Not A Lucky New Year!

There is a lot of lore and superstition surrounding the New Year. What follows is an extensive listing of what NOT to do, and what to avoid at all costs on this most powerful day of the year:


New Year's day was one of ill omen to the ancient Egyptians.

It is unlucky to have clothes hanging on the line when the New Year is born.

If a person in deep mourning pays you a call on New Year's day, a member of your family will die before the year is out....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com, and can be found in its entirety here: New Year's Day - The Do Nots

Twelve Days of January Weather

Whatever the weather is like the first twelve days of January indicates what the weather will be like for the next twelve months. Each day equals one month in succession.

From Moon Magick

Crocodile Superstitions and Lore

It was once thought that crocodiles could be created by new combinations of matter, instead of by natural birth. The ancient roman historian, Pliny said that the crocodile was the only land animal which lacked the use of its tongue. It was believed to conceive by the ear and bring forth by the mouth.

An old story from Madagascar is that crocodiles and lizards come from the same nest or den by the side of a river. When the eggs are laid and numerous little ones are crawling about, the crocodile comes out of the water and beats the ground with its tail so as to frighten the young ones. Some take to water, and others to land. The ones that go to land never grow any bigger and remain as lizards, but those in the water grow to be crocodiles....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been combined with another and moved to my new website, The Powers That Be, it can be found here: Crocodile Magick and Meaning

Cricket Superstitions and Lore

For thousands of years, it has been considered lucky to have a cricket on the hearth, especially in Asian countries where crickets were once used as “watchdogs.” When danger approached, the cricket’s chirping would stop.

The cricket is known as “the poor man’s thermometer,” and is believed by some to be a good indication of the temperature. To know the temperature, count the number of chirps a cricket makes within’ fifteen seconds and add the number thirty-seven. This will give you the temperature in degrees.

In East India the superstition of the cricket lies in the story of the peril of the soul which, it is held, can leave the body during sleep. The soul, says this Indian fable, leaves the sleeping person in the form of a cricket emerging from the nose....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been combined with another and moved to my new website, The Powers That Be. It can be found here: Cricket Magick and Lore

Thirteen - What does it mean?

Thirteen has long been regarded by many as an unlucky or inauspicious number. The Kaballa, for example, says that there are 13 spirits of evil. It's still considered unlucky to have 13 people sitting down to dine because it is a reminder of the Last Supper, where Christ was betrayed by one of the 12 disciples who were eating with him, Judas Iscariot.

Similarly, in Norse mythology, when an honorary banquet was held in Valhalla for Baldur (god of nobility, redemption and admirable strength) among other twelve Norse gods. Loki (the trickster) came to the banquet as the uninvited thirteenth guest. Afterwards, we learn Baldur was slain by Hoor who, to execute the god, was given a magic spear by Loki....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Sigils Symbols and Signs, hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com and can be found in its entirety here: Thirteen

The Folklore of Falling Stars

Some scholars speculate, based on common legends between various cultures around the globe, that the old practice of "wishing upon a shooting star" originates from a time when people believed that the gods would occasionally open the dome of heaven to peek in on what the mortals were doing on Earth. This opening of the dome released a star, and if one made a wish while there was still light, and before the dome slammed shut, the gods might hear and grant the wish.

In Switzerland, it was though that shooting stars possessed the power of God and could ward off pestilence....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Widdershins, and can be viewed in its entirety here: The Folklore of Falling Stars

New Moon Lore

Almost every culture believed that if the New Moon came on Monday (Moon-day) it was a sign of good weather and good luck.

Two new moons in one month were said to predict a month's bad weather.

Any new moon on a Saturday or Sunday was said to predict rain and general bad luck....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: New Moon Magick and Lore

50 Fishy Superstitions

Here is a nice collection of folklore and superstitions about fish:

1. A certain bone in the head of a fish will bring good luck, if kept on your person. 
2. An empty fish tank means bad luck financially.
3. When a pet fish dies, something bad was deflected from the owner or household.
4. To ensure good luck and safety, a fish should always be eaten from the head toward the tail.
5. It's a bad sign to get married when the fish aren't biting.
6. Throw back the first fish you catch then you'll be lucky the whole day fishing.
7. If you count the number of fish you caught, you will catch no more that day.
8. Sometimes fish fall during a rain....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Sigils Symbols and Signs, and can be found in its entirety here: 50 Fishy Superstitions

Bull Superstitions and Folklore

Symbolically, the bull stands for nourishment through its slaughter or sacrifice. Insight into the past. The ability to stand your ground.

