Preface
A person is a person, his existence is a private process, a million people are a million private processes, intersecting on some basis (linguistic, territorial) - they form a group (state, ethnic group, race, etc.). This group is for them (for this million) a kind of super-process that embraces them, of which they are a part according to unifying characteristics. When looking at a group as a whole (for example, ethnicity), we consider it as a separate process, which is also capable of combining with other super-processes. This is how citizens form an ethnic group; ethnic groups form a race, races form humanity, which as a whole is part of the diversity of species of living organisms united in the biosphere. Spheres uniting according to the signs of mutual location and interchange form a planet (Reference: the planet consists of many spheres: stratosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, etc.). The planets form the solar system, the solar system is part of the galaxy, the galaxy is part of the universe, the universe is part of the universe. The Creator created the universe - a supramundane objective reality. Any part of the objective Created Universe is subjectively knowable. The Providence of the Creator, relative to the objective universe, is just as cognizable as any part of the universe, for the Providence of the Creator is the algorithm by which the universe and the entire hierarchy of mutually embedded systems exist.
Signs and superstitions, what's the difference?
Signs- this is a subjective reaction of a person’s cognizing mind to objective phenomena, trying to identify the relationships between mutually embedded processes, the result of the work of the human mind. Those. a person constantly feels that everything in the world is interconnected, the observation of some people and their skill in understanding this leads to the identification of stable relationships between individual processes, and as a result, to the emergence of stereotypes for recognizing these relationships, which is formalized in the form of folk signs. Any process takes place in a person’s life, it somehow affects some other process that a person notices, for example, processes related to the weather. This is how signs arise.
Example of a sign
Sign: If water bubbles in puddles during rain, does it mean prolonged rain?
Physics of the phenomenon: A large drop of rain falls on the surface of the water and forms a deep funnel. The funnel “collapses” and an air bubble forms on the surface. The bubble shell is held in place by surface tension water and lack of evaporation. Bubbles float on the surface of the water and do not burst instantly when the water is very low Atmosphere pressure and the surface tension of water is strong enough to hold air. At high atmospheric pressure, bubbles do not form in rain. In puddles, after a large drop hits the surface of the water, columns of liquid just jump.
Relationships: Large bubbles - usually form during a rainstorm and persist for quite a long time, and showers are usually short-lived and fall from high cumulonimbus clouds. Atmospheric pressure is very low, air humidity is up to 100%, surface evaporation is practically absent. Small bubbles in puddles - are formed, as a rule, during prolonged rain, when the drop is not so large, there is relatively little, the atmospheric pressure is not as low as during a rainstorm, the humidity is much less than 100%.
Unlike superstitions, Signs- this is the result of the conscious activity of a person of high culture and possessing some methodology for understanding the surrounding objectivity. The bearers of such a culture can consciously choose the area of sampling relationships, form signs (stereotypes for recognizing relationships) and change them in the event of an objective change in the relationships between the processes under consideration. In this case, Man is the master of the sign, and not the slave of superstition.
Tell me, have you ever stopped in front of a running black cat or knocked on wood three times?
Superstitions- almost (!) the same as signs, but in the absence of a person having any methodology of cognition and awareness of the relationships in the universe. And in this case, some mutually influencing processes are objectively taking place, but the personal culture of the bearer of superstitions is such that he is not able to recognize these relationships, and the presence in the culture of society of Signs already created by someone is used by him as some kind of dead dogma, sometimes even completely not having nothing to do with the place in life where it is used by such a person. Therefore, such a person’s black cat is always to blame for his unsuccessful journey.
Signs and superstitions in culture
Today, most modern people use Signs created by humanity many centuries ago, practically without introducing any new noticed relationships into culture. And they use these Signs without any awareness or analysis, which translates them into the category of superstitions, driving people into methodological slavery from various kinds interpreters of these superstitions.
This type of superstition also includes today’s newfangled Feng Shui in the interior of a home. Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, it was the science of field processes generated by material objects in the interior and their relationship with the field structures of the people in it. It was expressed as a collection of Living Signs and recommendations for their practical and methodological application. Today this science has completely, without a trace, degraded into superstition. Few people today are able to bring new knowledge to Feng Shui; moreover, gradually Signs that become obsolete due to changes and development of the original objective processes are replaced by outright lies - superstitions created for the needs of the public, aimed at extracting from the pockets of slaves dependent on these superstitions, their material resources. Master healers of Feng Shui earn a lot of money by exploiting methodological illiteracy, interpreting various superstitions for their own benefit or those ordered from outside.
I found this text on the Internet, in my opinion, this is the clearest example of methodological slavery, I quote: “You know, there is such good omen: if your left palm itches, then expect money to arrive. This is due to the fact that a special zone on the human body is activated, which receives impulses from the energy space. They indicate the imminent arrival of energy substances in the form of banknotes. So, if you just scratch your left palm from time to time, it will begin to scan this energy space in search of a source of money. This way you can attract them into your life."
In contrast to this, folk wisdom, driven into the subconscious, gave birth to such a “joke” Sign: “Going to work means money.”
All this means only one thing, that the spiritual culture of modern mankind has extremely degraded in comparison with the culture that existed in Rus' a thousand years ago in the so-called “dark times”.
Absolutely anyone can become a bearer of a methodological culture that allows them to correctly see the interconnections of the parts of objective existence that are currently in the field of attention of such a person; it is only necessary to cultivate this culture in oneself. This is precisely the culture of human mental activity, and not some kind of esoteric extrasensory abilities, which are, in fact, random anomalies. Unlike extrasensory anomalies, culture is accessible to everyone and can be passed on from generation to generation through knowledge and education of appropriate morality, far different from the degraded culture that takes place among the masses today.
But everything is in our hands. Unfortunately, modern school educates in new people precisely this modern degradation culture and this state is getting worse and worse every year, which is expressed in a series of personal, social and man-made disasters, the number of which has now exceeded any reasonable level.
This state of affairs is extremely beneficial for the ruling circles, because people with no methodology for understanding the surrounding reality are essentially slaves, no matter how many candy wrappers they are allowed to have in their wallets, robbing those who, for one reason or another, , properties turned out to be weaker than them. The ruling elite, cutting coupons from everyone, to the extent of their stratigraphic (caste, netocratic) distribution, with all its might supports a state of affairs that cannot be called anything other than slavery.
It maintains this state of affairs solely thanks to the education system, which is completely controlled by them (through RAS, MANAS, UNESCO, etc.) and which almost irrevocably cripples the psyche of people, producing year after year from young individuals - biorobots, instead of Homo Sapiens, which they are supposed to be according to the Creator's plan. Thus, entering into a constant confrontation with the Providence of the Creator, which cannot end in anything good for humanity by definition of the nesting of the processes of existence, for the Creator is the highest comprehensive process of the entire universe, and humanity is just a nested system, located almost at the lowest level of mutual nesting , even below the planet's biosphere. And if a system of such a low level one day comes into dissonance with a more powerful system that embraces it, then it will inevitably be destroyed due to the objectivity of the ongoing processes in the universe. And the fact that humanity has come to the limit of such a confrontation is now not felt (at least subconsciously by its gut) only by a completely humanoid creature.
