Superstitions, folklores & Old Wives Tales: A Mini Guide ♥️

Superstitions, Folklores & Old Wives’ Tales

For centuries, humankind has woven stories, omens, and warnings into everyday life. These beliefs, part superstition, part folklore, part inherited wisdom haped how our ancestors moved through the world. Whether whispered by candlelight, passed down around the hearth, or shared in the village square, these tales carried mystery, caution, and wonder. With help from a few old time superstition books and my rewriting tool ai (to help smooth out the kinks in my writing skills) below is a list of some of the most (and least) common superstitions world wide. Please subscribe, like, share and follow lunajane on fb, ilmylunajane on Instagram and tiktok

The common lores

🕯️ 1. The Broken Mirror – Seven Years of Bad Luck

Belief: Shattering a mirror invites seven years of misfortune.

Origins: Mirrors were once thought to hold part of the soul. Breaking one was like harming yourself spiritually. The "seven years" may come from Roman belief in seven-year cycles of life and health.

Folklore Note: Some cultures taught that you could reverse the curse by burying the broken shards in moonlight or washing them in running water.

🐦 2. A Bird at the Window – An Omen of Death

Belief: When a bird taps or flies into your window, it signals an impending death.

Origins: Birds, especially blackbirds, owls, and ravens, were seen as spirit messengers or psychopomps guiding souls between worlds.

Old Wives’ Fix: In some villages, hanging silver or iron charms near windows kept the spirits at bay.

🌧️ 3. Rain on Your Wedding Day Good Luck

Belief: Though often joked about, rain on a wedding is considered a blessing.

Origins: Rain represents fertility, cleansing, and renewal in agricultural folklore. A wet knot is harder to untie, symbolizing a lasting marriage.

Regional Twist: In Italy, they say “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata”—“A wet bride is a lucky bride.”

🧹 4. Sweeping Over Someone’s Feet – A Curse on Their Love Life

Belief: If someone sweeps over your feet with a broom, you’ll never marry.

Origins: Rooted in folk magic, the broom symbolized domesticity and fertility. Sweeping over someone was thought to “sweep away” their chances at love.

Counter-Curse: Letting the person spit on the broom was said to break the spell.

🧅 5. Onion Skins & Weather Predictions

Belief: Onion skins can foretell the winter’s harshness.

Origins: Farmers used onions to predict weather: thick skins meant a hard winter; thin skins, a mild one.

Folk Wisdom: This practice tied to the agrarian cycles, when harvest and survival depended on signs from nature.

🔮 6. Spilling Salt – Invite Trouble Unless Thrown Over the Shoulder

Belief: Spilling salt brings bad luck, but tossing a pinch over your left shoulder wards it off.

Origins: Salt was precious and sacred—spilling it insulted the gods or tempted evil spirits.

Folklore Detail: Tossing it over the left shoulder blinded the devil, who was believed to lurk there.

🌸 7. A Flower Crown at Midsummer – Protection from Mischief

Belief: Wearing flowers in your hair at Midsummer protects against faeries and misfortune.

Origins: In European folk tradition, Midsummer was when the veil between worlds thinned. Wreaths of wildflowers guarded against fae tricks.

Witch’s Note: Some still weave St. John’s Wort, mugwort, or daisies into garlands for blessings.

🐈 8. The Black Cat – Curse or Guardian?

Belief: In some cultures, a black cat crossing your path is unlucky; in others, it brings wealth and protection.

Origins: In medieval Europe, black cats were linked to witches and the Devil. In Egypt and Scotland, they were revered as good fortune.

Dual Fate: Sailors often kept black cats on ships for luck at sea.

🌿 9. Hanging Garlic at the Door – Warding Off Evil

Belief: Garlic protects homes from witches, vampires, and misfortune.

Origins: Garlic’s pungent scent and healing powers made it a natural amulet.

Old Wives’ Tale: In Eastern Europe, garlic was tied to cradles to protect newborns from the evil eye.

🌙 10. Moon & Pregnancy Superstitions

Belief: Pregnant women were warned not to look at a full moon, lest their child be marked with a birth defect shaped like the moon.

Origins: The moon’s phases were tied to fertility and female cycles. Folklore blurred these connections into warnings.

Variation: In Mexico, women carried safety pins on their clothes during an eclipse to protect unborn children from harm.

🍞 11. Bread Falling Face-Down – A Hungry Spirit Near

Belief: Dropped bread that lands butter-side down means a spirit is present.

Origins: Bread was sacred in Christian and pagan traditions. A wasted loaf was seen as an insult to divine blessing.

Folklore Fix: Some households kissed dropped bread before discarding it, to show reverence.

👁️✨ Superstitions & Old Wives’ Tales: Itching, Ringing Ears & Body Signs

Ringing Ears

Right Ear Ringing → Someone is speaking well of you, praising you, or thinking kindly of you.

Left Ear Ringing → Someone is gossiping or speaking ill of you.

Old Italian Belief: To find out who it is, recite names of friends until the ringing stops—whoever’s name you say is the culprit.

Chinese Folklore: The time of day changes the meaning—morning ringing means luck, evening ringing can mean bad news.

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✋ Itchy Hands

Right Hand Itching → Money is coming in, good fortune, or you’ll shake hands with someone new.

Left Hand Itching → You’re about to lose money, or money will slip through your fingers.

Counter-Curse: Rubbing your itching palm on wood or on your pocket was said to “lock in” the money.

