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?

Title: Darkness Falls

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