The way out of this situation is quite simple. Since the education system is not capable of raising the Human in us, then we must take on this ourselves. And this process is called self-education. No one can forbid you to read several books on history, physics, chemistry and, turning to your Conscience and inner instinct (which everyone has and over which no one has power except the person himself), analyze what you read and correlate it with what you observe in life phenomena, thereby building a worldview adequate to Creation, which will form the basis for all further higher nervous activity. It is clear that all official history textbooks are edited to please the ruling elite, but as a rule, the relationships between facts are edited there; it is quite difficult to lie about the facts themselves; here, as they say, a fact is a fact. Undesirable facts simply do not fit into books, but a person’s inquisitive mind and conscience in the process of self-education are able to rebuild the relationships between available facts into more adequate ones. In addition, today, with the development of telecommunication systems (Internet), more and more individual facts are becoming available for familiarization; all that remains is to learn how to build adequate relationships between them.
You can start with the fact that (first of all) vital you need to stop the fuss in your life, the pursuit of snatching a little slavish pleasure from the master's garbage dump, and with a purposeful volitional effort to allocate time in your life for the process of self-education and knowledge of the world created by the Creator.
And then you, all of us, will become the masters of Omen, i.e. managers of the processes that surround us, and not slaves to superstitions and the flow of many circumstances uncontrollable by us.
Folk signs today
Some of our contemporaries, people with a sense of humor - good humor, who have not yet completely destroyed the real, Human culture in their family with the “joys of civilization”, but due to the zombie education they received, they cannot identify it in themselves, and therefore they themselves do not understand the importance of their actions - showed the world quite a lot of supposedly “comic and humorous” Signs. This folk art, perceived by the crowd as anecdotes, is in fact a sign that the methodological culture of good morals, genetically characteristic of Man, God’s creation, cannot be destroyed and it constantly makes attempts to break through the fog of the obsessions of modern immorality and evil.
Below is a small collection of such “comic” modern Signs, collected by me on the Internet. This is exactly the case when they say: “there is a grain of joke in every joke”...
Comic folk signs
The better the breasts are visible, the worse the face is remembered.
. If a woman deceives you, it means she cares about you.
. If you have gained 5 kg again in a week, then this diet was recommended to you by your best friend.
. If a woman suddenly becomes silent, it means she wants to say something.
. If suddenly all the girls began to lose weight, it means spring is coming.
. If you brush crumbs off the table onto the floor with your hand, it means a quarrel with your wife.
. If a husband opens the car door for his wife, then it’s either a new car or a new wife.
. The likelihood of meeting acquaintances increases if you go with a person whose acquaintance you would not like to advertise.
. If you take an umbrella with you, just in case, it won’t rain.
. When you catch up with a tram without seeing the number, it turns out that it is not your tram.
. If you throw a stone into the water and don’t see any circles, it means winter has come.
. If the smoke spreads along the ground, go back and turn off the iron; if it rises in a column, you don’t have to come back.
. If there's an empty carton of yogurt in the sink, then the spoon must be in the trash.
. If you spit over your left shoulder three times, the probability of getting hit in the head from the left behind increases exactly three times.
. If children go to school dressed up and bring flowers, then soon they will have to dig potatoes.
. If on Friday the 13th a black cat crossed your path with empty buckets filled with shards of a broken mirror, don’t expect happiness!
. When your hands are dirty, there is always something itchy.
. If your head hurts, it means you have one.
. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
. Going to work means money.
. High level IQ does not mean that you can fill out a tax return from start to finish on your own.
. Using an iPhone to illuminate a dark alley is a bad omen.
. The better the morning is, the closer it is to Friday evening.
Let's try, together, to find out the true meaning of such a comic Sign given above: “Lighting up a dark alley with an iPhone is a bad omen.”
The vast majority will see in this phrase only a superficial meaning, that if you illuminate the road in a dark alley with the screen of an expensive gadget, then hooligan drug addicts can see this, attack and take away the phone.
But everything is much deeper, this is a phrase about human egocentrism. Everyone thinks only about himself, considers himself only the “navel of the earth” and is ready to spend quite a lot of money to amuse this egocentrism. And this is all so neglected that even now many have no idea what we are talking about.
We are ready to walk along dark alleys, breaking our legs and being in constant danger of being maimed, but only with an iPhone, instead of buying a simpler thing, if it is still necessary, and investing the extra funds in public improvement. Chip in with your neighbors and work together to repair this terrible alley and illuminate it. But no, someone has to do this for us.
We make expensive repairs in our Personal apartments, but we get into them through dirty entrances, we build tall fences along our houses, hoping to hide behind them, and we get into our Personal home through a dirty street filled with sewage. We go to the forest park, eat personal barbecue, litter, mothers of those who have been there before us... Only slaves who are angry at the life and property of the owner do this. This is what this supposedly “joking” folk sign is about...
Afterword
I really hope that someday we, all together, will understand this, and not only understand, but make a real, and not a declared, moral choice in favor of kindness and cooperation the real Providence of God, and not religious and cult dogmas, and we will finally become Humans, and not humanoid subhumans.
Sakharov R. Simferopol, 2012
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1. Introduction...............................................................................................................
2 Chapter 1. Reasons for the emergence of signs and superstitions....................................
The concept of signs and superstitions.................................................... ...............................
The causes of signs and superstitions……………………………….
3. Chapter 2 Research work to identify similarities and differences
will accept superstitions in Russia and Great Britain.................................................... ......
2.1 Similarities between English and Russian signs and superstitions.................................................... ........................................................ .............
2.2 Differences between English and Russian signs and superstitions.................................................... ........................................................ .............
4. Conclusion.......................................................................................................
5. References………………………………………………………...
Introduction
We live in the 21st century, in a century of more and more scientific discoveries and technical inventions. It’s already difficult to surprise us with anything. But here’s what’s interesting - regardless of social status, number of diplomas and titles, people still superstitiously continue to spit over their left shoulder and knock on a piece of wood, “so as not to jinx it.” Not everyone will risk going on a long journey without sitting down on the path.
It should be noted that the issue of superstitions and signs is not fully studied, in particular the history of their occurrence. In our research, we relied on the opinions of people around us, as well as on statistics provided on Internet forums studying this issue.
After all, in the modern world there is such a science as meteorology, air flows are monitored and analysis is carried out.
RELEVANCE This topic is that superstitions have become so integrated into our lives that they have become an integral part of our nature. Many people, for example, carry some little thing with them that they firmly believe brings them happiness. It could be a coin, a button, a toy, a pebble, a decoration, playing card and so on. Such a thing is usually called a talisman and people try to never part with it. Every day a reasonable person spits over his left shoulder, knocks on wood, and keeps silent about his achievements, just so that no one will jinx him. Why does a person trust such circumstances? What makes him act this way and not otherwise? We will try to find answers to these questions in the course of our research.
TARGET: The study will also include superstitions and their place in Russian and British society.
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS: Despite the fact that many
TASKS:
1) analyze the literature on the history of the emergence of omens and superstitions, as well as the reasons for people’s belief in omens and superstitions;
2) highlight the most common signs and superstitions of Russia and Great Britain, issue information brochures;
3) determine the similarities and differences between signs and superstitions in Russia and Great Britain;
4) conduct a sociological survey on this issue, process statistical data, and draw conclusions.
Research methods:
theoretical (literature analysis, work with Internet resources, data synthesis);
practical (sociological survey).
Theoretical and practical significance is that the studied generalized material can be used by people of different ages: teachers, my peers for self-education.
When working on this topic, we mainly used Internet resources, dictionaries, and literature on our chosen issue.
It should be noted that the issue of superstitions and signs is not fully studied, in particular the history of their occurrence. In our research, we relied on the opinions of people around us, as well as on statistics provided on Internet forums studying this issue.
Chapter 1. Causes of signs and superstitions
1.1.The concept of signs and superstitions
Before we begin to consider the topic of superstitions and omens, it is necessary to separate these two concepts. What is a sign and what is a superstition. Despite the fact that these concepts: folk signs and superstition are closely related to each other, nevertheless, they are different in essence.
