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The Facts
About Superstitions
As it is
Halloween, I thought I would do a bit about the origins of
superstitions. So we’ll go over a few and work our way up
to what you’ll need to remember about today
Spilling Salt
If you fall
victim to this dilemma, simply take a pinch of salt and toss
it over your left shoulder, “right into the Devil’s eye.”
Salt was once a
rare and costly commodity. As such, it was economically
wasteful to spill any. Also, salt is a purifier, a
preservative, and it symbolizes the good and lasting
qualities of life. It was mixed into the foods used in the
religious ceremonies of both the Greeks and Romans. One
source of this superstition is Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting
of the Last Supper–the betrayer Judas has accidentally
spilled salt onto the table.
Black Cats are
Evil or Bad Luck
In ancient Egypt,
the Goddess Bast, was a black female cat. The catholic
church wanted to vilify other religions, so they convinced
their followers to destroy the evil demons that were black
cats and those who cared for them, believing them to be
witches.
Knocking on Wood
When we speak of
something good, something we want to go well or not to be
jinxed in any way, we knock three times on something wooden.
Why you ask? Once it was believed that Gods resided in the
trunks of sacred trees. When you wished to ask a boon you
would knock once to indicate your need for attention, once
to speak your need and a third time to offer up your thanks
and gratitude.
Walking under an
open ladder or one propped against a wall
The ladder, wall
and floor or an open ladder and the floor form a triangle.
For some it is a symbol of life energy and to cross it is to
invite misfortune, to tempt fate. For others is it a symbol
of evil and to cross it is to attract the attention of evil
to you.
If choosing I
would find more credence with the former.
Breaking a Mirror
Your reflection
is said to be made of your soul, to break the mirror will
damage your soul and bring to you seven years of misfortune.
Actors have an
unbelievably long list of theatre superstitions
It is good luck
to have a resident cat, but bad luck for it to cross the
stage during a performance.
The reason being
that cats were once worshiped as Gods and to have a cat in
the house is like having a resident God. But a cat streaking
across the stage during the performance is an ill omen,
because it will of course, disrupt everything and cause the
actors to forget their lines.
It is bad luck to
receive a bouquet of flowers before a performance has begun,
but very good luck to receive them afterward.
You must never
speak the word Macbeth aloud in a theatre, but rather, if
you must make reference to it call it ‘The Scottish Play’.
It has to do with it’s suggestion of black magic at work,
this will bring bad luck to the company.
Peacock Feathers
Peacock Feathers
are not allowed inside the theatre.
Their ever open
eyes are associated with the evil eye and will bring
misfortune to the company.
Knitting in the
wings or on stage
This is not
allowed as it is regarded as bad luck, this goes back to the
possible danger of the sharp end of the needles ending up in
the wrong place, but even more so to the ancient use of
knots in magic.
Whistling in the
Theatre is forbidden
This will bring
bad luck to the company and goes back to the days when scene
changes were indicated by whistles and not tannoy as the are
today.
Wishing an actor
‘Good Luck”
Never wish them
good luck, this is tempting fate and will bring them
misfortune. Instead say to them “Break a Leg”, for surely
that is the worst that could happen and so fate is satisfied
to leave well enough alone.
Halloween
A candle burning
inside a Jack-O-Lantern will drive away evil spirits.
If a candle
suddenly goes out as if by an unseen breath it is said a
ghost has come to call.
It is best to
always burn new candles on this day and bad to burn
Halloween candles on any other day, this will bring you
misfortune over the next year, which you will have no
control over.
Gazing into the
flame of a candle on Halloween will allow you to peer into
the future.
Young women who
carry a lamp to the waters edge on Halloween night will see
the reflection of their future husband on the water’s
surface.
It is good luck
to burn a brand new orange colored candle on Halloween.
To cast a
headless shadow or no shadow on this day is very bad luck,
it is the omen of ill fortune for the following year.
If you hear
footsteps following close behind you on this day/night, do
not turn around and look, for it is said that it may well be
death behind you and to look upon his countenance will
hasten your own demise.
And I expect that
is enough for one day!
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