Analysis of Superstitions :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Superstitions Mysterious happenings are all around us today. I personally have done extensive studies in the histories of many of these superstitions, from the common to the absurd. Science tends to claim that all superstitions are pointless, and, in some cases, I agree, such as the fear of black cats, but the fact of the matter is that some superstitions come from a rich pre-Christian background. Many superstitions have been doubted since the rise of science, but it has been said that "In spite of advances and science, people are still superstitious." First, today's superstition is yesterday's magick; second, many people still practice the old ways; and finally, even common people practice. Superstitions are a part of our everyday lives and always have been. First, today's superstitions are yesterday's magick. Magick is the term practitioners use to describe the direct but subtle influence over reality; magic is a term for stage tricks. Long before the age of science, magick was a common element in every religion, even Christianity. Even science in its beginning, was based on old magicks like numerology, begun by Pythagoras, and alchemy. Since then, we have several leftovers from the old ways, my favorite of which is knocking on wood. The ancient Celts (pronounced Kelts) began this practice as a way of thanking the wood fairies, who were seen as mostly responsible for good luck. Today, when speaking of one's good fortune, it is common to knock on wood, though most people do not know why. Despite science's attempts to turn the old ways into useless or forgotten superstitions, the remnants of them are still around. Second, many of us still practice magick, roughly 10,000 in America. Collectively, the religion is known as Wicca, though not all Wiccans practice magick, and not all of those who practice magic are Wiccan. Obviously, the scientific community would prefer to believe that we are either insane, delusional, or con-artists, but none of that is true. I have seen magick work and have done it myself. In fact, my favorite way to gain the trust of a new friend is by granting him or her one wish, as long as the wish is not too grand; as I said before, magic is subtle.