I was about to flip my kitchen wall calendar to July and then realized it wasn’t yet July 1. BAD LUCK. Don't want to tempt fate, after all!
Do I really believe it is bad luck? I don’t THINK so, but nevertheless, I decided to wait.
That set me thinking of superstitions I had grown up with. There were a few that jumped immediately to mind. My mother and her Danish/Lutheran and Irish/Catholic sides of the family seemed to have some serious ones. My father, also Irish Catholic background, offered not so many. My siblings and I teased and joked about superstitions more than respecting them, but they did take some kind of hold -- on me, anyway.
I began to wonder how much background superstitions haunted other people right into their adulthoods.
I remember how mocked Nancy Reagan had been once it became known of her dependency on a private astrologer. Considering how much influence she had on her husband during his presidency, that seemed worthy of profound consideration.
I always got a kick out of reading astrology forecasts, even fortune cookies, but if anyone asked me if I took them seriously I would probably answer no. Maybe it should be mostly no?
When I moved into a new job community half a dozen years ago I discovered that the beginning of every month most of my coworkers consulted a website, Susan Miller's Astrology Zone, and shared about their next month's "prospects." It was a bit of a goof, but you know, I often still visit Susan's site if I think of it the beginning of a month. I savor for the next few hours (before most of the forecast exits my memory for the upcoming month) the good news, blessings and warnings she's predicted.
Getting back to my own particular stubborn superstitious hauntings:
opening an umbrella in the house and putting it over your head - bad luckbreaking a mirror - 7 years bad luck (ouch)dropping a knife means an unexpected visit from a man, dropping a fork, a woman, dropping a spoon, a childcrossed knives means a fight will happenputting on a piece of clothing inside out or backwards, good luck since it confuses the devil trying to find you (learned that from outside the family as a teen)finding a 4-leaf clover - good luckfinding a penny on the ground - good luckseeing a flock of birds, make a wish and it will come true (another one I got from someone outside family as a teen)knocking on wood, or pretend knocking my head (discouraging bad luck)telling actors to “break a leg” (and not wishing them "good luck" in those exact words) - good luckblowing out all the candles on a birthday cake, your wish will come true
Superstitions I don’t take seriously at all today but was exposed to:
black cat crossing before me - bad luckwalking under a ladderan itchy nose means you want to fightwhen walking with a compatriot if you both must separate and walk around an object or a person say “bread and butter” or bad luckitchy palm means you are going to come into moneytoasting with a water glass is bad luckif the ground hog sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winternumber 13, bad luck (apparently most hotels skip the 13th floor, other kinds of buildings I have heard)spilling salt, bad luck, unless you throw some of spilled grains over left shouldersomething old, something new, something borrowed, something new for brides to wear on their wedding day for luckcrossing fingers when lying - avoids punishment
I have a small square book on my bookshelf bought long ago called “The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Superstitions” from Sterling Publishing Co. I remember it was filled with so many obscure superstitions internationally and historically my eyes began to glaze over and I left off my study. I flipped through the pages and will share a few interesting items that popped out at me today:
killing a tortoise is unluckystepping on a worm bad luckbird droppings falling on you is considered by some lucky, others unlucky (I’m thinking unlucky!)lucky to have snow at Christmaslighting 3 cigarettes with one match bad luck (wasn’t that from the wars, when the third soldier would get killed by a sniper who was preparing aim first two smokers?)old boots on back of marriage car - good luckblack cat crossing before you unlucky in US, lucky in Britainshivering, someone is walking across your gravekissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, persuasive charm bestowed for a lifetime“stir with a knife, stir up strife”covering mirrors when someone dies is done so their souls don’t get detained in mirrorstossing coin in a fountain - wish will come truenoises on New Year’s midnight scares away evil spiritsmistletoe brings luckseeing rainbow good luckcatching bridal bouquet, next one to marrycovering mouth when yawning doesn’t allow evil spirits in (also saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes, isn't that because the person inadvertently has blown out his or her soul or some such idea?)Symbols that are considered powerful:fish - symbol of good fortune, in Japan represents endurance and pluckhorseshoes - good luckladybug - financial good fortuneMezuza - small piece of parchment in which quotation from Jewish scriptures written 3 times put into a container and attached to a doorway for lucksmall silver pig charms, especially in China, for good luckrabbit’s foot - good luckdried red pepper used in Italy to keep away the devilSt. Christopher’s medal for protectionlion’s tooth, good fortune (in China tiger’s tooth for good fortune, in India to ward off ghosts)wishbones, good fortune
Okay, did I jog any realizations of your own of past and/or still present superstitions? Share if you will!
