What are signs?
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The term “sign” is derived from the verb to note. Since ancient times, people have noticed a certain pattern in a number of events. So when one phenomenon occurred, another followed, which made it possible to draw a conclusion about the relationship. If the incident was repeated and led to the same consequences, a unique forecast for the future emerged, which was firmly fixed in the memory of entire generations.
At the same time, the signs concerned not only everyday accidents, but also weather conditions, family well-being, health and other aspects of simple life. So, for example, it was believed that abundant snow cover in winter leads to a rich harvest in summer, as do spring thunderstorms, and a boy’s good appetite leads to increased performance in adulthood.
A modern person can easily explain the relationship between snow cover and high spring crop yields, or the full development of a child with a balanced diet. But our ancestors did not have a basic education, so they used only natural observation and logical thinking.
These are all prejudices!
But it’s one thing to selectively adhere to some rules. And it’s quite another thing to believe everything: don’t go there, don’t do this, don’t stand there, don’t eat that... As a result, the whole life becomes subordinated to the observance of rituals, and anxiety only increases, because it is simply impossible to do everything that superstitions tell us to do. .
Question answer
What superstitions are common in different countries? Infographics
Therefore, look for more reliable ways to get rid of anxiety: get enough sleep, walk, communicate with nice people, visit interesting places, master painting and auto training. This will allow you to become more confident and calm.
Treat signs with humor, do not take everything literally. Many of them are no longer relevant. Well, what normal person would now believe that you can’t wash your hair on Sunday - otherwise a migraine cannot be avoided, that to treat a runny nose you need to steal someone’s insole, set it on fire and smell the fumes, and to prevent sciatica, rub your bare back against... a wooden fence? !
If you are a believer, talk to a priest. Superstition is considered a sin in many religions.
Close knowledge gaps. We are always afraid of what we don't know or don't understand. So find out! For example, if you are concerned about your health, get examined, find out your weaknesses, and engage in prevention or treatment. This is more reliable than relying on signs, amulets and horoscopes.
What is superstition?
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The concept of “superstition” was formed from two parts of familiar words. “Vanity” means vanity, vain and “to believe.” Literally, the epithet can be translated as vain faith and understand that superstitions should not be taken seriously. But the memory of our ancestors does not allow it, and neither does natural caution, acting on the principle of just in case. Meanwhile, the basis for the emergence of any superstition is a false interpretation of an event that has no rational or scientific justification.
But people cannot live in uncertainty, so all incidents in the absence of a logical explanation acquire a mystical meaning for them. But humanity again cannot put up with an unidentified phenomenon even with knowledge of the consequences; the instinct of self-preservation gets in the way. Therefore, people develop a certain scheme that allows them to feel safe or solve a problem.
The most common superstitions include talismans, sacred numbers, taboos and, of course, events, for example, the same black cat or a red thread on the wrist. But who said that a harmless kitten will bring trouble or a thread will cure? However, someone has already encountered a similar situation and identified a pattern. Or rather, he considered it necessary to explain his failure or a sudden surge of strength by the influence of life’s realities.
Evil eye
Besides black cats, salt and other things, there is also a common superstition about the evil eye. If you have a suspicion that you, or your family member, for example, a child, has been jinxed, then remember: First, forget about any evil eye.
Secondly, to realize that the real troubles and sorrows that visit a person do not depend on cats and other signs, but on sinfulness, and they are the actions of the grace of God, who, through difficult situations, leads us to repentance.
Thirdly, respond to this call and enter the fence of Christ’s Church with a sincere desire to be healed of your sins. Embrace church doctrine and piety with all your heart. Have a desire to join the grace of the Church Sacraments, healing and regenerating to new life in Christ.
Can you trust signs and superstitions?
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Man cannot live outside of nature, since he is part of it. In order to survive, an individual is forced to adapt through certain methods, one of which are signs and superstitions. But if signs are a kind of folk wisdom that can really be beneficial, then superstitions, on the contrary, mislead people.
