Very Superstitious Writings on the Wall

We are a superstitious species, we humans. We believe in all manner of things supernatural, for which no rational, reasoned explanation can be made. (Supposedly, the term is from the Latin, supersisto, which means "to stand in awe [of God]."

We believe in luck, fortune, good and bad, and it is rare to find those among us who do not truck with such things in any way. I think even the atheists have trouble avoiding the little magicks, so prevalent are they. Spilled salt, bread-and-butter, stepping on cracks, black cats and ladders, broken mirrors, not saying aloud the name of the Scottish play, wishing fellow actors broken legs, rabbit's feet --the list of good, bad, and terrible goes on and on. (I always like the lucky rabbit's foot notion. Wasn't lucky for the rabbit, was it? Else you wouldn't have it mummified on your key chain and think about what a civilized species from the stars would think of that one ...)

Ghost, goblins, fairies, the fey. Demons and devils and how best to pray. Witches, warlocks, werewolves and vampires. Friday the 13th, seventh son of a seventh son, cross your fingers, wishbones, picking up pennies. Talismans, four-leaf clovers, touchstones, lucky coins and charms. Crystal scrying, spelling spiders, don't speak of the devil because that will draw him. Blessings, curses, words of power, shazam! Ju-ju, gris-gris, mojo, sharks' teeth, tiki idols and St. Christopher medals. Medicine bags, dream-catchers ...

There are encyclopedias full of these, with more coming into being as technology changes: Good luck to have an airplane's shadow pass over you; bad luck to ignore a Facebook friend request -- I just heard this one.

Don't steal from Pele, bad luck to wear opals -- both of these were started on purpose. The first, to keep tourists from leaving rocks on the bus; the second, by London diamond merchants losing business to the Australian opal dealers ...

Not superstitious? Look around and see if that's true, or the difference is only a matter of degree ...