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Old Wise Tales

 
good info....

The Cat's Paws(Or...Kitty Knows Best)

Leave a door slightly ajar,think carefully about a question that you want answered (yes or no answer) and then call the cat inside.
If kitty comes inside the door with her right forepaw crossing the threshold first, then the answer to your question is 'Yes'.
If it is the left paw that appears first, then the answer is 'No'.

The Ring

Attach a length of black cotton thread to a gold wedding band. Take the thread between the index finger and thumb of your left hand, and suspend the ring over a tumbler of water. Let go of the thread, and see how the ring falls.
If the ring touches the right side of the glass, then the answer is 'yes'
If it touches the left side, the answer is 'no' If the ring touches the glass to the front or back as you are sat watching it, then the Oracle is refusing an answer, and you must try again after twenty four hours have passed.

Fire and Paper

Write your question or wish on a blank piece of paper, and place it face down on a fireproof surface ~ perhaps in an incense burner, or on a tin plate. Light the paper with a match to the front left hand corner as you sit in front of it.
If all the paper is consumed by the flames, and nothing is left, then the reply is that you will be happy, and your wish will be granted.
If there is some paper left, and there can still be seen a small part of your writing, then the wish will come true ~ but not for some time.
If the paper has hardly burnt at all, and most of your wish can still be seen written, then you will not get everything you want. If the words are totally intact, untouched by flame, then your wish will come true very soon.

Water and Ripples

Think carefully on your question, and watch the water as you drop a pebble into a bowl of water. Count the ripples ~ if the number is odd, then your wish is answered with a 'yes'.
If the ripples add up to an even number, then the answer is 'no'

Thirteen Papers

Write a different wish (in pencil) on thirteen seperate pieces of greaseproof paper. Place the slips of paper unfolded in the bottom of a bowl. Pour water over them, and the reply to the question on the first piece of paper that rises to the surface is 'yes'

a~PEEL~ing Answers

Peel an apple, keeping the peel as intact as possible. When finished, throw the peel over your left shoulder whilst thinking on a question. When the peel falls on the floor, note its shape:
If it looks like a 'O' or 'U' shape, then the answer is negative ~ any other shape is a positive.

It IS All Black~and~White

Take two squares of paper ~ one black and one white. Go to a high window (but not so high that you can't see the ground).
Throw the squares from the window whilst thinking carefully on your question.
If the black square reaches the ground first, then the reply is 'no', but if the white square flutters down and reaches the ground first, then the answer is 'yes'.
 
Itchy Omens
Crown of the head- Advance in position.
Right cheek- Someone is speaking well of you.
Left cheek- Slander is being spread about you.
Right eye or eyebrow- Meeting with an old friend.
Left eye or eyebrow- Great disappointment.
Nose (inside)- Trouble and sorrow.
Nose (outside)- You will be kissed, cursed, annoyed,
or meet with a fool within the hour.
Lips- Someone is talking about you with disrespect.
Back of the neck- Illness of a relative.
Right shoulder- A legacy
Left shoulder- Sorrow.
Right elbow- Pleasant and exciting news.
Left elbow- Bad news and losses.
Right palm- Much money.
Left palm- You will pay a debt.
Spine- Disappointments.
Loins- Reconciliation after quarrels.
Stomach- An invitation to dine.
Thighs- Change of dwelling-place.
Right knee- Happy journey.
Left knee- Voyage beset with misfortune.
Shins- Unpleasant surprise.
Ankles- Marriage or increase of income.
 
Cat Sneezing
Some Italians believed that a cat sneeze meant good
fortune for all who heard it.

In other parts of the world, a cat sneeze on the morning of a wedding meant the couple would have a happy marriage. On any other day, however, it signaled rain.

If a cat sneezed three times in a row, some were convinced that everyone in the house would come down with a cold.
 
PHOENIX - BENU THE FIRE BIRD
Many civilizations spin the take of a mythological 'fire bird' that burns itself in the flames - then is reborn from the ashes beginning a new cycle of time. The Phoenix is a female mythologcial bird symbolizing immortality, resurrection and life after death. She is associated with the sun. She is said burn herself after a certain number of years in a cycle then is reborn from her ashes.


