was usually found by accident.

11:49

So it wasn’t somebody, you know, seeking it out, wasn’t somebody running around drinking all the water or sticking their head in the water trying to reverse their gray hair.

It was just an accidental discovery, which sounds kind of nice.

Yeah, and I appreciate that more feels less desperate, you know, like three degrees less embarrassing in a way of like you just stumbled upon treasure versus like I sacrificed my whole life to get here.

12:16

Yeah.

It’s sort of like, oh me, I Just I just naturally, look, youthful.

I don’t have to get BOTOX or dye my hair like, okay.

Okay, brag, you know, I yeah, I feel like other people like, if you were humbled by like, creating this whole Excursion and giving up everything like you’re trying too hard, babe.

12:33

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don’t like that energy.

So I appreciate stumbling onto it.

Yeah, I agree.

But when you mention the Fountain of Youth in general, there is historically one man, who is forever connected to it.

The one that I always associate with it.

And that is Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, okay.

Heard of him.

I heard about him in that Donald Duck short.

12:52

So full.

Yes.

Coming up Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth go hand-in-hand in the lore of The Healing Waters, but the story might have been conjured up as an act of Revenge.

13:20

If we’re being honest, Juan Ponce de Leon’s reputation, leaves a lot to be desired.

Okay, I feel like that goes for a lot of these explorers and speaking of which he did happen to travel with, Christopher Columbus in the eye, roll in the late 1400s early 1500s and the whole point as we probably know.

13:41

It was to make a lot of money colonizing territories around the world under contracts with King Ferdinand.

And so after he colonize was now Puerto Rico.

He butted heads with Columbus’s son, who is named Diego, and the King sent Ponce de Leon to find a new island to pillage instead, so he didn’t get along with Diego but he just got along real well with Christopher Colombo.

14:03

I think what happened was he.

He and Chris he had Chris, you know, I come Chris.

They were traveling this easy.

We’re Going together doin their thing ruining the world.

And then at a certain point during their travels, he and Columbus.

His son had a frenemy situate had a, they butted heads, and they got into it and the kids like Ponce on the.

14:27

Can I call you that?

You’re gonna go find a New Island.

All right, great.

Got it.

Got it.

Does that and yeah, it does make sense so dumb, can I call you?

Okay.

So basically, he colonize was now, Puerto Rico.

14:44

He and Columbus’s son had an argument of some sort of, they butted heads.

And so the king sent Ponce de Leon to find a new island to pillage instead.

Great.

The thing was he never found the island or at least he never admitted to finding the island and he never even mentioned a fountain.

15:01

And anyway, I feel like he he definitely didn’t find it because if he had, there’s nothing those people loved more than He’s bragging about land that they brag brag of Bradley aimed to find first.

That’s exactly right.

I would agree with you.

You would have charged everybody to come stick their head in that Fountain.

15:19

But yeah, he never mentioned finding a fountain in anyway, so then he just went out on his own and personally financed his own trip in March 15 13 to find what is now Florida.

Oh, and there was no Fountain mention in Florida either and in my mind, I find this kind of ironic because when I think Florida which is initially what I said earlier, like that’s where I always associated.

15:41

Youthful.

Like that’s usually where the seniors go, right, you know.

Like so I didn’t even put those together.

Yeah.

That’s yeah, huh.

Just makes you think maybe that’s why he was like, there’s definitely no found in here because if there were all the seniors, I don’t know why I’ve been taken dips.

15:57

I don’t know or maybe that’s where everyone’s going to find it.

I don’t know.

I mean, I’ve been to Florida there’s quite a few swamps, but I wouldn’t put my head in that and I certainly wouldn’t drink it.

I like how we’re assuming everything in Florida that we have today is was Exactly the same in 1513.

I have no doubts, there were swamps.

16:15

I will poke out that’s a fair point.

There was no found.

There was no swamp of Youth as far as we’re concerned.

Now, there might be a swamp of Youth.

I think you might be onto something, if it’s in.

Florida, is probably a swamp.

We’ve been looking in the wrong place.

I’m going to trademark that swamp of Youth.

Okay.

So anyway, he went on to find Florida and the truth is Ponce De Leon’s name and the Fountain of Youth weren’t even mentioned together until after his death.

16:38

Mmm.

