Omens from the Past
How some of your ancestors may have interpreted common omens
Omens gathered from The Golden Wheel Dream-book and Fortune-teller, by Felix Fontaine
I am a huge believer in Omens. I feel that the things I see on my daily walks (#SidewalkOracles) are often omens for me. That’s why I pay close attention to what’s around me – including animals, birds, sky, clouds, painted doors – – you name it. Omens are all around and we need to pay attention to them. By the way, I’m particularly fond of the Star Augury!
THE SPIDER OMEN.
It is considered an ill omen when one sees a spider in the morning. The earlier in the morning, and the larger the spider, the greater the evil which threatens you. It is within doors, however, and chiefly in one’s own chamber, that the spider has this signification—out of doors129 they forebode no harm. The wood spider especially, is not much to be dreaded; what I have said above refers particularly to the house spider. Never, on any account, kill a wood spider. By such an act you would only draw upon yourself the hatred of the whole race of witches, and sooner or later you would suffer from it.
When found in the evening, a spider signifies good luck. The smaller the spider, the greater the good fortune. I will here teach you the following rhyme:
“Matin, chagrin,
Soir, espoir.”
Little spiders have much less evil in them than the others, and those called daddy-long-legs are always messengers of good luck.
THE STRING TOKEN.
If your shoe-tie or apron string breaks, your sweetheart is thinking of you.
SIGN WHEN YOUR RIGHT EAR TINGLES.
If your right ear tingles, some one is speaking well of you, if the left ear tingles, some one is speaking ill of you. To find out who this some one is, you must call out aloud the names of your acquaintance, one after another. The name at which the tingling ceases is the name of the person.
SIGN WHEN TOUR NOSE ITCHES.
If your nose itches early in the morning, you will on that very day hear a piece of news.
STRANGE BED.
Lay under your pillow a prayer-book, opened at the matrimonial service, bound round with the garters you wore that day, and a sprig of myrtle on the page that says ?“With this ring I thee wed,” and your dream will be ominous, and you will have your fortune as well told as if you had paid a dollar to an astrologer.
THE SIGN OF A SNEEZE.
If any one tells you anything, and you are shortly after obliged to sneeze, you may be sure that what was told you is true.
THE DEATH-TICK.
If you hear a wood-tick or death-watch ticking anywhere in the house, you must try to get rid of it as soon as possible, or you will speedily hear of a death which will greatly afflict you.
Do you relate to any of the omens?
THE CRICKET.
If there is a cricket in the house, be careful on no account to disturb it. Think of Dickens’ Cricket on the Hearth.
AN OMEN OF RICHES.
When an ant-heap gathers in your house, it signifies coming wealth—you may, however, destroy the nest.
THE FROG PROGNOSTIC.
If the first frog that you see in the spring of the year is sitting upon dry ground, it signifies that, during the same year, you will shed as many tears as the frog would require to swim away in.
THE CANDLE TOKEN.
When a large red token forms in the flame of a candle-wick, it signifies that the one who first sees it will soon receive a letter.
THE STAR AUGURY.
When you are out of doors on a starlit evening, and shooting stars appear, turn your face upward to the stars, and utter in a whisper the wish nearest your heart. If a star shoots while you do this, you may be sure that the wish will be fulfilled.
HOW TO BE SURE OF A PARTNER AT A DANCE.
When you wish to be sure of many partners at a dance or ball, let a little brother or sister, or any other person hold a thumb for you—that is, keep her hand closed like a fist for a quarter of an hour, holding her thumb between the fore and middle finger, while she thinks of you, and wishes you good luck. This proceeding has a wonderful effect.
THE BRIDE’S OMEN.
If you would have fair weather on your wedding day, you must always faithfully feed the cats. It is true it is a common error when persons think that it forebodes evil when it rains upon the bride in her bridal dress. This is no evil omen, but the contrary. But, above all things, let her be careful not to allow her shoes to get wet. If my young readers would take the trouble to read Frederika Bremer’s work called “The House,” they would find in it a confirmation of this warning.
TO KNOW IF A WOMAN WITH CHILD WILL HAVE A GIRL OR BOY.
Write the proper names of the father and the mother, and of the month she conceived with child, and likewise adding all the numbers of those letters together, divide them by seven; and then, if the remainder be even, it will be a girl, if uneven, it will be a boy.
THE CROW SIGN.
If you wish to know how matters will go with you during the year, you must take good heed of the first crow that you see in the spring. If, when you first see it, it is flying, it signifies that you will take a journey that will be longer or shorter, according to the distance which the bird flies before it alights. It may also signify a complete change of abode, perhaps by a wedding. If you first see the bird sitting, you will remain at home; if cawing, much that you do not think of will happen to you; if upon one leg, fortune will not smile upon you.
THE RABBIT AUGURY.
If, when in the open field, or upon the highroad, a rabbit runs across your path, it signifies that something unpleasant will happen to you.