Dreaming of bulls could mean: Fertility of thoughts, ideas, possessions, makes the mundane and earthy more fertile, new ideas need to be expressed, teaches stability w/o stubbornness, assert feminine energies for balance. May demonstrate the necessity for a balance diet. Are you being forthright in your intentions? Are you willing to stand your ground in life matters? Bull can give us skills needed for expressions of strength. 

If you dream of cows or bulls chasing you, it means someone is very jealous and wants to hurt you. Alternatively it could me that you are "full of bull" (or they are).

As a lucky omen, it is said that if you hide in a bull's pen, you will have immunity from lightning. Also, if you see nine cows in a shed with a gray bull next to the door, and all of them lie on the same side, you are in luck, because you will be granted one wish.

Weather lore says that when a bull roars and stamps its feet, rain will grace the fields. Also, bulls' horns are a good symbol in meditation for motivation. Carvings of bulls are blessings, good for gardens and other protected places.

Tramping over a bull's balls, according to superstition, brings good luck.I am not sure if this legend applies to bull's balls in general, or is only applicable in Milan, Italy, where there is a mosaic of a bull on the floor in the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II. It sports the coats of arms of the four capitals of the Kingdom of Italy. The tradition goes that placing your right heel on the bull’s balls and then spinning around inside the Turin emblem, brings good luck. 

When it comes to old time remedies, nothing beats a bull's testes as an aphrodisiac. Drinking bulls blood will revitalize the drinker’s blood as well as giving him the strength and power of the animal. According to an ancient roman text:  “For every hardness, melt bulls’ grease with tar, and lay on; it will make lithe and nesh all the sores and the hard flesh.” In the days of Pope Adrian VI, a plague was stopped by sacrificing a bull to the devil.

Collected from various sources

What You Should Know About Snakes

While researching snakes, I came across this nifty little tidbit. It's a list of do's and don'ts when it comes to snakes.

A. Don't cross a snake's path unless you slide or shuffle your feet.
B. You'll have leg aches - other diseases - bad luck.

A. Don't eat in front of a snake.
B. When you get older, your throat will close.

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Widdershins, and can be found in its entirety here: What You Should Know About Snakes

Old Fashioned Cures for A Toothache

I am so grateful for modern dental care, and the fact that is readily available. There was a time, however, when a toothache was a major ordeal. For this reason, there is quite a lot of folklore that covers an amazing array of cures for a toothache. Some of them might even actually work - and if you really don't want to go to the dentist, you might want to give one or two of them a try. The first one, oil of cloves, actually works really well when applied directly.

• Oil of cloves for a tooth ache.
• Bite into a hot raisin right on the tooth that aches.
• To cure tooth aches, hold whiskey over tooth in the mouth.
• Take blood from around the tooth that aches and carry that to an oak tree that's been struck by lightning. On the north side of the tree, pull the bark down, put the blood in there, and then shove the bark back up. This will kill your toothache....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Folk Medicine Remedies and Cures, and can be found in its entirety here: Old Fashioned Cures For A Toothache

Epiphany Lore and Superstitions

"Twelfth-day" is the twelfth day after Christmas, or Epiphany, occurring on the 6th of January. It is a festival of the Christian church in commemoration of the manifestation of Christ by the star which guided the magi to Bethlehem. "Twelfth-night" is the eve of Epiphany, when many social festivities and superstitious rites were observed. "Twelfth-tide" is the time or festival of twelfth-day. "The Twelfths" are the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany. Epiphany is also called "Little Christmas," being the social festival which brings the merry-makings of the Christmas cycle to an end.

A special cake, called "Twelfthcake," is prepared for the festivities on twelfth-night. A bean or a coin is baked into it, and, the cake being divided by lot, whoever draws the slice containing it is entitled to preside as king or queen over the festivities. This custom is a relic of the old Roman festival of the Saturnalia, at the close of which the Roman children drew lots with beans to see who would be king....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website The Pagan Calendar (hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com) and can be found in its entirety here: Epiphany

New Years Divinations

Some Albanian tribes celebrate their New Year on the first of September, and everything that happens during the day, presages the happenings of the months of the year, as to whether they will be lucky or not.

On New Year's day dip your thumb seven times in salt and put in your mouth all that rests on the nail. You will dream that your future husband or wife will bring you water. (Persia.)