---------
I am very interested that lately there was a double planetary conjunction between Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury on the one hand and Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus on the other.
I consider myself a very rational person, but still avoid black cats and, especially, walking under ladders. Could be because I feel I have always lived on the edge and have had a bit more than my fair share of good luck.... manifesting in me just being alive and fairly healthy against quite steep odds.
I read somewhere that the ladder superstition has a basis in the fact that heavy objects are often carried or perched on ladders. I had a bad fall off one when I was younger, so maybe that confers some immunity, but I still avoid them.
Had not heard the one about tearing off the calendar page though, dammit, and I just did exactly that today. Thanks for the info... I guess.
I read somewhere that the ladder superstition has a basis in the fact that heavy objects are often carried or perched on ladders. I had a bad fall off one when I was younger, so maybe that confers some immunity, but I still avoid them.
Had not heard the one about tearing off the calendar page though, dammit, and I just did exactly that today. Thanks for the info... I guess.
I have managed to get away from avoiding sidewalk cracks, but I have also learned how to not trip over them anymore, however, I hope the itchy palm thing is true. Mine was seriously scratchy Thursday.
This was a really fun post. I haven't thought of these things in years.
As kids growing up in the city we were very careful when walking on the sidewalk because "step on a crack, break your mother's back."
I always had to call my wife's grandmother as soon as the clock struck twelve on New Year's Eve, because it is good luck for the first person you speak to in the new year to be a fair haired man. And our house is on the market so, of course, their is a statue of St. Joseph buried in our yard. He hasn't helped much. R
As kids growing up in the city we were very careful when walking on the sidewalk because "step on a crack, break your mother's back."
I always had to call my wife's grandmother as soon as the clock struck twelve on New Year's Eve, because it is good luck for the first person you speak to in the new year to be a fair haired man. And our house is on the market so, of course, their is a statue of St. Joseph buried in our yard. He hasn't helped much. R
Hearing Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' and not singing along is, well, not the best of luck, you know?
After reading this, I went and flipped the calendar. ;-)
R
.
R
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Great lists! Thanks. I think about all of them and wish there was some extaordinary power in the universe that I could tap into and sway my destiny. There is always hope.
I own a black cat.
When a Jewish kid turns thirteen, he/she typically comes into a lot of money right then. Helps us be less nervous about that number.
By the way, that's not what a Mezuzah is about. That's not a superstition, it's a commandment. "And you shall write it upon your doorposts, and upon your gates." I've never heard the three times thing, but I've never looked closely at a parchment - I always thought the prayer was only written once. If three times, there would be a Talmudic explanation, though such an explanation might be tied to luck, but luck through some sort of positive association, not typically to a past event.
When a Jewish kid turns thirteen, he/she typically comes into a lot of money right then. Helps us be less nervous about that number.
By the way, that's not what a Mezuzah is about. That's not a superstition, it's a commandment. "And you shall write it upon your doorposts, and upon your gates." I've never heard the three times thing, but I've never looked closely at a parchment - I always thought the prayer was only written once. If three times, there would be a Talmudic explanation, though such an explanation might be tied to luck, but luck through some sort of positive association, not typically to a past event.
i consider it bad luck to believe in bad luck...
Some on your list are new to me
Fun read, thanks
~R~
Fun read, thanks
~R~
I hope it's ok to wipe an erasable one or I'm in deep doo doo.
So is Pin Occhio the Eye of the Puppet?
The Mezuzah thing is deployed for the purpose of keeping Lilith and her brood from entering the household, hardly a superstition but just another example of how much better Jews are served by their priesthood than their Gentile counterparts who were discouraged from even reading the Bible till a few hundred years ago, and then only after bloody schisms.
