superstitions

Popular superstitions

Broken mirror

One of the most popular and oldest beliefs, this one is attributed to various sources. One version goes that black cats forebode doom; another goes that black cats are demons in disguise; and yet another goes that they were once pets of witches that turned into witches and hence they are witches in disguise.

Contrary to worldwide beliefs about the black cat, the Japanese consider a black cat lucky.

So the next time you see a black cat you decide whether you want turn back or walk ahead.

Hiccups

Another age-old belief delves around one having hiccups. An old wives' tale is that a near or dear one is thinking of you. It may or may not be true but do not forget to sip water lest you continue having hiccups.

Crow cawing

A crow cawing in front of a house is considered to be a sign of arriving guests. Whether that's good or bad, depends on the guests!

Black cat crossing your path

Long long ago when there were no mirrors, people looked at their reflections in water. One's reflection was considered to be like one's soul and as such if the reflection appeared contorted then the soul was considered broken. Even after the advent of mirrors the practice continues. A broken mirror distorts your reflection and is thus considered inauspicious.

Horse shoe

In ancient Greece, a horse shoe suspended at the entrance of a house was considered a means of letting good luck in. It was important that the horse shoe was suspended with the open side up. Suspending it with the open side down would mean letting go all the good luck.

13 and Friday the 13th

The number 13 has always been and is still considered to be sinister by many. For some, going to office or carrying out any auspicious task is out of the question on the 13th day of a month. Many others consider only Friday the 13th to be inauspicious.

Friday the 13th's bad reputation goes back to the days when under pressure from King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V had ordered his men to capture and burn all the Templar knights, a brigade of powerful crusaders who the king felt were a threat to him.

People who fear Friday the 13th are referred to as Paraskevidekatriaphobics. And the fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.

Another eerie concept associated with the number 13 is that if 13 diners set out to eat, one of them is bound to die within a year.

Keeping fingers crossed

This popular notion has a religious context to it. The idea was to make a wish and keep your fingers crossed to form a cross till your wish came true.

A dog howling

A dog's howling was considered eerie because the howls were believed to be an announcement of death. The canines with their superior sense of smell could sense deaths from a considerable distance.

Washing hair

Washing hair on a Thursday is not considered good and in many homes men and women put off washing hair to other days of the week.

Good dreams

Dreaming of good and auspicious things is good. This could be dreams of gods, auspicious animals and birds and everything pleasant. On the other hand, dreaming of things like meteorites, earthquakes, and metals is considered bad.

Touch wood

We often say 'touch wood' not knowing what that implies. Many years back, people believed that Gods lived in the trees and always touched the trunk of a tree and made a wish and touched the trunk again once if what was wished for came true.

Source: India Syndicate

lying partner

How to read the signs of a lying partner

Are you being lied to?

First thing's first . . .listen to your instincts!

Knowing whether you are being lied to or not, does not require mind reading or psychic power. Understanding the difference between the truth and a lie can all be determined by a person's behavior, and if you pay attention to these behaviors, you will be able to have a better idea of whether you are being lied to or not. The most important thing you should always remember to do however is to trust your instincts. If you feel you are not getting the entire truth from your partner for some reason, then listen to your instincts. Most people are in good touch with their instincts, but rather not listen to that inner voice because they refuse to believe that their partner would deceive them in any way. Staying in touch with your instincts will help guide you in the right direction.

Though instincts are a great help, they can be tricky. Majority of the times, your instincts will not lie to you, but there are times when your instincts can be influenced by your fears and insecurities. For example, you may already have fears of being cheated on, therefore you may feel that your partner is lying to you and cheating on you, when in fact he or she may be telling you the truth and completely faithful to you. This is why it is essential to understand the behavior of a liar, so that you can define the difference between really catching on to a liar, or just being paranoid that your partner is lying to.

Watch the Body Language

One important thing to remember is that the body never lies. If there are changes in the way your partner moves (or does not movie) his/her arms, hands, head and the way his/her eyes shift, then you are most likely being lied to. The reason the body language changes when a person is lying is because the person now has to think of a way to seem convincing that he/she is telling the truth. Since he/she knows that whatever they are telling you is a lie, the behavior automatically changes because they are now trying to act truthful, instead of actually being truthful. One big sign to look out for is in the eyes. If your partner avoids eye contact with you, then he/she is lying to you. There is a fear that you will see through him or her if there is eye contact, so eye contact will be avoided. Whether you realize it or not, your body also communicates when you talk. When you are enthusiastic about telling your partner something and are telling the truth, you will move your hands around and will look into his/her eyes to make a connection. If your partner is lying however, he or she will tense up, will most likely tone down on the hand movement and eye connection and will seem different than other times. If your partner is the type to still move his/her hands around even when he/she is lying, then pay attention to the timing of the movements. Timing is everything and can define the difference between the truth and a lie. When a person is telling the truth for example, his/her hands (and whatever body movement he/she does) will move at the same time when telling you something. When he/she is lying however, the body language will be off and will usually come shortly after he/she has told you the lie. This is because they have to think about acting natural, and this thinking causes them to be off key.

Last but not Least: Clearing of the throat, touching him or herself often and saying “Umm”

Another sign of a lying partner is if he/she touch his/her nose or face a lot while talking to you. They will feel nervous about telling you lies and will want to occupy their hands somehow as a way to cover up their lie, such as touching the nose, rubbing their eyes and so on. Your partner may even clear his or her throat more than usual when talking to you, look away a lot and/or say "umm" a lot when lying to you. They are using these as time killers so they can think of how to tell you the lie in the most convincing way possible. These are just some of the signs of a lying partner and are the most common signs. Remember, it is always important to trust your instincts first. If you feel that your partner is lying to you, start paying closer attention to his/her behavior and if there are any changes, then you will be able to catch on to the lies better and can further investigate from that point.

Article source: love-sessions

Imaar Khan

Images from: indiafm