Expert in the great and mighty Russian language V.I. Dahl explains superstition as “an erroneous, false belief in something; belief in cause and effect, where there is no connection.” And although many of us claim that we do not believe in “grandmother’s signs,” the reality is different. Superstitions have become firmly entrenched in our lives.
Word " superstition"formed using the adverb " sue", or " in vain" - "in vain, in vain, in vain, in vain." There is a narrower, church definition: vanity - “the opposite of our eternal good, spiritual life.” We say about a person “vain”, about life - “sheer vanity”.
As a rule, superstitions include ideas that connect objects and phenomena between which it is impossible to establish an objective connection (for example, it is difficult to establish a connection between luck and the number 13, given the conditional nature of any ordinal counting).
Superstition- an individual prejudice, which is a belief in the possibility of predicting the future and influencing it through the use of some otherworldly forces. As a rule, it manifests itself at the behavioral level in reduced ritual forms: the use of talismans, tattoos, magical gestures, etc.
Folk signs, these are kind of hints - warnings that were noticed attentive people, recorded in their minds and passed on from generation to generation. This includes observation of the behavior of animals before a “sudden disaster”, and certain, repeated changes in nature, which predetermined, for example, what kind of winter it would be, or whether drought should be expected, or, on the contrary, whether summer would be rainy and cold.
In ancient times there was nothing like this. But drought or another element that could lead to the destruction of the crop, and, consequently, doom them to starvation, forced people to be more attentive to the events that preceded the misfortunes. That is, there is nothing mystical, magical or unknown in such folk signs.
1.2. Causes of signs and superstitions
Superstitions have existed since the dawn of civilization to this day. Millions of people around the world are still infected with superstitions and have no intention of giving them up.
It is almost impossible to explain exactly how superstitions arise. Maybe the reason is some natural phenomena that frighten people with their mystery, or events the occurrence of which they would like to prevent. However, people begin to believe in some explanation of the phenomena occurring or become stronger in the idea that they can certain actions make these phenomena happen as they wish. Superstition is a belief, usually born of fear, that is contrary to reason and cannot be confirmed by experience.
Since ancient people could not understand the behavior of animals, they created superstitions around them. A black cat crossing your path is a sign of failure, the cry of an owl is a sign of approaching death, and so on.
Some signs generally arise spontaneously as a joke that spreads among more superstitious people, like the Japanese superstition: if three people are photographed, then the one who is in the middle of the photo will die first.
Signs arose in ancient times, when people with secret attention looked closely at the nature around them and grasped the connection between the behavior of animals and weather changes. Signs were created related to the position, shape and color of clouds, indicating an increase or decrease in temperature, wind, rain or storm. So, for example, signs about the weather appeared when people for several generations, living closely with nature and closely interacting with it, discovered that many natural events are preceded by certain signs and omens. Thus, a red sunset in the warm season almost always indicates that the next day there will be intense heat. At the same time, a red sunset in winter is a sign of the onset of cold weather. Many natural signs are also associated with the behavior of animals, birds, insects, and even plants. For example, if a cat begins to hide its nose when sleeping, this means it’s getting cold. If swallows or swifts begin to fly low and restlessly, it means rain or a storm.
Everyday signs can also be associated with the belief about brownies, and evil spirits in general. For example, whistling in a house means whistling a brownie. The brownie will be offended, leave and there will be no wealth in the house. Signs similar to these appeared in those days when people were still sensitive to the presence of otherworldly forces in the house, and tried to get along with them. These signs include leaving a small amount of food on the tables to appease the brownie.
There are also numerous signs that are in one way or another connected with the road or path. For example, the sign that you cannot sew anything onto the road, otherwise you will sew up the path itself. The occurrence of such a sign may be due to the fact that when sewing things up, you can be late for transport, and naturally, no road will be possible. It's a good sign to "sit on the path." This is not so much about the signs as it is about the need to sit and think carefully about whether you have packed everything you need for the journey, and once again mentally go through the upcoming tasks in order to make sure that you are ready and have not forgotten anything. Signs like this: when you return home from halfway, be sure to look in the mirror, also arose in connection with beliefs about spirits and energy. In order not to disturb the energy of the path, you look in the mirror, as if saying that you have been home and are starting the path again. Then your path will not be “crooked”, but smooth.
Popular omens like “how you greet the year is how you will spend it” are also not without much meaning. We all know how important it is to start any business. If the start is good, with a spark, it goes quickly and smoothly, then the whole thing will work out. People associate the beginning of the year with the beginning of a new life. And therefore, you need to arrange this very beginning as best as possible, which is why similar signs arose about welcoming a new year, a new month, a new week and even a new day, since the mood that you had when you woke up gives a charge for the whole day.
So, the sources of today's superstitions are:
superstitions of ancestors (historically established superstitions);
pagan rituals and traditions, traditions and legends (worship
fear of the unknown;
fear of death;
fear of receiving a curse, evil eye, illness, etc.
As we see, all signs are based on everyday observation of everyday life and correctly drawn conclusions. It’s just that many signs have become so firmly established in our lives as a kind of ritual that we don’t think about where these signs came from or what caused their appearance. Therefore, many signs are considered by people to be superstitions, and are therefore ignored. But nevertheless, in many countries signs are followed, however, to different circumstances in different countries are treated differently.
Chapter II. Research work to identify similarities and differences
accepts and superstitions in Russia and Great Britain
2.1 Similarities between English and Russian signs and superstitions
Despite the fact that Russian culture is very different from English, and our countries have gone through different historical paths, many signs and superstitions are the same.
First of all, these are signs that are common throughout the world, such as, for example, lucky and unlucky numbers, superstitions about mirrors and weather conditions, ceremonies dedicated to common holidays and some signs associated with animals.
So, let's figure out why it is so often mentioned in Russian, English, and even world superstitions that the number 13 is unlucky.
There are many superstitions related to nature, charms, spirits, objects, colors, incidents and so on. But there is probably no other superstitious sign to which most people would attach so much importance in one form or another as recognizing the number 13 as unlucky. In many hotels there is no floor number 13 - the count goes from the 12th straight to 14. In many hotels there is no room number 13, many people would never invite 13 people to dinner.
Oddly enough, there is no single generally accepted explanation for the origin of the superstition associated with the number 13. There are many different opinions on this matter.
Some experts believe that the number 13 has become unpopular since the time when people began to learn to count. Using 10 fingers and two feet as separate units, he was able to count to 12. But then came the unknown number 13, which frightened the man.
In religious circles, the number 13 and the superstition that arose around it are associated with the Last Supper, which was attended by Christ and 12 apostles - 13 in total, with Judas being the thirteenth. Another oddity about the number 13 is that it was considered lucky in ancient China and Egypt.
Superstitions about lucky and unlucky days of the week are as widespread as superstitions about numbers, and most of them are associated with Friday. Neither Great Britain nor Russia are an exception to this superstition.
Superstitious people believe that combining the unlucky number 13 with the unlucky day Friday results in a completely unlucky day!
As already mentioned, both in England and in Russia, many superstitions are associated with mirrors. The most common sign says that if you break a mirror, then bad luck will accompany you for seven years.
Literally in English it sounds like this: "If you break a mirror, you will have seven years of bad luck." It is believed that if you break a mirror, the evil spirits living in the Looking Glass will pursue the person who did it and take revenge for the fact that he “evicted them from the house.” In Ancient Greece they believed that a person sees the will of the gods in a mirror. This is why if a mirror accidentally broke, it meant that the gods did not want man to see the future, which meant trouble.