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👃 Itchy Nose

Belief: You’re about to have a visitor, hear unexpected news, or get into an argument.

Variation: An itchy tip of the nose meant a stranger was on their way.

Irish Saying: “If your nose itches, you’ll shake hands with a fool.”

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👁️ Itchy or Twitching Eyes

Right Eye Twitching (Women) → Good news, fortune, or a happy surprise.

Left Eye Twitching (Women) → Sad news or disappointment.

(Reversed for Men in some cultures.)

Chinese Belief: The specific hour of the twitch changes its omen—early morning twitching often means success, while nighttime twitching warns of danger.

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👃 Itchy Ears

General Belief: Someone is talking about you behind your back.

Right Ear Itch: Praise or good gossip.

Left Ear Itch: Criticism or bad gossip.

Old Wives’ Remedy: Biting your tongue or twisting your earlobe stops the gossip.

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👣 Itchy Feet

Belief: You’re about to travel, wander, or embark on a journey.

Right Foot: A good, lucky trip.

Left Foot: A trip with delays, obstacles, or misfortune.

Sailors’ Lore: Itchy feet meant the sea was “calling” them back.

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👀 Itchy Eyebrows

Left Eyebrow Itching: A visitor will come bringing good news.

Right Eyebrow Itching: Someone you love is thinking of you.

Variation: In some places, itchy eyebrows foretold receiving a letter.

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💋 Itchy Lips

Belief: You’re about to kiss someone or have an argument.

Folk Saying: “Itchy lips bring words”—meaning gossip or a quarrel.

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🦶 Itchy Soles of Feet

Belief: You’ll soon walk on new ground or go on a journey.

Middle Eastern Folklore: An itchy sole means you’ll walk where you’ve never walked before.

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🖐️ Itchy Fingers

Index Finger: You’ll be pointing someone out or they’ll point you out.

Middle Finger: Expect anger or insults.

Ring Finger: A wedding, engagement, or gift of jewelry is near.

Little Finger: A secret will soon be revealed.

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🌿 Extra Old Wives’ Tales on Body Signs

Sneezing Once → Someone is speaking of you fondly.

Sneezing Twice → Someone is criticizing you.

Hiccups → Someone is thinking or talking about you; say names to guess who, the hiccups stop when you reach the right one.

Itchy Back → Arguments or quarrels on the horizon.

Itchy Elbow → Good luck (right) or bad luck (left).

🌙 Old World Superstitions & Folk Beliefs

⚰️ Riding in a Hearse

Belief: If you ride in a hearse without a body inside, you invite death upon yourself.

Origins: In many cultures, hearses carried heavy energy of death. Being inside one “for no reason” was tempting fate, like tricking Death into thinking you were ready.

🪜 Walking Under a Ladder

Belief: Passing beneath a ladder brings bad luck.

Origins: A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, a sacred shape representing the Trinity. To walk through it was to break divine protection.

Counter-Curse: Cross your fingers until you see a dog, or spit three times.

🐦 An Owl Near the House

Belief: Hearing an owl hoot near your home was an omen of death or tragedy.

Origins: Owls were night creatures, tied to spirits and witches. Their calls were thought to forewarn funerals.

Variation: In Greece, however, an owl was sacred to Athena and meant wisdom and protection.

👞 Shoes on the Table

Belief: Placing new shoes on the table invites bad luck and even death.

Origins: Linked to old mining traditions—shoes of the dead were placed on tables as part of mourning. It became taboo to repeat the act.

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🔪 A Knife as a Gift

Belief: Giving someone a knife severs the friendship.

Counter-Curse: The receiver gives a coin in exchange, “buying” the knife and preventing the cut of bonds.

🪦 Counting Cars in a Funeral Procession

Belief: Counting the number of cars in a funeral line brings death closer to your own door.

Origins: Funerals were sacred events. Counting was seen as trivializing them, tempting fate to add another to the line.

🪶 A Single Magpie

Belief: Seeing a lone magpie brings sorrow; pairs bring joy.

Old Rhyme:

> One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy…

🧣 Dropping Clothes on the Way to Wash

Belief: If you drop clothing on the way to the wash line, expect a stranger to visit.

Origins: Tied to domestic folk magic where daily chores carried hidden messages from fate.

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🔥 Hearth Fire Superstitions

Belief: If a log rolls out of the fire, it foretells the death of someone in the household.

Variation: A spark that jumps out onto clothing means a suitor is thinking of you.

🕯️ Candles & Death

Belief: A candle that suddenly gutters out foretells death in the home.

Origins: Flame was tied to the soul; an unnatural extinguishing symbolized spirit departure.

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🪞 Mirrors & Death

Belief: Mirrors must be covered after a death in the house, or the soul of the departed may be trapped inside.

Origins: Mirrors were seen as portals to the soul world. Covering them gave spirits safe passage onward.

🐴 Horseshoes

Belief: Hanging a horseshoe above the door keeps out evil.

Upwards: Holds luck like a cup.

Downwards: Pours luck upon all who pass beneath.

Origins: Iron and the crescent shape were both protective charms in folklore.

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🌙 Pointing at the Moon

Belief: Pointing at the moon was considered disrespectful and would bring misfortune—sometimes crooked fingers or injuries.

Origins: The moon was sacred, and pointing was seen as inviting lunar wrath.

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🕊️ Death Comes in Threes

Belief: Deaths in a community or family happen in threes.

Origins: Likely psychological patterning, but in folklore it became a fated rule.

