L L i vin g L ucky
Contents Page
Content
5-15
Morning
6-7 8-11 12-15
Superstitious Beliefs & Religion Modernization & Enlightenment Motherly Instincts
16-27
Afternoon
18-19 20-23 24-27
Bon Voyage All in a day’s work charmed cooking
28-39
Evening
30-31 32-35 36-37 38-39
Night A cozy place we call home Bedroom entering dreams
40-45
Feng shui
42-45
lucky interior design
46-49
fashion
48-49
8 fashion wive’s tales
Morning 2
Morning 4
GOOD MORNING
Morning 5
Superstitious Beliefs
&R e l i g i o n
Superstitious Beliefs and Religion The borderline between these two words is very thin and often it has been observed that they tend to overlap each other. Religious believers have often seen other religions as superstitions. Likewise, atheists and agnostics may regard religious beliefs as superstitious. Religious practices are more likely to be labeled “superstitions” by outsiders when they believe in extraordinary events miracles, an afterlife, supernatural intervention, value of prayer, charms, incantations, the meaningfulness of omens. The Roman Catholic Church considers superstitions to be sinful in the sense that it denotes a lack of trust in God and, as such, is a violation
Morning 6
of the Ten Commandments. It is the same case with Islam; it prohibits following such beliefs that are not in accordance with Quran and Hadiths. Islam refers such false beliefs as the way of Shaitan (Satan).
Do you know why people tend to become superstitious? If we study the advent of the superstitions we can find an answer to this question. Believe it or not, stress makes people more superstitious. People feel very desperate to find reasons for all the misfortunes they come across. Being superstitious helps them to hide their
mistakes by blaming luck, which according to them no one can control except God. New studies have revealed that stress makes people not only believe in rituals but also in conspiracy theories and as a result, they are more likely to “see” things that actually do not exist. A feeling of lack of control over their life fuels many people’s desire to impose order and structure on the world. The less control people have over their lives, the more likely they are to try and regain control through mental gymnastics. Feelings of control are so essential to people that a lack of control is menacing. While some misperceptions can be bad or lead one astray, they are common and most likely satisfy a deep and enduring psychological need.
“Whoever spills SALt A European superstition holds that spilling salt is an evil omen. One widespread explanation of the belief that it is unlucky to spill salt is that Judas Iscariot spilled the salt at the Last Supper. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper depicts Judas Iscariot having knocked over a salt-cellar. This may not be the actual explanation; salt was a valuable commodity in ancient times, and as such a symbol of trust and friendship. A German proverb held that “whoever spills salt arouses enmity”. According to Charles Nodier, among “savages”, the “action of spilling salt indicates among them the refusal of protection and hospitality from such strangers as they may have reason to suspect are thieves and murderers.” Salt is also a religious symbol. Salt is used to make holy water in the Roman Catholic Church rite, and as such figures as a religious symbol of sanctity, associated with exorcism. The meals served at the witches’ sabbath were thought to be salt-free as a consequence. Salt is a symbol of the preserving value of sanctity in Jesus’ reference to the “salt of the earth”. As an emblem of sanctity and protection, its inadvertent loss may be more than a natural misfortune.
arouses enmity” In Giacomo Raffaelli’s mosaic copy of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci Judas Iscariot is the bearded figure who knocked over the salt with his elbow.
After all this modernization and enlightenment that has taken place, superstitious beliefs still persists in our societies. Every one of us to some extent do believe in such absurd superstitious beliefs and by chance if you disagree then how about you check it by yourself.