In ancient Egyptian mythology she is associated with the sun god. She is called Benu. Its Egyptian name is Benu means as much as the Ascending One.
The Bennu bird was an imaginary bird resembling a heron. It had a two long feathers on the crest of it's head and was often crowned with the Atef crown of Osiris (the White Crown with two ostrich plumes on either side) or with the disk of the sun. This name apparently was being associated during the earlier periods of Egyptian history with various birds: the crane, the heron, the stork or the flamingo. Later it was more clearly identified with the heron. She was a kind of primordial god, which built its nest on the willow which is on the top of the primordial hill. The deities Re (Ra) - and Atum were akin to the symbolic meaning of the phoenix. Because of its birdlike nature, the phoenix was called ba of Re- the soul of Re. The soul was believed to be a birdlike spiritual being. As a deity of creation and life it was also associated with Osiris. The phoenix was called the famous ba, which came out of the heart of Osiris. There was a connection to the deity Kepera (the scarab-god), the Lord of Life and Death. The phoenix supposedly burns itself in his nest on the hill (sunset) and is being reborn the next morning. The hill is being located on the Flaming Isle of Re in the East, where the sun rises. At Koptos in Egypt, the Bennu bird is depicted with two human arms stretched upwards and outwards toward the star Sothis - Sirius , which appears in the early sky before the sun rises. The Phoenix/Bennu bird is said to arise 'at dawn from the waters of the Nile'. It is linked with summer. The Bennu was the sacred bird of Heliopolis. Bennu probably derives from the word weben, meaning "rise" or "shine." The Bennu was associated with the sun and represented the ba or soul of the sun god, Re. In the Late Period, the hieroglyph of the bird was used to represent this deity directly. As a symbol of the rising and setting sun, the Bennu was also the lord of the royaljubilee. The Bennu was also associated with the inundation of the Nile and of the creation. Standing alone on isolated rocks of islands of high ground during the floods the heron represented the first life to appear on the primeval mound which rose from the watery chaos at the first creation. This mound was called the ben-ben. The Bennu was also considered a manifestation of the resurrected Osiris and the bird was often shown pirched in his sacred willow tree.
 
Legend of the dogwood
 
An old and beautiful legend has it that, at the time of the
crucifixions, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest.

Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the timber for the cross, but to be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it: "Because of your sorrow and pity for my sufferings never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent, and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross - two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nailprints - brown with rust and stained with red and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember.
 
 
By the Light of the Moon

1. Wish for wealth while looking over your left shoulder at the new Moon.

2. Hold up silver for the rays of the full moon to fall upon.

3. Look at the new Moon with money in your hands.

4. Show silver to the new Moon and say, "Moon, Moon, look at this, and give me pleanty of it."

5. Turn your money over when you see the new Moon, and it will double in value.
 
Faiery and Flower Associations
 
BASIL – The Fae of the Basil help us awaken greater discipline and devotion.

BLUEBELLS - Fairies are beckoned to their midnight dances just by ringing these little bells. Represents kindness and most potent of all faery flowers.They are also called "warning bells" because to travel into bluebell glade is to find yourself in a place of concentrated faery magick and enchantment.

BUTTERCUP – This flower and its Faerie bring healing energies. They help us rediscover our self worth.

CARNATION – Their energy is healing to the body, contact with them strengthens the aura.

CHICORY - Chicory can bring good luck or make you invisible if you carry it with you. It is said to be able to open any lock.

CLOVER – The clover faeries assist in finding love and fidelity.

CROCUS -  Have the power to inspire love but may drain your strength if while collecting them.

DAISY – The daisy is a favorite of Dryads (wood nymphs). The Faeries help awaken
creativity.

FORGET-ME-NOT - A symbol of love and devotion. If you place these flowers on the side of a mountain where fairy treasure is hidden, secret cavern walls will open up for you.