It’s also a yeah.

So a friend of Diego Columbus, that’s Christopher, Columbus’s sun set out to discredit him.

So he started a rumor in an attempt to make Ponce de Leon looks stupid.

Oh, well, he already was stupid of his friends, the Christopher Columbus, but okay, very Petty.

16:58

Hmm.

So, the rumor was that Ponce de Leon was fooled by indigenous.

People about the existence of the fountain so that he’d keep looking for something that didn’t exist in the first place.

So a treasure a treasure hunt.

L never exactly like a in vain like a fruitless search that he was sent on and he was so quote-unquote dumb that he believed it.

17:21

And you know, roamed around looking for this Fountain.

Ha ha ha.

What a dummy that was kind of the rumor that was started.

I hope it was true.

That’s a, I dig it.

It sounds like it was fake.

I mean, it’s literally a rumor, but I really wish it were true.

It’s kind of a fun tale.

That the thing is that rumor.

17:36

Put the idea of the Fountain of Youth into the Zeitgeist and the story took off and Now we have paintings and statues kind of portraying the story as if it were real and tourist attractions that are pretending to be the Fountain of Youth and kind of taking that name and living up to that name.

17:52

So the actual fountain that Ponce de Leon was said to have looking for may or may not exist.

But there are a lot of places around the world that have claimed to have Healing Waters.

Just like it.

One of them being the lake in my hometown.

Okay, great, which is probably a man-made lake.

18:08

It is a man-made like I feel like They heard.

Oh, people are just pretending to be the Fountain of Youth and they’re like, we can do that.

He’s oh, easy, easy.

The first one I want to bring up to you is one that I actually know about.

This is one of my little catholic nuggets, I grew up with, it’s called Lords.

18:27

Do you know it the Lord’s Waters and France?

Okay.

So this is started in 1858.

When a young girl named Bernadette was in Lourdes, when she had multiple visions of marry one and only mother of Jesus, you know, the one You’ve heard of her.

Yeah, JC Marianne our, you know, our yeah, she’s a good girl.

18:46

So on February 25th, 1858, a spring popped up where she saw Mary that hadn’t existed before and that spring still exists and it flows into the nearby River to this day.

Meanwhile, there’s a beaver somewhere going.

Wow.

What like I’m getting no credit a beaver.

19:05

What?

Doug the spring 02 beavers are create Springs.

How do they do that know their stream?

Eames.

Aren’t they streams?

And rivers?

Never mind.

What they will.

They make dams?

I mean, I don’t know.

This isn’t National Geographic created, really sure whatever to me beavers, just create water and that’s it.

19:25

This is dig holes.

Do all sorts of fun stuff.

Probably more than the Virgin Mary by the way.

So I feel like I’m still on this way.

Alright, alright, fair point.

So the water has been studied and it’s simple drinking water, but the sick believe it has healing qualities.

So baths were Up and water from the spring was pumped into them for the sick to bathe in.

19:45

And so this is one of those places where people would travel and try to be healed by this water basically and the church also investigated claims of cures.

And on January 18th 1862.

The first official Miracle of healing at Lourdes was approved and guess what little Miss Bernadette is now a saint damn.

20:03

I never Beaver joke.

What?

Oh, it’s such an idiot.

I was like, wow, I was like, is it gonna land were you waiting for a point to say?

Okay.

I’m not going to ask.

I don’t want to know at some point.

20:19

I did think.

Oh, if I could throw a damn in there, that’d be pretty funny.

But I’m glad I was like, maybe not.

I’m so glad like we’ll find out when we get there.

How it goes.

I’m so glad it was in st.

Bernadette’s honor.

You know, I’m sure she’s thrilled.

Sorry Bernie.

So people still bathe in the water of the spring to this day and since 1947, the International Medical Committee of Lords looks into claims of cures.

20:40

Unexplained healings on the basis of current medical knowledge.

So this is still something that they’re studying and researching whether these Waters actually do heal the sick and I have water from there.

Actually, my grandmother got me a rosary with a little vial in it and it has water from Lourdes.

20:59

Wow.

Yeah.

I had no idea about that.

It’s since evaporated.

So I don’t know.

Okay, still counts or works.

But yeah, if you if you open like the Vials or like a puff of air of healing properties?