In both countries, special significance is given to signs and superstitions dedicated to wedding ceremonies. First of all, it's wedding time. "If you merry in Lent, you will live to repent"- the English say, which corresponds to the Russian superstition that getting married during Lent is not good, that the newlyweds will constantly quarrel, regret the marriage, and there will be no happiness for their family. This is due to biblical traditions, because getting married during Lent is a great sin.
Perhaps the most common wedding superstition says that the girl who catches the bride's bouquet at the wedding will definitely be the next one to get married. If a girl catches the bride’s bouquet after a wedding, she will be next to merry. Therefore, both young Englishwomen and Russian girls try to catch the bride’s bouquet at a wedding.
As a rule, brides wear a veil to their wedding. Meanwhile, this custom is also associated with superstitions. There are many different stories telling about the origin of this custom.
All of them belong to hoary antiquity.
Also in England and Russia, there is a sign that at a wedding you need to throw grains of rice on the bride and groom. Although this superstition is not so common, it also arose a long time ago. The wedding ceremony, like many other important events in life, is full of symbols. This means that we perform certain rituals as symbols of what we would like to wish, avoiding direct expressions.
Uses of rice is one such symbol that has been contained in the marriage ceremony for centuries. In ancient tribes, for example, the process of eating rice together meant that from that moment he and she became husband and wife, that is, eating together symbolizes living together, and rice indicates local food.
In some cases, rice at a wedding was used not to bring the bride and groom together, but to protect them from evil spirits.
It was believed that evil spirits are always present at weddings, and by throwing rice in the wake of the newlyweds, people appease the spirits, and they do not harm the newlyweds.
But for most of the ancients, rice was a symbol of fertility, procreation, and the custom of throwing rice on the newlyweds recalls exactly this. That is, with this we would like to wish: “May you have many children and abundance in your life together!”
A superstition that everyone has known since childhood is the superstition that a ladybug brings good luck. For this to happen, when the ladybug lands on your hand or clothing, you need to say something like this: “Ladybug, fly to the sky, bring me bread, black and white, but not burnt.” Not everyone believes in this, but just in case, especially children, pronounce this saying. Children growing up in the UK say this: "Lady bird, fly to the sky, give me happy time." It is not known for certain where this superstition came from, but there is a version that ladybug- a mediator between God and man, therefore, when we say this saying, through the ladybug we are trying to ask for happiness.
Another sign, popular in both Russia and England, is associated with the cuckoo. These birds begin to sing in mid-April. They say that at this time you need to hold a silver coin in your hand - then the whole year will be happy.
And finally, the most numerous superstitions associated with obtaining good luck, amulets and talismans. For example, among the British you can often find the following sign: “If you touch wood, your good luck will continue”. In Russia there is also a belief that if you touch a tree, you will not only become lucky, but also not get sick that year. And, by the way, both in Great Britain and in Russia it is believed that by knocking on wood, people drive away the evil eye and evil spirits.
But if you constantly mention evil spirits or even the devil himself, he will appear. If you talk of the devil, he will appear.
I would also like to say that some talismans in England coincide with Russian amulets. These are, first of all, talisman stones, a goose feather, and an oak leaf. At all times it was believed that they bring good luck to their owner. But the most famous plant that brings good luck is four leaf clover. All over the world, people believe that the four-leaf clover is a sign of prosperity and happiness. This is such an ancient superstition that no one can say exactly how or where it originated. But there is one old legend that says that when Eve was expelled from paradise, she took the quatrefoil with her.
Since clover was a plant from the Garden of Eden, it came to be considered a sign of good luck if it was found in someone's garden.
Equally widespread and equally difficult to explain is the general belief that horseshoe brings good luck. Almost every country has its own legend or tradition associated with the horseshoe. The Irish say that the horse was in the stable where Christ was born, so the horseshoe has magical power. In Russia, blacksmiths used to be often considered magicians, and were said to use a horseshoe to display their magic.
SURVEY RESULTS:
We conducted a survey on the topic among students and teachers of our school.
2.2. Differences between English and Russian
signs and superstitions
But, as you know, there are many differences between English and Russian superstitions. Perhaps one of the most important differences is the interpretation of the sign when a black cat crosses the road. If in Russia this means failure, then in England a black cat symbolizes just the opposite - happiness and good luck. Literally this sign from the British point of view sounds like this: "If a black cat crosses your path, you will have good luck". Perhaps this is why many famous people Great Britain chooses black cats as pets.
In Russia, cats of this coloring have always been feared. This religious superstition about the black cat bringing bad luck dates back many thousands of years.
When people believed in the existence of witches, they associated a black cat with a witch. They believed that black cats were witches in disguise. Killing a cat did not mean killing a witch, since a witch could take the form of a cat nine times. This is where the myth that cats have nine lives comes from.
In the Middle Ages, it was believed that witches and wizards used the brain of a black cat to prepare a mysterious potion. As a result of all these associations, the black cat has become a symbol of bad luck in Russia and many other countries.
There is also a superstition in England that if your left hand itches, it means you will lose money. If you scratch your left hand, you will give money away. In Russia, it is believed that when the left hand itches, this, on the contrary, promises great profit.
It should also be said that in Russia spiders were associated with nothing more than evil spirits and diseases. In England there is such a superstition: “ If you see a small spider, you will get a lot of money", which literally translates as: “If you see little spider, then you will get rich."
If in Russia black crows were associated with something bad, then in England they are considered birds that bring good luck. Therefore, it is not surprising that ravens are kept in the famous Tower of London.
In Russia there is a superstition that if you talk while you are sewing up your clothes, you can sew on your memory, but you yourself will forget everything. In England they say: “If you mend your clothes on your back, you will leave much money to lack.” This means that if you sew up your clothes, you will lose your wealth.
There are also many signs in Great Britain that have no analogues in Russia. For example, this sign: "If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck", which means that if you walk under the stairs, then bad luck will accompany you.
I would also like to remind you about English and Russian talismans, which differ from each other. For example, in the UK, the rabbit's foot is believed to bring good luck. The rabbit is a symbol of kindness, comfort, gifts and protection. In Russia, a bear claw is considered a similar talisman. Bear- the king of the forest, evil spirits are afraid of him, and a person who carries a bear’s claw with him takes the power of this beast for himself.
I would also like to draw attention to the superstitions associated with the two most famous holidays in Great Britain - Halloween and Christmas. For example, it is believed that on All Hallows' Eve, young girls will see their fiancé in a dream if they put an apple under their pillow. On this day, they try to steal gates, furniture and other things in order to present it in such a way that it is the work of evil spirits.
One way or another, we can say that every country has its own signs and superstitions, sometimes they are similar to the superstitions of other countries. The only difference is that the attitude towards the subject of superstition is different.
4. Conclusion
Our hypothesis was confirmed, Despite the fact that many
signs and superstitions coincide, there are also differences.
Signs and superstitions appeared many centuries, and even millennia ago. Ancient people tried to explain the world as they imagined it. This gave rise to numerous superstitions and beliefs. And, despite the fact that most of them contain practically no truth, people continue to believe them, and so it should be. A person cannot know everything, which means he will continue to speculate and put forward hypotheses about how the world works. We are all a little superstitious. This is inherent in us by nature.
Knowledge of culture, folklore, traditions and beliefs helps us become more familiar with the customs of another country, its history and spiritual life, and enrich our own worldview. The more we know about another country, the smaller the gap between our mutual understanding and friendly relations becomes.
On the one hand, signs and superstitions make our lives more diverse, and on the other hand, they can complicate everyday life. Therefore, approach everything, including signs, wisely, not letting them dominate you.
