6 Good Luck Rituals

6 Common Good Luck Rituals

By Twinty Karat adapted from an original article by Chitraparna Sinha

 

There are many good luck rituals around the world. What you might consider good luck, others may laugh at. There is no right or wrong “good luck.” It is whatever you want to believe in. That is what makes it the good luck. Here are some things that people consider good luck in one way or the other.

Baby’s Hair

When a mother cuts a lock of her baby’s first hair and puts it up for safekeeping, she is creating a good luck charm. From ancient times to now, as long as the lock of hair was kept safe, many cultures believed that memento would ensure a long and healthy life.

Another custom regarding baby’s hair says that cutting baby’s hair before one is bad luck. Some say it’s just an old wives tale, while others hold credence to it. Another version of this is don’t cut the baby’s hair before its first birthday, or the baby will be very sickly.

Birthday Candles

Blowing out the candles is an ancient worship ritual of the Greek goddess Artemis. On her birthday, they made her little cakes in the shape of a moon and the people placed candles on the temple altar. If the people could blow out the candles in one breath, Artemis would make their wish come true, bring them good luck, and watch over them. In the Middle Ages, a similar custom was started in Germany. They place the cake in the middle of the table surrounded by a ring of candles.

The candles burned all day to ward off evil spirits. The people of Germany felt the candles were a reminder that life is transitory and one day the candles would be lit at their funeral. If the person who was having a birthday blew out the candles in one breath, it would signify they would enjoy good luck in the coming year and their wish would come true. By blowing out the candles, the person showed they had the ability to control their destiny. If they were able to blow them all out, the person was considered lucky and had mastery over one’s fate.

Cornerstone

In every building, there is a cornerstone that has the date the construction was started on the building. It was filled with things associated with the building’s original owner. This was done to bring luck during the construction of the building and throughout the life of the building. This custom was started in prehistoric times when the people thought the gods had to be compensated for the land that had a building constructed on it.

Crossing fingers

When you do not have a lucky charm with you, crossing your fingers is the best way to ward off evil spirits. This dates back to the early Christians when they were forced to worship in secret. Although they could not have a cross to inspire them, they created a reminder of Christ’s passion by making a cross of their index and middle fingers.

Knock on wood

It is almost a universal thing to knock on wood. Some even call it touching wood. It was started in prehistoric times when the people thought gods lived in trees and touching wood secured their favor. The people thought the air was full of demon spirits out to cancel out the good luck. If you accidentally talked about good luck, you knocked on the tree to get the attention of the good spirits.

Knocking on wood, and the spoken expression “knock on wood,” are both used to express a desire to avoid “tempting fate” after boasting about something. In the UK, Egypt, Ireland, India and Australia, the term “touch wood” is used. This fairly common expression is usually used in the hope that a good thing will continue to occur after it has been acknowledged.

Prayer

Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form of religious practice, may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, to bring good luck, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one’s thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others. Yoga is also a common form of prayer.

Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time.

Copyright © SuperstitionLane.com

Questions about Good Luck Rituals

So many kinds of rituals are a feature of almost all human societies, past or present. They include not only the various worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also the rites of passage of certain societies. Rituals also include atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, school graduations, sports events, veterans parades and many more activities. Many activities that are performed such as jury trials, execution of criminals, and scientific symposia, are loaded with purely symbolic actions prescribed by regulations or tradition, and as such are partly ritualistic in nature.

Because of the unusually large scope of activities that rituals can encompass practically all of us engage in some type of ritual whether we realize it or not. Even common actions like hand-shaking and saying hello may be termed rituals.

Here are some questions submitted to Yahoo Answers related to rituals. Note that the questions and answers submitted are from anyone that wanted to submit them and answers were selected by the person that asked the question as the best answers of those submitted. They may or may not reflect reality or correctness.

Sandy asks…

pagans? do you practice? rituals or magic spells?

I mean magick or what is the right spell? I mean rituals or spells for good things.. like good luck or fortunate or tell me where to find some spells for good things? btw I mean good things… like recovering your health..thanks I am curious about paganism or wiccans..
I am serious..

Suzi Q answers:

I do rituals on sabbats and esbats usually. The spells I perform are more to the tune of world peace, harmony, heal the earth type stuff. Also, I attend a healing drum circle most Monday nights in Norfolk VA. They make a list of everyone who needs healing energy (everyone who goes can put a name down, or people can call the store and have a name put down), and this list is read then burned to send out the energy.

Laura asks…

What is a ekuaba (Akuaba)?

Akuaba
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – Cite This Source
Akuaba are wooden ritual fertility dolls from Ghana and nearby areas. The best known akuaba are those of the Ashanti people, whose akuaba have large, disc-like heads. Other tribes in the region have their own distinctive style of akuaba.

Traditionally, these dolls are carried on the back of women either hoping to conceive a child, or to ensure the attractiveness of the child being carried. When not in active use, the akuaba would be ritually washed and cared for.

Today, one is more likely to see a mass-produced akuaba for sale as a souvenir than an heirloom in ritual use. Traditional use does, however, continue in some areas. The form of the akuaba has also gained currency as a general symbol of good luck.

External links

An akuaba from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, with description

Suzi Q answers:

I own one myself. I just happened to buy it in nyc somewhere. Its made of wood, has a round head and tiny face. Has a stick like body and two knobs sticking out for arms.

I dont use it for anything …it just looks cool. But your definition above seems to answer everything. I dont know what ur questions really was?