Modernization Enlightenment
&
Has Taken Place
Are you Superstitious? If your answer is yes than you are not alone and if no then you might not want to accept it. From the dawn of human existence people have held superstitious beliefs. These are the irrational beliefs that an object, action or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome. Now, you might be thinking that if these beliefs are false than why do people believe in such superstitions? You can get your answer to this question by the end of this article. Superstitions have come a long way in history and have been evolved in this process. Every known civilization that ever existed on the planet had something common in them; these were the myths and superstitions that were a crucial part of their cultures. The word superstition is designated to those beliefs that result from ignorance and fear of the unknown. Many superstitious practices are due to the false interpretations of the natural events. Curiosity also with regard to things that are hidden or are still in the future plays a considerable part, example, in the various kinds of divination. With this qualification in mind, superstitions may be classified roughly as religious, cultural and personal. Morning 8
All religious beliefs and practices may seem superstitious to the person without religion. Superstitions that belong to the cultural tradition are enormous in their variety. Nearly all persons, in nearly times, have held, seriously, irrational beliefs concerning methods of warding off ill or bringing good, foretelling the future, and healing and preventing sickness and accidents. Even people who claim they have no superstitions are likely to do a few things they cannot explain. A superstition is a behavior that has no rational basis or history or a history that is long lost. A few specific folk traditions, such as beliefs in the evil eye or in the efficacy of amulets, have been found in most periods of history and in most parts of the world. Others may be limited to one country, region or village, to one family, or to one social group. Finally, people develop personal superstitions: a student writes a good form of literary piece with a certain pen, and from that moment the pen is lucky; a horse player may be convinced that black horses run for him.
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Good Luck & Bad What is Luck? Luck refers to that which happens to a person beyond that person’s control. This view incorporates phenomena that are chance happenings, a person’s place of birth for example, but where there is no uncertainty involved, or where the uncertainty is irrelevant. Within this framework one can differentiate between three different types of luck:
•Constitutional luck, that is, luck with factors that cannot be changed. Place of birth and genetic constitution are typical examples. •Circumstantial luck with factors that are haphazardly brought on. Accidents •Ignorance luck, that is, luck with factors one does not know about. Examples can be identified only in hindsight.
What Causes Good Luck? From centuries people have believed in good fortune and widely agree that luck can be influenced through spiritual means by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain circumstances. One such activity is prayer, a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong. Many cultures and religions worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person’s ability to influence their fortune by ritualistic means, sometimes involving sacrifice, omens or spells. Others associate luck with a strong sense of superstition, that is, a belief that certain taboo or blessed actions will influence how fortune favors them for the future.
Examples of Good Luck Superstitions Morning 10
•If you sneeze it means someone is missing you. •If your right hand itches, you will earn money. •If you find a four-leaf clover, you will have good luck.
Luck WhatCauses Bad Luck? To begin with, we have to admit that sometimes events are just random, or at least with causes beyond our ability to understand at the moment. Blaming and making excuses are ways to avoid taking responsibility for one’s own life. It is a common trait among majority of the people. Many people point out the activities and the circumstances for their bad luck, but they cannot see what their own contribution to their situation is. Blaming and excuse makes a terrible approach to life. It eventually makes looking for causes outside the control of oneself automatic. It is difficult for such a person to ever recognize the personal changes they need to make. But the habit of concentrating on who or what is to blame doesn’t motivate a person to do what is necessary. Just the opposite! It is a big part of what causes bad luck, because it gets in the way of the three steps needed for success: 1. Learn your lessons. 2. Take responsibility. 3. Take action.
Examples of bad Luck Superstitions •If you break a mirror, it will bring you 7 years of bad luck. •If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck. •If a dog howls at night, death is near.
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Motherly Phyllis Mourhess was well along in her pregnancy when a baby with a deformity was brought into the hospital nursery where she worked. “A nurse’s aide warned me against treating, even holding that deformed baby for fear my own child would also be deformed.” Mourhess, now head nurse in the labor and delivery room at St. Johns Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, took the risk, even after the aide insisted a baby in the womb could be marked by fearful or ugly things the mother saw or touched.
Many Similar Beliefs A veteran of 25 years in obstetrics wards, Mourhess can recall dozens of similar beliefs about pregnancy and birth shared by some nurses and patients alike. Few of these popular beliefs have any basis in medical reality, according to Dr. Charles Brinkman, chief of obstetrics at UCLA Medical Center. “Still you run into them all the time,” he said. “You would think that with all their scientific training, nurses and doctors would overthrow the popular beliefs learned earlier in their lives,” said Sondra Thiederman Ph.D., a former nurse and now a San Diego consultant to hospitals on the
treatment of people from a variety of cultures. “Because of our need and desire to control the uncontrollable, we need popular beliefs,” Thiederman said. Medicine still has much to learn about the magical mystery tour from conception to birth, she explained. It is in the gaps of medical knowledge that popular belief and ritual flourish, fulfilling an important psychological function. The notion that the full moon triggers births was the most frequently encountered popular belief among nurses in a series of interviews, although Brinkman said it has no scientific validity. Almost as many nurses insisted delivery rooms get busy when it rains or when there are major weather changes another widespread belief with no scientific foundation.