5. List of references.
IN AND. Dahl. “On beliefs, superstitions and prejudices of the Russian people”
Signs and superstitions http://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.php/94900/Razumovskaya_-_Primety_i_sueveriya
Folk signs and superstitions http://ugoo.ru/thread-839
Superstitions http://sueveriya.ru/
Signs and superstitions http://www.study.ru/treasury/
English signs and superstitions http://knowledge.allbest.ru/culture/3c0b65635a2bc78a4c43b89421216d26_08. - M.: “Slovo”, 1994.
Why are adults afraid of black cats, how does superstition differ from pious tradition, and what awaits those who do not believe in bad omens, NS correspondent Ekaterina Stepanova found out from the priest-ethnographer Archpriest Alexander Shantaev and from the linguist-ethnographer Elena Levkievskaya.
Archpriest Alexander Shantaev was born in 1964 in the West Kazakhstan region. In 1991 he graduated from the Kyiv State art institute. Ordained a priest in 1994. From 1994 to 2004 he served in the parishes of the villages of Vvedenskoye, Berendeevo, and Lviv of the Yaroslavl diocese. In 2004 - rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Uglich Kremlin. Director of the youth social center in the name of St. Tsarevich Dimitry of Uglich. Author of the books “Crippled Blessed Saints in Modern Hagiographic Literature”, “Priest. Witches. Death. Ethnographic sketches of a rural parish”, “Asya’s memory”, “Between the sky and the Lions. Notes on the margins of the church year."
Craving for the mysterious
Father Alexander, how do Orthodox superstitions appear, why are pagan rituals mixed into the Christian tradition: over which shoulder is it correct to pass a candle in a church, and the like?
The point, I think, is not in any particular “Orthodox” superstitions, but in the fact that superstition is inherent in the human consciousness in principle. Folk, that is, dogmatically unenlightened forms of religious worldview are very stable. I have no doubt that there are specifically Buddhist or Muslim forms of popular piety. Ancient and Roman authors, in our opinion pagans, for example Lucian, ridiculed the superstitions of their contemporaries. What exactly is superstition? The word “superstition” was invented by analogy with the words “superstition”, “fuss” in the era of Peter the Great, to adequately convey the Latin superstition. In an earlier era, various dissimilar customs were designated by the Polish word “zabobony,” which, no, no, can still be found in popular speech today. The enlightened part of society begins to pay attention to superstition when a normative idea of faith is established, when a sound understanding of things is contrasted with an unhealthy one. The phenomenon of “superstition” is rooted in man’s inherent desire for the mysterious, which in a world distorted by the Fall is a distorted desire for the Sacrament, for life in the Holy Spirit.
One of my pregnant friends was advised by religious women in the church not to touch cats before giving birth, otherwise, they say, hair will grow on the baby’s back... How can I explain to them that this is nonsense?
Well, we can advise you not to touch cacti before giving birth, so that the fur does not turn out to be prickly, and also avoid touching curved objects, so that the legs do not become crooked... But seriously, in the case of your friend, we see a characteristic manifestation of magical consciousness. Faith, according to Saint Diadochos of Photicus, is the thought of God, devoid of idolatry. These women advisers in the temple, they are also believers who accepted Christ. But this acceptance of faith did not reveal all the outskirts and nooks and crannies of the personality: on top - church life in compliance with everything prescribed by the charter, and from below it was the occult (i.e. hidden, secret) conviction that there are even more secret relationships in the world than those that are openly confessed by the Church. By the way, many representatives of the “witchcraft and healing workshop” play precisely on this secret knowledge and dedication for the few, in contrast to the Gospel gospel proclaimed publicly.
It is not easy for people who are susceptible to superstition to explain why it is wrong to do something in one way or another. Christ should be explained to these people and the Gospel revealed to them! Nowadays, people en masse classify themselves as professing the Orthodox faith, and they do the right thing, but the experience of genuine communion with God is still very rare. And not because of the exclusivity of this experience itself (although this is so), but because you need a sincere desire to wake up. Wake up, wake up, or something. Seek God, and not just perform established rituals correctly.
When a person truly enters into a personal, genuine dialogue with God, discovers Him in himself, learns to correlate his breathing and his life with Him, with the Gospel, then he will not need to be explained over which shoulder to correctly pass the candle. All superstitions will disappear like fog...
My relative was once placed under the rug front door needle, she was very scared of the evil eye, although she seems to be a believer. How to calm her down?
You can’t prove anything to a frightened person if he is only a “little” Christian and at the same time is afraid of love spells, conspiracies and all these “vampiric” and “energetic” influences. How to cure cowardice? Raising courage! By effort of will, work on oneself, tension of those muscles that are located between the ears, that is, brain activity, as well as mental labor. Christ undoubtedly calls us to overcome fears and fears. Well, okay, the relative was frightened: “What horror, someone wishes me harm!” - and then she prayed and remembered the Gospel: “Even the hairs on your head are all numbered; Don’t be afraid..." ( Matt. 10, 30) Don't be afraid! The Lord is with us! This is a commandment for a believer: do not be afraid of love spells, evil eyes and night knocks! And if you are afraid, nothing will help you: even if you cover yourself with shrines and walk around in a diving suit filled with holy water.
Man facing death
Dual faith is when people have two faiths at the same time? They believed in God on Mondays, and in the devil on Wednesdays?
No. From their point of view, people had one faith, they themselves recognized it as Christian. But in reality, it included a set of elements that had little to do with Christianity. A peasant who considered himself Orthodox could spit over his shoulder, be afraid of black cats, and at the same time go to church, pray to God, and participate in the sacraments. I will give a vivid example that shows how strong pagan beliefs and traditions were in the minds of Christians. In the 19th century, imagine, there was such a custom of making Christ with a brownie! On Easter, the owner of the house with a red egg went to the barn or yard, where the brownie usually lived, and left him the egg “for Christ’s day.” It was also customary to make Christ with the goblin, leaving the egg in the forest on a stump. The person who did this did not see the contradiction in his actions, his consciousness did not split, since for him it was a single picture of the world, when the brownie and the saints are on the same level. It is clear that less egregious mergers were not noticed at all and were considered the norm.
- What about the priests? Were they literate, did they study in seminaries? Didn't they fight this?
The village priest himself was from a peasant environment and from childhood absorbed the same household rules. For example, many scholars describe the custom of rolling a priest in full vestments across the field after the harvest in order to return to the field its power to produce bread.
And during a drought, the priest was doused with water to make it rain. Probably something similar was done with pagan priests before. And the priest had to endure all this. If he came into conflict with parishioners, he often remained unconvinced, but without food, since he was economically dependent on the rural community. Although most often for the priest all these rituals were a familiar everyday norm. He did not realize that his actions were moving away from Christ, and he would have been very surprised if anyone had told him so. The pagan consciousness in people was so strong that it crushed Christian traditions, interpreted them in its own way and preserved some superstitions to this day.
- How can superstitions persist among educated people in modern life?
In order for the culture of the people to be preserved, there are powerful mechanisms for transmitting tradition from generation to generation. Much stronger than you and I can imagine. Otherwise, the Russians would not be Russians, and the Chinese would not be Chinese. Thanks to these mechanisms, we can say that the culture of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and our culture are one and the same. It was these mechanisms that brought superstitions to us from the Middle Ages almost unchanged.
The world around us is very changeable and unpredictable. People want to play it safe by performing some simple magical rituals that will make events more predictable. Open any newspaper and on the last page you will find many advertisements like “a strong sorcerer will restore your health,” “a hereditary soothsayer will dry up a rival,” and so on. It's a whole industry. Since there are so many of them, it means they are in demand, and pagan consciousness operates in modern people no less than in past centuries. These are, of course, extreme cases, and how many “small magical rituals” are performed every day around us, which we don’t even notice!