🍽️ Dropped Cutlery

Fork Falling: A man will visit.

Spoon Falling: A woman will visit.

Knife Falling: A stranger will bring conflict.

🧥 Putting Clothes on Inside-Out

Belief: Wearing clothes inside-out by accident is a sign of good luck—if you keep it that way.

Origins: Mistakes were seen as fate stepping in, and not to be corrected.

🧹✨ The Lore of the Besom Broom

The humble broom was never just a tool for sweeping. In folk magic, the besom a broom made of twigs tied around a wooden handle was a guardian, symbol, and ritual object. It bridged the ordinary world of hearth and home with the mystical world of spirit and spellcraft.

🌿 Origins & Symbolism

Hearth Keeper: The broom was tied to domestic life, keeping floors and thresholds clean. A clean threshold meant not only tidiness, but protection from spirits and disease.

Dual Nature: The besom was both mundane and sacred. It could sweep away dirt, but also sweep away negative energies, curses, and lingering spirits.

Sacred Wood: Handles were often made of ash or oak (strength & protection), with bristles of birch (purification). Hazel twigs sometimes symbolized wisdom.

🔮 Folklore & Superstitions

1. The Broom as a Threshold Guardian

Placing a besom across the doorway was believed to block evil spirits, thieves, or unwanted visitors from entering.

In Appalachia, it was said witches could not step over a broom laid in the doorway.

2. Jumping the Broom – Marriage Rite

Couples leapt over a broom together to symbolize crossing into married life.

Seen in Celtic traditions and revived by African American communities during slavery when legal marriage was denied.

The act meant sweeping away the old life and stepping into the new, together.

3. Witches & Flying Brooms

The image of witches flying on brooms stems from fertility rites.

In some old rituals, people straddled brooms and leapt through fields under the moon to bless crops with fertility. Outsiders exaggerated these rites into tales of witches soaring through the skies.

Later, the broom became a feared symbol of witchcraft, said to carry witches to Sabbaths with the Devil.

4. The Broom & Visitors

If someone left your house and you swept the floor immediately, you would “sweep them away” and they might never return. In some regions, if a broom brushed over someone’s shoes, it meant they would never marry unless they spat on the broom to undo the curse.

5. The Broom & Death

Laying a broom on its bristles was considered bad luck, inviting illness or even death into the household.

Some traditions required placing a broom outside the home when someone died, to prevent the spirit from re-entering.

6. The Broom in Magic

Witches used the besom to sweep the circle clean before rituals—not to remove dust, but to clear negative or stagnant energy.Sweeping widdershins (counter-clockwise) banished harmful forces. Sweeping deosil (clockwise) invited blessings and prosperity.

7. The Traveling Broom

In rural folk belief, if a broom fell across the threshold, it meant company was coming soon.

Some said placing a broom upside down behind the door would make an unwanted guest leave quickly.

Besom Rituals

Even now, the besom holds its place in modern witchcraft (Wicca & folk magic):

Circle Cleansing: Used to energetically sweep ritual spaces.

House Blessings: A new broom is brought into a new home for luck, while old brooms are left behind so no bad energy follows.

Protection Charm: Hung over a door or placed under the bed to protect from nightmares and wandering spirits.

🌿 Hearth & Home Signs

1. Candle Flames

A steady, tall flame = good luck or approval of spirits.

A sputtering flame = gossip or quarrels.

If a candle guttered out suddenly, it meant a spirit had entered the room.

Folklore: Dripping wax was read like tea leaves, showing shapes of people or events to come.

2. Cracking Wood in the Fire

A sudden loud crack = news coming.

Sparks flying = money on the way.

A log rolling free = death or departure in the household.

3. Spilled Salt

Beyond bad luck, some read the pattern of spilled salt to see who might visit next, or what conflict was brewing.

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🪞 Mirrors & Water

4. Mirror Scrying (Catoptromancy)

At midnight, young women gazed into mirrors to see their future husbands.

Warning: If Death awaited them, they would see a skull or coffin instead.

Covering mirrors during Samhain or after a death prevented unwanted visions.

5. Water Bowl Scrying

Looking into a bowl of still water by candlelight allowed spirits to reveal signs.

Drops of wax, flower petals, or even floating threads were added and read like omens.

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🌾 Fields & Nature

6. Apple Peel Divination

A girl would peel an apple in one strip and toss it over her shoulder.

The peel would form the initial of her future husband.

7. Flower Petals (Love Me, Love Me Not)

Plucking petals one by one foretold whether one’s love was true.

Ending on “love me not” meant heartbreak.

8. Animal Omens

Black rooster crowing at midnight = witchcraft nearby.

White dove landing on a windowsill = a blessing or wedding soon.

Howling dogs = death in the village.

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🌙 Midnight & Spirit Divination

9. Key & Bible Method

A key was placed inside a Bible, tied shut with string, and balanced on two fingers.

The Bible would turn by itself when names were recited, pointing to guilty parties or future spouses.

10. Spirit of the Threshold

At crossroads, one could call out to spirits at midnight and ask questions of fate.

Dangerous, as not all spirits were kind—some might follow you home.

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🍽️ Food & Kitchen Divination

11. Egg Divination (Oomancy)

Cracking an egg into hot water revealed shapes that foretold destiny.

Strings of egg white = journeys, round shapes = wealth, broken = sorrow.

12. Tea Leaf Reading (Tasseography)

Patterns left in the bottom of a teacup showed signs:

Circle = success,

Heart = love,

Cross = trials.