Bad Weather Babies “I’ve heard that babies come when there are high winds, Santa Anas or changes in barometric pressure,” said Lucy Negin, a postpartum nurse at St. Bernardine’s Medical Center in San Bernardino. Pat Clinton, coordinator of maternal and child-care outreach at St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank, recalled: “I was working at Cedars in ‘71 at the time of
the big earthquake and I swear everybody went into labor.” A pregnant woman’s cravings for food can be especially important, according to some folk beliefs. If the mother ignores the craving, the belief is that the baby will drool all the time, said Zenaida Cabudol, the obstetrics supervisor at East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital. And nurses from East Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Inglewood recalled warnings not to eat strawberries lest the baby be born with a strawberry birthmark. Mothers, too, are said to be vulnerable during pregnancy. Many hairdressers dislike giving permanents to pregnant women, Clinton recalled, for fear the mother’s hair will fall out. But if the child in utero can be harmed, it can also be helped. “A lot of mothers will play classical music to soothe the fetus,” Mary Winton, a labor and delivery nurse at St. Joseph, noted. While pregnant herself, Winton went to a Sha Na Na concert. Her baby boogied, she said, adding, “The baby knows. The baby hears.”
Instincts Sensitive Fetus Brinkman agreed that the fetus is sensitive to both sound and light. In that case popular belief preceded medical knowledge, he said. Similarly, “any granny (midwife) would have told you alcohol hurts the fetus, or at the very least will make the baby an alcoholic,” said Frances Cattermole-Tally, executive editor of the Encyclopedia of American Popular Beliefs and Superstitions at UCLA. Alcohol, as well as cocaine and heroin, can “cause dimorphic changes in the fetus,” Brinkman concurred. “It can cause malformations and can even affect the migration of neurons in the brain, causing a permanent deficit.” Trial and error produced at least one widely known folk cure for morning sickness. Almost all of the nurses recommended one or two crackers before getting out of bed in the morning. Patients commonly predict the baby’s sex by how the mother carries the fetus. Every one of the dozen nurses interviewed for this article had heard that if the mother carried high, in front or with a pointed abdomen she would deliver a boy. If she carried low, from side to side so that her hips spread, it was a girl.
Six of the nurses interviewed also believed that, as Carol Horch, administrative head nurse in the maternity ward at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, put it, “You can tell the sex of the unborn baby by the heartbeat.” UCLA’s Brinkman was unconvinced. “I’ve never seen any evidence of the scientific validity of that,” he said. “It’s an old wives’ tale.” Even more nurses had heard of various string tests in which a string or thread with a pencil or a ring tied to the end is dangled over the pregnant woman’s abdomen. If the pendulum swings back and forth, it is a boy; if it swings in a circle, the child will be a girl. Four nurses mentioned the widespread practice in hospitals today of delaying the application of antiseptic ointment in the newborn’s eyes until after the mother and baby have bonded.
First Hour Crucial “For about one hour right after delivery, the baby is most awake, ready to bond with the mother. Then it goes into a sleep period of from four to 12 hours when it is hard to wake,” Horch said. In that crucial first hour, some doctors and nurses insist, mother and child must see each
other to firm the bond between them. Because the anti-gonococcal ointment blurs the child’s vision, nurses will often wait to put it in the infant’s eyes until the mother has held her newborn.Many nurses and patients might be skeptical, Thiederman noted, but folk beliefs diehard and it doesn’t pay to take chances.
afternoon ENJOY YOUR DAY
b o n v o ya g e Travel superstitions to get you ready for your holiday journeys
Often it’s the little things that make a big difference. And for those who are superstitious, one superstitious blunder or forgotten lucky item is believed to begin a shower of bad luck. With so many components and moving parts when traveling, it’s no surprise that travel can invoke an extra superstitious nature in many individuals and companies. Take a look at some of the superstitious measures taken by travelers and travel companies I’ve seen during my travels.
