Old Wives Tales

~If an apple bursts in the oven while baking, good news is on the way for the cook. ~Eggs that crack while boiling are a sign that visitors are expected. ~When rice forms a ring around the pot while cooking, the cook will become rich. ~Knocking over the sugar bowl is another sign of money (as sugar used to be expensive) Spilling pepper signifies a coming fight, while spilling salt is a well- known sign of trouble. Throw a pinch of salt or pepper over the left shoulder to avoid the hex.

~Accidentally mixing up the salt and sugar in a recipe is a sweet sign, it predicts good news. ~Forgetting to add spice to a recipe while cooking signifies trouble ahead, and you must remedy this by adding the spices as soon as possible before you eat. ~Bubbles in your morning coffee predict money. If they are near the side of the cup you drink from the money will come soon, if on the far side, money will come slowly. ~If you must add a lot of water to boiling food, rain is on the way. If the coffee pot boils over more than often its also as sign for rain. ~Crossing knives while setting the dinner table fortells a long journey. ~A piece of bread falling from someones hand means a beggar will soon be knocking at your door (a friend thats low on cash). ~Spilling water on the tablecloth signifies rain is on the way. ~If you drop a glass and it doesnt break, this is proof you have friends that would go through fire for you. ~Silverware dropped at the table indicates the impending arrival of a visitor fork represents a man, a spoon a woman. ~If you knock your chair over while getting up from the table, its a sign you lied while sitting there. ~A bird flying into your house for no apparent reason, is a sign of good luck and fortune for the ownernot so much for the bird! It may also be a sign of news from a distance. ~Snakes are good luck. One crawling up your doorsteps portends that someone from another country will enter your home. A snake in the garden brings good fortune. ~Wild animal tracks in the snow, completely encircling your house are another sign of good luck.

~Seeing a spider in the house is good luck, killing one brings bad luck. ~A spider or bee entering your home through an open window indicates news is on the way. ~Doors opening themselves signal the arrival of company. ~Cracks in the ceiling indicate bad weather is on the way. ~A falling picture predicts a journey for someone in the family. ~If a broom drops across a doorway, you will soon head off on a journey. (make sure to pick it up quickly and dont step over it) If it falls anywhere else, unwelcome company is coming. ~Never take your broom with you when you move, always buy a new one or any bad luck you had will follow you. ~When your cupboard doors are left open, people are gossiping about you.

An Omenis a sign that signals a future event; many Omens are historically based upon ancient superstitions and cultural folklore.

Some omens are indicative of good fortune, while others are symbolic of impending hardship and doom. Bad Luck and Superstitions are mostly Christian based, as history will show they were very superstitious people. (which is why they burned so many witches!) Here are some Christian based Superstitions.

Unlucky #13 Many Christians believed it started with witches covens having 12 members, making 13 only when the devil appeared at satanic ceremonies (although, prior to Christianity, 13 was considered a sacred number, representing the 13 moons of the year.) 13 was also the number at the Last Supper, when Judas betrayed Jesus. Breaking a Mirror Our ancestors began this superstition, because they thought the image in a mirror, contained our actual soul. Thus, a broken mirror, represented the soul being pulled from your body and being trapped in all the shattered pieces. The reason the bad luck lasted for seven years, was because the Romans believed that after seven years, the body was physically renewed and the soul could once again return whole. Cure: To break the spell of misfortune from a broken mirror, you must wait seven hours, (one for each year of bad luck), before picking up the broken pieces, and bury them outside, in the moonlight.

Walking Under Ladder If you walk under a ladder you supposedly break a spiritual triangle (the Holy Trinity) that will leave you vulnerable to the devil. Black Cats -Black cats have long been believed to be a supernatural omen, since the witch hunts of the middle ages, Christians associated a witches black cat to be connected to evil. Since then, it is considered bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

Friday the 13th- It is claimed that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on a Friday, Noahs flood started on a Friday and Christ was crucified on a Friday, so it is likely these days and numbers combined were given the signal of bad luck. Spilling Salt -At one time salt was a rare commodity and thought to have magical powers. It has long been useful as a preservative, in medicine, and is also used in magic, ritual, and superstition to purify, bless things, and drive away evil. It was unfortunate to spill salt and one had to take a pinch of it and throw it over their left shoulder to undo any bad luck, and ward off the devil that may lurk behind.