Of Four Leaf Clovers, Symbols of Superstition and Making Our Own Luck
I was standing in our back yard a few minutes ago, enjoying the last rays of the afternoon sun. We have entered "that time" of the year when the shadows start to grow long and the light has a certain golden quality you don't see at other times of the year.
It has been a bone-dry summer, here in the "rainy" Pacific Northwest. The lawn is... well, it looks more like Arizona out there. Except for this small green patch of clover where there's a natural swale in the lawn and there must still be moisture running off from the springs, uphill from us.
And so, I'm looking at this patch of clover, and I spot a 4-leaf clover... then another, then another. The photos in this post were all taken just a few minutes apart, in the same 9-foot square patch of clover.
Symbols of Good Luck
The first one... a little chewed on
Popular cultural mythology tells us that four leaf clovers are lucky, or bring luck. No doubt, they are somewhat rare, of nothing else. Botanists and biologists estimate that about 1-in-10,000 specimens of common white clover (Trifolium Repens) will set four leaves instead of three.
And it's not really "The Luck of the Irish" we're dealing with here... those are Shamrocks, which is a whole different kettle of fish. Allegedly, St. Patrick used the shamrock as a way to teach people of the Holy Trinity. Four leaf clovers supposedly represent faith, hope, love and luck.
Of course, these are just symbols... just like a "lucky rabbit's foot," or a baseball player who will only wear a certain pair of socks on game day, and so on.
Do We MAKE Our Own Luck?
Some "experts" (who tend to adhere to strict rationalism) argue that there is no such thing as "luck;" and we pretty much make our own luck... as a result of our choices. According to them, such symbols as four leaf clovers are-- in essence-- meaningless.
The second one... near perfect
There are at least a couple of ways in which I take issue with those assertions.
There are definitely such things as luck... and bad luck and/or misfortune. I remember being about 17-- at the time, I was a decent golfer and found myself doing fairly well during the 4th and final round of the Spanish International Junior Championship. I wouldn't have won, or anything, but I could definitely have "placed well."
You non-golfers, hang with me here-- it's a short story, I promise!
Anyway, I was partnered with this Belgian kid Pierre for the final round, and we're both doing "sneaky well." On number 15, Pierre hits his tee shot deep in the woods... there's the sound of trees and branches being hit in the distance... and remarkably, his ball bounces back into the middle of the fairway.
So it's my turn, and I hit it straight as an arrow down the middle of the fairway, where it hits something (maybe a sprinkler head, maybe a rock), bounces sideways, hits some hardpan, bounces again and ends up in someone's yard-- out-of-bounds. Which is a bad thing, in golf.
Point here being that nobody "made" that turn of events... for Pierre, or for myself. "Luck" and "bad luck" happen.
Symbols of Luck are NOT "Meaningless"
Point two, here, is that our "symbols of luck" (like my 4-leaf clovers) are not meaningless.
The third one... rather worn, at the end of summer
No, I don't believe they have "magical powers" or anything like that... however, I believe they do have the "luck equivalent" of the fairly well-documented Placebo Effect.
In this case, maybe we can make some version of "our own luck," if-- in some way-- thinking about our lucky talisman makes us concentrate just a little harder, or focus just a little more than we otherwise would... as a result of which we do a better than expected job... and (falsely, perhaps) attribute the outcome to "good luck."
Of course, there's no actual luck involved, just the perception of luck.
But does it really matter, if it helps our outcome? Not sure, on that. But I put it in the same category as listening to music on the radio-- I don't really need to know the mechanics of radio waves in order to enjoy the music...
Meanwhile, I'm going to treat my four-leaf clovers as a good omen!
How about YOU? Do you believe there is such a thing as "luck?" Can we "make" our own luck? Have you ever found a 4-leaf clover? Do you have any "lucky objects" in your life that you believe help you, in some way? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 20170827 20:52 PDT
I don't know about MAKING our own luck, but we sure can influence it by being in the right place at the right time. I also believe that there is some outside force that creates the circumstances that we call luck. Just today, I was at a BBQ held by our Member Of Parliament. I thought I would go speak with her, but just before I got close, others began speaking to her and I waited patiently behind them. Then someone else came along and I greeted them and we began talking. This person had experience in an area my son is heading, so I was quite interested in making this connection for my son's benefit. I never did get to speak to the M. of P., but I did get contact information for my son, which I think was more important! How's that for luck?