Unlucky 13 If you fly Continental Airlines, Air France, AirTran, or KLM you’re boarding pass will never see row 13. All of these airlines go from row 12 to 14. But even those who aren’t particularly suspicious say if given the option they’d prefer not to sit in row 13. So why not eliminate the row altogether? Many hotels have followed suit by eliminating the thirteenth floor. And taking what some may say drastic measures is actually fairly common. Based on an internal review of records, Dilip Rangnekar of Otis Elevators estimates that 85 percent of the buildings with elevators did not have a floor named the 13th floor. The airline industry has also noticed a decrease in traffic on the 13th of the month, especially on Friday the 13th.
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Airport Rituals Many frequent travelers have a certain way about doing things, especially once in the airport. A couple I know who travels internationally frequently eats at the same noodle shop in the Hong Kong airport, no matter what terminal they arrived in. Another traveler said he listens to the same song, Van Halen’s “Top of the World,” before every takeoff. Perhaps it’s just more efficient or comfortable to do something routine, but it borders on a personal superstitious acts.
Lucky Charm In the realm of superstitions lucky charms are common, but if forgotten when traveling it is believed to reroute your destination to “bad luck” land, with a delay in “difficult” city. Some of the most common charms are a lucky coin, a charm bracelet, a rabbit’s foot, a dream catcher, a four-leaf clover, and a horseshoe.
Sit for a Spell... on your Bags In Russia before one embarks on their journey the traveler sits on their luggage. It is also bad luck to return to get something forgotten before traveling. The rationale for taking a load off atop their clothes is varied. Some say it’s to really think about all that is packed so if something has been omitted it can be packed before leaving without it. Others say it’s simply to take a moment to mentally prepare for the trip ahead of them. Afternoon | 19
ALL in a Day’s work Superstitions in the workplace
Many professionals are extremely superstitious, doing things they believe will grant them that extra bit of good luck. You’d imagine working professionals to be a fairly rational lot, but apparently not. Even in the world of ties and corporate suits, superstitions are rife. Interestingly , certain organization as a whole also subscribe to various superstitions—it is not uncommon to walk into the foyer of a large corporate office and find the lucky ‘money’ plant occupying a place of pride.
Understanding the ‘why’ “Human beings are deeply superstitious by nature—and the workplace is no different. The fact is that no one wants to take a chance. What may start off as coincidence or a random pattern can very quickly be set as a belief, a superstition. The intrinsic basis of superstition is the idea of fear and the future unknown. Why tempt fate? Superstitions give people the false confidence that they can do little things to beneficially impact their future,” explains psychologist Ruchira Krishna Kumar. The cut-throat nature of the professional world seems to foster superstitious routines. Explains Samarjit Ghose, HR Manager for learning and development at a consumer durables organization, “It is a commonly accepted fact that in today’s corporate world, it isn’t enough to be extremely skilled at your job. Everyone is professionally capable. To excel, you need to have that little bit of extra luck that will help you do better, meet the right people and ensure that opportunities come your way.”
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Superstitions decoded Workplace superstitions range from the ordinary to the downright obscure. Brand manager Araati Singh’s work station at a leading FMCG company is cluttered with a variety of ‘lucky’ objects—including a dancing bamboo plant, a string of Buddhist flags, a small money plant and a deity gifted to her by her parents. “Everyone wants good luck, and I’d say my desk is living testimony to that fact! There is no harm in keeping these objects around really. Looking at them gives me a sense of quiet reassurance that things will go fine,” she explains . Others are superstitious about their clothing, especially on days that matter. “I have a particular pair of formal pants I wear for every important meeting. wore this pair of pants for a big meeting a year ago, and it went fabulously . The few times I didn’t wear these pants, the meeting didn’t go too well. Sometimes I feel really silly about my so-called ‘lucky pants,’ but they seem to work for me!” says chartered account Rahul Sehgal. Adds Sakshi Brahme, production manager at a news channel, “I make it a point to not wear black on important days. I’ve been brought up believing that black is an unlucky colour and subconsciously continue to subscribe to that belief.”