I always toss a pinch of salt over my left shoulder when I spill, but I leave pennies where they fall for others to find. R&R ;-)
Jack,
That may be a secondary purpose of the Mezuzah, though it's not one I'm familiar with, but the Mezuzah is not mounted primarily out of superstition, it is mounted primarily out of Law, in this case straight Torah. The form factor isn't specified in the Torah, and issues like the angle it's mounted at was a subject of rabbinical debate, I believe between Hillel and Shammai (but I could be wrong on which rabbis), but the main reason a Mezuzah goes up has zero to do with Lilith. "You shall inscribe it upon your doorposts and upon your gates."
As to whether we were better served by our priesthood than others were by theirs, I'd agree, but that's because we also have a different level of religious responsibility than others do. The Torah also says we are to be a "nation of priests." In order to be one, we have to study like one.
That may be a secondary purpose of the Mezuzah, though it's not one I'm familiar with, but the Mezuzah is not mounted primarily out of superstition, it is mounted primarily out of Law, in this case straight Torah. The form factor isn't specified in the Torah, and issues like the angle it's mounted at was a subject of rabbinical debate, I believe between Hillel and Shammai (but I could be wrong on which rabbis), but the main reason a Mezuzah goes up has zero to do with Lilith. "You shall inscribe it upon your doorposts and upon your gates."
As to whether we were better served by our priesthood than others were by theirs, I'd agree, but that's because we also have a different level of religious responsibility than others do. The Torah also says we are to be a "nation of priests." In order to be one, we have to study like one.
Wow, I've heard many of these but didn't realize until your list how many there were.
My mom says if your right palm itches you'll shake hands with someone you haven't seen in a long time, if it's your left, money is coming.
When things were going well she would tell me not to speak of it by saying "Don't tempt the devil!" Subconciously this still stays with me.
Also, my mother taught me that turquoise protects against the Evil Eye which comes most often through envy. This evil eye can even come inadvertently, the person may not conciously wish you evil but even without them not being aware of their own envy harm can come to you. She was fearful for me as a baby because I was considered too beautiful and loved everyone. My father had a small brooch made for me that said "Bebe" and 5 persian turquoise beads dangled from it. She never took me out without fastening it to my clothes.
I kept the circlet of beads (now somewhat greenish from oxidization, dunno if the power waned!) hanging on my front door long after my kids grew too big for the brooch which went into the safety deposit box. After my granddaughter was born, I gave it to my daughter for the baby. Well, you never know. I am still uncomfortable when someone compliments my children or the baby too much. Old superstions become ingrained and fears and protections are passed down like family treasures.
My mom says if your right palm itches you'll shake hands with someone you haven't seen in a long time, if it's your left, money is coming.
When things were going well she would tell me not to speak of it by saying "Don't tempt the devil!" Subconciously this still stays with me.
Also, my mother taught me that turquoise protects against the Evil Eye which comes most often through envy. This evil eye can even come inadvertently, the person may not conciously wish you evil but even without them not being aware of their own envy harm can come to you. She was fearful for me as a baby because I was considered too beautiful and loved everyone. My father had a small brooch made for me that said "Bebe" and 5 persian turquoise beads dangled from it. She never took me out without fastening it to my clothes.
I kept the circlet of beads (now somewhat greenish from oxidization, dunno if the power waned!) hanging on my front door long after my kids grew too big for the brooch which went into the safety deposit box. After my granddaughter was born, I gave it to my daughter for the baby. Well, you never know. I am still uncomfortable when someone compliments my children or the baby too much. Old superstions become ingrained and fears and protections are passed down like family treasures.
Hillel and Shammai, the debate over the essence of our existence. Why don't the “Goyim” know about that Kosher? You see what fuels my hostility? And its not a secondary purpose but a primary but that’s beside the point. The Christians have been given a loaded pistol without ever having been taught how to fire it. Libby may want to dismiss this as superstition but the Great Seal of the United States of America says entirely different, as does all of history. Our lives are born upon these winds. Why are the Gentiles not given the tools to study. Is this an exclusive club?
