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This is a busy, fast-paced day. Short trips, shopping, visits and appointments with
others plus increased reading, writing and studying will keep you active. Be patient
when dealing with others because tension is building up before tomorrow's Full Moon.
Pay attention to everything you say and do.
Has anyone ever told you it's rude to point? Superstition reveals that pointing at
the stars can be just as frowned upon as pointing at a stranger on the street. The
legend stems from the ancient belief that the stars were actually gods or other
supernatural beings peering down at Earth from the heavens. Pointing at a star,
therefore, meant you were actually pointing at a god [source: Webster]. This
could anger the god, bringing unwanted attention and bad luck down on the
pointer and his or her family. In some cases, a simple point was thought to mean
much more than a bad day — actually having the potential to bring death upon
the pointer [source: Roud]. Talk about overkill.
9: Falling Souls
Shooting stars, also known as fallen stars, send streaks of light across the night
sky before burning out into a point of inky blackness. Superstition has it that
simply spotting one of these stars as it falls can bring good luck, though the
rationale behind this custom changes based on who's telling the story. Some
cultures claim that fallen stars represent souls that have been released from
purgatory, allowing them to finally begin the ascent to heaven and peace. In
Britain and other areas, a shooting star represents the soul of a new baby falling
to Earth, ready to begin a new life [source: Murrell]. Either way, the shooting star
is said to possess a bit of magic, which means positive vibes and good luck for
anyone who happens to gaze upon one.
8: Make a Wish
Given the magic associated with shooting stars, it's no surprise that there's more
than one superstition linked to them. While many cultures suggest that gazing
upon these stars brings good luck, some believe you can use shooting stars for
more precise purposes. Worried about your empty wallet? Park yourself outside
on a starry night and wait for a fallen star. If you say the word "money" three
times before the star burns out, you'll soon be on your way out of poverty
[source: Webster]. Struggling with acne? Hold a rag or cloth over your blemishes
as a shooting star streaks through the sky to get rid of pimples. Don't just use
your hand though, as this will simply transfer the marks to them; stick to a cloth
or rag to rid yourself of the affliction for good [source: Radford and Radford].
7: Lucky Stars
Some shooting star superstitions can affect your life without any action on your
part, but the type of luck you end up with could depend on something as
random as where the star is positioned in the sky. If you spot a fallen star on your
right, it means good luck, while one on your left indicates misfortune will follow.
If you're quick, you may be able to shift position as the star travels in an attempt
to change your luck [source: Dillon]. Shooting stars also bring luck on the road.
Spot one while on a trip, and your voyage is guaranteed to be a success
[source: Goldsmith].
6: Star Light
Even stationary stars can boost your luck, at least according to folklore. In
particular, the first star that shines in the night sky each evening possesses special
magic. In England and some other parts of the world, setting your gaze on the
first star that appears after dark and making a wish is enough to win your heart's
desire. In other cultures, you must recite a particular nursery rhyme or poem as
you silently focus on your wish. This superstition is associated with the "Star Light,
Star Bright" nursery rhyme popular among children and parents
[source: Webster].
5: Farming Superstitions
Farmers and others have used the stars to predict the weather since ancient
times. One superstition from England warns that there will be a poor
harvest when the evening star is low in the sky, while the appearance of Sirius, or
the Dog Star — one of the brightest stars in the sky — means drought is on the
way [source: Dillon].
If you're wondering whether it will rain in the coming days, check out the
constellation Cancer. For thousands of years, people have relied on Cancer's
Beehive star cluster to predict a storm. Superstition has it that when the sky is
clear but the Beehive is difficult to discern, rain is sure to follow [source: Rao].
4: Stars at Sea
Like farmers, fishermen and other seafarers have their own star-
related superstitions. By observing the direction that a shooting star travels,
sailors can predict which way the winds will blow — useful information for when
instruments go down, or for those out at sea in ancient times [source: NOAA].
The North Star has always served as a powerful navigating tool at sea, allowing
sailors to calculate latitude and determine the correct course to reach their
destination. Sailors also believe that a glimpse of the North Star is good luck
because it means their vessel is close to home. In more recent times, seafarers
have been known to court luck with tattoos of the North Star as a way of carrying
on this ancient tradition.
3: Let It Rain
Wondering whether it will rain soon? Ask the man in the moon. Superstition
dictates that observing how stars are positioned in relation to rings around the
moon can help you predict the weather. A ring around the moon with a single
star situated inside means clear weather ahead. If you spot more than one star
inside the ring, you can count the stars to determine how many rainy days will
occur in the coming week.
Different cultures have their own variations of this superstition. In some parts of
the United States, a ring around the moon with two stars inside means that rain is
coming inside of two days. Others equate seven stars around the moon, for
instance, as a prediction that seven hours of rain will follow [source: Thomas and
Thomas].
2: Make It Count
Counting the stars may be a good way to pass the time on a clear night, but
superstitious folks should skip counting in favor of other pastimes. Counting the
stars has always been considered a surefire way to bring on bad luck, and some
legends state that if you attempt to count the stars in the sky, you'll die when you
reach 100 [source: Dillon]. Some believe that this superstition stems from ancient
people who worshipped the sun, moon and stars, while others argue it's a more
recent custom [source: Roud].
Of course, with at least 200 billion stars in the galaxy, it's likely that you'd die of
natural causes well before you could get very far into your count, lending this
superstition an air of credibility [source: NASA].
It's well established that attempting to count the stars can be unlucky or even
fatal, but one superstition holds that it's OK to count under very specific
circumstances. According to folklore, only an unmarried person looking for love
can keep a tally. Even in this case, the unmarried person can count a maximum of
seven stars on seven consecutive nights. If you do this, the first person of your
preferred sex that you shake hands with on the eighth day is the one you'll marry.
For those struggling to find the one, it seems like a harmless way to not only
locate love, but also a chance to finally count the stars without fear of inviting
bad luck into your life [source: Radford and Radford].