I learn new things everyday.

My affirmation today was:
I learn new things everyday.
To set this in motion I chose to do a little research into something random that I have often wondered about. I started thinking about 'lucky charms' and 'talismans' because I recently read an article about how positive thinking can sometimes manifested by something that someone carries that they believe to be 'lucky' or holds special meaning to them. ( I was unable to find a link for it but will continue to look. . .it was pretty interesting) In my search, I came across a piece at Wikipedia about some of the ideas behind a 'lucky rabbit's' foot. . .

Apparently, there is a little more to it than just being a bright pink one out of the quater machines. . .lol.


First, not any foot from a rabbit will do: it is the left hind foot of a rabbit that is useful as a charm.
Second, not any left hind foot of a rabbit will do; the rabbit must have been shot or otherwise captured in a cemetery.
Third, at least according to some sources, not any left hind foot of a rabbit shot in a cemetery will do: the phase of the moon is also important. Some authorities say that the rabbit must be taken in the full moon, while others hold instead that the rabbit must be taken in the new moon. Some sources say instead that the rabbit must be taken on a Friday, or a rainy Friday, or Friday the 13th. Some sources say that the rabbit should be shot with a silver bullet, while others say that the foot must be cut off while the rabbit is still alive.


That was just a little bit of what I read about OBTAINING one of these paws (none of them sound very lucky to the poor rabbit) but why is a foot considered lucky?

I did a little more searching and came up with this:
The ancient European Celts adopted portions of an earlier belief, that rabbits were sacred, and that spirits inhabited their bodies. The Celts, based upon the fact that these animals spent an inordinate amount of time in their underground burrows, held the belief that the rabbits' bodies were inhabited by numina, underground spirits with whom they communicated at very close proximity!
Another reason the Celts held the rabbit to be sacred, was because of their prowess in the field of reproduction. They believed that the numina intended for rabbits to be put upon pedestals and revered as symbols of procreation, reproduction, health, and of prosperity.
Since the rabbit itself was considered to be lucky, it follows that any of its body parts would also be considered lucky. People selected the rabbit's foot to tote around for good luck, because of its capacity to dry quickly, its small size, and the fact that it was easier to tote around than say, its head.

Hmmm. . . .Interesting. . . . .I suppose its your call if the rabbit's foot is really lucky or not but I definately learned something new today and I hope you did too. (Even if it was one of those 'useless trival facts') :^}