Jack,
Given by whom? Their own priesthoods? Why? That's not what their priesthoods believe.
Are you wondering if we don't allow gentiles to study with us? Depends. In my temple, we certainly do. In fact, we sometimes have Christian clergy at Torah study in my temple. We haven't in a while; we used to have someone like that who was a regular.
Not all of us isolate. I was recently in a mosque for the first time in my life, courtesy of driving kids from my daughter's class on a Sunday school trip.
Given by whom? Their own priesthoods? Why? That's not what their priesthoods believe.
Are you wondering if we don't allow gentiles to study with us? Depends. In my temple, we certainly do. In fact, we sometimes have Christian clergy at Torah study in my temple. We haven't in a while; we used to have someone like that who was a regular.
Not all of us isolate. I was recently in a mosque for the first time in my life, courtesy of driving kids from my daughter's class on a Sunday school trip.
you have so many goddamned superstitions, woman, that
a highly suggestible innocent rube like me
is gonna now live his every day
in utter agony..
superstition!
um. hm.
shit trying to think of one of MINE.
let's see: don't give the goddamn village priest the evil eye
he may have ways and means
by black magick (ie catholicism)
to getcha.
i hate priests. i am envious of them. i wanna be one except
for the celibacy thing..
~
uh.
i have a black cat so i guess that's out.
how about:
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
~
that resonates. as a dipshit lovestruck kiddo i would pull petals
off unoffending flowers..she loves me she loves me not.
~
hm
Monday's child is fair of face;
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe;
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving;
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise, good and gay.
there ya go!
a highly suggestible innocent rube like me
is gonna now live his every day
in utter agony..
superstition!
um. hm.
shit trying to think of one of MINE.
let's see: don't give the goddamn village priest the evil eye
he may have ways and means
by black magick (ie catholicism)
to getcha.
i hate priests. i am envious of them. i wanna be one except
for the celibacy thing..
~
uh.
i have a black cat so i guess that's out.
how about:
Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
~
that resonates. as a dipshit lovestruck kiddo i would pull petals
off unoffending flowers..she loves me she loves me not.
~
hm
Monday's child is fair of face;
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe;
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving;
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise, good and gay.
there ya go!
“That's not what their priesthoods believe.” Exactly! One only need turn on the TV set to sample the duplicity of the Christian “faith.” One day, very soon, the Rabbis will lament that they did not speak loudly when they had a chance.
this is why i ought not spend so damn much time
on the computer..i learn too much...
seems my b.day was a saturday, so i, who has never had
gainful employment, work hard for a living.
but
on my b.day in 1967 it seems
- Pope Paul VI publishes encyclical Sacerdotalis coelibatus
yikes how it all connects...
SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIEST
JUNE 24, 1967
To the Bishops, Priests and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World.
Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes.
Amid the modern stirrings of opinion, a tendency has also been manifested, and even a desire expressed, to ask the Church to re-examine this characteristic institution. It is said that in the world of our time the observance of celibacy has come to be difficult or even impossible.
2. This state of affairs is troubling consciences, perplexing some priests and young aspirants
on the computer..i learn too much...
seems my b.day was a saturday, so i, who has never had
gainful employment, work hard for a living.
but
on my b.day in 1967 it seems
- Pope Paul VI publishes encyclical Sacerdotalis coelibatus
yikes how it all connects...
SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
ON THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIEST
JUNE 24, 1967
To the Bishops, Priests and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World.
Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes.
Amid the modern stirrings of opinion, a tendency has also been manifested, and even a desire expressed, to ask the Church to re-examine this characteristic institution. It is said that in the world of our time the observance of celibacy has come to be difficult or even impossible.
2. This state of affairs is troubling consciences, perplexing some priests and young aspirants
@jack
"One day, very soon, the Rabbis will lament that they did not speak loudly when they had a chance."
about what,now?
"One day, very soon, the Rabbis will lament that they did not speak loudly when they had a chance."
about what,now?
i mean, kosher is a rabbi , right? from what i know
of the meaning of the term.
and he aint exactly quiet.
of the meaning of the term.
and he aint exactly quiet.
damn rabbis on every streetcorner ..