After all, at birth, God gave man free will, reason, the ability to feel and a soul. Following superstitions, the so-called “crown of nature” forgets that it is influenced not by the forces of nature, mystical trends, talismans, but by the providence of God and the will of the Creator. By performing another ritual, or elevating an ordinary pendant to the category of a talisman of good luck, a person breaks the commandments and moves away from the true faith.
There is one parable: One day people prayed for mercy and complained to God that he obliged them to perform so many rituals and follow different rules. God commanded them to appear on the hill in the morning and bring all his instructions, which so burden the common people. At dawn, many carts with mountains of books, scrolls and ritual objects filled the dais. Seeing such a picture, God replied: I gave you only 10 commandments, you came up with everything else yourself.
What about astrology?
People, especially believers, do not need to study astrology. Just like yoga, occultism, in any direction. All this is a great sin, because in this way a person comes into contact with the forces of evil, which seek not to help him, but to cause even greater harm. This practice draws a person deeper and deeper, everything is absorbed into the subconscious, and then the person involuntarily agrees with various superstitions and other things, without realizing what he is doing. If a person does not stop in time and does not repent of what he has done, then the end for him will be deplorable.
How to get rid of belief in omens and superstitions?
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Most signs are based on the experience of our ancestors and stem from the realities of their lives. But the world is no longer the same. Modern man understands the nature of the influence of climate on high productivity, as well as the relationship between the emergence of wealth and hard work, but continues to believe in the likelihood of a quarrel after an overturned salt shaker and failure when a woman meets an empty bucket.
Isn’t it easier to use logic or find a historical justification? For example, 200 years ago salt could not be bought for a few rubles in any store. Therefore, careless handling of such a valuable seasoning led to criticism. A woman with an empty bucket cannot cause trouble unless a passer-by psychologically tunes himself into the negative by remembering a well-known sign.
The situation with superstitions is much more complicated, especially if they replace true faith. Can fortune telling by runes or a black cat replace God's providence? Hardly. So why do we actively use talismans, knock on wood, spit over our left shoulder and cross our fingers for luck? Isn't it enough to simply believe in God and follow his commandments?
conclusions
After reading a little different literature about superstitions and omens, I noticed that all the authors of literature in this genre have no idea what they are talking about. They recommend completely strange actions that defy reasonable explanation.
Now there are a huge number of different sites on which you will find various superstitions and signs, how to protect yourself from them, what to do and how to “bewitch” them. But, note, practically no such site contains a warning that such a practice is dangerous and that it carries special consequences.
Whatever the sign, whatever the superstition, it is disgusting to God and contrary to His law, the second Commandment, which speaks of honoring the One God. Superstition is disgusting, because it testifies to the oblivion of the Almighty, that Faith is being exchanged for something empty and meaningless.
Cremation
Cremation is a special topic. Nowadays, society is actively discussing this custom, unconventional for Orthodoxy, of burning (cremating) the bodies of the dead. There are also a lot of speculations and superstitions around it.
This new custom for Russia, which is becoming popular due to its relative cheapness, came to us from the pagan East. Eastern religious teachings contain the idea of reincarnation (reincarnation), according to which the soul comes to earth many times, changing its bodily shells. Therefore, paganism sees in the body not the temple of the soul, but its prison. The term of stay in another prison has ended - you need to burn it and scatter the ashes to the wind.
The Orthodox Church allows cremation only under circumstances of force majeure - lack of space in cemeteries or extreme scarcity of funds for burial. All funeral prayers, including funeral services, are performed over the cremated person without changes. Before burning the body, the icon or crucifix must be removed from the coffin, but the aureole and the sheet with the prayer of permission must be left.