What you're describing there (with the MP and your son) lends credence to the idea that "everything is unfolding exactly as it is supposed so," as a lot of "New-Agey" people like to say.
And yet, I can't fully dismiss that sort of thing as wishful thinking, because incidents like you describe abound, and people DO end up being exactly where they needed to be... even if it perhaps didn't seem so, at the time.
Yes, it really is impossible to be sure if it was 'meant to be' or just plain co-incidence and 'luck'. I think each individual needs to decide on their own what it is they wish to believe. It seems most of the human populations needs something to believe in, hence so many have one type of religion or another.
Having said that, whether or not it is the placebo effect, there seems to be some validity in making things happen by believing in it. If one does not believe they will succeed in any given project, they may ultimately find some excuse to sabotage the project because they don't believe they could achieve the goal and therefor fulfill the prophesy. However, if they DO believe in it, that is the motivation to do things to 'make' it happen.
There is a 3rd type of luck, dumb luck. On a side note, here in Arizona it has been a very wet summer. Being born in the "Seattle Area", I am very familiar with how much rain the Pacific Northwest gets. Steem On Brother!
Ah yeah, dumb luck. Not sure how that works... maybe it's just a reminder of the utter arbitrariness of the universe.
My folks used to live in Mesa; my mom sometimes mentioned "summer monsoons." We had 0.08" in early August. Otherwise, the last measurable rainfall here was in early June.
I was in Seattle for July 4th and the weather was spectacular. However, as I was growing up, that day it always poured. Go figure.
I have never once found a single four-leaf clover ~ Yet I believe that they do exist.
And that because you have affirmed that finding not just one, but three four-leaf clovers IS a good omen, then it WILL be.
It was a pretty unusual thing, to find those three... and I am going to stick to my hypothesis that it's a good thing!
It's unusual to find one, let alone three. And three is such a wonderful number too.
When I was a kid, I had a friend who was always finding them and I recall wondering why I couldn't.
But back to another of your questions: Do you have any 'lucky objects' that you believe help you?
I sure do. I love the crystals and shells, stones and rocks and all the natural objects I work with, in my assemblage work. When I'm receptive enough, they 'tell' me where they want to go.
The more I trust this process, their 'perfect placements' are so magical. Some may call this 'lucky.'
Not so much an object, but a symbol, the 11:11 appears in a lot of my art work. It first appeared without me knowing its significance, just before 2000. Since then I always use it with intention. I don't know if it has brought me 'luck' ~ However I feel it does affect people in very subtle ways ~ For their enhanced well-being.
Then there's the power of the Circle & The Flower of Life ~ But dreamtime calls. 🦋🦋:🦋🦋
I have never found a 4-leaf clover either.
It really is strange about 'luck'. I have never been one to win prizes. I have been to an event where there was 3 door prizes for each person in attendance. What are the odds of not winning at least 1? Well, my uncle won 12 and my older sister won 6, but I got none! However, when it came to important things like a job or not getting killed in what could have been a fatal accident, THERE I found myself to be very lucky. And to be honest, I prefer that kind of luck. So.... am I creating that kind of luck for myself because that is what I prefer? Or am I just grateful for the luck I do have? It's a question I cannot answer.
I saw them for the firtst time now, thank you for sharing and loved your golfing story.
Thanks @bigbear... the golfing event was definitely one of those things that left us scratching our heads and wondering.
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STOPThey say to find it very difficult and it brings good luck if you believe, thanks for the excellent article :)
I believe in luck and that everything happens for a reason and what may seem like bad luck can turn out to be the greatest blessing!
I'm writing a fantasy novel set in medieval Ireland and just last week I wrote of the faeries hunting for a seven-leafed clover... that one not so much for luck. 😉I believe that belief is crucial to success or "luck." Thoughts are powerful things!
I saw them for the firtst time now, thank you for sharing and loved your golfing story.
That's is cool that you found some many all at one time, let's see how that translates to the next lottery ;-) I have only ever found one in my life, and after several moves it's been lost. Probably preserved in the pages of a book I forgot about, a gift for the next owner. lol
I just try to keep a positive outlook as best I can, good things seem to follow a pattern of good mood, good outlook, and good attitude for yourself and towards others. Not sure how "luck" plays into it all, like you mentioned it's probably a perceived thing.