FOXGLOVE - The foxglove flowers are worn by fairies as gloves and hats and the little flecks found on the flowers are surely fairy fingerprints. Poor luck will follow those who pick these flowers and bring them in their home.

GARDENIA – This special Faerie stimulates feelings of peace. The Fae of this flower are VERY protective towards children.

HAREBELLS - Inspire honesty and these days I could think of a number of ways these flowers could be used The person wearing them can't lie.

HEATHER – The Fae of this flower are drawn to humans who are shy.

JASMINE – These Fae love to evoke pleasant dreams.  They have also been known to help develop mental clarity.

LILY – These Faeries help in the development of purity and humility.

MARIGOLD - If made into a jam and eaten in the morning it you should be seeing fairies soon.

PANSY - These flowers are used by the fairies for love potions.

PERIWINKLE - Has the ability to inspire love. Rekindle love by eating periwinkle leaves.

PRIMROSE - Has the power to reveal the invisible. If you eat them you should see fairies. The pathway to the faery realm can be opened by touching a faery rock with the right number of primroses. BEWARE! if the number is wrong you may open the door to where you don't want to be.

ROSE – The Faerie of the rose can help in all aspects of love and fertility.

SAGE – They awaken a sense of wisdom in your life.

SNAPDRAGON – These bring humans great protection.

THYME – Thyme draws the wee Folk into your sleeping chambers.

VIOLET -  The violet is sacred to all fairies. Gathering violets in the spring will bring good luck and a wish come true courtesy of the faery realm.

WHITE LOTUS - Some believe that the white lotus flowers are nymphs in disguise. A woman can carry this flower to counter the effect of unwanted love spells.
 
 
1. A piece of money tied to or around your ankle prevents poverty.

2. Wear red clothes.

3. If a man walks around with his hat brim turned up behind, he's got money to spend.

4. If a man has one pant leg tucked in his boot and one pant leg out, he has money.
 
Folk Medicine
 
The blood of a black chicken rubbed on the affected area will cure the shingles.

Black chickens are also good to bring out chickenpox particularly if you go out to the chicken coop after the sun goes down and let one fly over you.

Tea made from hot water and corn silk will cure bed wetting in children.

The root of rhubarb worn on a string around your neck will prevent stomach aches.

Tie a big red onion to the bedpost and it keeps the ones in the bed from having colds.

Boils are caused by impure blood, you should eat sorghum molasses, raisins and onions.

A dirty sock worn around your neck when you go to bed will cure a sore throat. (My grandmother had a dog that had tonsillitis, and she did the above and the dog got well.)

Don't let the moonlight shine on your face while your sleeping, it will cause you to go crazy.

A buckeye carried in the pocket will cure rheumatism.

Don't cut your hair in the dark of the moon or it may cause you to go bald.

Tea made from sumac leaves is good for and can cure asthma and hay fever.

An iron key pressed to the back of the neck will cure a nosebleed.

To stop a toothache in your left jaw, tie a string around the little toe of your right foot.

For the right jaw, reverse the directions.

ACORN

An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life.
  An acorn at the window will keep lightning out

AMBER

Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds. 
AMBULANCE
Seeing an ambulance is very unlucky unless you pinch your nose or hold your breath until you see a black or a brown dog.
  Touch your toes
Touch your nose
Never go in one of those
Until you see a dog.
APPLE
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.

 

An apple a day
Keeps the doctor away.
  If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

BABY

To predict the sex of a baby: Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.

BASEBALL BAT

Spit on a new bat before using it for the first time to make it lucky

BED

It's bad luck to put a hat on a bed.
  If you make a bedspread, or a quilt, be sure to finish it or marriage will never come to you
  Placing a bed facing north and south brings misfortune.
  You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck.
  When making the bed, don't interrupt your work, or you will spend a restless night in it.

BEE

If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.
  A swarm of bees settling on a roof is an omen that the house will burn down.

BELL

The sound of bells drives away demons because they're afraid of the loud noise.
  When a bell rings, a new angel has received his wings.

BIRD

A bird in the house is a sign of a death.
  If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.

