Field Guide to Luck by Alys R. Yablon
How to Use and Interpret Charms, Signs, and Superstitions
Jan 2, 2009
What's the story behind Maneki Neko, the shiny white cat statue that greets visitors at shops in Chinatowns everywhere? Why were the Egyptians so into scarabs? Where does nazar boncugu, or the evil eye bead, come from? In this colorful little guidebook, Alys R. Yablon explains the meanings and origins of scores of signs and practices that relate to fortune and luck.
Fortunes: Luck and Money
Luck and money go hand in hand. The word fortune, for example, can mean lucky, as in, "I am fortunate to have good friends." But it also refers to wealth, as in, "I'm making a fortune at my job." The Roman goddess Fortuna, Yablon explains, was the original Lady Luck. A transformation of Fortuna and her wheel, which tells a man's destiny, today's Lady Luck allegedly helps gamblers' chances of winning.
Maneki Neko, the white cat statue often seen at shop entrances, is also known as the Money Cat. The literal translation from Japanese, says Yablon, is "beckoning cat." Depending on which paw is raised, the feline is meant to draw money or customers. He comes from Edo period Japan, when a tortoiseshell temple cat saved a rich man's life by appearing to beckon him. The man went to the cat, and lightning struck where he had just stood. He was saved!
More Fortunes: Destiny and Fate
Fortune connotes destiny as well as money. Fortuna is the goddess of both fertility and fate. The back cover of the Field Guide to Luck sums it up succinctly in big red letters: "Take Control of Your Destiny!" Runes, the I Ching and tarot cards are all methods of predicting one's fate: what is occurring in one's life, or will occur. Using divination techniques, the questioner can learn more about his situation and act accordingly.
Hidden information can be mined with the help of psychics and fortune tellers, too. These people are skilled at reading and interpreting signs via extrasensory perception, communication with spirits, and telepathy. Yablon explains that people with psychic abilities often use the zodiac, tarot cards, and other methods to make predictions.
Lucky Charms, Amulets, and Talismans
Yablon says that the concept of the evil eye originates in the Middle East and Mediterranean. People today still believe in the evil eye curse, and are especially wary of those with blue eyes. Nazar boncugu are glass beads made in Turkey. Wearing one is supposed to ward off the evil eye. Many believe that babies are particularly susceptible to the spell, and this is why Turkish parents put evil-eye necklaces on them, says Yablon.
Egyptians believed that scarab necklaces protected the wearer and brought him good luck. The scarab was worshipped as a god. Other talismans seem to be recognized by many cultures. Red string bracelets are connected with Jewish mysticism. But the Chinese believe the color red is good luck, too, and practitioners of feng shui use red strings to hang crystals.
Alys R. Yablon's Field Guide to Luck is an introduction to charms and superstitious beliefs across cultures. Four-leaf clovers, the revered Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the Laughing Buddha, fish, eggs, and black cats are all covered. The Field Guide to Luck first describes the belief and then gives its origins, variations, and common uses. Reading about the beliefs offers a window onto one's own culture, as well as others.
Alys R. Yablon, Field Guide to Luck: How to Use and Interpret Charms, Signs, and Superstitions. Quirk Books, 2008. ISBN: 1594742170
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