13. Onion & Garlic Prophecies

Onions were labeled with names and left on a windowsill.

The first to sprout revealed who would be married or blessed.

Garlic bulbs hung and watched—rotting early foretold illness.

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🕯️ Seasonal & Festival Divinations

14. Samhain (Halloween) Divination

Girls peeled apples or gazed into mirrors by candlelight to see their husbands.

Nuts placed in a fire foretold love: if two nuts jumped together, love would last; if they popped apart, it would end.

15. New Year’s Omens

First visitor of the year (“first footing”) determined the household’s luck—dark-haired men were lucky, fair-haired strangers unlucky.

Pouring molten lead into water (a Germanic custom) showed prophetic shapes for the year ahead.

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💀 Divination & Death

16. Death Omens

Three knocks on the window when no one was there meant death approaching.

A clock stopping suddenly foretold a passing in the household.

Dreams of teeth falling out were considered a sure omen of death.

Spiritual folklore plants

🌳 Sacred Trees

Oak

Symbol: Strength, courage, divine protection.

Folklore: Struck by lightning more than any other tree, the oak was sacred to thunder gods like Thor and Zeus. Touching it was believed to ward off lightning and misfortune (“knock on wood” comes from this).

Willow

Symbol: Grief, water, moon magic.

Folklore: Willows near cemeteries were thought to weep for the dead. Wands made of willow were used in love and divination spells.

Rowan (Mountain Ash)

Symbol: Protection against witchcraft.

Folklore: Red berries marked with a star (pentacle shape) gave the tree sacred power. Rowan sprigs were tied over doors or carried for protection from evil spirits.

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🌸 Flowers of Fate

Rose

Symbol: Love, secrecy.

Folklore: A red rose laid on a grave symbolized eternal love. “Sub rosa” (under the rose) meant secrets, because roses were hung in meeting places as a vow of silence.

Dandelion

Symbol: Wishes, divination.

Folklore: Blowing on a dandelion clock revealed how many years until marriage, or carried wishes to the wind.

Marigold

Symbol: Protection, solar magic.

Folklore: Marigolds placed at doorways kept evil from entering. Farmers planted them in fields for blessings of abundance.

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🌿 Herbs of Magic

Basil

Symbol: Love & protection.

Folklore: In Italy, basil on a windowsill signaled a woman was ready for love. In other places, it protected homes from evil and brought wealth.

Rosemary

Symbol: Memory, fidelity.

Folklore: Brides carried rosemary for loyalty in marriage. Sprigs were placed under pillows for dreams of the future, or on graves to ensure the dead were remembered.

Sage

Symbol: Wisdom, longevity.

Folklore: “He who would live forever must eat sage in May.” In English tradition, sage growing well in a garden meant the wife ruled the household.

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🍎 Fruits & Seeds

Apple

Symbol: Knowledge, love, temptation.

Folklore: Cutting an apple crosswise reveals a star, a sacred sign. At Samhain, bobbing for apples was a form of marriage divination.

Old Saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Pomegranate

Symbol: Fertility, death & rebirth.

Folklore: In Greek myth, Persephone ate pomegranate seeds and was bound to return to the Underworld each year. Seeds scattered in homes brought fertility.

Nuts (Hazel, Walnut)

Symbol: Wisdom, fate.

Folklore: Hazel trees were sacred to Celtic druids, believed to give knowledge if eaten. Nuts thrown in a fire predicted the faithfulness of lovers.

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🌾 Weeds & Wild Plants

Nettles

Symbol: Protection, boundaries.

Folklore: Whipping livestock with nettles was said to drive out evil spirits. Carrying nettles warded off curses.

Elder (Tree & Flowers)

Symbol: Life & death gateway.

Folklore: Elder trees housed spirits—cutting one down without permission brought misfortune. Elder flowers, however, were used for healing teas and wine.

Mandrake

Symbol: Mystery, danger.

Folklore: Believed to scream when pulled from the earth, killing anyone who heard it. Harvested with elaborate rituals, it was prized as a powerful charm.

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🌙 Night & Moon Plants

Jasmine

Symbol: Love, dreams.

Folklore: Its scent invited prophetic dreams. Worn by women, it attracted romance and good fortune.

Nightshade (Deadly)

Symbol: Witchcraft, poison.

Folklore: Used by witches in flying ointments. Feared and revered as a plant of both death and transformation.

Lavender

Symbol: Peace, purification.

Folklore: Lavender in pillows brought restful sleep and warded off nightmares. Burning it cleared away evil spirits.

🕯️✨ Candle Wax Divination (Ceromancy)

For centuries, people dripped or poured hot wax into water or simply studied the way it cooled in the candleholder, searching for omens, spirits’ messages, and glimpses of the future. The shapes, patterns, and movements of wax carried symbolic meaning.

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🔮 How It Was Done in Folklore

1. Wax Pouring Ritual – Melted wax dripped into a bowl of cold water. The hardened shapes were lifted out and interpreted.

2. Candle Watching – Letting a candle burn, then reading the cooled wax around the wick or plate.

3. Moonlight Ceromancy – Performed at night, especially during full moons, when wax was thought to capture lunar messages.

Candle wax shapes and folklore

🌿 Common Wax Shapes & Their Meanings

❤️ Love & Relationships

Heart: Love, romance, a proposal or new affection.

Two Figures/Shapes Touching: Union, partnership, marriage.