I don’t know.

I feel like since it all evaporated at least it was kept in my room, my childhood room.

21:18

So maybe it’s kind of looks like in the air particles seeped into the wall.

Yeah, I don’t know.

But so I do have kind of a little vial of a little Rosary from there.

So yeah, as far as I know, the Catholic still take that pretty darn seriously and not to call you out.

21:34

And but I don’t think there’s a medical Committee in Fredericksburg, Virginia, looking into that man-made lake of yours.

I feel attacked, but Also feel rightfully attacked because there is nothing like that nearby.

I don’t like, it makes you think something must have something must have gone on.

21:51

For this water to have created such a hubbub.

And to this day, be still so powerful in people’s minds, you know.

Hmm.

That’s a thinker.

Well, I don’t know.

I also believe a lot in energy.

So sometimes I wonder, you know, maybe the more people put that thoughts like a thought form into it and maybe it really just kind of brings back, such a good one.

22:10

People put into it.

I don’t know.

I mean, I’m no medical Committee Member, but no, no, it’s it might surprise you, but no, but yeah, so, I don’t know.

Makes you wonder makes, you wonder if there’s something to it.

I would love to visit one day and just kind of just like a dip, a little of my leg in there.

22:27

See if my sciatica gets any better, but oh, just a little toe sink, a little toe in there.

Yeah.

We got a bunion.

Well, there you go.

The next one.

I want to tell you about is the zamzam.

Well, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

And according to Islam, the Appeared as a miracle from Allah, thousands of years ago.

22:43

When the prophet Ibrahim son.

And the boy’s mother were left in the desert thirsty and crying.

So, oh wow.

Sort of like a miracle appeared as well.

And millions still to this day traveled to the well in order to drink its water which you know has still there.

22:59

Yeah, exactly.

And it still has allotted, you know, healing properties.

So this is definitely like across cultures.

This is a phenomenon.

Wow.

Okay, and of course it wouldn’t be across cultures if If the United States didn’t get in on it and say, yep, we got that too.

23:15

We’ve got them all over Fredericksburg, Virginia, bada-bing bada-boom.

We got him an Upstate New York, better ones.

We’ve got good ones.

We’ve got better ones and they’re everywhere.

We’ve got a lot of them.

It goes up and down.

If you know sometimes sometimes our a 1 out of 10 times our identity.

You gotta pay the big bucks to go, though is the one thing.

23:33

So in the u.s.

We mostly see Healing Waters in natural settings, which makes sense like mountains and Mineral Springs.

So, beginning in the early, 1800.

It’s Americans.

Loved Saratoga Springs in New York.

You mean one of them I’m assuming or well, I guess you don’t love it that much.

She didn’t have the greatest experience, but I loved it until I got real intimate with the water and took a big slug of.

23:56

It was real gnarly.

Yuck.

Okay, well in 1879 people thought I know you’ve heard this one Eureka Springs in Arkansas.

Produced, miracle cures, isn’t there a ghost there?

I think in Eureka Springs, I know and Hot Springs to which is also a narc.

That’s what I was thinking of.

24:12

Okay.

I’ve been to Hot Springs with my mom.

That’s the one it was.

Okay, II didn’t get it in the water.

My mom.

Did you swallow any of that water?

I think I’ve know for the rest of time.

I have a real fear of any know, any water that isn’t out of a bottle, which by the way, why haven’t any of these Healing Springs started like selling water bottles?

24:33

I’m sure they do.

Well, maybe not a Target.

But I mean, my like I said, my grandmother brought back a vial of it.

I just Like, if I could just always carry around a water bottle of like water with healing properties remains to be the Fountain of Youth.

That’s like Fiji Water price well, but I was gonna have you looked at those bottles.

24:50

They do basically say that they’re like it’s infused with the magical essence of.

They don’t say magical, I guess, but with the essence of ions and protons that come only from this one, top of this mountain.

I mean, I feel like they already do Market that way, you know, all right, that’s fair.

25:06

I just feel like if there was the Fountain of Youth.

How much do you think each bottle?

Would be too much for me on a podcast salary is what I can tell that’s like that’s like a hundred dollar bottle.

A minimum.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Go back in time.

But I feel like that’s an easy way to get sued because like what?

