I have a 5 year old son, and lately I have noticed he has developed some superstitious tendencies. It’s not something I would take too seriously, he is still young. However, since he is such an earthy child it is surprising to see this behaviour in such a grounded chart. My son has a grand trine in the element of earth.

"Earth has a longing for what he calls the spiritual, although this is frequently expressed as a secret fascination or "belief" in ghosts, psychism, and other para-psychological phenomena without any understanding of the implications inherent in the existence of this sort of "supernatural" world. He will often be found pursuing a love-object who personifies his idea of the medium, the inspiratrice, the guide who can in someway share with him the secrets of the cosmos and alleviate the dull ache within. Unfortunately those who are in touch with the inner mysteries cannot parcel them out like bread and cheese, because such intuitive experience is wholly individual, intensely personal and cannot be explained in the concrete form which earth likes his explanations to assume." By Liz Greene

My little boy loves anything supernatural, and with natal Mercury in the 12th house square Pluto in the 4th house (conjunct I.C) this might give him an interest in hidden subjects, esoteric type interests, and delving deeply into the mysterious, secretive, and shadowy side of life. I had a look through Carter’s Psychological Encyclopaedia of Astrology and found that people who believe in things too readily are said to have a weak Mercury and it’s very often in a water sign, but we might also consider the water houses in this equation (especially the 12th). Water and fire predominate over Earth and Air signs in the superstitious beliefs. Religious superstition often involves the 9th house, and Neptune has subtler forms of influence.

I think astrology offers startling revelations about the personality and upcoming trends in the future. You don’t need to be extra intuitive or “psychic” to study astrology, and it tends to be more of an intellectual art. Sceptics of astrology call it an unscientific kind of knowledge. Some go as far as to call it an ancient superstition to believe that the planets have any impact at all on our daily lives. The term pseudoscience is another popular term used by the sceptics to describe astrology, and it upsets the naysayers to find that many people still believe in astrology. People have always believed the time of the New Moon was a good time for planting, and as the Moon grows in size so will that which is planted. In some places they won’t sleep under the moonlight as it was believed that it will draw their faces to one side when it is waxing or cause depression of the features when it is on the wane.

I don’t believe in many superstitions and if I break a mirror I don’t worry about having bad luck for 7 years. Still, if you are worried, burying the mirror in the garden is said to reverse it. I would walk under a ladder if I needed to get past. A black cat crossing my path is not something I consider to be unlucky, and I have always been fond of our four legged friends. I step on the cracks and haven’t broken my back. I don’t have lucky or unlucky numbers. I open umbrellas up in the house, and the number 13 doesn’t freak me out. Friday the 13th superstition came about because that number sat at the Last Supper and the first to arise was crucified. Friday was the day of the crucifixion.

I have a habit of crossing my fingers for good luck, and there is no harm in carrying around something if you believe it’s lucky. Real belief in good luck is a form of optimism, and this is often something which can be seen in the birth chart. Many positive beliefs can sometimes help turn luck in our favour, and this has a lot to do with the glass is half empty, half full perception of life. 

There was a study done by Dr Wiseman and he agreed to interview an extremely lucky man and unlucky woman at a coffee shop. Before each one arrived he planted a few dollars on the sidewalk near the door. When the lucky man arrived for his interview, he spotted the money and pocketed it. When the unlucky woman arrived she walked right past it. This kind of looking out for opportunities and negative outlook is something we can observe in the birth chart, and often good connections to Jupiter show someone who is more likely to be lucky. The house placement of Jupiter also shows where we want to expand and also where we are more likely to receive lucky opportunities. In the study, the same opportunity existed for both people, but the unlucky woman didn’t spot her possible fortune.

Superstitions have their origins in the beliefs and practices of the past. Some people generally just have a fear of the unknown and people have all sorts of magic charms and spells as antidotes to ward off evil spirits or to protect them in some way. The superstitions over the years are fascinating to read and many are still here today.

Most of these are simply called superstitions, beliefs, and “old wives tales”. Some people suggest that believing in “fate” is another superstition and takes away the control we have over our own lives. Whether you’re an earthy pragmatist, or rational air type, we probably have all experienced good luck and bad luck, and those people who tend to believe luck favours them more, I would look to Jupiter and those people who feel bad luck influences their lives I would look to a strong Saturn influence. However, I am sure there are many other factors that also come in to play in the wheel of fortune.