On New Year's night, it was an old Welsh custom with the wise and courageous old men of the parish to sit up all night in the church porch. On that night, it was said, a voice, emanating from beneath the altar table, pronounced the names of those who should die within the coming year....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website Divination (hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com) and can be found in its entirety here: New Years Divinations

For A Lucky New Year

A branch of the plum-tree placed over the door at New Year's is very luck bringing, as the tree is so beautiful and fruitful.

The orange is placed over the door in Japan on New Year's day so that the family shall continue perpetually, and generation after generation shall follow each other like the buds, flowers, and fruit.

Cook cabbage on New Year's day and you will have good luck all the year....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar (hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com) and can be found in its entirety here: For A Lucky New Year

32 Superstitions About Cats

1. When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true.
2. A kitten born in May is a witches cat.
3. A black cat seen from behind - a bad omen
4. A black cat crossing your path - good luck....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been moved to my new website, Sigils Symbols and Signs, and can be found in its entirety here: 32 Superstitions About Cats

Old New Years Customs and Lore

In Madagascar New Year's is celebrated with much feasting and sacrificial killing of oxen takes place.

Chinese custom requires that every boy who calls on his neighbors or relatives on New Year's day, should receive a couple of loose-skinned oranges, or he is considered shamefully treated. The name of orange means luck, fortune, and auspiciousness.

On New Year's eve while the clock is striking twelve, repeat three times: "Good Saint Anne, good Saint Anne, send me a man as fast as you can," and you will become engaged within a year.

At the beginning of the New Year in Natal, a ceremony is performed by the chief by spurting from his mouth a mixture of the New Year's fruits in different directions as if upon his enemies. After this ceremony it is lawful for the people to eat the New Year's fruits. They are only eaten by stealth before....

I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website The Pagan Calendar (hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com) and can be found in its entirety here: Old New Years Customs and Lore

More Teeth Lore

Gypsy lore surrounding teeth is as follows:

• A child's first tooth must, when it falls out, should be thrown into a hollow tree.
• Those which come out in the seventh year are carefully kept, and whenever the child suffers from toothache, one is thrown into a stream...

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Gypsy Magick and Lore, hosted at shirleytwofeathers.com, and can be found in its entirety here: Old Lore About Teeth

Bad Omens in Nebraska

The signs, omens, and portents in the following collection have been reported by inhabitants of Nebraska and most of them are beliefs or sayings commonly known in the central western region. Although the list must be far from complete, it is probably representative of the bulk of current (1933) superstitions of Nebraskans.

1. If a dog howls at night, it is a sign of the death of a friend.
2. If a dog sits and howls at the moon, it is a sign of death.
3. One death will be followed almost immediately by two more in the family or the neighborhood....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Sigils Symbols and Signs, and can be found in its entirety here: Bad Omens in Nebraska

Day of Bad Omens

According to the old Roman calendar - today is a day of bad omens. So, I thought it would be appropriate to post this excerpt from a little book called Signs Omens and Portents in Nebraska Folklore, published in 1933:

Signs of evil portent are among the most common of surviving folk beliefs in Nebraska. In number and currency they rival the popular omens concerned with weather and marriage and they are regarded with perhaps a greater degree of seriousness than signs of the latter type....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Pagan Calendar, and can be found in its entirety here: Day of Bad Omens

Folk Medicine Cures - Holly

Here we have an extensive collection of old folk remedies using holly leaves, branches, and bark - to cure everything from Brights Disease to Whooping Cough. As with all old remedies and cures, some actually work, others are ineffective and harmless, while some are downright dangerous. So, use common sense and know what you're doing before trying any of these.

In General: I did notice that there was a fair amount of thrashing with holly branches to cure chilblains, arthritis, and rheumatism. A good holly thrashing was even said to induce a long life. Teas were routinely concocted from the leaves for fevers, colds, flu, and even measles. Some of these remedies use holly berries which is not recommended - see caution below.

CAUTION: The berries of the holly tree are poisonous to children. They are purgative and often cause nausea and vomiting.

Arthritis: Beat arthritis with a holly spray.

Bright's Disease: To cure Bright's disease, put into a half-gallon of apple brandy a handful of cherry bark, persimmon bark, red holly bark, and dogwood root, and drink the solution....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, Folk Medicine Remedies and Cures, and can be found in its entirety here: Holly - A Cure All Herb