The word rabbi derives from the Semitic root R-B-B, in Hebrew script רַב rav, which in biblical Aramaic means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered", but appears primarily as a prefix in construct forms.[3] Although the usage rabbim "many" (as 1 Kings 18:25, הָרַבִּים) "the majority, the multitude" occurs for the assembly of the community in the Dead Sea scrolls there is no evidence to support an association with the later title "Rabbi."[4] The root is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" (generally used when talking about God, but also about temporal lords). As a sign of great respect, some great rabbis are simply called "The Rav".
Rabbi is not an occupation found in the Hebrew Bible, and ancient generations did not employ related titles such as Rabban, Ribbi, or Rab to describe either the Babylonian sages or the sages in Israel.
The word rabbi derives from the Semitic root R-B-B, in Hebrew script רַב rav, which in biblical Aramaic means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered", but appears primarily as a prefix in construct forms.[3] Although the usage rabbim "many" (as 1 Kings 18:25, הָרַבִּים) "the majority, the multitude" occurs for the assembly of the community in the Dead Sea scrolls there is no evidence to support an association with the later title "Rabbi."[4] The root is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" (generally used when talking about God, but also about temporal lords). As a sign of great respect, some great rabbis are simply called "The Rav".
Rabbi is not an occupation found in the Hebrew Bible, and ancient generations did not employ related titles such as Rabban, Ribbi, or Rab to describe either the Babylonian sages or the sages in Israel.
Naah, I'm no rabbi. Very far from it.
James,
I think we'll have to recheck that root. I don't think it's RBB because you don't generally see a double Bet (the name of that letter if it's pronounced as a B, Vet if it's pronounced as a V, both versions exist, which is where Rav comes from).
I think we'll have to recheck that root. I don't think it's RBB because you don't generally see a double Bet (the name of that letter if it's pronounced as a B, Vet if it's pronounced as a V, both versions exist, which is where Rav comes from).
I looked at the Wiki article where I'm guessing you got the root. I also looked at the Hebrew words they cited where they were printed in Hebrew and none of them had more than one equivalent to a B.
Anyway, let's give the thread back to Libby. I can't imagine she was looking for this kind of discussion on her thread.
sir, you only prove yer rabbiness to me by correcting my
uh extensive research.
libby no doubt wants back her thread, correct.
ok..uh..
superstitions.
one of mine=
If a candle lighted as part of a ceremony blows out, it is a sign that evil spirits are nearby.
also!
If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.
If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.
Left for love and right for spite:
Left or right, good at night.
uh extensive research.
libby no doubt wants back her thread, correct.
ok..uh..
superstitions.
one of mine=
If a candle lighted as part of a ceremony blows out, it is a sign that evil spirits are nearby.
also!
If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.
If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.
Left for love and right for spite:
Left or right, good at night.
You've got skills. No luck needed.
Did you forget don't shit where you eat??? Just kidding:D
So many good examples of the blurry line between superstition and religion.... Myths were concretized in early religion, Eastern religions too. The "fatalism", better though of as acceptance, of Asians is reinforced by superstitions like bad fate if you bite off a noodle while slurping. Try it - it's really hard to get through a bowl of long noodles without invoking some bad karma. Frequent rituals at ancestors' tombs must make death and oblivion seem more real and less fearsome, which is probably healthier than avoidance of the whole subject.
ONL, doesn't mean much to me except don't buy electronic equipment when Mercury is in retrograde!
joe, nice to see you. yeah, i put ladders on my don't believe list, but pretty rational not superstitious not to walk under them. Sorry to spread more superstitious mandates. My mother freaked on the umbrella one and the calendar one. I mean, declaring, "Okay, kids, this is NOT funny!" Really? It should have been!