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The truly obscure superstitions can be both, funny and worrying. “A few years ago, I got fired. I was eating an orange when I was called into my boss’s cabin and fired. Now, whenever I eat an orange at the workplace, I eat a pinch of salt as well and make a silent prayer to the universe,” admits Girish Sampat, who works with an automotive company. How acceptable is it to follow superstitions at the workplace? “It is perfectly fine to follow superstitions at the workplace as long as your superstition does not inconvenience or offend your colleagues in anyway. Be as discreet as possible . Also, the day your superstition starts weighing down on your mind and affecting performance or efficiency , drop it immediately,” advices Ghose. Do keep a sight on the team and manager you work with as well. For example , if you have an extremely rational manager who doesn’t take too kindly to superstitions, hide those dancing bamboos really quickly! With superstitions, there is no good or bad—it’s all about how it works for you. While over reliance or belief in a superstition is ill-advised, those little, harmless superstitions can actually make you feel better and do better at the workplace.
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Charmed cooking Everyone knows that garlic wards off vampires and that spilling salt is terrible luck. But did you know that you should never cut a banana with a knife? And speaking of knives, did you know that you should never give a knife to a friend? If you’re constantly in the kitchen, you should probably consider these 21 superstitions so you don’t end up unmarried, childless, friendless, or worse.
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Garlic Everyone knows that garlic wards off vampires. It can also ward off the curse of the evil eye.
Eggs & Egg Shells Eggs symbolize fertility, so farmers would scatter broken eggs into their fields hoping they would bring forth an abundant crop. Also, if you break open an egg and find two yolks, that means someone you know will be getting married or having twins. And when you’re cracking your egg, make sure to crush the eggshell afterward: otherwise, legend has it, a witch will gather up the pieces, set sail, and cause terrible storms at sea.
Salt If you spill salt, you’ll get bad luck. To remedy your misfortune, throw salt over your left shoulder with your right hand to blind the devil and keep him from taking your soul. Risky business, using salt
Bread If you cut open a loaf of bread and see a hole (a.k.a. a large air bubble), that means somebody will die soon. The hole in the bread represents a coffin (spooky!). You should also cut a cross into the top of your loaf before baking, otherwise the devil will sit on it and ruin your loaf. Now “hot cross buns” makes more sense.
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Noodles
Oranges
In China, long noodles symbolize a long life. So you should never cut your noodles—that means you’re cutting life short. Instead, you should slurp up long noodles up without breaking them.
Giving somebody an orange makes them fall in love with you. (We’ve tried. It hasn’t worked. Yet.)
Tea Tea, also used in divination (we won’t get into that), has lots of superstitions connected to it. For instance, you should never put milk in your tea before the sugar, or you may never get married. Seemingly contradictory, undissolved sugar at the bottom of your cup means someone is in love with you. Spilling your tea means a stranger is about to visit you. And let only one person pour the tea—it’s bad luck if the duty is shared.
Coffee If there are bubbles in your coffee, you should catch them on your spoon and eat them—you’ll unexpectedly come into money. Or, we guess, expectedly, since you caught the bubbles, right? Afternoon | 26
Rice Tossing rice at a newlywed couple supposedly brings the pair good health, wealth, happiness, and prosperity. We say: waste of perfectly good rice.
Silverware If you drop a fork, a woman will come to visit. A knife, a man will come to visit. A spoon, a child will come visit. So be careful when unloading the dishwasher!
Parsley Parsley has a surprising number of superstitions around it. Planting its seeds will help a woman become pregnant. If the plant thrives, that means her husband is weak. And whatever you do, don’t bring it to a dinner party—giving it as a gift brings bad luck. Giving parsley as a gift will also bring bad looks because, like, who gives parsley as a gift?
Hot Peppers
Apples
Grapes
You should never hand a hot pepper directly to a friend—superstition has it that is will bring discord into the friendship. If you want to give your friend a jalapeno, put it on the table or counter and have them pick it up.
In the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, people dip apples into honey to symbolize the hopes of a sweet year to come. And back in the day, people believed that if you cut into an apple and counted the seeds, it predicted how many children you’d have.
South American countries believe that you should eat 12 grapes one-by-one at the stroke of midnight to symbolize each month of the year. If the grape is sweet, that particular month will be a good one. If it’s sour, it’s going to be a bad month.
Onions
Bananas
If you stick pins into a small onion and keep it on a windowsill, it dispels bad spirits from your house. Yeah, we don’t know.
You guys, NEVER cut a banana. It’s bad luck. Just break it up into smaller pieces if you need to. Also, you should never bring bananas on a ship—the boat will never catch any fish or, worse, get lost at sea.
