I knew a man who would not conduct business on unlucky days… And so,
his business was never done.
- allegedly, XVIIIth century book on superstition
Yes, I actually do own a black cat statuette. Don't ask.
It’s Friday the thirteenth and a black cat crossed my path as I was going shopping. Although I’m not really all that concerned about this, because a) I’ve never had any trouble either on Friday the thirteenth or as a result of Cat Crossing*, and b) the cat had white paws so I’m not sure whether it counts.
Anyway, the weather was so wonderful for the last few days that it’ll take much more than just some jinxing to worsen my mood. I’m not even angry at my unfaithful muse any more. Besides, I’ve been talking with a good friend of mine recently and, as she pointed out, muses are an Ancient Greek idea, so naturally they will not be good at helping women, coming from a rather… macho oriented culture. They did a good job inspiring men and Sappho, so there you are. Case in point.
I’m seriously thinking of launching a “Male Muse Project”, to establish an alternative for all of us who prefer besandalled, sheet-clad young men. We could choose the domains they’re supposed to inspire creativity in (I mean, seriously, a muse of astronomy? Doesn’t it suggest they made it all up?), some well-fitting and very symbolic attributes, and some suitably looking guys. If other people invent new gods, why not new muses? Let me know what You think.
Back on our supposedly-unlucky topic, I really do not think there is anything to worry about. A quick search on the web will show You that people aren’t really sure even why is this supposed to be an unlucky day. But if You’re feeling a bit… unsure about things, and think You could use something to tip the odds (or just Your mood) in Your favour, there are, as usual, Herbs That Can Help.
Magic for luck
For luck and prosperity of any kind, spices that carry a connotation of wealth are often used. However, this varies – as it always does – according Your personal experience. If any of those have some negative significance for You (a bad memory associated with the smell, for example), don’t use it. Accordingly, if any other ingredient not typically seen as appropriate does seem that way to you, for whatever reason, use it instead.
Ingredients
Herbs commonly used for luck spells include:
Other ingredients You might find useful:
- Chocolate
- Honey
- Oil (all kinds, the more expensive the better)
- Silver (silver chain for a talisman, for example)
Preparation
There are a few different ways You can go about using them if You need an extra bit of luck. The easiest an most common method is to make a witch bag, a small pouch filled with chosen herbs that is carried in Your private possessions as a talisman. A more complicated, but more satisfactory way is to make an oil infusion, with the oil carried in a small vial or flask, similarly to the pouch (I’ll write more on these talismans in the near future. Sorry for going backwards about this).
However, my favourite good luck spell is the simplest and most pleasurable one : spiced cocoa. Why limit ourselves to some symbolic actions when we can palpably do something good for ourselves? This is a very simple recipe, and can be done both hot and cold.
Just take some cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg (a good proportion is 3:1:1) and grind them all together in a mortar. Remember, this is a meditative, ritual activity. Think about what You are doing and why, not about what the boss said yesterday. Mix the resulting powder with cocoa and some honey (or sugar, or just cocoa if You’re using a ready-made drink, but I advise against that) and prepare the drink as usual. You can add some whipped cream to make it even better and to symbolise wealth and prosperity. Then drink it.
Seeing as cocoa has been medically proven to have anti-depressant properties, is an ingredient for luck, and is delicious, this will help You on so many levels. And it’s not even all that hard on the figure!
ΦΦΦ
* That is to say, as a result of a cat crossing my path. I did have some problems once when I crossed my aunt’s rather touchy cat, meaning that I made her angry. The cat, not the aunt.
Just sharing this nicely done and very helpful poster, found on Charming Italy. It’s a clear, very comprehensible, visual guide to all the different kinds of pasta a lover of Italian cuisine might bump into.
