Sunday, July 11, 2010

Good Luck Charms That Really Work

Good Luck Charms That Really Work

51
rate or flag this page

By wavechild


Luck.  Is it real or isn't it?  Is it something that happens to us, or do we create our own luck?  Do some people have good luck, while others are doomed to a sad life because they were born under a bad sign?  Or is luck just a product of our thoughts- think positive, and you'll have good luck?  People have pondered this throughout the centuries.  Or perhaps people have taken for granted the existence of luck, and only recently have we begun to question the concept in our jettisoning of superstition and silly beliefs.  However, I believe it would be silly to just outrigth dismiss the concept of luck.  Even some superstitions may be based on reality, or seem to work to produce a desired effect even if it defies common sense.  Certainly, a large amount of "luck" is made.  Take the truth of the idea that the way to become lucky is through hard work.  I think that's a healthy approach to the idea of luck.  If you can make your own, more power to you.  If you need the assistance of certain objects believed to be endowed with that often elusive thing known as luck, I say why not?  Who knows if they work or not.  As long as you don't depend on them to create miracles, I don't see any harm in using a rabbit's foot to make you feel better (well, okay, rabbit's feet needed to be cut off a dead rabbit, which is pretty harmful- I advise against using such sacrificial charms for luck).  The best relationship to have with a good luck charm is one of respect.  If an object can give you a feeling of safety and help, then it probably will help to bring good things into your life.


The Indian Swastik, infinitely more positive than the co-opted Nazi one.
The Indian Swastik, infinitely more positive than the co-opted Nazi one.

What Makes a Thing Lucky?

Many of our classic good luck charms are based on finding something hard to find.  This scarcity makes it special.  Take the four leaf clover.  Despite a few occasions of having tried to find a four leaf clover in a sea of three leaved ones, I can't remember if I have ever actually found a clover with four leaves.  This has gotten to the point where I wonder if they even exist.  Because they seem so rare-mystical, even, I know that if I ever did find a four leaf clover, I would be sure it was my lucky day and that good things were coming my way.  Now, that would be the fun, lucky part of me thinking this.  The rational part of me would be able to rationalize it away, saying "Yeah, so they're real.  Big Whup.  Doesn't mean a thing".  But the kick I would get from finding the real deal would make me feel lucky nonetheless, and there's a lot of evidence out there to suggest that how we feel and how we think create our realities. 
Some good luck charms in this category transcend luck and go into the realm of the spiritual- just think of the faces of the Virgin Mary people find in their breakfast rolls- the mother of all Italian good luck charms.  You could easily say it's just a random pattern, but could you not also say that it's a mystery unexplained?
 

Personally, I believe more in energy and its cultivation than looking at things as "good" or "bad". Having an upbeat attitude and a clear mind seem like a better strategy for making things go your way. This requires going into oneself and accessing the power from within. I think good luck charms mainly serve as helpers and reminders of the importance of being connected to our deeper selves. That's why there's such a huge variety of good luck charms from around the world, and even within cultures. The number "4" is considered highly unlucky to the Chinese and Japanese because it sounds like the word for 'death' in those countries, but in Thailand it is a lucky number. You're not going to see any Japanese good luck charms featuring the number four, or even four of an object. Many Native Americans also hold the number 4 to be sacred, as it represents the four directions. A lot of times, luck has more to do with attitudes. Death is a natural event- is it better to be afraid of it and forestall it at all costs, or to learn to face and accept it? Chinese good luck charms are interesting because they are so common in the culture and many people don't think twice about using them, unconcerned if they appear to be superstitious. If you consider charms by sheer numbers, Chinese people should be really lucky, right? Well, how does the reality bear this out? You'll have to make your own decisions, but let me save you some work and tell you that this is something that will be hard to determine.  But I do believe that those people who use the charms more as inspiration for doing things rather than relying on them to produce results FOR them will have charms that work;)

Because a good luck charm doesn't really have to be anything specific, meaning it's usually not an object that is important but the perception and use of it, charms that are personal can often work the best.  Such charms are often imbued with stronger meanings for the owner.  They are objects that have had work put into them.  Some people believe that objects can take on energy, and personal good luck charms may have had prayer and wished directed at them constantly, taking on good vibes.  It doesn't seem so far fetched when you consider how you can enter a room and feel its energy, even if there's nothing visibly indicating what usually takes place there or what happened there.  Almost any good luck charm will work if it's the right one for you- good luck in developing your own healthy relationship with luck!
  

Links

  • Chinese Rugs
    Compared to rugs from the other great rug making traditions of the world, such as Persia, Turkey, and even the Southwestern United States, Chinese rugs tend to not be as immediately appealing to most...
  • Types of Flowers that are Both Beautiful and Useful
    Flowers are one of the greatest things we have in the world. They give us beauty, brightening up any place with their cheerful and dignified presence. They announce the changing of seasons, greeting us...
  • French Quotes
    The French language is considered by many to be the pinnacle of beauty. As support for this opinion, they cite things like its sensuality, its poetry, and all the cultural associations that go with the...

Comments

Good Luck Charm 13 hours ago

a four leaf clover is good luck and lucky

wavechild profile image

wavechild 5 hours ago

Lucky like you, Good Luck Charm?


Posted via email from fourleafclovergoodluckcharms's posterous