Popular Superstitions
Superstitions shape how we interpret space, energy and unseen influence. We begin with Home Superstitions, anchoring domestic protection, then move through Knives, Health and Clothing, where objects and rituals guard vitality and identity. Animals act as messengers, Weather reflects emotional and divine signals, and Thresholds mark spiritual crossings. Love reveals emotional fate, Luck guides flow, and Symbolic Footing grounds movement and intent. We arrive at Dream Omens, where subconscious symbols offer insight beyond waking logic.
🏠 Home Superstitions:
• A broken mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck. This comes from the old belief that mirrors reflect your soul and breaking one damages your spiritual image.
• Opening an umbrella indoors is considered unlucky. It’s said to break the protective energy around you and invite misfortune. In symbolic readings, it can also represent shielding yourself too early or disrupting natural timing.
• Putting new shoes on the table is a strong omen of bad luck. In older traditions, it was linked to death rites and disrespect. In romantic readings, it can also signal a shift in emotional direction or a new path opening.
• Placing a broom upside down near the door is believed to send unwanted visitors packing. It’s used to shift the energy of a space and clear lingering tension.
• Sprinkling salt at the doorstep helps keep negative spirits out. This is common in Māori and Eastern European cleansing rituals and is often used before gatherings or spiritual work.
• If you spill salt, throw a pinch over your left shoulder. This is said to blind the devil who waits behind you and reverse the bad luck.
• Knocking on wood is a way to protect yourself from jinxes. It calls on the spirit of the tree to keep your luck safe and steady.
• Knocking your elbow on wood means a new boyfriend may be on the way. If the wood is cold or metallic, it can signal a hard breakup or emotional closure.
🔪 Knife and Cutlery Superstitions:
• Giving someone a knife as a gift is said to cut the relationship unless you include a coin to balance the exchange.
• Crossed knives on the table are a sign of tension or an argument brewing.
• Dropping a knife means a man will visit.
• Dropping a black-handled knife means a man in uniform is coming. This could be a soldier, officer or someone official or a tradesman who wears a custom uniform.
• Sharpening knives at night is discouraged. It is said to disturb spirits or invite unwanted energy. This is especially strong in Māori and Pacific Island traditions.
• Dropping a spoon means a child will visit.
• Dropping a teaspoon means a surprise gift is on its way.
• If you find two teaspoons crossed in a sugar bowl, it is a sign that news of an engagement is coming.
• If you drop scissors, you must stand on them before picking them up to avoid bad luck.
• If scissors break while in use, it is said to signal an approaching catastrophe.
🩺 Health Superstitions:
• Yawning without covering your mouth is thought to let your soul escape. This belief is found in old European, Filipino and African traditions.
• In the Philippines, people believe that cold water after heat causes illness. This is known as pasma and is still widely followed.
• In some African traditions, a sleeping child may be seen as spiritually affected or delayed. It is often used in ancestral readings.
• Wearing a red string on your wrist is said to protect you from illness and misfortune. This is common in Chinese and Kabbalistic practices.
• Avoiding cold drafts is believed to prevent sickness and spiritual vulnerability. This is a strong belief in Slavic and East Asian households.
• Sneezing is interpreted as a sign or omen. The number of sneezes carries meaning in traditional lore:
One for a wish
Two for a kiss
Three for a letter
Four for something better
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
👗 Clothing Superstitions:
• Wearing clothes inside out is believed to reverse bad luck or ward off evil. This is common in Caribbean and Filipino traditions.
• In Māori custom, placing a pōtae (hat) on a table is considered disrespectful and spiritually unsafe. It’s said to invite misfortune.
• Torn or frayed clothing may be seen as attracting poverty or spiritual vulnerability in Slavic and African lore.
• In Chinese tradition, wearing red underwear during the Lunar New Year is believed to attract prosperity and repel bad spirits.
• Avoiding black at weddings is common across many cultures, as it symbolizes mourning and can bring sorrow to the union.
• Wearing someone else’s shoes—especially of the deceased—is considered spiritually risky in many traditions, including NZ domestic superstition.
• Mismatched buttons are said to signal an unexpected gift or blessing. This belief appears in British and NZ domestic lore, often passed down through sewing traditions.
• Sewing clothes while wearing them is believed to stitch troubles into your life. This superstition appears in British, Slavic, and NZ domestic lore.
• Placing a hat on a bed is considered very bad luck. This superstition is rooted in American folklore, often linked to illness, death, or spiritual disturbance.
🐾 Animal Superstitions:
• A black cat crossing your path is seen as bad luck in some places, but good luck in others like the UK and Japan.
• A bird tapping on your window is a strong omen. It can mean death is near or that a spirit is trying to send a message. This is respected in Māori and Celtic traditions.
• Owls hooting at night are seen as a warning from ancestors or a sign of spiritual presence.
• Dogs howling at night may mean a spirit is nearby or that death is approaching. This is common in Middle Eastern and African beliefs.
