Good Luck Symbols, Charms and Totems You May Be Overlooking

Everybody knows that the foot of a rabbit provides good luck while an entire cat colored black crossing in front of you is bad medicine. You know better than to walk under ladders, not pick up a four leaf clover allow the groom to see the bride before the ceremony on the day on the day of wedding. But did you also know that an entire world of omens and tokens exist out there that may be causing your lucky streak or your year of living dangerously?

Red String

If you know anything at all about the mystic Jewish Kabbalah sect, it is likely you know of it from being practiced by Madonna. A piece of red string worn wrapped around the wrist like a bracelet harkens back to a fertility rite associated with the Biblical matriarch Rachel. What was originally a practice designed to ensure safety during pregnancy has evolved over time to become a means of warding off bad fate coming your way as a victim of evil eye.

Hollow Gourd

This totem of good luck traces back to Buddhism and Taoism. One good thing about this lucky totem is that it has a utilitarian purpose as well. Hollow out a gourd of any kind, but squash seems to work best, and it can be used for many daily items, depending on how you go about the carving. Pick your gourd according to purpose that can range from a scooping bowl to a decorative vase. The latter is a central component of Feng Shui. Utility, the hollowed gourd is said to ensure a long and happy life.

Money Cat (Maneki Neko)

The money cat, as you can probably guess, is a good luck symbol given to Western culture from the good folks in Japan. Look for a small porcelain or ceramic figure, but not just any cat will do. To qualify for maneki neko and in order to bring you good luck, the little figure must be situated as if summoning you: at least one raised paw. Legends are indicative of a history that involves a poor man, a lightning strike and sudden wealth. Look closely at the cat to find a fashion accessory such a bib, collar or bell around the neck from which hangs a coin. Some cats may sport only the coin.

Acorn

All those acorns covering all those yards and you never knew the little thing had the power to impart good luck that covers everything from acquiring wealth to finding your one true love. Even the Norse god Thor gets in on the legend of the luck of the acorn thanks to a tale in which his patience to wait out the danger of an electrical storm beneath an oak tree resulted in the practice of using the little baby oak trees to protect the home against lightning. That old saying “from little acorns do mighty oaks grow” appears to be the foundation upon which a tradition of the acorn bestowing good luck upon those with great patience built upon.