But modern urban people, who are now the majority, don’t need to milk a cow and know the rituals that are associated with it?
Yes, now everything can be bought in a store, and most of the rituals and superstitions that “helped” farmers are no longer needed. But those complexes of beliefs that are associated with a person’s personal life continue to persist. For example, children's health, family well-being. Superstitions associated with pregnancy and the newborn child remain. Ask any woman who has given birth, as soon as she begins to move around in the subculture of her own kind, go to consultations, read books about pregnancy and childbirth, she immediately picks up the “necessary” rituals and signs. Among pregnant women, there is a ban on buying clothes before giving birth, so as not to bring death to the baby, a ban on showing the baby until one year old, so as not to jinx him, and so on. This whole system of superstitions continues to exist from ancient pagan times to this day!
-Are new superstitions appearing?
There are also new ones. Take, for example, astronauts, educated people associated with the most complex technologies. It would seem that they should be very far from superstitions. But if we look at how they behave before the start, we will see that in terms of the level of their pagan thinking they are not at all different from the peasants of the time of Vladimir the Red Sun. Space is a sphere where a person depends little on himself. And the astronauts really need this confidence in a successful outcome. They are trying to predict it, program a successful flight, performing a series of correct ritual actions. For example, all the cosmonauts watch the film “White Sun of the Desert” before the launch, because Yuri Gagarin watched it and his flight went well. The usual principle for superstition applies: “after this”, which means “as a result of this”.
Captivated by symbols
Who do superstitious people believe in? From whom do they hope to receive their benefit by performing magical rituals, leaning out of the window at night in search of freebies, and so on?
A superstitious person may not believe in anyone, no matter how strange it may seem. He believes in cause and effect relationships. If you take the pie with dirty hands and eat it, you may get a stomach ache later. This chain seems quite rational to you, because you know about the existence of microbes that will transfer from dirty hands to the pie. Therefore, when a person builds his life depending on superstitions, he models it in the same way within the framework of cause-and-effect relationships. If a pregnant woman steps over the rope, the umbilical cord will wrap around the baby's neck. From the point of view of a superstitious person, this has its own rational explanation, although often he does not think about why. IN in this example By analogy, the rope symbolizes the umbilical cord, and if a pregnant woman steps over it, then some action will happen to the child in the womb; he will probably get entangled in the umbilical cord. And if a person is standing on the threshold, this is also bad, because he is standing on the border between two worlds. That is, cause-and-effect relationships are built within the framework of symbolic models.
- Is it possible to somehow understand why a black cat brings bad luck, and why women are not taken on the ship?
The entire symbolic world is described through a system of binary oppositions. That is, pairs of concepts: white - black, right - left, male - female, upper - lower, full - empty. One of these elements in the symbolic world is endowed with a positive meaning, and the other with a negative one. It turns out that black, left, female, lower, empty are endowed with a negative meaning, and white, right, male, upper, full - positive. It follows from this that if the first guest to come to the holiday is a man, this is a good sign for a superstitious person, but if on the way from home he meets a woman, and even with an empty bucket, this is a doubly bad sign. From here it is clear why the black cat was not pleasing, why a woman on a ship is a bad omen. This way you can dismantle many superstitions. Even among modern traders, I have heard, there is an idea that if the first buyer is a man, then the day will be successful, and if a woman comes first, then the trade will go poorly.
- Since all these customs are so well preserved, they are probably supported by some kind of experience?
I think that if a person does not know this superstition about a man and a woman and he simply trades without thinking about it, then he does not care who comes to him first. And if a person believes in superstitions, then a very powerful mechanism of self-hypnosis is at work here. If the merchant is given a good sign through the “first male buyer,” then he himself begins to feel more confident. And his psychological attitude is capable of influencing the situation. If a student goes to an exam confident that he snagged a freebie in his record book last night, then he also feels protected and answers without fear. That's what "reinforcing experience" is all about.
One of distinctive features people, in comparison with other biological species, is belief in omens. Psychologists explain this by saying that the human brain prefers to attribute any unexplained relationships to the influence of other world and supernatural powers. However, in 2010, a group of German specialists proved that talismans and superstitions can really help in exceptional situations.
The portal YUGA.ru publishes a special top 13 of the most common signs and superstitions.
13. Beginners are lucky
The phrase "beginners are lucky" is just a common grumbling experienced craftsman, who had just lost to a newcomer. The idea behind the superstition is that people have an unusually high chance of winning when they try a sport or game of chance for the first time in their lives.
Experts believe that this pattern (if it exists) may be explained by the fact that beginners are usually less concerned about the possibility of winning or losing. Excessive anxiety, as a rule, only prevents you from achieving the desired result.
Additionally, newbie luck may simply be a statistical trick, especially in games of chance where randomness is everything.
12. Don't spill salt
Salt is one of the most ancient foods associated with superstitions. Table salt is the only product that does not spoil over time. In Rus', salt was considered a symbol of eternity and was quite expensive for a long time. In this regard, the traditions of many peoples prescribed to greet guests with bread and salt, and spilled salt was automatically considered a reason for a quarrel.
This led to the emergence of another sign: it was believed that if a careless person spilled salt, he should immediately throw three pinches over his left shoulder and laugh. This act solved two problems at once: it allowed to neutralize evil spirits, hidden behind the left shoulder, and demonstrate to the guests that no one will spare salt for them. In addition, laughter itself improved mood and reduced the likelihood of a possible quarrel.
11. Don't walk under the stairs!
One of the most practical superstitions is to never walk under a ladder leaning against a wall. There are several possible explanations behind this sign.
The first theory, Christian, comes from the belief in the Holy Trinity. A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, and “breaking” such a triangle was considered blasphemous.
The second theory dates back to the Middle Ages. Portable ladders made people think of the gallows, and it was believed that by passing under the ladder, a person thereby hastened his own death.
In addition, there is an extremely logical everyday explanation for superstition. What could be more reasonable than not wanting to get injured at work by someone working on a ladder?
10. Beware of black cats
Cats have been used as pets for thousands of years and were considered sacred symbols of the goddess Bast in ancient Egypt.
Superstitions associated with these animals vary in different countries. Thus, in Great Britain, a black cat is a symbol of good luck, while a white cat, on the contrary, is a source of trouble.
Slavic tradition associates black cats with evil spirits, witches and sorcerers. Accordingly, it is believed that an animal crossing the road brings misfortune and illness. Even a dream about a black cat, according to Slavic myths, can mean the approach of imminent trouble.
In order to avoid problems, it is recommended to turn around your axis, breaking a tree branch into two parts and throwing them in different directions. It is believed that in this way a person “opens” the circle created around him by a cat.
9. Luck on rabbit's feet
The story of the lucky rabbit's foot has its roots in totemism.
The ancient Celts believed that rabbits dug holes in order to communicate underground with divine world. In addition, hares are the only animals that are born with their eyes open, which also aroused respect and amazement among the pagans. It was believed that thanks to this, animals possessed secret knowledge and wisdom even before birth.
According to another superstition, a rabbit's foot or ear could bring health and fertility to the house. The Celts hoped that thanks to this talisman, livestock and their own wives would give birth quickly, easily, and most importantly, often.
8. Trouble doesn’t come alone
The number three has long been endowed magical properties. As a rule, spitting over the shoulder, knocking on wood, making the sign of the cross and repeating other ritual actions three times.
