| Nov 30, 2006 @ 5:08 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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Thor1960303
Posts: 3,345
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Are you superstitious?Many superstitions persist,not in the form of actual beliefs but in how some people feel about certain things.These feelings have filtered through the ages fromgeneration to generation.Someone's aversion to cats for example can be traced back to the days when people believed cats to be witch's familairs and in league with the Devil.Some cat haters today will even tell you that they still believe cats to be minions of Satan.
My mom for example had all of these superstitions about snakes.She used to tell all of these old wive's tales about the dreaded "coachwhip snake" that could beat you to death and then stick it's tail up your nose to see if you were still breathing.If you were the beating continued.Then there was the "Joint snake".You dare not chop it in half or after sundown it would re connect and come looking for your ass.
If my mom saw a snake in the yard,regardless of what kind,she would chop it up with a shovel,burn the remains and bury the ashes.No amount of textbook reading or scientific evidence would convince her that snakes weren't absolute pure evil.
Growing up,I made it a point NOT to have unjustified fears of things like that,so I made it a point to study such and learn the facts.I'm not big on keeping snakes for pets,although I wouldn't mind an Iguana lizard.Snakes are quite fascinating ,though,I'll leave them to professional herpitologists to handle.
Do you have superstition or irrational phobia or prejudice that persists in spite of the fact that it's the 21st century?
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 5:56 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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SunBabe
Posts: 12,279
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I didn't grow up with ANY superstitions or "old wives tales". I learned very early to keep my mouth shut, though (which has since reversed itself  ) because I realized that people truly DID believe these things 
Being the person that I am now, I'm often the spoilsport who posts links to "urban legends/snopes/etc"...if something doesn't sound logical, a lot of times it isn't.
BUT I've often been delightfully suprised! I found out, in one of my herbals, the reason why witches were so fond of frogs in their brews: certain frogs exude an hallucinogenic through their skin...if you rub one of these frogs on your broomstick, you'll at least BELIEVE you are flying! 
omg, I'll never forget a dear old lady telling me that when you have kids that you can't have a cat -- it'll suck the baby's breath away No explaination about SIDS (crib death) or a cat possibly SLEEPING on a baby (maybe after licking drool or dribbled milk), accidently smothering it, would convince her otherwise. I at least assured her my cat would NOT be allowed in the bassinet...the baby and the cat survived. 
(I never went into asthma, allergies or other diseases. All I know is that cats and people have been co-existing for thousands of years and civilization hasn't died out yet)
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 6:07 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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Jankia
Posts: 11,912
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If "old wives tales" are superstitions than I am.Black cats and walking under a ladder I dont pay attention to but do knock on wood occasionally.
Some are proven true.
If you see seagulls on the highland it does mean alot of rain due shortly.
A whirlwind does mean dry weather for the next six days.
If you catch a Musky and touch it you wont catch any other type of fish for awhile besides Northern Pike.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 7:40 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,629
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If my mom saw a snake in the yard,regardless of what kind,she would chop it up with a shovel,burn the remains and bury the ashes.No amount of textbook reading or scientific evidence would convince her that snakes weren't absolute pure evil.
Are we related? Sounds like my mother too,
I still don't open an umbrella inside, put a hat on a bed, plus if I spill salt I throw some over my left shoulder. Why? I don't know.
I love black cats, and instead of the frog thing, try some foxglove flowers..  
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 7:58 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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fayblack
Posts: 2,828
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My parents once hosted a dinner for some family friends who had returned to the island for a holiday but it was for the "grown ups" so after the introductions and cheek pulling (my, you have grown so much!), my brothers and I were dismissed. Just as I was settling down to watch whatever the sitcom on TV was, my grandmother rushed into the room telling me I had to join them for dinner otherwise she could not eat! When I got to the dinner table I realised that it was because without me, there would have been 13!! 
Also she hated to see me where green or black, why I don't know but it had something to do with a superstition.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 8:09 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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redhairNfreckles
Posts: 4,698
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Katt, me too about not opening an umbrella inside, but I still would if the roof leaked over where I was sitting! Another superstition I have adopted from some of my Cherokee friends back up in NC. Something bad will happen soon if a screech owl is heard very nearby your house. The only two times I ever heard one was in the maple tree right outside my front door in my home in NC. The first time was a couple of nights before my husband of 30 years walked out on me, and the other time was the night before my mother passed away in '03.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 8:21 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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warrior674
Posts: 6,580
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Me superstitious?