BIRTH

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.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

If you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake with the first puff you will get your wish.

BLARNEY STONE

The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney.)

BLUE

To protect yourself from witches, wear a blue bead.
  Touch blue
And your wish
Will come true.

BREAD

Before slicing a new loaf of bread, make the sign of the cross on it.
  A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it.
BRIDE
Bridal & wedding superstitions

BRIDGE

If you say good-bye to a friend on a bridge, you will never see each other again.

BROOM

Do not lean a broom against a bed. The evil spirits in the broom will cast a spell on the bed.
  If you sweep trash out the door after dark, it will bring a stranger to visit.
  If someone is sweeping the floor and sweeps over your feet, you'll never get married.
  Never take a broom along when you move. Throw it out and buy a new one.
  To prevent an unwelcome guest from returning, sweep out the room they stayed in immediately after they leave.

BUTTERFLY

If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, you will have good luck all year.
  Three butterflies together mean good luck.

CANDLE

If a candle lighted as part of a ceremony blows out, it is a sign that evil spirits are nearby.
CALF
If the first calf born during the winter is white, the winter will be a bad one.

CAT

If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.
  Keep cats away from babies because they "suck the breath" of the child.
  A cat onboard a ship is considered to bring luck.

CHEEKS

If your cheeks suddenly feel on fire, someone is talking about you.

CHILL

If you get a chill up your back or goosebumps, it means that someone is walking over your grave.

CHIMNEY SWEEP

It's very lucky to meet a chimney sweep by chance. Make a wish when sighting one, and the wish will come true.

CIGARETTES

It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.

CIRCLE

Evil spirits can't harm you when you stand inside a circle.

CLOCK

If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.

CLOVER

It's good luck to find a four-leaf clover.
  Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.

COIN

It's bad luck to pick up a coin if it's tails side up. Good luck comes if it's heads up.

COMB

To drop a comb while you are combing your hair is a sign of a coming disappointment.
COUGH
To cure a cough: take a hair from the coughing person's head, put it between two slices of buttered bread, feed it to a dog, and say, "Eat well you hound, may you be sick and I be sound."
COW
Cows lifting their tails is a sure sign that rain is coming.

CRACK

Don't step on a crack on a sidewalk or walkway.
  Step on a crack
Break your mother's back.

CRICKET

A cricket in the house brings good luck.

COUNTING CROWS

One's bad,
Two's luck,
Three's health,
Four's wealth,
Five's sickness,
Six is death.
DANDELION
Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
DEATH
Superstitions about death

DOG

A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen.

DOOR

It's bad luck to leave a house through a different door than the one used to come into it.

DREAMS

The meaning of dreams
and dream superstitions

EARS

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.

EASTER

For good luck throughout the year, wear new clothes on Easter.
ELEPHANT
Pictures of an elephant bring luck, but only if they face a door.

EYE

If your right eye twitches there will soon be a birth in the family. If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
  To cure a sty, stand at a crossroads and recite
Sty, sty, leave my eye
Take the next one coming by.

EYELASH

If an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of the hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand the wish will be granted.

FINGERNAILS

It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
  Fingernail cuttings should be saved, burned, or buried.

FISH

A fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
  Dream of fish: someone you know is pregnant.
FISHING
Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
  If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
  It's bad luck to say the word "pig" while fishing at sea.

FLAG

It brings bad luck for a flag to touch the ground.

FLOWER

First Flower of Spring: The day you find the first flower of the season can be used as an omen:
Monday means good fortune,
Tuesday means greatest attempts will be successful,
Wednesday means marriage,
Thursday means warning of small profits,
Friday means wealth,
Saturday means misfortune,
Sunday means excellent luck for weeks.
FOOT
If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip.

FORK

To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit.

FRIDAY

A bed changed on Friday will bring bad dreams.
  Any ship that sails on Friday will have bad luck.
  You should never start a trip on Friday or you will meet misfortune.
  Never start to make a garment on Friday unless you can finish it the same day.
FRIDAY THE 13TH - how did Friday the thirteenth become such an unlucky day?
  fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities combine to make one super unlucky day.
  There is a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died and the Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned.
  There is a Biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper.
  A particularly bad Friday the 13th occurred in the middle ages. On a Friday the 13th in 1306, King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar and began torturing them, marking the occasion as a day of evil.
 

In ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.

  Both Friday and the number 13 were once closely associated with capital punishment. In British tradition, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and there were supposedly 13 steps leading up to the noose.
  It is traditionally believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.
  Numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus. In exceeding 12 by 1, 13's association with bad luck has to do with just being a little beyond completeness.
FRIDAY THE 13TH - how is fear of the number thirteen demonstarted?
  More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor.
  Many airports skip the 13th gate.
  Airplanes have no 13th aisle.
  Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
  Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.
  On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.
  Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
  In France, socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.
  Many triskaidekaphobes, as those who fear the unlucky integer are known, point to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13.
  If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.

FROG

A frog brings good luck to the house it enters.
  The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck averts epilepsy and other fits.

GOOD FRIDAY
(The Friday before Easter)

A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday has a gift of healing. If a boy, he should go into the ministry.
  Cut your hair on Good Friday to prevent headaches in the year to come
  A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
  Shed no blood on Good Friday, work no wood, hammer no nail.
HAIR
Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.

HAND

If the palm of your right hand itches it means you will soon be getting money.
  If the palm of your left hand itches it means you will soon be paying out money.

HORSESHOE

A horseshoe, hung above the doorway, will bring good luck to a home. In most of Europe protective horseshoes are placed in a downward facing position, but in some parts of Ireland and Britain people believe that the shoes must be turned upward or "the luck will run out."
  A horseshoe hung in the bedroom will keep nightmares away.

ITCH

If your nose itches you will soon be kissed by a fool.
  If your nose itches
Your mouth is in danger.
You'll kiss a fool,
And meet a stranger.
Rub an itch to wood
It will come to good.

IVY

Ivy growing on a house protects the inhabitants from witchcraft and evil.

KNIFE

A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end.
  A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.
  If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.
  It will cause a quarrel if knives are crossed at the table.
  It is bad luck to close a pocket knife unless you were the one who opened it.
  Knife falls, gentleman calls;
Fork falls, lady calls;
Spoon falls, baby calls.
KNITTING
It's bad luck to leave a project unfinished. The intended recepient will get bad luck from the unfinished item.
  Stabbing your needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.
  Don't knit a pair of socks for your boyfriend or he'll walk away from you.
  If you knit one of your own hairs into a garment, it will bind the recipient to you.
  Knitting for children you may have in the future, but before you are pregnant, is bad luck (it may prevent one from getting pregnant, or bring ill health to the baby).

LADDER

It is bad luck to walk under a ladder.

LADYBUG

If a young girl catches a ladybug and then releases it, the direction in which it flies away will be the direction from which her future husband will come.
  It is bad luck to kill a ladybug.
  Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home.
Your house is on fire,
Your children all roam.

LEAF

If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn you will not catch a cold all winter.

LETTUCE

Lettuce is believed to have magical and healing properties, including the power to arouse love and counteract the effects of wine.
  Lettuce promotes child bearing if eaten by young women, and certain types of salad can bring on labor in pregnant women.

LIE

Cross my heart and hope to die,
Cut my throat if I tell a lie.

LIZARD

To dream of a lizard is a sign that you have a secret enemy.

MANDRAKE

Mandrake is a mysterious plant believed to have powers of preventing sterility in men and animals, causing barren women to bear children, and compelling love.
  Mandrake is thought to have aphrodisiac and fertilizing properties.
  Clairvoyants use mandrake to increase their visions to enable them to see strange and wonderful things.
MARRIAGE
Wediing superstitions
MILK
It's bad luck to let milk boil over.

MIRROR

To break a mirror means 7 years bad luck.
  It is unlucky to see your face in a mirror by candlelight.
  A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm because it attracts lightning.
  If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.