Broken Heart/Cracked Shape: Quarrel or breakup.

Ring/Circle: Engagement, loyalty, long-term bond.

💰 Wealth & Prosperity

Coin/Disc: Financial gain, inheritance, success in business.

Tree: Growth, stability, prosperity over time.

Bag or Purse Shape: Unexpected money or gift.

🌍 Journeys & Change

Ship/Boat: A trip, adventure, or spiritual voyage.

Path/Line: A decision or crossroads ahead.

Animal Footprints: Travel, movement, or guidance from ancestors.

🐾 Animals as Omens

Bird: News, messages, or spiritual guidance.

Snake: Deception, hidden danger, or healing (depending on context).

Dog: Loyalty, friendship, or protection.

Cat: Mystery, hidden knowledge, or a secret being revealed.

Fish: Abundance, spiritual insight, fertility.

Butterfly: Transformation, a new beginning, or rebirth.

🌙 Mystical & Spiritual

Star: Hope, blessings, destiny aligning.

Cross: Trials, spiritual testing, or protection.

Eye: Intuition awakening, hidden truths being revealed.

Spiral: Spiritual growth, karmic cycles, deep transformation.

⚰️ Warnings & Shadows

Coffin/Box: Endings, transformation, death of old habits.

Chain: Being bound, obstacles, or toxic ties.

Weapon (sword/knife): Conflict or betrayal.

Tower: Isolation, challenges to overcome.

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🔥 Other Folklore Interpretations

The Wax Flow

Fast Flow: Quick changes, events moving swiftly.

Slow, Thick Flow: Delays, obstacles, patience needed.

Wax Splattering: Disruption, gossip, or conflict brewing.

The Wax Pool

Clear & Smooth Pool: Peaceful period ahead.

Rough, Jagged Pool: Struggles or unsettled emotions.

Shapes Connecting Together: Partnerships, collaborations, or fated meetings.

The Leftover Stubs

Tall Stub Remaining: Strong energy, blessings, goal manifestation.

Wax Drowning Wick: Energy blocked, protection needed, or unseen obstacle.

Twin Flames Burned Evenly: Harmony between partners or twin souls.

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🌙 Special Folklore Practices

Love Divination (Samhain & Yule): Wax poured in water showed the initials or faces of future lovers.

Healing Rituals: Shapes resembling organs or body parts were read as signs of illness or recovery.

Protective Work: If wax formed a shield-like shape, it was seen as a guardian spirit answering the ritual.

🌑 Black Candles

Folklore Meaning: Protection, banishing, absorbing negativity.

Uses: Breaking hexes, warding off spirits, mourning rituals.

Superstition: Burning a black candle during storms was said to keep away lightning.

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⚪ White Candles

Folklore Meaning: Purity, peace, spiritual connection.

Uses: Healing, clarity, protection when no other color is available.

Superstition: A white candle burning steadily meant angels were near.

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🔴 Red Candles

Folklore Meaning: Passion, vitality, courage.

Uses: Love spells, strength in challenges, driving away fear.

Superstition: Red candles at weddings blessed fertility and protection against evil.

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🧡 Orange Candles

Folklore Meaning: Energy, success, attraction.

Uses: Motivation, business ventures, removing blockages.

Superstition: Traders in old markets burned orange candles to draw customers.

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💛 Yellow Candles

Folklore Meaning: Intellect, clarity, communication.

Uses: Studying, memory spells, strengthening friendships.

Superstition: Burning yellow before exams was said to sharpen the mind.

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💚 Green Candles

Folklore Meaning: Growth, fertility, wealth, health.

Uses: Money magic, healing rituals, agricultural blessings.

Superstition: Farmers once burned green candles on planting days for abundant harvests.

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💙 Blue Candles

Folklore Meaning: Protection, wisdom, tranquility.

Uses: Calming the mind, spiritual truth, legal success.

Superstition: A blue flame was thought to reveal a spirit’s presence.

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💜 Purple Candles

Folklore Meaning: Power, mysticism, psychic ability.

Uses: Divination, spiritual mastery, connecting with higher realms.

Superstition: Burning purple during the waning moon revealed secrets in dreams.

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🌸 Pink Candles

Folklore Meaning: Affection, romance, emotional healing.

Uses: Self-love, reconciliation, tender relationships.

Superstition: In Victorian folk belief, pink candles in the sickroom brought comfort to the heart.

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🟤 Brown Candles

Folklore Meaning: Stability, home, grounding.

Uses: Family matters, animal healing, uncovering lost objects.

Superstition: Burning a brown candle was said to bring pets safely home.

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🩶 Grey Candles

Folklore Meaning: Neutralization, balance, shadow work.

Uses: Settling disputes, calming turbulent energies.

Superstition: Grey was often burned to “confuse” spirits sent to harm someone.

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🪙 Gold Candles

Folklore Meaning: Success, abundance, divine favor.

Uses: Wealth rituals, solar blessings, personal achievement.

Superstition: Gold candles burned on New Year’s Eve were said to draw prosperity.

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🥈 Silver Candles

Folklore Meaning: Intuition, dreams, moon magic.

Uses: Psychic work, fertility, feminine energy.

Superstition: Burning silver candles on a full moon night was believed to summon lunar guidance.

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✨ Practical Folklore Notes

Unburned Candle Superstition: If a gifted candle is never lit, it “locks away” the blessing inside.

Candle Drips: Colored wax drippings were read as omens (green drips = money, red = love).

