Superstitions and Sayings

So much folklore still remains in the common phrases and sayings of today, although the meanings are generally unknown to those who use them.  The following are just a few examples of phrases and words we use on a regular basis, often without understanding where they come from, together with a brief explanation of the meaning behind them.

If you know of more that you feel should be included on this page, please don't hesitate to drop me a line by clicking on the image below.  Please be sure, however, that these are factual and not just a good theory.

Warlock
Probably the single most misused term in the world of Pagans, witches, and magic workers; I know of only one person who uses this name and is correct to do so!  Mistaken to mean a male witch in our modern language, the origins of the word are clear in it's translation; literally "oath breaker".  Warlock was the name given to any witch (male or female) who broke their oaths by betraying fellow practitioners during the burning times in order to save their own skins.

Once in a Blue Moon
Take a look at the lunar calendar to see that this doesn't mean never, but only rarely.  The Blue Moon occurs for a brief period each year, and only once a year at the most.  Originally, the Blue Moon was the second full Moon to fall within the same month, although nowadays it is most commonly consigned to a brief period at the end of October.

Touch Wood
Wood symbolized all of Nature, and particularly a connection with the Goddess, Mother Earth.  Trees are held as especially sacred to Pagans, and vows and oaths were/are often taken in the presence of an Oak, in the belief that the tree will record the agreement taken place, and bear witness to it.  To touch wood was to connect with Nature, and to have your wishes heard.

On the Cards
Refers directly to the tarot system of divination.  To ask what was on the cards was to use the tarot to divine future, past and present events, and to see what was to unfold.

Honeymoon
Litha, the Summer Solstice, is the traditional festival day upon which to perform a handfasting.  Falling in the month of July, it also falls under the lunar month of the Honey Moon, and so the term we use today derives from the celebrations which accompanied the handfasting or wedding, together with the celebration of Litha.

Walking Under a Ladder
Stand back and take a look at the ladder propped against the wall... you will see, of course, that it forms a triangle, with the ladder comprising one side, the wall and ground comprising the other two.  Triangles are a common theme emerging in each religion and people, from the Triple Goddess, to the Holy Trinity (once father, mother, child... now sadly the patriarchal father, son, holy ghost), to the ancient pyramids of Egypt.  To walk under a ladder was to break the sacred triangle, and thus is was (and still is) believed to infer bad fortune upon the person who breaks it.

Lost your Bottle
Possibly one of the best kept public secrets within the realms of magic is that of the Witch's Bottle.  Nor am I about to break the secret, by telling of what it comprises!  But suffice to say, it is a particularly potent charm held by most practitioners of magic to afford them protection of various forms, but most commonly against direct attack (either psychic or physical).  And so, with the protection of the bottled charm, the owner is afforded a larger degree of bravery.  Without it - having, quite literally, lost their bottle - they are as vulnerable as anyone else.

Son of a Bitch
Funny, isn't it, how the meanings of words change?  Now used as an insult, just as the term "bitch" itself is used in a derogatory fashion, originally this phrase was a compliment.  The "bitch" in question refers to the Goddess in her Mother aspect and to whom, in many guises, the dog was sacred.  And so, originally, the term "Bitch" literally was to call them a Goddess, or "Son of a Bitch" to call them the son of the Goddess.  Presumably the patriarchal influence of the modernized Christian church brought about the change in implication to that of an insult, but nobody can really say for sure why it changed.