In addition, superstitious people tend to believe that troubles, like joys, tend to happen in threes. This superstition is based on a person’s psychological tendency to single out from the mass of events only those that correspond to his expectations. At the same time, faith in a sign can make you ignore many minor troubles or, on the contrary, invent a problem out of the blue.
7. Broken mirrors
According to ancient legend, breaking a mirror is a sure way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. This superstition arose from the belief that mirrors do not simply reflect objects, but contain part of the human soul. The same superstition led to the emergence of the ritual of covering mirrors in the house after the death of relatives.
Like the number three, seven is often associated with good or bad luck. In order to avoid seven years of bad luck, it is recommended to take precautions: take one of the mirror fragments to the cemetery or grind all the fragments into powder.
Three sixes in a row cause horror in many people, fueled by numerous mystical horror films. This superstition is closely related to Christianity and the Bible. In the Book of Revelation, the number 666 is referred to as the number of the "beast" and is often interpreted as the numerological embodiment of Satan and a symbol of the end times. Along with the inverted cross and pentagram, the number is a popular symbol of Satanists.
In Asian countries, unlike European countries, six is considered lucky number. According to estimates, on June 6, 2006, China had three times as many marriages as usual.
One possible explanation for the hype around the number 666 may be its unusual arithmetic properties. So, 666 is a palindrome and is the sum of the squares of the first seven prime numbers(2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17), as well as the sum of its digits and the cubes of its digits. In addition, the cube of 666 is the sum of the cubes of three previous similar numbers: 333, 444 and 555.
Additionally, 666 is the sum of all the numbers on the roulette wheel.
5. Knock on wood
This phrase is almost a verbal talisman intended to ward off any bad luck. No matter what prohibitions a person violates, few people will resist the temptation to knock on the first wooden object they come across.
Such a sign may stem from old myths about good spirits living in trees, or from an association with the Christian cross.
4. Pregnant women should not sew
The sign is based on the following metaphor: pregnant women should not sew, because then the child’s way into this world will be “sewn up.”
For the same reason, there is a widespread belief that the expectant mother should not knit, embroider or do any other handicraft.
This sign also has a practical justification. Modern doctors recommend paying attention to the fact that prolonged static load and staying in one position can really harm the child. Therefore, pregnant ladies are advised not to get carried away with embroidery, but from time to time to go for a walk or just relax in bed.
3. Cross your fingers for luck
This tradition also has its roots in Christianity. According to the prevailing belief, all Christian symbols, especially the cross, can bring happiness to a person. Previously, it was believed that to attract good luck, close friends or relatives had to cross their fingers for each other. Gradually, the tradition changed, and now it is enough for a superstitious person to simply say that he is crossing his fingers.
2. Umbrellas cannot be opened indoors
An umbrella opened indoors is believed to bring bad luck. There are many legends associated with this item. One of them tells of an ancient Roman woman whose house collapsed after she accidentally opened an umbrella in her room. Another says that a certain British prince accepted an umbrella as a gift from an eastern king and died two months later.
Scientists say that the reason for the emergence of this superstition, like the signs of a standing ladder, was the natural desire of people to stay away from potentially dangerous objects. In addition, an umbrella opened indoors can easily injure others.
1. Friday the 13th
The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedecatriaphobia (from the Greek word paraskevi, meaning Friday, and dekathreis, meaning thirteen). In addition, another name is used: friggatriskaidekaphobia - on behalf of the supreme goddess Frigg in German-Scandinavian mythology.
In many cultures, the number 13 has long been considered unlucky. Friday is also associated with trouble, because... According to Christian tradition, Jesus died on this day.
There are many other versions of the origin of this superstition. Thus, recently there has been an assumption that the fear of Friday the 13th is associated with the unexpected arrest of a large number of Knights Templar in 1307. In addition, the number 13 was considered dangerous by Homer and Cicero, and in the Hebrew Kabbalah there were 13 spirits of evil.
In addition, according to scientists' calculations expressed in the Doomsday Theory model, the human population will reach infinity or mathematical singularity on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Faith is a significant revolution in a person's life. And why? Yes, because true faith leads to correct coexistence with the whole world. What is correct faith? This is when a person, who has not been subjected to religious allegories, leads himself to faith and the acquisition of good outside of matter.
In simple words - “Matter” (everything that you firstly feel, secondly, everything that you smell, thirdly, everything that you taste, fourthly, everything that you hear) is the web of your own EGO . Only you cannot feel it. You will hang around (take actions that, in your opinion, can change something), but you will not be able to change anything.
Where is Vera?
Faith helps a person understand what his purpose is. (And it may even be that a person who has lived to be 30 years old leaves life at the behest of God). It happens. Sorry. It should be. Everything is connected.
And superstitions are just a blank on which certain information is recorded. What?…
How is superstition different from faith?
– One of my pregnant friends was advised by religious women in the church not to touch cats before giving birth, otherwise, they say, hair will grow on the baby’s back... How can I explain to them that this is nonsense?
– Well, we can advise you not to touch cacti before giving birth, so that the fur does not turn out to be prickly, and also avoid touching curved objects, so that the legs do not become crooked... But seriously, in the case of your friend, we see a characteristic manifestation of magical consciousness. Faith, according to Saint Diadochos of Photicus, is the thought of God, devoid of idolatry. These women advisors...
Hope is not classified.
— see (C) in Rom 15:13
- confidence in the present and strong anticipation of the future
A. Commented Topics
1.(T)HOPE as a theme:
— Isaiah: Isaiah 9:7
— Jeremiah: Jer 23:5
— Amos: Amos 9:11
— Micah: Micah 4:1
— Zephaniah: Zeph 3:15
— Haggai: Hag 2:7
— 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:10
— 2 Thessalonians: 2 Thessalonians 2:3
— 1 Peter: 1 Pet 1:3
— Revelations: Rev 21:3
2. (T)RESTORATION as a theme:
— Ezekiel: Eze 36:24
— Joel: Joel 2:32
B. The Nature of Hope
1. The concept of hope
- associated with faith: 1 Cor 13:13; Hebrews 11:1
- connected with our trust in the Lord: Ps 32:20,21; Rom 15:13 (C)
- connected with our joyful expectation: Rom 4:18,19; Titus 1:2
2. Who/what do we rely on?
- on God: Ps 41:6,12; Ps 129:7; 1 Tim 6:17
- on Jesus Christ: Rom 15:12; 1 Cor 15:19; Eph 1:12; Phil 2:19
- in the name of God:...
Why adults are afraid of black cats, how superstition differs from pious tradition and what awaits those who do not believe in bad omens, NS correspondent Ekaterina Stepanova found out from the priest-ethnographer Archpriest Alexander Shantaev and the linguist-ethnographer Elena Levkievskaya.
Archpriest Alexander Shantaev was born in 1964 in the West Kazakhstan region. In 1991 he graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute. Ordained a priest in 1994. From 1994 to 2004 he served in the parishes of the villages of Vvedenskoye, Berendeevo, and Lviv of the Yaroslavl diocese. In 2004 - rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Uglich Kremlin. Director of the youth social center in the name of St. Tsarevich Dimitry of Uglich. Author of the books “Crippled Blessed Saints in Modern Hagiographic Literature”, “Priest. Witches. Death. Ethnographic sketches of a rural parish”, “Asya’s memory”, “Between the sky and the Lions. Notes on the margins of the church year."
Craving for the mysterious
What is superstition? This, as can already be seen from the word itself, is vain faith, that is, empty, inauthentic, vain faith. Genuine faith differs from superstition in that a true believer does not mindlessly swallow any “spiritual” product. True faith is accompanied by sobriety and prudence, only with which one can perceive true spirituality. Superstition is an omnivorous, short-sighted and naive faith, addressed to everything indiscriminately.