When in Doubt: White was always the universal stand-in for any magical color.

🪶✨ Feather Folklore: Signs, Omens & Color Meanings

🌙 Finding a Feather in Folklore

General Belief: To find a feather on your path is to receive a sign from the spirit world, angels, or ancestors.

Placement Matters:

At your doorstep → A message or visitor is coming.

On your bed/windowsill → A loved one in spirit is watching over you.

On a journey → Protection for safe travels.

Wind Folklore: If a feather drifts down in front of you, fate has “dropped a message” into your life.

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🎨 Feather Color Meanings

⚪ White

Meaning: Purity, peace, angelic presence.

Folklore: A white feather was often said to be an angel’s calling card, especially after a loss.

⚫ Black

Meaning: Protection, mystery, banishing negativity.

Folklore: Black feathers absorbed evil, shielding the finder from curses or bad spirits.

🔴 Red

Meaning: Courage, passion, vitality.

Folklore: A red feather promised strength in upcoming trials and was sometimes carried as a charm before battles.

🧡 Orange

Meaning: Creativity, emotional balance.

Folklore: Finding one near the home meant harmony returning to family life.

💛 Yellow/Gold

Meaning: Joy, intellect, blessing from the sun.

Folklore: A golden feather symbolized wealth or divine favor.

💚 Green

Meaning: Growth, fertility, prosperity.

Folklore: Green feathers were tied to good harvests and healing in folk medicine.

💙 Blue

Meaning: Spirit communication, truth, psychic awakening.

Folklore: A blue feather meant a message was being sent to you in dreams.

💜 Purple

Meaning: Mysticism, spiritual awakening, psychic gifts.

Folklore: Finding one foretold a rise in magical power or intuition.

🩶 Grey

Meaning: Peace after conflict, neutrality, balance.

Folklore: Grey feathers were found during quarrels as a sign to forgive and release anger.

🟤 Brown

Meaning: Stability, grounding, home blessings.

Folklore: A brown feather at the threshold was said to bring protection to the household.

🪶 Multi-Colored

Meaning: Transformation, divine messages, new paths opening.

Folklore: Speckled or striped feathers were omens of change—life’s pattern shifting.

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🌿 Bird-Specific Folklore

Crow Feather: Wisdom, magic, messages from the Otherworld.

Dove Feather: Love, peace, reconciliation.

Owl Feather: Hidden knowledge, intuition, warnings in the night.

Peacock Feather: Watchfulness, protection, beauty—but sometimes bad luck if kept indoors in British folklore.

Eagle Feather: Power, divine blessing, strength of will.

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✨ Extra Old Wives’ Tales

Wish Feather: If you blow a feather into the wind while making a wish, the spirits will carry it upward.

Fallen Feather from Nowhere: Said to be a sign that a spirit is walking with you unseen.

Under the Pillow: Sleeping with a feather was believed to bring prophetic dreams.

Moon cycles

🌑 New Moon – Beginnings & Hidden Things

Folklore Meaning: A time of planting seeds, setting intentions, and beginnings.

Beliefs:

Farmers sowed crops at the new moon for strong growth.

A wish whispered to the first sliver of the moon was said to come true.

In some superstitions, looking at the new moon through glass was bad luck—it “blocked” its blessing.

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🌒 Waxing Crescent – Growth & Attraction

Folklore Meaning: The moon grows, so fortunes, love, and health were believed to grow too.

Beliefs:

Trim your hair during waxing phases → it grows thicker and longer.

Start new ventures now, as energy builds with the moonlight.

Witches cast attraction, prosperity, and success spells during waxing moons.

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🌓 First Quarter (Half Moon) – Decisions & Balance

Folklore Meaning: A crossroads moon, symbolizing choice and action.

Beliefs:

A good time to “cut through obstacles.”

Farmers measured the strength of sprouts by this phase.

Some said children born on a half moon would live adventurous, restless lives.

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🌔 Waxing Gibbous – Refinement & Preparation

Folklore Meaning: Nearly full, the moon urged patience and readiness.

Beliefs:

A time to strengthen goals, add finishing touches, and prepare for results.

Old wives said lovers’ quarrels during this phase meant reconciliation under the full moon.

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🌕 Full Moon – Power & Revelation

Folklore Meaning: The height of power, magic, fertility, and lunacy.

Beliefs:

Spells cast at the full moon carried the strongest power.

Midwives timed childbirth blessings to the full moon for healthy infants.

“Moon madness” or lunacy was believed to peak here—hence the word lunatic.

Washing one’s face in moonlight was said to bring beauty and youth.

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🌖 Waning Gibbous – Gratitude & Release

Folklore Meaning: The moon begins to shrink, reminding people to release, share, and give thanks.

Beliefs:

A good time to give away surplus or heal old wounds.

Some folk charms called for sweeping out the home under the waning moon to banish sickness.

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🌗 Last Quarter – Letting Go & Endings

Folklore Meaning: Symbol of release, banishment, and closure.

Beliefs:

Farmers pulled weeds and cut wood during waning moons so it would not regrow quickly.

In folk magic, this was the strongest time for banishing spells, curses lifted, and bad habits broken.

Arguments settled here were believed to never return.

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🌘 Waning Crescent (Dark Moon) – Rest & Mystery

Folklore Meaning: The end of the cycle, tied to stillness, secrecy, and the Otherworld.

Beliefs:

A time for introspection, divination, and ancestor contact.

Some traditions warned against beginning anything new here—it was a time of endings only.