• If a butterfly lands on you, it is considered a message from the spirit world or a sign of transformation. Māori and Latin American cultures hold this as sacred.
• If one fly is buzzing around your head in an unusual way, it may mean someone is trying to connect with you—either spiritually or emotionally. In many traditions, flies are seen as messengers, nudging you to pay attention to unseen communication or unresolved energy.
• A fantail flying into the house is considered a strong omen of death or spiritual transition. This belief is deeply rooted in Māori and NZ domestic superstition.
• Seeing a spider—especially in the morning—is considered good luck and a sign of incoming money or blessings. In British and NZ domestic superstition, spiders are often seen as quiet weavers of fortune.
• A money spider walking across your palm is believed to bring great wealth. In British superstition, this tiny visitor is seen as a direct sign of financial luck.
• A spider dangling down from the ceiling is considered a sign that news is coming. In British and NZ domestic superstition, it’s often read as a quiet messenger bringing a message or shift.
• A cardinal appearing near you is believed to mean a loved one is trying to connect or let you know they’ve reached heaven. This belief is strong in American domestic superstition and Christian lore, where the cardinal is seen as a spiritual messenger.
Good Luck Superstitions
• Finding a four-leaf clover is a rare sign of good luck. This comes from Celtic tradition.
• Carrying a rabbit’s foot is said to bring fortune. This started in African-American hoodoo and was later commercialised.
• Throwing salt over your left shoulder after spilling it helps reverse bad luck. It is said to blind the devil who waits behind you.
• Wishing on 11.11 is seen as a powerful moment to manifest what you want. This is popular in modern spiritual circles.
• Finding a horseshoe is a sign of protection and prosperity. Hang it with the open end facing up to hold the luck.
• Seeing two horses on New Year’s Day is a powerful sign of true love. It means the year ahead will bring a deep romantic connection and marriage is likely.
• See a pin (typically a safety pin in an unusual place) and pick it up for the rest of the day have good luck!
❤️Love Superstitions:
• If your palms itch, it means something is shifting. The left hand means money or energy is going out, the right means something is coming in. In Caribbean lore, this can also relate to romantic energy.
• Seeing one magpie is a sign of sorrow. Seeing two means joy. This comes from an old UK rhyme.
• Sleeping with rosemary under your pillow is said to bring dreams of your future lover.
• Dropping cutlery by accident can mean someone is coming. A fork means a woman, a knife means a man.
• Avoiding mirrors at night helps protect your spirit. In Māori and Japanese traditions, mirrors can confuse the soul or attract unwanted energy.
🌦️ Weather Superstitions:
• Rain on your wedding day is considered good luck in many cultures. It’s said to cleanse the past and bless the union.
• A red sky at night means good weather is coming; a red sky in the morning warns of bad weather ahead. This is common in British and NZ domestic lore.
• Thunder during a funeral is believed to signal ancestral unrest or spiritual transition. This appears in African, Caribbean, and Southern US traditions.
• Sudden wind gusts during a conversation may be seen as spirit interruption or confirmation. Māori and Celtic traditions often read wind as a messenger.
• A rainbow appearing after a prayer or ritual is considered a sign of divine presence or answered intention. This is respected in Christian, Māori, and Hawaiian belief systems.
🪨 Sure Footing Superstitions:
• Tripping on your left foot is considered a warning or bad omen in many traditions. It’s said to signal spiritual imbalance or incoming conflict.
• Walking barefoot on cold ground is believed to drain energy or invite illness. This appears in Slavic, Māori, and Filipino domestic lore.
• Crossing uneven ground without pausing is seen as disrespectful to spirits in some Indigenous and Celtic traditions.
• Shoes placed upside down are said to invite misfortune or confusion. This is common in African and Caribbean superstition.
• Putting on the right shoe first is believed to bring good luck and protection. This appears in British, Hindu, and NZ domestic superstition.
• Slipping on stairs especially during a ritual or event is considered a sign of spiritual interference or ancestral warning.
• Feet touching sacred thresholds (like marae entrances or altars) without permission or cleansing is considered tapu in Māori tradition and may invite spiritual consequence.
🌙 Dreams & Omens Superstitions:
• Dreaming of falling teeth is seen as a death omen or sign of betrayal. Common across Māori, Chinese and Latin traditions
• A dream of flying can signal spiritual elevation or escape. In some traditions it warns of detachment or loss
• Seeing owls in dreams is linked to ancestral messages or warnings. Strong in Celtic, Māori and African lore
• Waking at 3.33am repeatedly is considered a spiritual alert or visitation moment in Western metaphysical circles
• Dreaming of water, especially murky or rising, can signal emotional overwhelm or incoming change
• A sudden chill or shiver during sleep is said to mark a spirit passing through or a warning from beyond
• Recurring dreams of the same place or person are often interpreted as unresolved karmic ties or spiritual tasks
• Dreaming of broken glass is seen as a sign of fractured protection or incoming disruption
• A vivid dream just before waking is considered more prophetic, especially if it includes names, dates or symbols.