25:23

You Drinkin.

Your like.

I still got crows feet and sciatica.

So like why I pay this money, you know, you got to be a little more subtle about it.

Think of the like the commercials later of like you might be eligible for compensation.

Call this number.

Yeah.

Oh bright between Price is Right ads.

25:39

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh gosh.

Alright.

So in 1879, as I was saying, people thought Eureka Springs in Arkansas produced miracle cures, and of course because of this they immediately began putting up all these Health Resorts as tourist attractions.

So now you gotta pay to go.

25:55

You gotta pay to experience the healing properties of these places capitalism.

Love it in this nation of ours.

We sure do.

We thrive on it.

So then there’s also black, fill, South Carolina.

There’s a place called God.

Odds acre Healing Springs.

26:12

There behind Healing Springs, Baptist Church where people travel from all over to collect gallons of this water.

So they’re just bottle in the stuff up.

Like you said about answers my question, then so indigenous Americans believe the Springs were sacred.

So of course, now we took it over and bottle it up.

26:31

So wow yikes.

And during the American Revolution badly, wounded soldiers were actually rescued by indigenous Americans who took them to the Springs to heal them.

And six months later, all of the soldiers, went back to their posts in Charleston and claimed the Springs had provided a miracle, which I think is a pretty cool story.

26:48

Well, yeah, you know, whether it’s true or not.

I’m not sure but it’s an interesting interesting.

Little history tidbit for you.

But yeah, so those are those are the main ones that kind of struck a chord.

At least a couple of them I’ve known about but I’ve never been to a hot springs.

I’ve only been to the the Hotspur.

27:06

I don’t know if it’s called the hot springs, but I’ve been there what an Arkansas has.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I remember.

I’m my mom had a great time when it came to all the water part of it.

I was really there for the attractions.

That’s that’s usually Mike.

27:21

What are the attract isn’t that the attraction is?

So there was a wax museum there which looked haunted.

Oh if we wanted to throw a little spooky thing into this I’m convinced.

That was a haunted Museum.

Yeah likes.

What else did we do?

It’s like Bill Clinton’s like Hometown.

27:39

So there was a bunch of like Bill Clinton.

And stuff everywhere.

It was like a little town, had a little bit, everything.

That sounds like a fun time.

I’ve never been but I’ve someone gave me a chance to sit in some hot water.

I would do it.

I’m not gonna lie to you.

I don’t care if it’s healing or not, but I feel like that would be a good time.

28:00

Up next we’ve got answers about whether Hot Springs are the magical Healing Waters that we make them out to be.

Okay, Adam, this is the Moment of Truth.

28:16

Oh, okay.

Do Hot Springs actually work?

Oh, okay.

Okay.

What do you think?

I think I’m very much in agreement with you on.

I think that if it’s like a thought form of a bunch of people, putting enough energy towards something, then there is I never against the idea that there’s a mind over matter.

28:38

Women to think.

Yes.

Agreed.

So I think it probably does work.

I don’t know the science behind it.

Well, I’m so glad that I’m here to tell you.

All right.

So according to scl health, which is a faith-based nonprofit, Healthcare organization.

Yes.

Hot Springs actually, do work.

28:55

And that’s because soaking in Hot.

Springs can be a great way to naturally detox your skin.

And notice I said soaking in them.

Not drinking the water out of them.

M, Schultz noted.

I learned in the moment, but it was not a girl.

You.

Detoxed in your very own way.

Your own special way, didn’t seem to work.

29:12

I feel like a demon’s left my body, that is so the high amount of silica in the water can actually soften rough or dry skin and the mineral content of Sulphur Springs can help with skin conditions, like psoriasis acne and eczema, which I guess ultimately could make you look younger, you know, clear your skin looks.

29:30

I mean, when I was younger, my face was covered and acne and whatever.

But you know, there’s kind of a middle ground of like clear beautiful.

Youthful skin.

That may be a hot spring could help with fair enough.

The temperature of the waters also makes a difference because hot water, it can reduce stress, that make sense.

29:47

Everyone.

I knows taken a bath.

After a long day.

They’re saying self-care, take a bath make sense.

And when you’re soaking in a hot spring, there’s a boost in the hydrostatic pressure all around your body in part to the heavy mineral content of the water.