Witches sometimes performed baneful magic or hidden workings under the dark moon.

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🌒 Special Folklore Across Cultures

“Moon and Hair” Belief:

Trim during waxing → hair grows fast.

Trim during waning → hair grows slowly, stays neat.

Fingernails: Clipping nails by the moon’s phases was thought to bring luck or misfortune depending on timing.

Moon & Pregnancy:

Folklore tied ovulation and fertility to full moons.

In some cultures, eclipses were dangerous for pregnant women—pins or metal charms were worn to protect the unborn.

Lunar Eclipses:

Seen as omens of great change or misfortune.

In Norse lore, wolves were believed to be chasing and devouring the moon during eclipses.

Moon in Water: Seeing the moon reflected in water was considered both powerful and dangerous—good for divination, but bad luck if disturbed.

Witch ball folklore

🪄✨ Witch Ball Folklore

🌿 Origins

Witch balls date back to at least the 17th century in England and colonial America.

They were often made of blown glass, about the size of a fist, brightly colored or filled with threads, herbs, or reflective surfaces.

Though beautiful, they were never just ornaments—their purpose was magical protection.

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🕯️ The Protective Power

Spirit Traps: Witch balls were said to trap evil spirits, curses, or the Evil Eye within their glass.

Reflective Surfaces: The shiny glass or mirrored surface confused malevolent forces, sending them away.

Tangled Threads Inside: Many witch balls contained colored threads or herbs. Spirits, drawn inside, would become entangled and trapped forever.

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🏡 Placement in Folklore

Hung in windows → to keep out witches, bad luck, and illness.

Buried under doorsteps → as a permanent charm to guard the home.

Hung in stables → to protect livestock from curses.

Given as gifts → to bless a new home or ward off envy.

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🧙 Witch vs. Witch Ball – Misunderstood History

Despite the name, witches weren’t trapped by witch balls—in fact, cunning folk and wise women often made or sold them as protective charms.

They were also used by sailors, who hung them on ships to protect from storms and spirits at sea.

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🌙 Folklore Superstitions

Broken Witch Ball: If a witch ball shattered, it meant it had absorbed too much negativity or captured a curse meant for the household.

Changing Colors: Some folklore said if the colors inside the ball dulled or shifted, it was a sign the ball was working and had trapped something.

Morning Sunlight: Hanging one where morning light hit it amplified its power, “burning away” bad energy.

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🕸️ Related Charms

Witch Bottles: Clay or glass bottles filled with pins, hair, and herbs, buried under homes for protection. Witch balls were a prettier cousin—meant to be displayed rather than hidden.

Faerie Globes: In some traditions, they were also believed to confuse faeries and prevent them from stealing food, livestock, or children.

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✨ Modern Magical Uses

Even today, witch balls are sold as ornaments, especially around Yule and Halloween. They’re still believed to:

Protect a household from negativity.

Absorb curses and malice.

Serve as a “magical sentinel” watching over the home.

Some modern witches craft their own, filling glass orbs with herbs, crystals, ashes, or charms specific to the intention.

🍀✨ Folklore of Lucky Finds & Magical Charms

🪨 Hag Stone (Adder Stone, Witch Stone)

Description: A naturally holed stone, often found near rivers or the sea.

Folklore:

Seen as a powerful protective charm against curses, witches, and the evil eye.

Hung above doors, in stables, or over beds to ward off nightmares.

Used for seeing through the veil—peering through the hole was said to reveal faeries, spirits, or hidden realms.

Sailors’ Lore: Carried hag stones to protect ships from storms and sea witches.

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🪨 Wishing Rock (Striped Stone)

Description: A stone with a single unbroken stripe encircling it.

Folklore:

Holding it while making a wish was believed to make the wish come true.

Some traditions say the wish must be kept secret or it won’t manifest.

If given away, the wishing stone carries blessings to the receiver.

Custom: Often kept in pockets or on altars as “wish anchors.”

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🌲 Wishing Cone (Pine Cone)

Description: A fallen pine cone found naturally.

Folklore:

Pine cones symbolized fertility, abundance, and immortality.

A “wishing cone” was held while whispering a desire, then tossed into fire or buried to release the wish.

Some believed placing a pine cone under the pillow brought prophetic dreams.

Old Belief: Pine cones in baskets protected the home from illness.

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🔔 Witch Bells

Description: Bells hung in doorways, windows, or worn on clothing.

Folklore:

Their ringing was believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energy.

Hung on animals (like cows or horses) to keep them safe from witches’ curses.

Witch bells on doors warned of intruders and scared away harmful energies before they could enter.

Ritual Use: Bells rung in ceremonies to cleanse space and summon protective spirits.

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🍀 Four-Leaf Clover

Description: A rare variation of the common three-leaf clover.

Folklore:

Each leaf holds a blessing: faith, hope, love, luck.

Carried as a powerful charm against evil and misfortune.

In Celtic lore, it was believed to grant the finder the second sight (ability to see faeries and hidden spirits).

Love Magic: A girl placing a four-leaf clover in her shoe was said to meet her true love that day.

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🪙 Finding a Coin

Description: A random coin discovered on the ground.

Folklore:

“Find a penny, pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck.”

Coins face-up = good fortune; face-down = bad luck unless turned over for someone else to find.

In some cultures, a coin found during a new moon was doubly lucky.

Protective Use: Some carried found coins as talismans, believing they held fortune energy because fate had “delivered them.”