Knives Passing a knife directly to someone will do the same thing as a hot pepper— ”separate” (as knives are known to do) the two friends. That means you should never give a knife as a gift, either; if you do, make sure to ask your friend for a penny as “payment.”
Peanuts Don’t eat peanuts at any kind of performance, whether it’s a play or a racing event (really!). The legumes are believed to give the performers or players bad luck.
Birthday cake The tradition of having a cake with candles on a birthday began with the ancient Greeks. They baked moonshaped honey cakes to celebrate the birth of moon goddess Artemis—but believed evil spirits were attracted by the revelry. By saying “happy birthday” and burning candles, spirits are chased away. Today, lots of people believe that blowing out all the candles on your cake will make a wish come true. Fools!
Black-eyed peas In the South, they eat Hoppin’ John, made with black-eyed peas, for good luck and prosperity in the new year.
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EVE N I N G Welcoming the Night Evening | 28
Evening | 29
Night Out venturing in the night can be both an exciting and frightening experience for the believers of the superstitious. Keep your head held high when walking out at night and keep your eye out for various good luck charms in the night and stay clear of those things that can provoke negativity and bad luck. If you happen to see a shooting star in the night sky it is a truly wonderful and rare experience many don’t get to see in their lifetime. Shooting stars can happen at any time of the year but are most common in the fall because two major meteor showers occur in October. A shooting star appearing from October 16-27th belong to the orionids shower.
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“Star light, star bright First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight.” Is a small poem associated with wish making on these fallen stars. If you make the wish before the star disappears you are guaranteed that your wish will come true. With it being fall the Harvest moon is coming, if it lands on Monday it is considered to be highly lucky. If you see the moon over your right shoulder the first time you view it is said to be even more so lucky.
It is rumored that if you are low on funds you should venture outdoors with wallet in hand during the full moon. Once standing in the moon’s light unfold your wallet holding it open. State the phrase “fill me up” a total of nine times, doing so can bring upon fortune to you within the following week. If you have been recently injured, take something that consists of silver out into the moonlight. Rub the silver artifact against your area of pain. This will bring upon luck of health, in due time healing the areas in which were rubbed.
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A COZY PLACE we Call Evening | 32
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If you are home alone in the evenings you might find comfort resting in your living room watching television nestled within your favorite chair. If your chair is a rocking chair think twice before just exciting the area. Always stand slowly when exciting a rocking chair making sure the chair comes to a complete stand still if you were rocking the chair. Little do many know a rocking chair has the ability to harbor very bad luck. With each swing of a rocking chair that has no person using it is beckoning evil spirits into your home to take your already worn in rocking chair spot. To avoid this make sure everyone in your household knows right away to avoid this behavior of leaving the rocking chair rocking once exiting. With winter incoming yawning will be more frequent. As human beings exposure to the cold causes us to yawn more than usual. Be very cautious and think before you yawn.
The fall time is also a time in which insects are most common to make their way into your home. You are at risk for bad luck with said insects and it is highly recommended you protect your home from the negativity that connotes with them. Spray down your home with insect repellant, traps, and alarms. If you
have any clocks in your home that haven’t been working in a while its best to get it fixed as soon as possible. If that broken clock were to suddenly chime it would indicate a future death within the family. It is very easy too, as well, in the time of the night to yawn. Yawning occurs when we are tired. It serves the body as a way to refresh it self, coursing blood flow to the brain, neck, face, and head. Yawning in the world of superstition is also the bearer of bad luck. Yawning is a sign that danger is near. If you have to yawn, always cover your mouth. If one does not cover the mouth during a yawn your soul can escape from your body alongside the yawn, simply covering your mouth can prevent this horrible event from happening.
ome Evening | 33
INSECTS If a white moth is seen in your home or seen trying to get into your home is a very negative sign, associated with a call of death. A way to avoid these moths is to hang up pennyroyal somewhere in your home. Seeing a spider in your home is also negative associated with you tripping and falling in due time. Be careful when swatting flies in your home. It is said if you kill one fly another ten flies will revisit you to mourn the death of the first fly. Instead of swatting a fly down tie a bag filled with water by every doorway in your home to keep them away. If your home has ants you can scatter cucumber on the floor. If mosquitos in your home are causing you to itch in the midst of the night you can either wear alum, or rub coal behind your ears to keep them from biting you. Bed bugs can be very serious in households. Many spend countless amounts of money and dispose of many of their personal belongs to be rid of them however if you place a bottle of ammonia in the center of your home it will repel the bed bugs out of your home. Not having bed bugs will help assure you of a peaceful and well rested sleep. Insects found outdoor of your home however, connotate more positive things. If you hear crickets chirping in the middle of the night it is a sign luck is coming your way.
