A very random post

[badseed1980]

Do any of you have any things that to you, are symbolic of something, or are good luck, or something like that, even though there's no logical or lore-related reason for that association?

For example, here are some of mine:

The number 44 is my lucky number. I like 13 because it's traditionally considered BAD luck. I like 42 because it's, well, the Answer. But 44 has no particular significance *with which I am familiar*, but I still consider it lucky. Oddly, so does my dad, and I didn't know that until I told him about my feelings on the number, and he said, "that's always been my lucky number too"!

Frogs and toads and their images are symbols of good luck for me. Have been for at least 15 years, probably more, though I don't know why. When my...first cousin once removed?...gave me a little brass toad for my birthday a couple years ago, I was delighted. Now when I need a little extra luck, I give the little toad a kiss or a pet. No, I do not lick the toad.

Bees! Bees--and in this context, I most often think of them specifically as bumblebees--are to me a symbol of happiness. They always make me smile. Especially the ridiculously huge and fuzzy ones. I wonder if this is because of the fact that things that smell of honey and beeswax are instant mood-lifters for me. Or if it's the other way around. But I feel like I need a bumblebee charm of some kind, maybe, for when I'm sad. Even the word "bumblebee" makes me smile. I love the way they're used as a symbol of joy and all good things in Stephen King's Black House.

So what about you? What are your irrational symbols?

Comments

[inathunderstorm.livejournal.com]

Skulls are mine :D

And any sort of dancing/drinking skeleton.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

Dolphins. I used to go to Ft. Lauderdale every Thanksgiving as a kid to visit family, and we'd go to the local aquarium where you could pet dolphins and feed them fish. It alwasy felt as though they were happy to see me back every year :-)...they still give me a sense of peace and joy and welcome whenever I see them.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Whales! I forgot whales. I feel the same way about whales that you do about dolphins.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

trees. rocks. raccoons. And I don't consider any of that "irrational." :-)

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

By "irrational", I just mean that you don't have a real REASON for the significance you attach to them.

[reckless-saturn.livejournal.com]

Bird poop on the wind shield of my car. My family and all of my friends call me Bird. The only people that call me by my given name, Bridget, are the friends that I have made in the past couple of years, so really anything associated with birds is a good omen in my book. But whenever I ask the universe for a positive sign I end up with bird poop on my wind shield. It makes me laugh.

I also associate turtles, dragonflies, turkey buzzards, hawks, deer and bald eagles as harbingers of luck, magic, and as a sign from spirit. Crows too, but lots of different religions and schools of spirituality would have the same association so I guess there is lore related to those animals.

One of my prize possession is a meteorite that my friend found out in the desert of New Mexico. It is something that I would grab if my house caught fire. Whenever I hold it I get this deep feeling of peace and calm. It complete centers me. But I suppose that most people would associate luck and/or magic with a piece of meteorite??? So I am not sure it is all that odd of an association to have. I do believe that it does take a certain person, most of my friends, to think that a rock is valuable. Or at least that has been my experience.

The number 11 has always been lucky to me. I don't know anything about numerology, so it might already be considered a lucky number?? I also think that combination of the numbers 1-2-1-2 is lucky.

This is an interesting questions- you got me thinking. I am interested to see what other people have to say.

I am now thinking about my reaction to bumble bess- now that I think about it when I see a bumblebee they do make me smile. I can totally see how you could see them as a symbol of happiness. I think that when it comes time to research insects in my biology class that I am going to ask if I can research the bumble bee.

Also I know that toads are associated with luck in the Chinese daoist culture, but I think in our culture that most people have a negative association with them. If you like frogs and toads I would suggest reading the book Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tim Robbins. It has a ton of stuff about the mythology of frogs. Its a great book.

Wow sorry about that lengthy response. I am suppose to be writing a paper about the anatomy and physiology of the ear and I am sorry to take my procrastination out on you. I blame the ADD!!!

[leenah.livejournal.com]

the numbers 9 and 13. my wedding day was the 13th of june, chosen on purpose. and yeah, i'm not married, but it's not due to the date. my wedding was the best party i have EVER attended.

representations of teacups and chairs. they make me very happy. i may not have an animal totem at all, thinking on it a bit. my totems are teacups and chairs.

my charlotte icon. i remember to smile when i see it. smile, and be happy, but to not forget to be snarky.

linden trees. trees in general. boxwood.

some of these are logical in the sense of 'i experienced good things w/ them' so they remind me of good things. linden and boxwood are excellent examples of that.

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

Well, the frogs make perfect sense for you, if you buy the connection between Hekate and the Egyptian Heket, who is strongly associated with frogs. And frogs and toads are lucky in lots of places, Asian cultures especially.

I consider bees a strong symbol of abundance, community, etc... but bumblebees make so little honey, I'm not sure about the association to honey and beeswax.

I've always felt that way about pinecones. And acorns, I suppose. Mind you, I have plenty of religious associations for both, so I have no trouble justifying.

And because of the oak tree on them, I have... decided, I suppose... that Connecticut quarters are magical, and I cull them out from the rest of my money and keep them in the chest that is Hades' shrine on my shelf. They're His. I borrow some when I need to do money magic, or give a token of wealth or abundance as part of a gift, or a coin as a magical offering of some kind. But they're His. It's entirely an arbitrary designation on my part (considering that there are coins with maple trees, and diamonds, and horses, and all other manner of wealth symbolism, and gold coins now with bountiful corn fields on the back), but that's my agreement with Him, so that's how it is for me.

[macropixi.livejournal.com]

Skunks are almost a totem animal for me. And Bees remind me of my paternal grandfather. He died the month after I was born