The Precursors of Modern Superstition

    What superstitions do you observe and follow? My theatre background encouraged me to avoid saying the accursed title Macbeth backstage, and I still have trouble wishing someone “Good luck!” rather than to “Break a leg!” Some people throw spilled salt over their shoulder, others feel it ominous when a black cat crosses their path (a familiar perhaps?🤔), still others believe it’s bad luck to open an umbrella indoors. The list can go on and on - and I will certainly continue it here - with the point being that today’s modern, realistic, scientific Western society is still quite ingrained in the magical and spiritual realm. The practices are nothing new as they’ve been brewing (no pun intended) for hundreds and hundreds of years, summing up to the version of superstition and belief in magic/the occult that many people have today. 

    One of the most interesting parts of our reads in The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult was seeing the wide variety - yet overall similarity - of different folk magic that commoners have indulged in for ages. These cunning folk, perhaps aptly named if fraudulent, were fellow members of the community and their healing, seeing, and conjuring abilities was their role to play. Whether in the form of klok gumma, táltos, or benandati, they all were usually highly respected and frequently sought out by their community. 

    The first time I made a connection with the original practices and their modern-day legacy was when I read about their herbal medicine practices. While maybe I don’t believe that herbs and essential oils will be an overt cure to cancer, it surely doesn’t hurt to feel less stressed after hanging some eucalyptus in my shower or feel the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric, and many of these physical effects were well understood over 2000 years ago! What intrigued me most, however, was the associated spiritual and magical effects the same substances were believed to have. I mean, sage healing fevers? Sure. But bringing on immortality? That’s an interesting take. I wonder how many people nowadays believe in these supernatural manifestations; then again, I’ve heard of plenty other superstitions and beliefs that are a little more far out than this. My continued reading on the cunning folk in different cultures and continents got me thinking about old wives’ tales and the weight that these finicky tricks have on some people. I remember watching Cake Boss - yes you read it right - as a young teenager and seeing some of the women huddled around one who was pregnant to try to determine the sex of her baby. Tying a ring on a piece of string, they hung it over her belly and allowed it to move as it pleased; if it swung in a circle, the baby was a boy, and if it swung back and forth, the baby was a girl. (Read about other sex-determining old wives’ tales here: https://www.mybabysheartbeatbear.com/blogs/pregnancy/32-old-wives-tales-for-baby-gender-prediction) What is mainly just a fun activity for a lot of us today was hailed as truth hundreds of years ago, but I find it so intriguing that the practices have survived and, yes, thrived. 

    Beyond the magic of the cunning folk, other practitioners and specialists in magic have persevered throughout history to today’s world in popular forms. I just watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for the first time recently - a TV show about a 1950s housewife turned comedian - and even it contained several scenes of a frantic mother comically seeking the advice and knowledge of her dear friend and fortune teller Drina. I myself, hailing from the New Orleans area, have seen the strong permeation of palm readings, tarot cards, crystal balls, and Voodoo culture into tourist attractions, insofar as to set up camp in Jackson Square of the French Quarter right in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. 

    While it’s so interesting to look at the depictions of historic magic in popular media today, I think it’s even more fascinating to study the everyday, common applications and usages these beliefs have. Who would have thought that a knock on wood would protect you from a jinx or even that crossing your fingers would bring about your hope/wish? Examining them more closely makes it so much more interesting as many of these practices are so ingrained in our day to day life while others are more prominent, and we make a bigger deal out of them. Nonetheless, the encapsulating fact of the matter is that these practices have survived for centuries and centuries, and they don’t seem to be budging anytime soon.