Never have been. 
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 8:24 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,619
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Mostly I don't take superstitions seriously (except for knocking on my head when appropriate to 'touch wood'), but if I was looking for a fib to get out of doing something (okay, like going to work) I would NEVER say that one of my kids was sick. And unfortunately I'm really good at auto-suggestion...if I said that I had a cold, or anything like that, sure enough the symptoms would appear right on schedule. Probably why hypnosis worked for me in quitting smoking - things even out.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 8:30 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,629
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Bringing salt into a house before anything else. Sprinkling it around and then sweeping it out the front door. I have never sprinled it around, but my mother and grandmother have.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 9:46 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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robodad
Posts: 7,823
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Isn't it bad luck to say that you're superstitious?
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 10:24 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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Thanglhrly
Posts: 1,720
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It is supposed to be bad luck to break a mirror. I must be doomed........broke two within 3 days, last week!!
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 10:43 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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Empath
Posts: 5,288
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I always chose to believe that superstitions were made up by mothers trying to keep their kids 'in line'. 
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 10:48 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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Jankia
Posts: 11,912
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The good thing about breaking a mirror is that it gives you something to blame all your bad luck on for the next seven years.
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| Nov 30, 2006 @ 11:36 PM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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Earl47
Posts: 1,552
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Speaking of being superstitions...I am not. But for some reason all my birthdays until age 44 back then were bad days!!!!!!!!! But it stopped.
Always this is no joke!!!! I'll swear to it!!
Heard the one where a cat can suck the breath out of a baby??
Well this is for REAL, of what happened to me. In 1998 my wife had a cat that for some reason looked at me with that hate look, and would avoind me.
One night i was asleep, and almost dies, i'm serious!!! I felt a cats head shoved all the way to the back of my throat, and almost dies from smothering me!!! It woke me, and i saw this!! i quickly yanked that cat out of the back orf my throat, and it left.
I never mistreated this cat, but it just chose to be around my exwife back then, also note, i love animals, and yes, i have had cats i love. So for a 44 year old man to nearly die, folks, i'm forced to now believe a cat can suck the breath out of a baby....Earl
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 12:30 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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PullMyFinger
Posts: 967
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ROFLMAO!!!!
Dude...I almost choked to death.....too friggen funny. I'm sorry if I'm laughing at your personal almost tragedy....but man.....
One night i was asleep, and almost dies, i'm serious!!! I felt a cats head shoved all the way to the back of my throat, and almost dies from smothering me!!! It woke me, and i saw this!! i quickly yanked that cat out of the back orf my throat, and it left.
If this is the truth....I'm glad you made it...lol...if it isn't, that was brilliant....
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 12:33 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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redhairNfreckles
Posts: 4,698
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Earl, maybe he was just playing with your Uvula...... 
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 12:52 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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Earl47
Posts: 1,552
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Me having the strenth to pull that thing out of my throat, took strength, this is no joke!!!! But imagine had that been a infante they was a week old, think about that!!! That thing was actually using vaccum!!! Now would a week old baby have been able to pull that thing out of it's throat??? NO!!! Because i remeber it took a grabbing of the cat, and it took darned force!!! Action of fact, is fact!! It happened!!.....Earl
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 12:54 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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TRS1958
Posts: 481
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Yep, I've always heard that too Earl...never let a cat around an infant unsupervised.
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 1:01 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist
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redhairNfreckles
Posts: 4,698
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That thing was actually using vaccum!!! You mean there was room in your mouth for a Hoover??
(just messin wiff ya....  )
Edited to add: I believe you Earl
[Edited on 12/1/2006 1:06 AM]
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| Dec 1, 2006 @ 1:02 AM |
Superstitions and how they persist |
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Earl47
Posts: 1,552
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First of people, i am not a superstion type of a person, but i swear this happened, it happened!!!! And i remember how i had to grab that cats sides, and pull hard!!!!!!!!! It had vacuum!!!...There is no way a week old child would have survived that!! I was not dreaming, but my lungs were sucked out completely, and it being in the back of my throat, i couldn't breath through my nose either, people that happened!!!!
Forget about me, but people please, if you have children, put dead bolts on their door, the two way types that don't require a key. I am a witness of this, and it happened!!! ....Earl
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