Superstition & Old wive’s Tales

black cat superstition

Superstition

My mother was incredibly superstitious. I remember when I was a child it seemed that pretty much every situation had a superstition attached to it. Crossing on the stairs, stirring with a knife (stir up strife !). It is amazing how these routines can stay with you throughout your life. Just the other day I was having lunch with a friend & a robin landed just next to us. My friend laughed as I frantically crossed myself, as in my Irish heritage a robin landing near you was a sure sign that someone was about to die! In fact a lot of the Irish superstitions I remember from my childhood had meanings of impending death when I think about it! When dealing with an Irish Psychic Reader I always have to stress that they need to play down the scary & superstitious aspects of what makes a really good Irish psychic reading. I love it, I love the nostalgia it makes me feel safe. Unfortunately these days it can scare the bejesus out of callers who are not familiar with traditional Irish readings 🙂

The four leaf lover at the start of this post was found by myself when my mother, obviously fed up with me, sent me out & told me not to come back until I’d found a four leaf clover or a leprechaun. Well the little people evaded me that day though the clover still exists. In fact if you click on the image yout too can make a wish with my online wishing well.

My first Irish Psychic reading

I still remember my first reading with a wise old Irish psychic lady as if it was yesterday. It was all about how the angels had given me a challenging life & scared the wits out of me, ending thankfully with “but at least you’ll die peacefully in your bed an old happy man with your family at your side & the angels waiting to take you over ” …

I was traumatised by that reading for years ! Which is why it is important to seek out a psychic who has been recommended by someone you trust.

Are you Superstitious ?

Are you one of those people who are ready to walk an extra mile so as to avoid stepping on a crack, or crossing the path of a black cat? Do you often stop to salute a magpie that you happen to see? Don’t worry, you are not alone. According to a research conducted recently, more than 70% of people can’t get through with their day without some or the other kind of superstitious gesture.

Perhaps you might not be the superstitious type, but you end up avoiding certain situations that are associated with bad luck or misfortune. Most of the times, our attitude and core beliefs, tend to be cultural in nature. This is exactly the case with superstitions. Almost every culture of the world is driven by certain beliefs and superstitions. In effect, our superstitions define who we are, what we think and how we feel about the outside world.

According to religion, superstition is the irrational fear of something that is mysterious, or reverence for objects that do not qualify for worshipping. These are basically claims of a certain type, such as, if X happens, then it will be followed by Y, where according to the rules of logic, science and simple common sense, there is absolutely no connection between X and Y. Hence, by their very nature, superstitions do not stem from logical thinking.

If superstition is a thing of ignorance and darkness, then question arises regarding their widespread reach. Is it possible that more than half of the world population would be knocking on the wrong door? This is one of the questions that have intrigued researchers beyond measure. Many have tried to establish a link between these superstitious beliefs and different types of psychological maladjustment and cognitive weakness in people who believe in them. Others believe that it has more to do with the strong human drive of making causal connections. When this drive gets converted into overdrive, crazy superstitions ensue.

Since ancient times, most of the superstitions have a way of passing from one generation to the next. Primitive people were not aware of the wonders of science and were largely at the mercy of nature. Almost all the natural elements like sun, moon, water, fire, wind, storms, etc. were respected and worshipped. Prayers and sacrifices were offered to satisfy Gods and ward off evil spirits. Thus, in a way, one can say that it was fear which gave rise to superstitions.

There are some common superstitions which are followed by people, all over the world. Often in phone tarot card readings you come across people with belief in ghosts, witches and spirits. Often they fear that The Tarot is somehow demonic, this is of course not true But it can take some time to convince them that the power is in the reading, nt the 78 painted pasteboards. The cry of birds like ravens and owls, mewing of cats, etc. are some superstitions which are shared all over the globe, there are superstitions that relate to almost anything & can also be attached to different cultural beliefs. Most of the Western countries still regard ‘13’ as unlucky because of the Last Supper wherein Lord Jesus and his twelve disciples dined together, and later Jesus got crucified. Similarly, spilling of salt is considered as bad luck as it is associated with lies and treachery, thanks to Judas.

During the wedding season, gifting a set of knives to the bride or groom is considered as bad omen as it is believed to break the bond of friendship. The Greeks believe in warding off nightmares by placing a knife with a black handle under the pillow. A ladder, when leaning against the wall, makes a triangular shape that is believed to invoke the Holy Trinity. Thus, walking through it leads to desecration. In case you happen to break a mirror into pieces, your soul is believed to get shattered in the same way. According to an age-old Irish superstition, if an empty rocking chair is left rocking, it will act as an invitation to evil spirits to come and occupy the empty space.

Today’s world is largely governed by the principles of Science, and everything is explained by means of evidence and experimentation. In such a scenario, superstitions have a very little role to play. With the increase in knowledge, these baseless beliefs generally tend to take a backseat. However, the superstitious beliefs are so ingrained in our cultural aspects of life, that uprooting them completely is nothing less than a Herculean task. Hence, there is still time when people will not think twice before crossing a black cat’s path.

I hope all your wishes come true All the best, Paul O’Mara

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