Signs, Symbols & Omens: An Illustrated Guide to Magical & Spiritual Symbolism

by Buckland, Raymond

  Nature is seen as very orderly and rhythmic, so much so that whenever an anomaly is noticed it is taken as a sign of unexpected change and possible trouble. A good example is the observance of comets and even of eclipses. For centuries both such events have been taken as signs of possible approaching calamity. But even such minor events as animals behaving unnaturally, flowers blooming out of season, and birds changing their migratory patterns, have all been seen as omens. For oak trees to bud earlier than ash trees is an omen of a wet summer, while ashes budding first indicates a possible midsummer drought. To perform such a simple act as to pull the petals from a daisy, one at a time, can be taken as an omen of whether or not someone loves you. Omens may be found in the chance layout of tea leaves at the bottom of a cup, in coffee grounds, in the way dice fall, and in the spread of tarot cards. Any act of divination is, basically, the scrutiny of omens to find what is likely to happen in the future.

  Animals

  The appearance of a spotted dog, such as a Dalmatian, is regarded as a good sign. It is even better to see three white dogs together. If a dog is heard howling four times and then stops, it is an omen of coming death, and if a dog repeatedly rolls over in the same spot, it is symbolically measuring its master’s or mistress’ grave. If a strange dog comes to your house, it is an omen of good fortune to come. A dog laying in the doorway, facing inward, means someone is coming to visit; facing outward, someone will be leaving.

  If a cat crosses your path, it may be good or bad, depending upon which way the cat is going. Yet here there is some confusion. Some say that if the cat appears from the right, it is a good sign, while others say that it must be moving toward the right to be a good sign. The same things are said for a rabbit crossing your path. It is also said that if a rabbit crosses your path and then turns and re-crosses, there is need for you to return home immediately. If a strange black cat turns up at your home, it is a good sign, but it is a bad sign if it then tries to stay permanently. If a cat repeatedly licks at a door, it is a sign of coming death for someone in that house. It is very good luck to see a white cat on the road, whether moving or sitting still.

  To see a red-haired woman on a white horse is a very lucky omen, surpassed only by the sight of a red-haired woman riding a white mule. But to see horses running about and neighing is a sign of a nearby death. This is also signaled by seeing mules trying to mount each other near a house.

  Shooting groundhogs is supposed to bring bad luck, though trapping them or hunting them with dogs is all right. To see an albino deer is a very bad omen. To shoot such an animal will bring death to the hunter. It is also considered bad luck to shoot any deer on a Sunday.

  If you are on your way to visit someone and you encounter pigs in or beside the road, you will not be pleasantly greeted when you arrive at your destination.

  Birds

  If the first call of a cuckoo in the spring comes from the right, then it is a good omen. If from the left, then it is bad, announcing coming disaster. The sound of a screech owl is an omen of sickness and even death. If a person is already sick and hears an owl hoot, death will shortly follow. A chicken making a sound like a rooster’s crow is a sign of death, and for a rooster to crow seven times is a similar omen.

  If a whippoorwill sits on a house roof and gives its cry, someone in the house or in the immediate neighborhood will die within twenty-four hours. A crow flying low over a rooftop is an omen of illness to come, in the house. If the crow settles on the roof, there will be a death. When crows fly erratically or make sudden movements high in the air, it is a sign that there will be a very strong wind within the hour.

  A barn in which barn swallows nest will never be struck by lightning. Barn swallows are generally considered lucky birds. To shoot one is to bring very bad luck. It is also considered bad luck to try to count the number of birds in a flock.

  Insects

  It is a very good sign if a swarm of bees lands on your flowers. Bees are traditionally bearers of good fortune. A bee buzzing around your head is a sign that there is a letter on its way to you with news of money or financial reward of some kind. You must always tell bees of a death in the family, otherwise you will have bad luck. Instead of telling them, you may simply turn their hive around to face the other way.

  If a tiny red spider gets into your clothing, it is a sign that you will become rich. To be able to see your initials in a spider’s web is to be especially blessed. If the web is at the entrance to a new house, you will be extremely happy living there. It is very bad luck to kill a spider, even accidentally. It is likewise bad luck to kill a cricket.

  A praying mantis is a very fortunate sign. Never disturb one, or it will change any good luck to bad.

  Weather

  There are many signs of an approaching storm: crickets chirping loudly, large numbers of snails visible, flies and mosquitoes swarming, bees gathering close to their hives, or spiders leaving their shelters. Similarly, several hours ahead of a big storm, a hog will pile up leaves and brush. If a cat washes behind its ears or licks its fur against the grain, it’s a sign of coming rain. When chickens and turkeys stand with their backs to the wind so that their feathers get ruffled, it is a sign of a coming storm.