MISTLETOE

Mistletoe in the house protects it from thunder and lightning. It also cures many diseases, is an antidote to poison and brings good luck and fertility.
  A girl standing under a mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed by anyone who claims the privilege.

MOTH

A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.

NOSE

If your nose itches, someone is coming to see you. If it's the right nostril, the visitor will be a female, left nostril, male.
NUMBERS
See each individual number alphabetically.

ONION

An onion cut in half and placed under the bed of a sick person will draw off fever and poisons.
  A wish will come true if you make it while burning onions.

OPAL

Unless you were born in October, it's unlucky to wear opals.

OWL

It is bad luck to see an owl in the sunlight.

PENCIL

If you use the same pencil to take a test that you used for studying for the test, the pencil will remember the answers.

PEPPER

If you spill pepper you will have a serious argument with your best friend.

PHOTOGRAPH

If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.
RABBIT'S FOOT
A rabbit's foot will bring luck and protect the owner from evil spirits if carried in the pocket.

RAINBOW

A rainbow in the Eastern sky,
The morrow will be fine and dry.
A rainbow in the West that gleams,
Rain tomorrow falls in streams.

RAVEN

To kill a raven is to harm the spirit of King Arthur who visits the world in the form of a raven.

RED

A red ribbon should be placed on a child who has been sick to keep the illness from returning.

ROBIN

A wish made upon seeing the first robin in spring will come true - but only if you complete the wish before the robin flies away.

ROCKING CHAIR

If you leave a rocking chair rocking when empty, it invites evil spirits to come into your house to sit in the rocking chair.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary planted by the doorstep will keep witches away.

SALT

Bad luck will follow the spilling of salt unless a pinch is thrown over the left shoulder into the face of the devil waiting there.
  Put salt on the doorstep of a new house and no evil can enter.
  Salty soup is a sign that the cook is in love.

SCISSORS

If you drop scissors, it means your lover is being unfaithful to you.

SEA GULL

Three seagulls flying together, directly overhead, are a warning of death soon to come.
SEVEN

To break a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. The cure: to bury the pieces, or run them in a stream.

The seventh son of a seventh son has magic powers, according to Irish folklore, but is a vampire in Romanian legend.

SHOES

Do not place shoes upon a table, for this will bring bad luck for the day, cause trouble with your mate and you might even lose your job as a result.
  It's bad luck to leave shoes upside down.
SINGING
If you sing before seven, you will cry before eleven.

SLEEP

You sleep best with your head to the north and your feet to the south.

SNEEZE

Place a hand in front of your mouth when sneezing. Your soul may escape otherwise.
  The devil can enter your body when you sneeze. Having someone say, "God bless you," drives the devil away.
  If you sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow.
Sneeze on a Sunday, and the devil will have domination over you all week.
  One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told

SPARROW

Sparrows carry the souls of the dead, it's unlucky to kill one.
SPIDER
Seeing a spider run down a web in the afternoon means you'll take a trip.
  A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell.

STARS

All wishes on shooting stars come true.
  Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.

SWAN

A swan's feather, sewed into the husband's pillow, will ensure fidelity.

THIRTEEN

If 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one of them will die before the year is over.
FRIDAY THE 13TH - how is fear of the number thirteen demonstarted?
  More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor.
  Many airports skip the 13th gate.
  Airplanes have no 13th aisle.
  Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
  Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.
  On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.
  Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
  In France, socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.
  Many triskaidekaphobes, as those who fear the unlucky integer are known, point to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13.
  If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.

TONGUE

If you bite your tongue while eating, it is because you have recently told a lie.

UMBRELLA

Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
  It's bad luck to open an umbrella inside the house, especially if you put it over your head.
VALENTINE'S
DAY
If a woman sees a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it means she will marry a sailor. If she sees a sparrow, she will marry a poor man and be very happy. If she sees a goldfinch, she will marry a millionaire.

VEIL

A bride's veil protects her from evil spirits who are jealous of happy people.

WATERMELON

A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.