If you watch the tv series Will and Grace you will see one standing right over their fireplace..seriously.

Nancy asks…

Would you volunteer, and agree to engage in ritual to “exchange bodies” with another person?

If you can prove that your desire to experience this sorcery is genuine; I will provide you with authentic material for inducing a switch.

No one under age 25.

Are you looking for someone to experience a switch with? It is advised that one should possess sufficient experience with out of body practices, otherwise, good luck with grabbing my attention.

Convince me to surrender the knowledge!!!

All that I will reveal here is that a switch of vessels involves an exchange of lifelines.

Why should I just give the information away?
Convince me to give it to you first. Mere interest alone will not suffice enough to convince me to surrender the information. You must WANT to experience it.

I could care less about proving the authenticity of what I know to the world, it is very personal knowledge.

This is an invitation to those who have genuine interest.. I invite you to chat with me on yahoo messenger. Contact me if You (are truly fascinated).

well?
Namaste

Suzi Q answers:

That is some really good LSD you are using. Maybe you can even use your knowledge to exchange bodies and lifelines with a monkey. Then you could swing from the trees without anyone thinking you are an idiot.

I think the Enquirer did a story on this in the 70’s.

Lizzie asks…

Volleyball: your pregame/tryout rituals/ good luck things you do?

What things do you do before games and tryouts? What do you tell youself in games or what do you do?

Suzi Q answers:

Our team’s pregame rituals are crazy. While we suit up, we have dance contests and play ninja (it can get pretty insane). After getting our pregame talk from our coach in the locker room, we hit the horse shoe mounted above the locker room door on the way to the gym. Next, when we enter the gym, we get together in the corner of the gym and do a pretty complicated cheer in a group and do a lap around the gym while our band plays the school theme song.

We do the same ritual every single day and we swear it works every time 🙂

Richard asks…

POLL: Do you have a weird ‘luck ritual’?

I always wear 2 necklaces, one was bought for me by my first ex boyfriend and the other was made by my current guy’s mother who makes/sells jewellery.

When I need a bit of luck, I have to hold them in a way that both necklaces are both being touched by a part of both my hands. My boyfriend thinks this is insane.

Do you have any weird ‘luck rituals‘ ?

Suzi Q answers:

Yes. Every time I go on a trip, I have to take a bag of Cheetos with me. My mother always brought a bag of Cheetos with us on family road trips.

When I went on my first vacation alone, I picked up a bag of Cheetos at the airport shop just because it seemed like “tradition”. Now I always start my journey, with a bag of Cheetos, to ensure a safe journey. I never eat them. I just pack them in my luggage and leave them in there for the whole vacation. I’m afraid if I eat them, I’ll forget to pick up a new bag, before I return. Or I might be in a country that doesn’t have Cheetos.

Maria asks…

Do you believe there are ways to improve your luck?

I play poker every week and I notice people with “lucky chips” and lucky songs. Is there anything you do that you believe improves your luck? Is there a ritual that you believe helps, a furniture layout, or maybe something I am not thinking of in the details.

Suzi Q answers:

Luck is a superstition. Some people believe there are “forces” that control your ability to have good things come to you. In fact, this is just probability. You have to go into any situation knowing that you have a certain probability to do bad, or to do good.

Poker, in particular, comes down to probability. Any good poker player will tell you, it’s not about the cards you get, the winning hand can be the best hand, but not always.

The key to poker is either getting really good at reading people, or being able to accurately calculate your probability of winning throughout hands. If you can do this, you will be successful.

James asks…

What can I do tonight to bring me luck for the new year (wicca)?

I would like to do some sort of ritual (non- selfish) in order to bring me and others luck through out the coming year… I am sure there are know rituals for new years eve, but I am unaware of anything.

What could I do?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

Suzi Q answers:

Merry Meet,

This is an interesting question, and since this question has been asked by you I do assume you are a Neophyte in Wicca. Since you are a beginner I am not really sure what you know how to do. If you are intent on doing a ritual tonight, do a basic prosperity rite. But instead of you, insert the word land, Gaia, world, humanity or something along those lines on its place.

I hope that I have helped a little.

Blessed Be

Nyjh

Betty asks…

Why does Christianity bring me bad luck while witch craft rituals are much more effective?

I tried letting god in and considering myself a christian, I even went to church once, and ever since I’ve left Pagan/Wiccan religion bad things started happening to me, especially when i considered myself a christian and had jesus on my arm. I just kept getting mentally iller, an addict, etc. I remember when I was into the Wiccan/Pagan religion and practicing rituals they were WAY more effective than going to church, I remember once I did a ritual to help mentally heal myself and i became normal for 8 months until the spell wore off. I got my bf off coke for a year this way as well. Why won’t christianity accept me arms spread open Like other deities do.

Myra Stone answers:

Christians are full of negativity and corruption. I Always felt a depression when i was a christian now that i’m a spiritual satanist, life is much better for me. I am also getting some “super-natural” powers as i advance with satan’s knowledge. My advice to you: don’t ever be a christian!
Go to the website on the bottom and see for yourself. Also see their verses on that page so you see just how they contradict themselves.

Questions powered by Yahoo! Answers

There are a lot more questions about rituals we could search for, but you get the point. Rituals are common and used for all sorts of purposes. Often we use rituals without even knowing or thinking about it as indicated by some of the rituals mentioned above.