Superstition

[Violet]

Superstition is a worldwide thing and though random-looking (as well as randomly practised), there are similarities and perhaps cores of truth, who knows.

To give an example, in Eastern superstition, the owl is not good news. In Celtic superstition, it isn't either. Why? Do people observe the same misfortunes once the owl has passed by...because there was never a duck to blame it on? Or, is the owl really some sort of messenger? I wonder about these things, though I naturally don't tend to superstition.

So, where did a practice originate? Who else does it? Bogus or not? Get you going with a few more samples:

- Putting your purse on the floor will lead to your wealth flowing away;
- Leaving the toilet seat open also;
- Dreaming of weddings means news of death;
- If you eat from the pot (instead of pouring onto plate) it will rain on your wedding day;
- Spilling milk, loss of wealth;
- Ringing ears: someone's talking about you (left: badly, right: good stuff);
- Black cats (and other black animals) are considered evil spirits in disguise;
- Lucky numbers and unlucky numbers;
- ...

[Mercedes]

It's strange too, that is very much the same in my country, everyone of those you mentioned is also part or popular folklore in Mexico.

[donk]

My lucky number seems to be 666 (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?71497-666...can-be-benign)...look how many thanks Mercedes has...

[Gatita]

You're right Violet. There was never a duck to blame it on.

Cat

[sirdipswitch]

A black cat saved my life... on Friday the 13th!!! yep. did. uh-huh.

I was 16, and didn't have my own car yet, so was drivin my Daddys New (for us) 57 Ford. I had just waxed it, to go to town. That was back when the dashboards were still just metal. Was a bright sun shinny day and my shinny waxed dash was making a very brite spot on the windshield right in line of sight. I was trying to cover it with a peice of paper and not really paying attention to the road. A Black Cat ran right in front of me and I jammed on the brakes jerking it over to the rgiht to avoid smashing the little darling. Big wide two lane with lots of room on the shoulder so that wasn't a problem in trying to miss the Cat. If I had not jammed on the brakes and swerved at that precise moment in time, I would have nailed a "Big Truck" right smack in the Kisser. It went past me just as I swerved. If it hadn't been for that cat... I would not be writtting this now. ccc.

Love Black Cats and Fri. 13th!!! :wizard:

[sirdipswitch]

Oh yah!! Don't worry over poor kitty. it "STOPPED"... right on the "Centerline"!! yep... Big Truck missed us both!!!

My Superstichin is... somebuddy wuz watchin us both... that day!!! ccc.:wizard:

[RunningDeer]

Black and white animals/birds have come at critical turning points in my life.

Experience One:

On one occasion, a white squirrel and a bluejay that wasn’t blue crossed my path. It was the third worst day of my life. Their timely entrance was but only hours apart.

If you know anything about blue jays, they’re skittish. I wasn’t sure if she spotted me sitting right by the window. I knew I had but a few seconds to check her out. This blue jay had reverse color markings: completely white, and she had purple feathers rather than the blue where typically the white markings would go. And just when I began to doubt her, another blue jay flew right down beside her and let out a big squawk as if to say, “Now, do you believe?” A couple of hours later, I was guided to look out the window from another part of the house. There was a white squirrel scurry across the branches.

Experience Two:

This is how I got my now retired avatar name "WhiteCrowBlackDeer". I live in a rural area, so it is not unusual to see wildlife. Often when I ask for confirmations, animals find their way onto the property.

On July, 2010, I asked for confirmation that I made the right life’s decisions. Less than an hour later there was a 100% white crow caw-cawing right back at three squawking killdeers (birds), in a pine tree 50 feet away.

And again early morning, in September, 2010, I had a pressing question/confirmation, and tossed it out. Several hours later, right in the middle of a country road there was a 100% black deer. He was waiting for his buddy to cross the pasture while my dog, Wolfie, and I were out for a walk.

In both cases, I was not aware until I researched that there are 100% white crows and black deer. Any animal or bird that comes across my path, I give thanks.

RunningDeer <3

http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/Zen/feathers_zps1c420399.JPG

[Michael Moewes]

Yeah. Friday the 13th refered to the assasination of all the templiers knights by order of the pope. He sent out secret messengers with the orders to strike at the same time at all the places where the templiers lived, and to kill all of them. as they had become too powerfull and rich. they had also become a real threat to the vatican.

[NoNeedForAName]

Well, my two cents is that many superstitions have their cores of truths, but history change and the superstitions don't. For instance:

If you break a mirror you'll have seven years of bad luck.
In the past you certainly could say that, for a mirror were a very expensive item and an ordinary worker most probably would have to work for a very long time to pay the bill of a replaced broken mirror.

Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror:
"In China, people began making mirrors with the use of silver-mercury amalgams as early as 500 AD.[16] Some time during the early Renaissance, European manufacturers perfected a superior method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam. The exact date and location of the discovery is unknown, but in the 16th century, Venice, a city famed for its glass-making expertise, became a centre of mirror production using this new technique. Glass mirrors from this period were extremely expensive luxuries.[17] The Saint-Gobain factory, founded by royal initiative in France, was an important manufacturer, and Bohemian and German glass, often rather cheaper, was also important."

And there are some superstitions that have a proper reason but are used in a complete different (and unreasonable) way. For instance:

It's bad luck to walk under a ladder.
Sure! Imagine if a bucket of paint fall over you, or, in its place, a heavy object, or you bump in the ladder and make someone to fall from there! Certainly a big problem. But for some strange reason, this is also related with religion! See here:

http://www.wisegeek.org/why-is-it-considered-bad-luck-to-walk-under-a-ladder.htm

[Natalia]

I've always loved black cats. Our first cat was a black cat and I called her Kiss-Kiss.

[donk]

I've always loved black cats. Our first cat was a black cat and I called her Kiss-Kiss.

Mine's called Yahtzee...he's always breaking mirrors and walking under ladders and putting up umbrellas in the house:

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/attachment.php?attachmentid=26905&d=1409234831

...Blue says he's bad luck

[Natalia]

awww :)

...

[Violet]

Mine's called Yahtzee...he's always breaking mirrors and walking under ladders and putting up umbrellas in the house:


...Blue says he's bad luck

:pound::pound::pound:

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