WEATHER

Red sky at night,
Sailor's delight.
Red sky at morning
Sailors take warning
  Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day.
Rain on the green grass
Rain on the hillside,
But not on me.
WEDDING
Wedding superstitions

WOOD

Knock three times on wood after mentioning good fortune so evil spirits won't ruin it.

WINDOW

All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.

WISH

If you make a wish while throwing a coin into a well or fountain, the wish will come true.
  Wish I may,
Wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.
  If you tell someone your wish, it won't come true.

WISHBONE

Two people pull apart the dried breastbone of a chicken or turkey until it cracks and breaks, each one making a wish while doing so. The person who gets the long half of the wishbone will have his or her wish come true.

X

The number of Xs in the palm of your right hand is the number of children you will have.

YAWN

A yawn is a sign that danger is near.
  Cover your mouth when you yawn, or your soul can go out of your body along with the yawn.


Superstitions about Death

BIRD

A bird in the house is a sign of a death.
  If a robin flies into a room through a window, death will shortly follow.

CANDLE

Light candles on the night after November 1. One for each deceased relative should be placed in the window in the room where death occurred.

CEMETERY

You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently died.

CLOCK

If a clock which has not been working suddenly chimes, there will be a death in the family.
  You will have bad luck if you do not stop the clock in the room where someone dies.

CORPSE

If a woman is buried in black, she will return to haunt the family.
  If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.
  Mirrors in a house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next.

DOG

Dogs howling in the dark of night,
Howl for death before daylight.

DREAMS

If you dream of death it's a sign of a birth, if you dream of birth, it's a sign of death.
  If you touch a loved one who has died, you won't have dreams about them

DYING

A person who dies on Good Friday will go right to heaven.
  A person who dies at midnight on Christmas Eve will go straight to heaven because the gates of heaven are open at that time.
  All windows should be opened at the moment of death so that the soul can leave.
  The soul of a dying person can't escape the body and go to heaven if any locks are locked in the house.

EYE

If the left eye twitches there will soon be a death in the family.
  If a dead person's eyes are left open, he'll find someone to take with him.

FUNERAL

Funerals on Friday portend another death in the family during the year.
  It's bad luck to count the cars in a funeral cortege.
  It's bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on.
  Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.
  Nothing new should be worn to a funeral, especially new shoes.
  Pointing at a funeral procession will cause you to die within the month
  Pregnant women should not attend funerals.

GRAVE

If the person buried lived a good life, flowers will grow on the grave. If the person was evil, weeds will grow.

MIRROR

If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.

MOTH

A white moth inside the house or trying to enter the house means death.

PHOTOGRAPH

If 3 people are photographed together, the one in the middle will die first.

THIRTEEN

If 13 people sit down at a table to eat, one of them will die before the year is over.

UMBRELLA

Dropping an umbrella on the floor means that there will be a murder in the house.
   

Superstitions about Weddings
Wedding Day Superstitions and Traditions

BRIDAL SHOWER
The first gift the bride opens should be the first gift she uses.
  Everything the bride says as she opens her gifts will be repeated on her wedding night. Somone should be assigned to write down these comments during the shower.
  The person who gives the third gift to be opened will soon have a baby.
  Save the ribbons from the shower gifts to make a mock bouquet to be used at the wedding rehearsal.

WEDDING DAY

Certain days of the week, and certain months of the year are better than others for a wedding.
  Monday for health,
Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday best of all,
Thursday for losses,
Friday for crosses,
Saturday for no luck at all
  Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

FOR A LUCKY BRIDE

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue,
And a lucky sixpence
In her shoe.
  Married in White, you have chosen right
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Blue, you will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Brown, you will live in the town,
Married in Pink, you spirit will sink.

WEDDING DAY

 

Good Omens:

seeing a rainbow
having the sun shine
meeting a black cat
meeting a chimney sweep

WEDDING DAY

 

Bad Omens:

a pig, hare, or lizard running across the road
seeing an open grave
meeting a nun or a monk foretell barrenness

OTHER BELIEFS

If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.
  The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall - hence the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold.
  The spouse who goes to sleep first on the wedding day will be the first to die.

WEDDING CAKE

If a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.


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