Didn't get into the cracks one, phyllis but that one is sure-fired popular. itchy palm, itchy noses. hmmmm. sometimes an itch is just an itch i'm thinking. but in your case, hope for the $$$.
gerald! I am sure you being the first one for anyone to speak to in the new year is a gift. St. Joe buried in the backyard is a new one on me. Hmmm. Will have to investigate. I pray to St. Anthony when I lose things and he often comes through for me!
best, libby
joe, nice to see you. yeah, i put ladders on my don't believe list, but pretty rational not superstitious not to walk under them. Sorry to spread more superstitious mandates. My mother freaked on the umbrella one and the calendar one. I mean, declaring, "Okay, kids, this is NOT funny!" Really? It should have been!
Didn't get into the cracks one, phyllis but that one is sure-fired popular. itchy palm, itchy noses. hmmmm. sometimes an itch is just an itch i'm thinking. but in your case, hope for the $$$.
gerald! I am sure you being the first one for anyone to speak to in the new year is a gift. St. Joe buried in the backyard is a new one on me. Hmmm. Will have to investigate. I pray to St. Anthony when I lose things and he often comes through for me!
best, libby
jp, i love your superstition re Cline's "Crazy" -- best darn heart-tugging taking its sweet damn time soulful song evah. You have just given me a new superstition, but one I like and will oblige.
oh, sky, you knee-jerk iconoclast, you. ;-)
zanelle, check out susan miller astrology zone. if she comes close to nailing one thing in the course of the month i feel a guilty few molecules of secret empowerment.
kosh, thanks for update re Mezuzah! I had a black cat, too, but a tuxedo black cat with that furry white collar. She brought me luck and love.
steel breeze, simple genius. thanks.
MCS, promise not to take the new ones seriously now! Don't mean to inflict them on my fellows!
TME, not according to my mother's rules re calendars. Ya got my permission. I need to get defiant like sky and make it my business to defy the rule.
toritto, i am sure that one was in my little superstition encyclopedia. I was hoping it would explain the origins of superstitions but instead it just kept listing more and more more. sigh. i need to delve deeper next time i explore this subject.
Jack!
jmac, yeah, I credit myself with luck just having seen the penny, but leave the germs for the next picker-upper, actually. Salt thing never got me. You know in Dial M for Murder Ray Milland spills salt on the table in the opening scene and tosses it over his shoulder. In Hitchcock's wonderful Shadow of a Doubt sociopath Joseph Cotten throws his hat on the bed despite the warnings of his brother in law that it is bad luck! Hmmmmm.
Wonder if Abra remembers those movie moments?
kosh, to me a priesthood should be about empathy more than study, I'm thinking.
bleue, i had never heard that about turquoise although I had heard it was imbued with special powers. American Indian? Thanks for sharing that story. Yes, jealousy is so toxic. An irrational malice that one can't do anything about when it comes at one. the more one seemingly tries to connect with the one in the throes of irrational jealous malice the more contempt it seems to inspire back. I know sometimes kids from being bullied reach out to the "dark" arts, witchcraft, etc., since they feel so vulnerable to irrational malicious forces. Mean girls sensibility.
You know Santa Claus and Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. Why do parents bring that kind of I am thinking dangerous "magic" into the lives of their children? Logic-defying. Poor kids are trying hard to cope with reality of the adult world. To be encouraged to believe what goes against your own common sense? Seems creepy looking back, Santa Claus actually coming to one's home and physically bestowing gifts, etc., is so anti-reason and crazymaking. I have a picture of my brother and me on dept. store Santa's lap, me looking terrified and him screaming up a storm. Poor faux-Santas of the world. The parents enjoyed them and they terrified a lot of kids. Besides telling the Ralphies the gun will put his eye out.
I remember once lying big time to an uncle. I told him at a holiday party that I once had actually heard Santa on the roof. He shot back, "YOU ARE LYING!!!" I was mortified. Since he knew there was no Santa and I didn't, that was an unfair scenario. I thought he was psychic that moment. How did he know so assuredly and quickly I asked myself.
best, libby
oh, sky, you knee-jerk iconoclast, you. ;-)
zanelle, check out susan miller astrology zone. if she comes close to nailing one thing in the course of the month i feel a guilty few molecules of secret empowerment.
kosh, thanks for update re Mezuzah! I had a black cat, too, but a tuxedo black cat with that furry white collar. She brought me luck and love.
steel breeze, simple genius. thanks.
