Superstition of the Week - Crossroads

Crossroads

According to one of our favorite Supernatural episodes, this is where you can go to conjure up demons to bargain your soul with the devil for fame, fortune, love or to protect your younger sibling from going to hell, as it tends to happen.

The reason crossroads make such a good story line is their history goes back thousands of years to Greek and Roman mythology. Artemis, a Greek goddess, and Diana, a Roman goddess, were associated with the moon, but often they were mistaken for Hecate, goddess of the night and protector of witches and Hades, who was associated with sorcery and witchcraft.

Hecate was regularly used in invoking magical rites and statues of her and Artemis were placed at crossroads. Some of these statues had 3 faces, Artemis, Demeter, and Hecate, depicting the three stages of the Triple Goddess, maiden, mother, and crone. Also because of the three heads, they could look in 3 directions simultaneously, which was thought to be handy when at a crossroads. Because of this, it was believed that witches and the dead would gathered there. Of course on the other hand, Christians considered crossroads to be evil places and avoided them if at all possible.

After time though, the original reasons for this belief were gradually forgotten and new superstitions surfaced. An interesting one was that people felt the crossroads would confuse the soul of anyone buried there, making it impossible for the spirit to find its way back home. Thus if folks did not wanted to be haunted by the individual they would bury them at the crossroads. To further prevent the soul from wandering back home, a stake would be driven through their hearts to ensure no part of them could ever leave the crossroads.

Hmmm, a little Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues anyone?

Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Textile Designer

Okay technically not a Raven, but we love crows too and cool wallpaper.
Black Crow Studios.

Superstition of the Week - Silverware

Silverware

• If two teaspoons are accidentally put in the same cup it is believed that a forth coming marriage is in the making.
• If two knives get crossed it is a sign there will be an argument and some even see it as an omen of death. To avoid this, the bottom knife should be removed before the top one.
• Finally, if you don’t want company be careful not to drop your silverware. A dropped knife indicates a man will soon be visiting, a drop fork means a women and a spoon means a baby will soon be arriving.

Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Posters

It gets even better because all posters are 40% off through this Friday at the

All Us All the Time Zazzle Store,

Code: BTSRULEPRINT.

Superstition of the Week - Friday the 13th

TGIF!!! Oh no wait a minute, it is Friday the 13th. Well darn, now I am torn. Should I be elated the weekend is almost here, or paralyzed in infinite fear of the dark sinister forces lurking around every corner seeking out prey (perhaps me, okay, probably me) to wreck their devious havoc on? How does one of the most looked forward to days of the week turn to doomsday when if falls on that particular number?

It turns out that both Friday and the number 13 have gotten a bad wrap throughout history. Unfortunately for 13, it is partly due to the fact that we humans tend to tire after 12. In school they tend to stop at 12 in their multiplication tables, there are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus. Adding 1 to 12, please, scary stuff.

There is also a Norse myth attached to the superstition of the number 13. Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla, their heaven. The god of mischief, Loki, was excluded from the guest list, but came anyway, bringing the dinner party to a total of 13. Loki then proceeded to provoke Hoder, the blind god of winter, to shoot Balder, god of joy and gladness. Balder died instantly cloaking the earth in darkness. Don’t you hate it when that happens at your dinner parties? The Hindus also believed the gathering of 13 people in one place was unlucky and in ancient Rome it was said that witches gathered in groups of 12 with the devil. Then later in history the superstition associated itself with the Last Supper of Jesus and the 12 disciples.

Now interestingly, in ancient goddess-worshipping cultures 13 was considered a lucky number because it corresponded to the number of lunar cycles in a year. However, according to some historians, 13 got a bad rep among early Christian patriarchs because it represented femininity. Hmmm....

Friday also ended up on the wrong side of Christianity, mainly because it is believed that Jesus was crucified on that day. But some historians have dated the superstition back to yet again Norse mythology and the sacrifices made to the goddess Frigg, goddess of marriage and fertility, or Freya, goddess of sex and fertility. Their emblem was the fish, which was associated with worship of love that was offered by the Scandinavians to their goddess on the sixth day of the week, Friday. With Christianity this act was considered indecent and Freya was recast as a witch in folklore. During the Middle Ages, Friday was known as the Witches’ Sabbath.

Then it appeared that early Christians started attributing about everything bad to Friday such as Eve offering Adam the apple, Abel killing Cain, the stoning of St. Stephen and the Great Flood. Oh, another little interesting tidbit, it is said that in Britain Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and how many steps supposedly led up to the noose, yep, 13.

Thus when you put the two together, Friday the 13th, you can see why it is not exactly seen as your sunshiny day. The Knights of Templar found this out on Friday, October 13, 1307, when King Philip IV of France ordered their torture and execution.

But really, I am sure there is nothing to worry about today, it is just a superstition, right? Now did I just see something peaking around the corner...?

Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Hood Ornament

Hood Ornament from A & L Home

Retro Superstition of the Week - Bees

BEES

• If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.
  

• A swarm of bees settling on a roof is an omen that the house will burn down.

Previously posted 3/20/09

Cool Stuff We Found Ravens On - Photoshop Brushes

PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES

Crow and Raven Brushes by dollieflesh-stock from Deviant Art

Raven Brushes by flodelys-stock from Brush Pattern