((((Marilyn)))) I am sending positive healing vibes your way - of course I don't have any mystical powers but this is my way of saying I and others care.

I am glad you are rethinking her 'power', as has been said the curse you were 'given' is the experience many people have without a curse.

I understand your fear, when I was pregnant a gypsy came to my door and held the same demand over me - as I was pregnant my fears were heightened for my unborn child so I gave her the money. In return I got a Bart Simpson keyring and she told me I had a good man and must keep him, that my child would be a boy and bonny with curly hair and look more like a girl than a boy.

She had a 50-50 chance of getting the sex right (she hit lucky he was a boy), as for my husband well most pregnant women are very agreeable to be told they picked a good man, she was just telling me what I wanted to hear. Oh and the curly hair is yet to appear on my son, and as he's an adult now I can say at no point as he ever looked at all girlish (big strong guy!). Just ridiculous.

It's sad really, but possibly the only life these women (your gypsy and mine) knew.