Good Luck Charms

Lucky Cornish Piskey, found in a charity shop in Northern England

Hag or "Holey" stone, found on a beach in Southern England

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Isn't it charming that many people throughout time have had or carried good luck charms?  Four leaf clovers, pebbles and coins - anything really that symbolizes good fortune to the holder. 

The four leaf clover is considered lucky because they grow few and far between in any bed of clover.  The odds of finding one are stacked against the seeker, so it follows that the finder is inherently "lucky" to spot one.

Any stone can be considered lucky - they are too numerous to mention.  But the one I remember most from childhood was the "wishing stone".  Usually found by the ocean, the wishing stone is a smooth black rock, with a  single white line running in a complete, unbroken circle around it - hold it in your hand and make a wish.  A hag or "holey" stone (pictured above) is said to offer the wearer protection -- and sometimes offers a view to unseen worlds.  Both are relatively easy to find so I think the magic is less in the finding but rather in the vast symbolism of the circle.....

And of course, lucky coins need no explanation - they are a very tangible symbol of wealth!

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 / edited 2023