So this pressure actually helps increase blood flow and that is good for you.

30:06

It increases your cardiac health your ISM.

All things that, you know, we want to be functioning fine to stay youthful, huh.

I wonder again, what the numbers would be of how many people that are elderly or not even elderly, just have chronic illness in some way live near these these bodies of water because if it really does help with those kinds of things, I wonder if it is a common self-care routine of like just taking a day at the water.

30:32

Yeah, you know, in Germany, my my aunt used to take us to Hot Springs I That I ever actually, I think I faked sick every time because I didn’t want to participate because I was because you were youthful.

That was a youthful child.

I didn’t get it.

I didn’t know what I was missing.

But yeah, she used to tape.

30:47

Actually, it was in Austria.

There were hot springs and they would just spend all day.

You’d pay an entry fee.

And you’d spend all day just soaking in the hot springs.

So I know it’s at least an activity people do whether they think it’s for youthfulness or not.

Yeah, seems pretty relaxing.

So as if that weren’t enough, which already seems like a lot of healing properties soaking in a hot spring.

31:08

I also help with joint pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia.

So I say the exact same thing, then I wonder what the numbers are for people who are dealing with that kind of stuff.

And how many of them are live in a concentrated area next to that water.

I don’t know if I live near one of those places and had joint pain, or arthritis or fibromyalgia or all of them.

31:27

I’d be diving into that water every day typing in.

Yeah, I wouldn’t be diving with my joint pain and arthritis, but I’d be very slowly toe.

Stepping it after three visits.

We would be diving in, you’d be like all healed up.

You never know.

That’s how you know, it works.

When you’re diving by the end of it.

31:44

And then the Lifeguard is like you are expelled from this place because you’re not supposed to be doing that here.

So the Latin word Bal naome means bath and the study of balneology or balneal therapy is the treatment of disease by bathing.

So this is a real thing.

32:00

Like what you’re saying with, you know, people who live near one would probably do well to go.

And, you know, see if it helps and This is actually a thing, very popular in Japan, where mineral baths are a way of life.

And there’s still a lot of unknowns in this area of study.

32:16

So, I don’t think it’s been may be studied as extensively where we could get some, you know, real hard facts, but it’s a way of life over there.

And I mean, like you said, if I live near one, I’d probably be partaking as well.

Yeah.

Now I’m just going to call all my hometown friends and make them go jump in that Lake which by the way, it does not probably have healing properties, but it’s the closest thing to a research.

32:37

I Due to high the way it is March.

And it is definitely not hot by any stretch of the imagination.

So, good luck with that.

I feel like I could probably convince them to do a lot worse.

I think asking them to get into some water for the sake of science is not the meanest thing.

32:57

I’ve asked of them.

Yeah, that’s fair.

Okay.

Well, let me know what they say.

You know what they say?

Cold water is also very good for you.

I mean, it seems like water they’re telling me to drink.

Water.

They’re telling me to take a hot bath or tell me to ice down.

I mean, feel like dwarves the secret.

33:14

Apparently, I feel like you can’t, you can’t go wrong with just putting water in or on your body.

I think you’re probably good most of the time unless you’re em and you’re in a, in a lake and you just don’t know how to just don’t drink.

Any Saratoga Water.

This had just straight from the source, take it from me.

33:32

So of course always talk with your doctor before taking up a hot springs.

Habit.

I know it’s hard to believe we’re not Stars.

And we don’t want to direct you medically, but it seems like something that’s worth looking into.

If you are struggling with any of the above conditions.

I know I would be speaking of Fountain of Youth.

33:49

I feel like even though it sounds like a very mythical idea.

It’s kind of still extremely relevant.

I mean, even when you watch those, you know, moisturizer commercials and things they’re like splashing water on their face to get rid of wrinkles and all that.

34:05

I feel like we still are chasing.

Our youth to this very day.

Yeah, I think today is version of the Fountain of Youth is just a whole level of the beauty industry and the anti-aging billion dollar industry in creams and eye creams.

34:20

Yeah.

I think that that’s just today’s version.

Absolutely.

I mean, do you have any like favorite tips?

You’ve heard and about like, staying young looking young?

You know what I actually do.

Thank you for asking my friend of mine back in the day or at least an acquaintance told me once that her My mother always said always wear SPF.