MCS, promise not to take the new ones seriously now! Don't mean to inflict them on my fellows!
TME, not according to my mother's rules re calendars. Ya got my permission. I need to get defiant like sky and make it my business to defy the rule.
toritto, i am sure that one was in my little superstition encyclopedia. I was hoping it would explain the origins of superstitions but instead it just kept listing more and more more. sigh. i need to delve deeper next time i explore this subject.
Jack!
jmac, yeah, I credit myself with luck just having seen the penny, but leave the germs for the next picker-upper, actually. Salt thing never got me. You know in Dial M for Murder Ray Milland spills salt on the table in the opening scene and tosses it over his shoulder. In Hitchcock's wonderful Shadow of a Doubt sociopath Joseph Cotten throws his hat on the bed despite the warnings of his brother in law that it is bad luck! Hmmmmm.
Wonder if Abra remembers those movie moments?
kosh, to me a priesthood should be about empathy more than study, I'm thinking.
bleue, i had never heard that about turquoise although I had heard it was imbued with special powers. American Indian? Thanks for sharing that story. Yes, jealousy is so toxic. An irrational malice that one can't do anything about when it comes at one. the more one seemingly tries to connect with the one in the throes of irrational jealous malice the more contempt it seems to inspire back. I know sometimes kids from being bullied reach out to the "dark" arts, witchcraft, etc., since they feel so vulnerable to irrational malicious forces. Mean girls sensibility.
You know Santa Claus and Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. Why do parents bring that kind of I am thinking dangerous "magic" into the lives of their children? Logic-defying. Poor kids are trying hard to cope with reality of the adult world. To be encouraged to believe what goes against your own common sense? Seems creepy looking back, Santa Claus actually coming to one's home and physically bestowing gifts, etc., is so anti-reason and crazymaking. I have a picture of my brother and me on dept. store Santa's lap, me looking terrified and him screaming up a storm. Poor faux-Santas of the world. The parents enjoyed them and they terrified a lot of kids. Besides telling the Ralphies the gun will put his eye out.
I remember once lying big time to an uncle. I told him at a holiday party that I once had actually heard Santa on the roof. He shot back, "YOU ARE LYING!!!" I was mortified. Since he knew there was no Santa and I didn't, that was an unfair scenario. I thought he was psychic that moment. How did he know so assuredly and quickly I asked myself.
best, libby
james, you must promise not to go with any of the new superstitions to you on this thread with the exception of Cline's song "Crazy". You must sing along with the song according to JP.
interesting take on priests. You hate and envy them and want to be one except for celibacy thing. No small requirement.
Another black cat owner.
I had heard the poem about days of the week. Thanks for sharing.
Monday's child is fair of face;
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe;
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving;
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise, good and gay.
there ya go!
Take care, my friend.
best, libby
interesting take on priests. You hate and envy them and want to be one except for celibacy thing. No small requirement.
Another black cat owner.
I had heard the poem about days of the week. Thanks for sharing.
Monday's child is fair of face;
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe;
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving;
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise, good and gay.
there ya go!
Take care, my friend.
best, libby
Sorry, Jack. I am not sure what you are trying to say re the Great Seal, etc. Please enlighten.
Kosh and James, interesting thread wherever it heads ...
James, church is patriarchal misogynistic re priests in power caste over nuns, and anti-physical gratification oppressive re anti-sexuality.
Peter, so lovely to see you.
tg within! good one!
thanks for the great ps, joe!
Kosh and James, interesting thread wherever it heads ...
James, church is patriarchal misogynistic re priests in power caste over nuns, and anti-physical gratification oppressive re anti-sexuality.
Peter, so lovely to see you.
tg within! good one!
thanks for the great ps, joe!
Libby - are you kidding - I'm still writing checks for June! Don't even analyze me - on occasion, I've had an itchy nose while toasting with a glass of water & then was hit with pigeon doo-doo! R
Late to this libby but I'm glad I caught it. One superstition is always calling Heads when a coin is flipped. It's kind of the convention and the cleverness points you might get for calling Tails and being right are more than offset by the idiot points accruing from calling Tails when Heads comes up.
Love it! Rated!
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