Superstitions are a kind of alternative to life in true faith, when genuine spiritual values have not yet prevailed in the human soul, and the need to rely on something supernatural remains. People intuitively seek spiritual protection. Having no living faith in God, they use various amulets and rely on superstitions that supposedly influence our lives.
Superstitions are based on unconscious fear and belief in some hidden force manifested in visible actions or situations. And in this sense, superstition is close to magic, the occult perception of our...
Superstitions in the light of the Orthodox faith
“Without faith it is impossible to please God,” Holy Scripture tells us (Heb. 11:6). Faith in God is the first and main condition for the salvation of the human soul.
Our soul, created in the image and likeness of God, constantly seeks God, strives for Him, and only in Him finds peace and contentment. Interest in religion and Orthodoxy is growing in ever wider circles of the public. Before our eyes, a revival of spiritual life is taking place: on major Orthodox holidays, Yekaterinburg churches are overcrowded, and more and more new parishes are opening in the cities and regions of the Diocese. All this indicates that a religious thirst for knowledge of God is reviving in the souls of people, but this gratifying desire of our contemporaries for spiritual life has another side...
Sometimes without having a solid knowledge of the basics Orthodox faith, modern neophytes are easily inclined to...
You touched on a very sore and at the same time broad topic. As you understand, it is practically impossible to answer this question within the framework of an online forum. Personally, I see ways to overcome the superstitious concepts that exist among many of our compatriots in the tireless preaching of the Gospel, to which all superstition is alien. After all, superstition is the fruit of a lack of faith, a lack of knowledge about faith in God. And the means of such preaching can be different. This includes preaching from the church pulpit, preaching through the media, print media, and the Internet. Anything you want. The apostles even preached in the bazaars.
We now have the opportunity to preach to a wider audience. And not only the priest, whose duties include teaching, can preach, but also lay people prepared for such preaching. It will never be possible to completely eradicate superstitions. But it is necessary to explain to people baptized in Orthodoxy how superstition differs from faith in the Living God. After all, many, even entering the temple with their “external” superstitions,...
Faith and knowledge
Gospel of John - The Spirit breathes where it wants. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
Today, they talk about the confrontation between the Russian church and scientific knowledge. And indeed, while repeating biblical sayings, these people forget that many of them are symbolic, generalizing in nature, and a literal understanding of them leads to logical contradictions, and often to opposition to common sense. For example, a specific date for the creation of the earth is stated and from it the countdown is made to the present, to today. And the age of the Earth is estimated at just over five thousand years.
To prove the correctness of the literal reading of the Bible, many begin to assert absurd things and suspect science of deliberate falsification. They say that not only does human evolution not correspond to the dogmas of the church, but also the theory of evolution as such is the speculation of scientists. They also claim that the world...
About superstition and true faith
Once, having arrived in my native Orenburg, I, walking with my son across the bridge over the Ural River, noticed many padlocks hung on the openwork posts of the railings and on the railings themselves. The castles were different - from small and elegant to large barn ones, some were painted, some had a heart or inscriptions like “Sasha + Masha”. I somehow didn’t notice this before, but now there was practically no free space on the railing. They soon explained to me that this custom is connected with marriage: the newlyweds come to the bridge on their wedding day, hang a lock on it, and throw the key into the waves of the Urals. In Ufa, they say, a similar bridge is called the Bridge of Love. This custom, now widespread in the most different places our vast Motherland, is associated with the belief in the indissolubility of the family being created, just as it is impossible to dissolve a castle whose key is thrown into the river.
Of course, it’s good that the newlyweds are tuning in to uniqueness and uniqueness...
The same thing - only superstition is signs that are in no way logically connected with natural phenomena, And faith in religion is a substitution of everyday life for a non-existent reality (unproven imitation)
Faith is always tested. Let’s say in 1st grade I believed that I would become a graduate, and it happened.
faith in God is the truth, but faith in omens and fortune tellers is empty and leads to sin
The bible says (Hebrews 11:1) - “Faith is a reasonable expectation of that which is hoped for, a clear evidence of things that exist, although they are not seen. According to Wikipedia Superstition (derived from “sue” - in vain (without awareness of the reasons) and “faith”, lit. “vain belief”)
In principle, nothing. But superstition differs from the faith of God.
Faith is objective, superstition is subjective, that’s all...
Faith is in God, superstition is in all sorts of nonsense: omens, fortune telling, amulets...
doubt.
Wow)))
Shyness...
In everyday life, people are accustomed to believing in omens and superstitions. But is this pleasing to God? Find out the answer to this question on the pages of the Orthodoxy and World portal.
Signs and superstitions
Should we believe the signs that accompany our daily life? How inclined are Russians to believe in them (statistics)? What kind of church superstitions exist? We offer you selected articles on the topic “Signs and superstitions” that will give answers to these questions.
13 most common and stupid signs and superstitions
We are superstitious people, so we believe that Friday the 13th is bad, but finding a coin is good.
Many superstitions are related to the same thing that makes us believe in monsters and ghosts: when our brains are unable to explain something, we shift responsibility to supernatural forces. In fact, research last year showed that superstitions can sometimes work because believing in something can make a task more “performable.”
There is an opinion that non-believers, unlike religious people, are more susceptible to superstitions and observance of incomprehensible and strange rituals and rituals, which cannot be called anything other than pagan. Of course, most people understand the simple truth about the incompatibility of faith and superstition. However, sad as it may be, followers of superstitions are not only people “far” from the faith and the church, but also believers, devout Christians. And this despite the fact that our people accepted Orthodoxy more than a thousand years ago. However, we continue to carefully preserve these harmful customs. And even more than that, we pass on all these senseless traditions from generation to generation, trying to teach them to our children and grandchildren, with even greater zeal than church rituals and Sacraments, without even thinking about the danger to the soul that the wrong faith poses. .
Let's observe ourselves, our family and just the people who surround us. What will we see? And we will see that superstitions are present in...
A person believes in many things. When his faith lies in the manifestation of the supernatural during some events or phenomena, this is called superstition. This word means empty faith in something. How do superstitions appear, and what threat do they pose? The human soul needs faith. And the manifestations of some kind of superstition are an attempt to satisfy this need. Superstition is very different from faith, since faith requires enormous effort on oneself. Such inauthentic faith acts as a compensation for real faith.
Superstitions cannot appear just like that, supposedly out of nowhere. Inauthentic faith begins with paganism; today it is used as a weapon of Satan. It is with such strange “weapons” that the destinies of many people are crippled and serious harm is done to the soul. Superstition creates fear, and people who arrive in a state of fear are more vulnerable to harm. There are cases when superstitious people, without suspecting it themselves, believe not in God, but in...
Pavel G., you wrote:
> Briefly: In my childhood, a distant relative often came to visit our home, after she left, as my parents later told me, I cried and for a long time they could not calm me down, I had some kind of fear of her, and after her visits, I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time and tossed around in my sleep.....
> When I had children, she also came to us, and the same thing happened to them, only in a milder form.
Children most likely can better see which people are more mired in certain sins, because... they are still pure in their soul. It is not for nothing that the Lord called us to be like children, “for to such is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16)
In the interpretation of the Gospel of Luke by Blessed Theophylact, Arch. Bulgarian wrote: “The child is not arrogant, does not humiliate anyone, is gentle, ingenuous, neither puffed up in happiness, nor humbled in sorrow, but is always completely simple.” and right there in his interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew one can read the following phrase “...Lord...
Message from Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Church teaching (...) - a collection of the grossest superstitions
Lev Nikolaevich was not original. I apologize for the copy-paste, but it’s really