🪄✨ 100 Odd & End Folklores (including a quick overview of some listed above)

🕯️ Household & Daily Life

1. Spiders at night bring luck; killing them brings sorrow.

2. Dropped knife → a man will visit.

3. Dropped fork → a woman will visit.

4. Dropped spoon → gossip or a child visitor.

5. Leaving scissors open invites quarrels.

6. Whistling indoors summons spirits.

7. Shoes on the table bring death or bad luck.

8. Crossed knives on a table = arguments.

9. A broken clock chiming again foretells death.

10. Rocking an empty cradle invites death to the child.

11. Sleeping with feet facing the door = “coffin position.”

12. Putting a hat on a bed brings quarrels or illness.

13. Dropping a dishcloth means company is coming.

14. Knocking on wood protects against envy or evil.

15. Spilling pepper causes a fight.

16. Handkerchief gifts cut friendships unless exchanged with a coin.

17. Opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck.

18. Hanging laundry on New Year’s brings bad fortune.

19. A broom falling over means company is coming.

20. If you sweep after sundown, you sweep away your luck.

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🧵 Clothing & Body Signs

21. Shoelaces coming untied mean someone loves you.

22. Putting clothes on inside-out = good luck (if you keep it that way).

23. Itchy right ear → someone speaks kindly of you.

24. Itchy left ear → someone is gossiping.

25. Ears burning = people talking about you (right praise, left insult).

26. Itchy nose → a quarrel or visitor coming.

27. Itchy right palm → money coming.

28. Itchy left palm → money leaving.

29. Right eye twitch → good luck.

30. Left eye twitch → bad luck.

31. Sneezing once means someone is thinking of you.

32. Sneezing twice means someone is speaking ill of you.

33. Sneezing three times in a row brings good fortune.

34. Yawning without covering your mouth lets spirits slip in.

35. Hiccups mean someone is speaking about you.

36. A ringing in the right ear means someone praises you.

37. A ringing in the left ear means someone insults you.

38. Dropping your comb foretells disappointment.

39. Breaking a hairbrush brings bad luck.

40. Trimming nails at night invites bad spirits.

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🐦 Animals & Insects

41. A cricket in the house = prosperity.

42. Killing a cricket = misfortune.

43. Dogs howling at midnight = death omen.

44. Crows gathering = bad news.

45. A single magpie = sorrow; two = joy.

46. Black cat crossing your path = bad luck (Europe), good luck (Scotland).

47. Seeing a robin means good news.

48. Owls hooting near the home = death.

49. A bat circling the house brings misfortune.

50. A ladybug landing on you brings luck.

51. Counting a ladybug’s spots reveals years until marriage.

52. Butterflies in the house = spirits visiting.

53. Bees entering your house uninvited bring news.

54. Killing bees brings bad fortune.

55. A frog at the door brings money.

56. Ants marching indoors = incoming rain.

57. A spider in the morning → grief.

58. A spider at noon → anxiety.

59. A spider at night → good fortune.

60. Swallows nesting under the roof = blessings on the home.

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🌦️ Weather & Nature Signs

61. Red sky at night → sailor’s delight (good weather).

62. Red sky in morning → sailor’s warning (bad weather).

63. A ring around the moon → storms are coming.

64. Crickets chirping louder = rain on the way.

65. Cows lying down mean rain.

66. If smoke falls instead of rises, bad weather is near.

67. A cat washing behind its ears foretells rain.

68. Pine cones opening wide = good weather.

69. Pine cones closing tight = wet weather.

70. Leaves turning their undersides up → storm approaching.

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💍 Love & Marriage

71. Find a pin → good luck and love.

72. Dropping a glove means you’ll receive a gift from a lover.

73. Stepping in mud means you’ll soon kiss someone.

74. Putting your ring on the wrong finger invites misfortune.

75. Breaking a mirror = 7 years bad luck, especially in love.

76. If you dream of water, it means love is coming.

77. Sleeping with rosemary under your pillow shows your future spouse.

78. Apple peel tossed over the shoulder shows your lover’s initial.

79. Dropping a handkerchief used to signal courtship.

80. Spilling wine at a wedding = a blessed union.

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🍽️ Food & Kitchen

81. Bread falling butter-side down means a spirit is near.

82. Dropping bread means unexpected guests.

83. Burning toast = bad news.

84. A cracked egg with two yolks means a wedding.

85. Eggs with blood spots are unlucky.

86. Stirring tea counterclockwise invites quarrels.

87. Bubbles in coffee or tea = money coming.

88. Salt spilled must be thrown over the left shoulder.

89. Cutting both ends off bread invites poverty.

90. Onion skins thick = a hard winter ahead.

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⚰️ Death & Spirits

91. Three knocks with no one there → death omen.

92. Pictures falling off walls = bad news or death.

93. A candle suddenly going out = spirit present.

94. A bird tapping the window foretells death.

95. Dreams of teeth falling out = death in family.

96. Counting cars in a funeral procession shortens your own life.

97. Stopping a clock at death keeps spirits from wandering.

98. Covering mirrors after death prevents souls from being trapped.

99. Hearing your name called with no one there = spirit contact.

100. Seeing your doppelgänger = death omen.

✨ Thank you for reading ✨

I hope you enjoyed this mini guide into the world of superstitions and folklores. This is just a glimpse of what’s to come—I’m currently working on a full eBook filled with even more charms, omens, and old wives’ tales gathered into one magical collection.

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