34:41

That’s a trick.

That every skincare person will tell you even when it’s cloudy out, always put on SPF but also put it on the back of your hands because you can tell someone’s age by their hands and for whatever reason I took that and I ran with it.

And so every day I put SPF on my face and I best be off on the back of my hands.

34:58

And you know what?

It’s even if it doesn’t work for anti-aging, it’s also good to prevent skin cancer.

My grandma always told me to put Preparation H on my face because oh, yeah, that works too because as well, I won’t be as graphic as she was.

But let’s just say she thought if I could keep other things tight, I can keep her skin on her face tight.

35:18

And she also, by the way, was like big in the Beauty World.

So I’m going to take whatever and she looks amazing.

She is 86 and does not look 86 at all.

So I’m going to take her word for it.

Does she live in Florida?

She does live in Florida and sensing a pattern here.

I also feel like there is something about Florida weather that keeps your skin looking nice, but I feel like you mid.

35:36

Yes, humid.

You got the moisture.

Went on.

He got a little heat, you get the vitamin D.

Vitamin D.

I feel like Florida is pretty good for a for your skin.

You know, I get it.

You don’t want be cold.

You don’t want to be dry.

And miserable like me up here in the Midwest in March or Em’s, friends.

35:53

Jumping into the light.

Send me to the swamp of Youth and maybe I can regain some of my youthful Beauty.

I think we both know our place and it is in the swamp of Youth.

We are the swamp monsters of Youth.

And join us, join us.

36:09

Won’t you won’t you?

But this is a capitalist Society.

So you’re going to have to pay to get in.

It does make you wonder though.

Even when Ponce was on his own solo mission to go find an island or to go find Florida.

He was probably encountering things.

He’d never seen before, you know, being from Spain and you’re suddenly encountering all these alligators and swamps and things.

36:30

And, you know, maybe they did find a hot spring somewhere and maybe they did realize like, wow, this must have some sort of Go property.

It makes us feel better at eases our joints.

Who knows?

Maybe they actually found something.

Maybe they found something, but maybe a maybe for them.

36:46

It was mind-blowing in some way because they had just never experienced water with those kinds of minerals and them years.

So maybe for them it was a fountain of youth but now over so much time.

We’re just like, okay, that’s, that’s a lake.

Like, I feel it may be for them.

37:02

It was a fountain of youth.

I don’t know.

Maybe they thought they were telling the truth or maybe I mean, I’m always I love to fall into the world of conspiracies for like maybe they found something and then they hit it.

I don’t know.

I don’t know.

I really want there to be so boy.

You’re going to see Ms. Miracle Water coming soon on target shelves.

37:22

It’s actually from Space Jam.

It’s Michael secret stuff.

I don’t know if you remember that.

I always loved the drama and the mystere.

So if anyone were to ask me, I think just for the twists and turns I would say.

Oh, yeah, they found something, they found something.

37:37

They don’t want you to How about we may never know but look how youthful.

That ponce’s, you know.

I was gonna say, never mind.

He’s very youthful.

Yes.

Let’s just leave it at that.

Thanks so much for listening.

38:01

We’ll be back next week with another great episode information.

On today’s episode came from the Fountain of Youth bathing and youthfulness the Balkan medical Union, archives grunge, history, Smithsonian Magazine, the compass Saudi Survey Shiloh museum, scl health and the US National Library of Medicine.

38:21

Remember to follow rituals on Spotify to get a brand new episode every week and you can listen to this and all other episodes of rituals for free exclusively on Spotify.

And if you liked this show, follow at Park asked on Facebook and Instagram and at carcast Network on Twitter, you can follow me at Eckstein Schieffer.

38:37

That’s xti.

NES chiefgracie23.

Follow me at VM Schultz th ee m schul.

Z, thanks again for listening.

See you next week.

Rituals is executive produced by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from Park.

38:53

Asked.

It was created by Max color, sound design by Kristen Acevedo with associate.

Sound design by Jamie Ryan.

Fact-checking by Cheyenne Lopez research by Chelsea would it’s produced by Kristen Acevedo and Jonathan Ratliff with production assistants by Ron Shapiro.

39:09

We are your host, Christine Schieffer, and M Schultz.