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the bath Before going to bed many take a trip to the restroom. In the restroom lies mirrors and in the middle of the night lies darkness. If you have a candle lit inside of your restroom do not look at yourself in the mirror by the candlelight. It is considered highly unlucky by many to gaze into your own reflection by the small flame. Also if you were to break a mirror in the bathroom 7 years of bad luck is soon to follow. If you are not responsible for the breaking of a mirror and it was to fall on it’s own hands you bad luck as well. If a mirror were to fall and break on its own it would mean someone in the household will be soon to die. Rumor has it that if you take the shards of any broken mirror you feel like could harm your luck you should take the pieces and bury them within the earth. It has also been stated you can also reverse the consequences by running the bit of broken glass in a stream Evening | 35
BEDROOM
Evening | 36
When preparing for a nights rest it has been said by many hanging a horseshoe over the doorway to your room will bring good luck to your room. It is also said that these horseshoes can prevent bad dreams from disturbing you while you rest. Autumn is a time common for catching colds and viruses such as the flu. Chopping up an onion and placing it underneath the bed in which you rest can draw off fever and illness. This practice of using onion can also help relieve a person experiencing issues with body poisoning. If the person using onion to help with medical reasons burns the onions before placing them can have a boost in good luck alongside the medical benefits. If you place rose petals under your pillow in your dream that night you will see the person you will marry. The same thing applies to sleeping next to a slice of wedding cake. When laying down for rest it is best that you lay down with your head to the north and feet to the south. Sleeping in this fashion can help aide you in a more restful slumber, help you clear your mind, fall asleep with greater ease, and be more likely to not have negative dreams. When laying down for a nights rest, do be sure to close your blinds and curtains. It is said to be highly unlucky to sleep with the moonlight shining down on your face. If you were to sleep in this fashion, you can be face to face with your worst nightmare or see disturbing images in your sleep. It is also believed sleeping in this fashion can drive you into madness known as lunacy, or blindness. Other people claim that sleeping in this fashion can also cause you your death within the coming year.
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ENTERIN DREA Evening | 38
Finding sleep is one of the most important part of your day. Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. Sleep also, however has been spoken for many centuries of having the ability for you to come in contact with your sixth sense. The Sixth sense refers to that feeling you get when you have a hunch, instinct or intuition about something. It is also very commonly associated with psychic abilities. Many believe that through sleep we are most in contact with this extra sensory we have as human beings and it is shown through the many dreams we have.
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Avoiding nightmares and bad luck before sleeping is important, having your sixth sense thrown off could create a very negatory and unlucky future just waiting to unfold for you. Alongside sleeping with your head to the North and feet to the south, You can also acquire a Dream Catcher. Each and every dream you have has some sort of meaning to your current lifestyle. There are many dream dictionaries and what you dream has even been used by some psycologists. What you dream may seem ridiculous to you, however what you dream doesn’t always have to be taken literally. What you see in your dream can be a symbol of a current struggle bringing its attention to you or giving you warnings or even advice for future occurrences that have yet to happen.
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FENG SHUI Lucky interior designs for Fall
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LUCKY DECOR Are you living to your luckiest? Perhaps not, however, with use of proper Feng Shui you can bring peace and good fortune to your home. But What is feng shui? Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, thus good feng shui came to mean good fortune, while bad feng shui means bad luck, or misfortune. Feng shui is based on the Taoist vision and understanding of nature, particularly on the idea that the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy. The beauty of this feng shui process is that the more love you put into it, the more love you receive back. Begin exploring the ways of Feng shui to make your home beautiful, comfy, healthy, and lucky.
elements The easiest way to get your life moving by using feng shui is to bring the energy of specific feng shui colors in order to achieve the desired results. Color is very powerful, as it is an expression of light, and many, way too many homes and offices are starved for light. So, bring on vibrant light energy with beautiful feng shui colors! Each feng shui element is represented by a specific color, and color is the easiest way to use the five elements principle to bring more harmony into your home with feng shui. Knowing how to use color to strengthen and balance the energy of your home is a complex feng shui subject, but there are always basics to it.
