Lucky 13 Blog Hop

Today is indeed a very lucky day for me. Twenty-three years ago, I married the man of my dreams. Yet, many have told me it was crazy to choose the 13th of October for my wedding. Why? It's always been a lucky number for me. Which made me think about superstitions and their origins.

What would a Lucky 13 Blog Hop be without some superstitions? Shall we explore them?

Knock on wood:

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ever wonder why people knock on wood to prevent being jinxed? Well, the Pagans believed that all living materials were imbued with spiritual powers, including trees. By knocking on the wood, a person could drive away the evil spirits from the object in which they resided. Think about that next time you knock on someone’s door.

Breaking mirrors:

Souls were said to dwell in mirrors, and in the ancient world, if you looked into one you could invite death. Also that any harm done to the mirror, would be reflected back on the person who broke it. As time went by, the punishment lessoned to 7 years for cracking that looking-glass.

The Victorians covered their mirrors in black cloth while a body was laid out in the house. This was thought to keep the spirit from becoming trapped in the glass, instead of moving on to the afterlife. Going hand and hand with that, if you saw your reflection in a mirror in a room where someone just died, you would die soon also. Many cultures believe cameras can capture soul, like a mirror.  So, if the Victorians were so superstitious, I wonder why they took portraits of their dead loved ones. Anyone?

Mirror, mirror on the wall....

Black cats:

I had a black cat for 16 years and he, like the lucky 13, brought me nothing but luck. So, where did they get their bad reputations? In the Western culture, black cats are considered bad luck. In fact, people still hold to this superstition today. Go to any humane society and ask. The black cats are the last to be adopted. But where did this madness come from? In some cultures, black cats are considered good luck. Look at the early pagans. They believed them to be so.

And since early Christians believed pagans to be witches, it didn’t take long for them to link a black cat to a witch, someone in league with the devil.

Pleaseeeeeeee.

Besides the black cat, some other black animals are known for being bad omens. I mean you can have a flock of geese, but when you have a group of ravens, they are called a murder. Nevermore!

Black hounds:

From folklore of the British Isles, the black hound is thought to be a hellhound, or portent of death. Black dogs are universally regarded as malevolent, some are even accused of being harmful, or causing death. A few of the more notorious: The Gurt Dog of Somerset, The Black Hound of Hanging Hills Connecticut and The Barghest.

Black Horses:

Púca—or ghost horse from Irish folklore can either bring good or bad luck. Tales say that if he appears to you in the form of a black colt, with chains hanging from him and you climb on his back, you’ll never be seen again.

However, if you are a farmer and you offer him a gift, he will return it tenfold, blessing you with wealth. Maybe. Are you ready to make a deal with the Devil?

Most say beware the devil beasts that bear a black coat.

Wonder what my cat would have thought of that?

Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.

Where did this superstition come from? There are a couple of theories. One is that in medieval times, the ladders were used to get criminals to the gallows, in fact, in areas where trees were scarce; some criminals were hung from the top rung of a ladder that had been leaned against a wall. The evil spirit was thought to reside there. So when you walked under the ladder, you took a chance you’d encounter that spirit.

The other theory is that early Christians believed the triangle a sacred symbol of the Trinity. By walking under a ladder, you were breaking the triangle and this meant you were in league with the devil.

Trick or treat?

This phrase owes its origins to souling and guising. Beggars would often beg for cakes in return for offering prayers for the dead on All Souls Day.

You ready for your trick?

Let’s talk alien abduction. In Last Flight of the Ark, Col Kaleb Titan and his crew discover aliens have been taking people from Earth for thousands of years. But why? In this tale from a darker side of the galaxy, Kaleb and his crew are placed in a situation where they must make a choice that won't be easy.

Buy Links:

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 Blurb:

Evolution never happened so fast.  

Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind.

The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can’t keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him.

When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb’s problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they’re not from Earth or who they appear to be.

When he discovers that they’ve kept the Genesis II’s crew of over two thousand alive, he begins to believe their reasons may be far more ominous than anyone could have imagined. However, he also discovers what’s holding them back. The hijackers seem to be allergic to canines.

Now they're forced to employ biological warfare against their own, but will it be enough to save humanity?

History is about to repeat and only one species will survive.

I’m giving away an e-copy of Last Flight of the Ark to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is leave your email and a short thought or two about superstitions and their origins. That’s it. At the end of the hop, I’ll draw a name from my virtual hat.

Be sure to visit the other participating blogs to get in on the goodies here: 
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And enter the Rafflecopter to get in on the big prize of a Kindle Paperwhite here:   

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Thanks for stopping by today. For buy links to my books, and excerpts, please stop by my website at www.authordljackson.com

Beware, what goes bump in the night.

D L Jackson