  When the hair in a horse’s tail sticks out and appears bushy, it is a sign that a drought is coming to an end, and if a horse stops feeding and vigorously scratches itself on a tree or fence post, it is a sign of heavy rains to come. If cattle and horses refuse to drink during very dry weather, it is an omen of a coming cloudburst.

  A deer lying down in the snow is a sign of another snowstorm within a few days. However, if a deer paws at the snow on the ground, as though to make a place to lie down, then there will be no more snow for at least a week. Butterflies or big wooly caterpillars seen late in the fall are an indication of approaching cold weather.

  When and whether a groundhog sees its shadow and predicts the continuation of winter is a continuing debate. If it is done, and is of any real consequence, then many country folks claim that the time the groundhog would do this is February 14, not February 2.

  A rainbow in the morning means that there will be a storm within twenty-four hours. A rainbow in the evening means clear weather ahead. When rabbits play about on a dusty road, there is soon going to be a rain shower. There will also be a shower if dogs eat grass. If ducks nest close to the water’s edge, it will be a long, dry summer. If fish stick their noses out of the water a great deal, it means that a rainstorm is imminent. If it should rain while the sun is shining, the rain will not last long. Large raindrops indicate that it will be a shower of short duration, while small drops mean it will last a long time. When bees stay in their hive, it is a sign of rain on the way. When ants are exceptionally busy, it is also a sign of rain on the way.

  When the sky of the rising sun is red, or if it is unusually clear, then rain can be expected during the coming day. But if the sunset is exceptionally red, there will be at least twenty-four hours of good weather. Lightning in the south indicates dry weather, while lightning anywhere else is an omen for wet weather. A falling star is a sign of illness to come, or even death.

  The moon can be a good indicator of weather. A crescent moon, apparently lying on its back, is said to “hold in the water,” so there will be no rain. But when the horns of the crescent moon seem to be tipped, then water can “run out” and rain is on its way. A ring around the moon is a sign of bad weather to come. In some areas of the Ozarks it is believed that the time the first snow falls can be an omen of the number of snowfalls that will come that winter: the number of days the moon is old equals the number of snowfalls to be expected. You should never look at the moon over your left shoulder. Look at the moon over your right shoulder for luck.

  Objects and Events

  The old superstition that to break a mirror will bring bad luck is recognized in many places. Usually it is believed that the bad luck will then stay around fo
r as long as seven years. Walking under a ladder will also bring bad luck, though only a single incident of it. This superstition comes from the fact that to walk under a ladder angled against a wall is to break a triangle. Triangles are equated with the number three, and with the triad or the various Holy Trinities.

  A sputtering coal in the fireplace indicates a coming quarrel in the house. If a clock should stop unexpectedly, it is a sign of a coming death. To meet an old woman (or a coyote, in the case of Native Americans) as you start out on a journey is a bad omen. So is accidentally putting on your shirt backwards. If you put on a shirt inside out, you have a bad day ahead of you. Tripping as you enter your house means you will receive bad news that day. Sweeping, with a broom, will bring bad luck if you do it before sunrise.

  To have an itching palm is a sure sign that money is on its way. Some say that the right palm itching indicates money coming in, while the left palm is money going out. An itching or burning ear, or a sudden burst of sneezing, means that someone is talking about you. An itching nose means you will be kissed by a fool, though some say it means you will receive a love letter. To sneeze three times in succession is a sign of good luck coming. But then a further sneeze indicates a disappointment.

  A knife dropped on the floor indicates that a male guest will arrive; a fork indicates a female. It is unlucky to cross two knives, and a knife should never be given as a gift—always take money for it, even if only a penny. If you drop a pair of scissors, gently step on them before picking them up, otherwise you will have a disappointment. If you drop a spoon, it means there will soon be a visitor (the direction in which the handle points indicates the direction from which the visitor will come).

  If a baby is born as the tide flows (incoming), it is a propitious sign, while if a baby is born when the tide ebbs, it is a bad sign. A child born within twenty-four hours after a new moon will grow up to be very lucky and to have a long life. It is a very good omen if you spill your drink while making a toast. But if you drop your glass and it breaks, it is a sign of coming death to the one being toasted. If a picture should fall off a wall, it is an omen of death to come. Climbing in through a window is bad luck unless you climb out again through the same window.

  [contents]

  Bibliography

  Introduction

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  Alchemy

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  Ancient Egypt

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  ———. Egyptian Language. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970.

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  Astrology

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  Australian Aboriginal

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  Aztec and Mayan

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  Buddhist

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  Celtic

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  Ceremonial Magic

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  Chinese

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  Christian

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  Freemasonry

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  Gnostic

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  Hurtak, J. J., trans. Pristis Sophia. Pretoria: Academy of Future Sciences, 1999.