This week: On Superstition Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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Do you knock on wood or have a lucky sock?
Are you superstitious? What brings you luck?
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is all about widely held but irrational beliefs in supernatural influences - superstition, in other words.
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Are you superstitious? I think I am, just a little bit. I mean, I don’t believe that if I were to break a mirror I’d have years of bad luck, but it makes sense not to walk under a ladder. What if it comes down on top of your head? It’s safer to go around it.
A superstition tends to be defined as a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, usually leading to some form of good or bad luck. This belief can lead to superstitious practices; for example, tossing a pinch of salt over your shoulder to keep evil at bay, or knocking on wood for protection.
The roots of such beliefs vary. Sticking with the knocking on wood, Celtic pagans believed that spirits and deities lived in trees. It is thought that knocking on wood was intended to rouse those deities in order to receive protection, or to thank them for a stroke of good luck. Another possible origin story is rooted in Christianity – knocking on the wood of the cross, which is a symbol of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Tossing spilled salt over the shoulder is also thought to originate in Christianity: one takes a pinch of salt and tosses it over the left shoulder, because the devil sits on the left shoulder and needs to be kept at bay; an angel sits on the right. In Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper one can see a knocked-over salt container at Judas’ elbow, spilling its contents. Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
In Medieval times some cultures believed black cats to be in league with the devil. They were also commonly associated with witches and witchcraft, and for a black cat to cross one’s path was seen as bad luck. Unfortunately, to this day, there are people who believe that black cats are unlucky, leading to a lower adoption rate. That, and they’re thought to be less photogenic, which is a great sin in these Instagram days. Neither are true, of course – black cats are wonderful companions and you can take beautiful pictures of them. It does go to show that beliefs can be stubborn – they get passed down unchallenged from generation to generation and whilst many beliefs are innocent, others can do real harm.
Several species of rhinoceros are critically endangered because there are cultures that believe that their horns have medicinal properties. They also believe that it can treat supernatural conditions, such as ‘devil possession’. In other cultures people are still accused of witchcraft, and witch hunts are ongoing. When a child is accused of being a witch they can end up being subject to violence, shunning, and even death.
There is a positive side to superstition. It can have a soothing effect. Reduce anxiety. Give people a sense of control in difficult situations. Life can be overwhelming. By adopting some rules to live by, that people may feel bring a little luck or ward off bad luck, order may be brought into an otherwise unpredictable chaos. As long as such practices do not become a compulsion, and they aren’t the only steps taken to get on top of one’s troubles, that bit of comfort may boost a person’s mental health enough to envision brighter days and that, in turn, can lead them to take action to make those brighter days a reality.
It is even thought that superstition may enhance performance. Superstitious practices are common in the arts, in sports and in professions that require highly-skilled, anxiety-inducing performances. There is research that shows that making certain gestures such as crossing one’s fingers, or uttering words such as ‘break a leg’ can produce a change in perceived self-efficacy. By activating the superstition, a person’s confidence in their mastery of the task increases which, in turn, improves performance.
Likewise, it is not unknown for an athlete to wear a ‘lucky’ item of clothing, or for a student to take an exam with their ‘lucky’ pen. Such items bring comfort and help to make the person believe that they can do whatever it is they need to do, making it more likely that they will, indeed, succeed.
These results are down to psychology rather than anything supernatural, of course. Yet, it is clear that our beliefs do have an impact on ourselves, and on the world around us. Where these beliefs cause harm, it is important to question them. That lucky pen, however? As long as you don’t believe you truly can’t write a good essay without it then sure, take it along to your exam.
I think I’ll keep on going around ladders. And I’ll keep on believing that those monkey toys with the cymbals are up to no good because look at them! Why would anyone think those are a good idea?
Do you have a lucky item? Do you agree with me about those monkeys? Whatever you believe, I hope it brings you something good. Fingers crossed!
Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline
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Spiritual: December 18, 2024 Issue [#12894]
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