Blog post #2-Superstitions: A wish for control in a chaotic world

Most people tend to have a least a few superstitions. Maybe you wear your lucky socks on game day to boost your chances of winning. Or perhaps you feel wary walking under ladders or opening up an umbrella indoors. Have you ever wondered why we create correlations like this? Superstitions have two main causes, cultural traditions, and individual experiences. Superstitions have often been found to be connected to pagan or religious beliefs of the past. They weren't created because our ancestors were unknowledgeable, but rather, because they needed something to anchor their choices in a manner that would perceivably give them more control. They often had little control over their survival outcomes so by believing in objects or rituals they were able to feel more secure about their situation. Performing rituals also soothed anxiety which inadvertently would allow people to perform better at their tasks (placebo effect) and thus keep the beliefs going. Below is a list of  some common superstitions and their perceived origins:

The number 13: In Christian and Norse traditions, the 13th guest at a table brings down the whole group.

Spilling salt/Throwing salt: Salt has traditionally been thought to carry spiritual energy. Salt used to be so valuable that it could be used as currency, so wasting salt has been seen as a sin. Spilling such a valuable mineral was an invitation for chaos. Throwing it over your left shoulder was thought to undo the bad luck and was sometimes viewed as being able to blind the devil.

Black cats: Black cats that crossed your path were seen as unlucky because of their associations with being a witch's familiar and therefore evil.

Rabbit's foot: In European and African traditions body parts took on powerful symbolism. The Europeans believed witches could transform into animals (including rabbits) and a rabbit's foot would represent a dead witch. There was also a more taboo method of using human body parts as talismans. By using a rabbit's foot with dirt from a sinner's grave (or killed on a sinner's grave) instead, the talisman could have similar power without hurting any humans. It was believed that evil objects would scare evil away. In all of these cases, the rabbit's foot takes on or embodies evil energy that then becomes seen as lucky due to its power to scare away evil.

Breaking a mirror: In the American South, it was believed that mirrors did more than reflect your image. They were also seen as capturing a piece of your soul. When someone died they would cover the mirror to ensure that their soul wasn't trapped inside. When you break a mirror it's more than creating a mess, it's seen as rupturing a piece of your very soul, and a bad omen for the future.