There is a fear among Christians that burning will inevitably condemn the deceased to hellish torment (parallels are drawn between the fire of a crematorium and the fire of Gehenna). On this score, back in the second century, Christian apologist Minucius Felix said: “We are not afraid ... of any damage in any method of burial, but we adhere to the old and better custom of interring the body.” In the book of the monk Mitrofan “How our dead live and how we will live after death” we read: “No matter how our body is destroyed, its elements are not destroyed; and for the omnipotence of God it is possible from the existing elements to resurrect the body, whether it be burned or eaten by beasts. The elements, having heard the voice of the Creator, will gather to fulfill their purpose of forming the human body; will gather in exactly the same way as the fish heard the voice of the Son of God and immediately gathered in the net, lowered into the sea by the holy apostles at the command of Jesus Christ. This is a great mystery."
It should be noted that cremation, from the point of view of the Orthodox Church, is not an edifying action; it instills despair in the soul rather than hope for resurrection. The posthumous fate of each deceased is in the hands of God and does not depend on the method of burial.
Folk signs about a broom
By the way, a broom was previously considered a magical object.
They never lent it, because if you do this, you can lose your financial well-being.
- In other words, sweep the money out of the house, even to the point of falling into debt.
The person was either refused or given as a gift.
Folk signs about jewelry
There are so many stories about jewelry that brings misfortune, especially those decorated with stones!
What about family jewels? How much grief they brought!
Some facts are reliable, others are overgrown with mystical details, but the fact remains: such stories took place.
- Esotericists, psychics and astrologers claim that precious stones - and metals too - really do not like to part with the energy of their owner.
pros
- Belief in good omens attracts good luck , because what happens to a person is what he is determined to see. Belief in habits is like parasitic words; it becomes boring and becomes unnoticeable.
- Belief in superstitions makes you “one of the people” among your surroundings , especially if you live in a small settlement. As part of any culture, a person must follow its principles in order to be “on the same wavelength.”
- Helps eliminate awkward pauses . For example, breaking a dish is good luck, or bird droppings will bring good luck. Signs help turn the situation into laughter and feel less unlucky.
- Your own signs for success , some rituals, help you tune in and do everything right. A routine aimed at success can easily become a sign of happiness.
- Closeness with ancestors . “If they believed in it, and it worked, then why am I worse?” This also concerns culture and tribute to loved ones, the traditions of the native people.
- In difficult life circumstances, signs help to cheer up and believe in a miracle. Faith in a miracle always encourages, improves your mood and makes you move on with the hope of a happy ending.
- Safety . Having noticed an unpleasant sign, a person will be more careful. There are cases when the tension created by a sign saved a life.
- Some beliefs really work : swallows fly low before rain, and before a thunderstorm the air is always stuffy and very quiet. It’s worth reading about the signs and background to understand what you can believe and what is already outdated. The same applies to superstitions. Even if they are not true, the knowledge gained will be useful somewhere.
Signs associated with salt
I think the roots of superstitions associated with salt go back to the times when salt first appeared in Rus'.
The first mention of it appeared at the beginning of the 11th century. It was very, very expensive in those days. Moreover, it was distributed in lieu of payment to the warriors for their service, and even in the 17th century, salt was given to servicemen as part of their salary.
- It was believed that if you spilled salt, a major quarrel would definitely happen. Of course, at such and such a fabulous cost!
- For the same reason, bread could not be dipped into a salt shaker.
- In addition, in ancient times, with the help of salt, magical rituals , including conspiracies, or demonic cleansing of the house was carried out. That is, in addition to nutritional value, it contained certain magical properties.
- In addition, salt crystals accumulated energy (positive at home). By borrowing salt, the owners were deprived of a certain energy force, they could get sick, luck left them, so they borrowed salt extremely rarely.
That is why, if your neighbor really has run out of salt and she runs over to you, give her a pack of salt. And if you are a thrifty person, and you don’t have an extra pack of salt, under no circumstances pass it from hand to hand. Pour it into some container and put it on the table, let the careless housewife take it herself. And be sure to ask for money.
Although I remember how in very recent Soviet times, in communal apartments, with what ease our grandmothers and mothers shared “white gold”! Either folk omens were not held in such esteem, or even knowing about the omens, no one could refuse a neighbor’s request.
Yes, food for thought.
