My Catchphrases

Friday 13 January 2012

Spotlight: Guest Post: Friday the 13th and Superstitions by Cate Tiernan


If you hadn't already noticed I adore the Immortal Beloved series by Cate Tiernan, so I am delighted to be able to welcome Cate to Book Angel Booktopia today. As it is Friday the 13th Cate kindly agreed to talk about superstitions. Over  to Cate:

Superstitions. 
They can be fun or traumatic, comforting or debilitating. Friday the 13th. Black cats. Walking under ladders (okay, that just seems like common sense--). Stepping on a crack. Every culture in the world has its own superstitions and folk beliefs. It’s amazing how pervasive they are, and how tenaciously they’ve held on to their influence even in modern society. 

I think they were created to give people a sense that we have more control over our lives than we really do. Like, if we’re obsessively careful about never stepping on a crack, we are actively protecting our mother’s back. Or seeing four black crows on someone’s lawn—that means death is coming, so heads’ up, everyone. If you’re being alert, you’re safe from the omen.

It’s always worth remembering that superstitions were created by people, and reflect whatever the people were going through at the time. Life has always had its difficulties and uncertainties, in every time period, ancient or modern, in peace or in wartime. If you could give yourself a bit of an edge by never doing your laundry on Thursday (Mondays are best), or by collecting four-leaf clovers, or by saying a lucky rhyme every time you crossed a certain bridge—well, it only made sense to do it. Why make things more difficult?

As a sensible, modern, educated woman, do I even bother with these quaint anachronisms? Of course I do. I’m not stupid. However, I’ve always liked when a Friday falls on the 13th. My dad died on a Friday the 13th, but instead of being sad, I always feel a little glow of connection when I realize a Friday the 13th has come round again. It makes me think of him. Thirteen in general is a lucky number for me. And I have lucky rocks that I keep on my desk and my bedroom dresser—rocks that seemed to say something to me when I found them, that fit my hand particularly well. Holding them feels like getting an IM from the earth. And I believe that whatever you put out into the world comes back to you threefold, so I watch what I think and say and do, and try to make it positive as much as I can. It’s why I write books with strong female characters—I want to put that strength out into the world, to bloom and grow. Maybe it’s just a superstition—but it’s one I live by, and it’s served me well. 


My feeling about superstitions is: pay attention to the ones that add something positive to your life. Let go of the ones that seem like a pointless scolding. Create your own fun superstitions and put them out into the world—so you can get their energy back threefold. 

What are your favorite superstitions, and which ones do you wish didn't exist?



Series: Immortal Beloved
Author: Cate Tiernan
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: 5 Jan 2012

Synopsis from Goodreads

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

Review HERE

5 comments:

  1. I hadn't realised that it even WAS Friday 13th! I'm not overly superstitious but I was once told that it's terrible luck to put shoes away with the left and right on the wrong side (if you see what I mean). I still can't see a pair of shoes like this without fixing it - I think it feeds into some sort of latent OCD! I also can't leave a penny on the ground. Maybe I'm more superstitious than I thought!

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  2. it is good that you have a nice way of remembering your dad. I don't mind Friday the 13th at all, as I was 13 on Friday the 13th many years ago. Great post.

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  3. I've never heard the one about washing on a Thursday...that's where I've been going wrong (and is a great excuse for not doing it!) Great post!

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  4. Fab post, I don't put a lot of faith in superstitions but I'm always a teeny bit wary of Fridays that land on a 13th lol.

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  5. I don't know if I have any superstitions. I don't tend to walk under ladders but mainly that's a safety thing. One that a lot of my friends and hubby do it salute a magpie this drives me nuts & they have no idea why they do it, they just do. x

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