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1980 - Monkey Metal (2/16/1980 to 2/4/1981)
1985 - Ox Wood (2/20/1985 to 2/8/1986)
1981 - Rooster Metal (2/5/1981 to 1/24/1982)
1986 - Tiger Fire (2/9/1986 to 1/28/1987)
1982 - Dog Water (1/25/1982 to 2/12/1983)
1987 - Rabbit Fire (1/29/1987 to 2/16/1988)
1983 - Pig Water (2/13/1983 to 2/1/1984)
1988 - Dragon Earth (2/17/1988 to 2/5/1989)
1984 - Rat Wood (2/2/1984 to 2/19/1985)
1989 - Snake Earth (2/6/1989 to 1/26/1990) 1990 - Horse Metal (1/27/1990 to 2/14/1991) Feng Shui | 43
COLORS red
The feng shui energy of color red is the energy of arousal. It is hot, passionate, rich and celebratory. Red is the Chinese color of luck and happiness, the marriage color in India, and the symbolic color of love and romance, courage and passion in the West. In feng shui color decorating red always signifies richness and luxury. If used too much, though, it can bring restlessness, bursts of anger and over stimulation. Better use it with caution, always easier to bring red color in your decor with details and accessories, rather than with furnishings or wall color.
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Orange
Colour orange is often called the “social” color, as it creates the feng shui energy to promote lively conversations and good times in your home. In the winter it reminds us of summertime dreams and adventures; it also resembles the cheerful flickering of deep and vibrant orange in the log fires. And, of course, the beauty of orange in all its splendour is manifested in the autumn, and you can borrow from nature’s warming colour palette to warm up your own home. Preferably place this color in the North East for spiritual growth, Southwest for love and south to increse your repetation.
Yellow
Yellow color wakes up any room like the rising sun. The feng shui color of sunlight, cheerful and uplifting yellow vibes always lighten and brighten any home or office, as well as create a cozy, welcoming feng shui feeling. Yellow colour carries the energy of Fire feng shui element in a gentler way than red and purple; it is the most enchanting of all colors, as well as easy to “live with” in bigger/larger quantities. Feng shui-wise, use strong yellow in moderation in feng shui bagua areas of East, Southeast, West and Northwest of your home, and freely in the Center, South, Southwest and Northeast areas.
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Fashion Dress for success
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fashion Wives tales We’ve all heard these bizarre old wives tales that are passed on through generations. However, following these superstitious beauty and clothing beliefs do nothing for our couture karma but are still good to know about to add a dash of fun to our lives.
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Don’t Pluck Out A Grey Hair Or 3 More Will Grow In Its Place Don’t count on it unless you have some super-naturally fast growth hormone that spurts out hair whenever you try any form of hair removal.
Don’t Give Shoes To Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend Or They Will Run Away I think it’s quite the opposite actually. Shoes being a girls biggest love, gift them to her and she’ll never let you go!
Using Your Index Finger Is Bad According to old wives tales, applying medicines, creams, makeup, etc. with your index finger will bring problems to that area and you should use your middle finger instead. I guess no one told the old grannies what the middle finger was really meant for.
Do Not Cut Your Hair Or Nails After Dark So basically, taking care of yourself and indulging in any sort of grooming and hygiene at night will bring you bad luck? I think it’s risk worth taking if it means not having dirty finger nails and hairy legs for important meetings the next morning.
Putting A Hat On Your Bed Brings Bad Luck Unless you’re a cowboy, the only fear you should have is that someone may sit on your gorgeous new hat before you head out to the derby or for that royal wedding.
Leaving Your Shoes Upside Down Is Unlucky If you’re shoe-perstitious, turn all your shoes the right way up and you’ll win the lottery perhaps. Either way, you don’t want to risk stomping on the heel of an upturned shoe do you? Ouch!
A Spider running Across Your Clothes Brings A New Set Quick, help me get hold of a hundred spiders, I want my new wardrobe stat!
Expect A Disappointment If You Drop Your Comb While Combing Your Hair The only disappointment you need to worry about is of your wig falling off with it.
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