Luck and prosperity
Charms for fortune, success, a good harvest and a safe journey.
Luck magic aims at fortune, success, wealth and a safe passage. People keep lucky charms, perform money rites, pour offerings to a god of wealth, and avoid unlucky days. Examples include the Chinese lucky cat and the red packet, the Japanese daruma doll, the Indian worship of Lakshmi at Diwali, the European four-leaf clover and horseshoe, and the Hoodoo mojo bag. This page looks at what luck means and who profits from it.
Ideas of luck
Cultures differ on what luck is. In China, fortune is tied to fate, timing and the placement of objects, giving rise to feng shui and the choice of lucky numbers. In West Africa, success is linked to a person's destiny and the help of the orisha or ancestors. In Europe, luck came to be seen as chance, with charms to tilt it. Many societies see wealth as shared and fear that good fortune attracts envy. Merchants, farmers, gamblers and students are the usual customers, and the amounts asked of them range from a coin to a lifetime of savings.
Customs
Customs are domestic and mostly small. Merchants in Taiwan and China burn paper offerings and put out fruit at the start of the month. Fishers and sailors keep charms and avoid certain words. Gamblers, students and athletes have habits they will not break. Many rites involve giving something away, since reciprocity is thought to keep fortune moving. Lucky days are often chosen by calendar or astrologer, so that a shop opens, a wedding is held or a journey begins on a favourable date.
Schemes and scams
Luck is easy to sell. Lottery charms, gemstone bracelets and sellers who promise riches for a fee make money from hope. Fraud involving fake spiritualists who say a client's money is cursed and must be handed over is documented in many countries. Playing games of chance with charms may feel harmless, but anyone struggling with gambling should seek real help. Some wealth rites are public and religious, as with Diwali lamps for Lakshmi and the Lunar New Year offerings to the god of wealth, and some are private and quiet.
Scholars and sceptics
Psychologists have found that carrying a lucky charm can raise confidence and performance in some tasks, without changing the odds of chance. Economists study the role of luck in success. Religious authorities differ: some see lucky objects as idolatry, others as harmless custom, and prosperity churches around the world teach a faith-based version of the same hope. Those who struggle with debt or gambling harm should look for practical advice, since a charm does not change the odds or pay the bills.
Luck and prosperity on EveryJaadu
The entries written up so far, best known first.
馃嚪馃嚫 Serbia and 5 moreVampire
An undead creature from folklore that feeds on the blood or life force of the livingBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceHoly GrailSaint Graal
A cup or stone from Arthurian tales that grants healing and eternal lifeFigure 路 Healing 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreFirebird
A glowing bird of Slavic folklore that brings both fortune and peril to those who seek itFigure 路 Wonder and entertainment 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland and 3 moreChangeling
A substitute left by supernatural beings in place of a stolen human child or adultBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandFylgja
A Nordic guardian spirit that shadows a person and their fateBeing 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚫 Iceland and 3 moreDraugr
A malevolent undead revenant from Nordic folklore, often guarding buried treasure.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandP煤ca
A shape-shifting spirit of Celtic folklore that brings fortune or mischiefBeing 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBrowniebr霉naidh
A nocturnal household spirit from Scottish folklore that performs chores in exchange for offerings.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 Russia and 3 moreVodyanoy胁芯写褟薪芯泄
A water spirit of Slavic folklore that dwells in rivers and lakesBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomTylwyth Teg
Welsh mythological beings linked to the fairy folk of neighboring traditionsBeing 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyPied Piper of Hamelinder Rattenf盲nger von Hameln
A medieval legend about a piper who leads children away from the town of HamelinFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚫 IcelandN谩br贸k
A pair of pants made from human skin, said to generate endless wealth in Icelandic folklore.Charm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomCat-s矛th
A spectral feline from Celtic lore that haunts the Scottish Highlands and guards the dead.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomPuck
A mischievous domestic sprite of English folklore known for practical jokes and household choresBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreSolomonari葮olomonar
A Romanian weather wizard who rides a dragon and controls the storms.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 France and 2 moreMelusineM茅lusine
A water spirit of French and Luxembourgish lore, known for her serpent form and the castles she built.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚚馃嚟 Switzerland and 3 moreTatzelwurm
A cat-headed lizard of the Alps, said to guard mines and drink cow milk.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚭 RussiaGolden apple
A mythical fruit that sparks quests, wars, and linguistic confusion across culturesFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 5 moreLindwormlindorm
A serpentine dragon of Northern and Central European folklore, often depicted as limbless or winged.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 3 moreKulshedra
A multi-headed serpent demon in Albanian folklore that controls storms and droughts.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandFar darrigFear Dearg
A solitary Irish faerie known for cruel jokes and the ability to shift sizeBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚫 SerbiaCikavac褑懈泻邪胁邪褑
A winged creature from Serbian folklore that fetches honey and milk for its ownerBeing 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaZ芒n膬
A Romanian woodland spirit linked to Diana that guides travelers and blesses children.Being 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚫馃嚜 Sweden and 1 moreSkogsr氓
A forest spirit in Swedish folklore who appears as a beautiful woman but hides a hollow back and animal feet.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚬 ItalyMonacielloMunaciello
A Neapolitan sprite linked to the city's underground waterways and hidden wealth.Figure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚨馃嚬 PortugalEnchanted Mouramoura encantada
A supernatural maiden from Portuguese and Galician folklore who guards treasures and ancient stones.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚘馃嚥 ArmeniaVishap站斋辗铡蘸
A water dragon of Armenian myth linked to storms and the sunBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚠馃嚜 IrelandGlas Gaibhnenn
A fabulous cow of Irish myth that yields boundless milk and sparks a quest for vengeance.Being 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚟馃嚭 HungaryLid茅rc
A shape-shifting spirit from Hungarian folklore that brings wealth or illness.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 1 moreMidas螠委未伪蟼
A Phrygian king from Greek myth who gained a golden touch and donkey earsFigure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚛馃嚜 GermanyWitte Wiwer
Subterranean spirits of Low German folklore known for music and child exchangeBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomBluecap
A blue flame spirit of English mines that guides miners and warns of dangerBeing 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚜馃嚫 SpainXana
A water spirit of Asturian myth who offers treasures or madness to those who hear her song.Being 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenYs盲tters-Kajsa
A wind-troll from Swedish folklore who danced with the gales of N盲rkeFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚝馃嚪 FranceFarfadet
Small helpful spirits of French folklore that perform chores for foodBeing 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚪馃嚧 RomaniaS芒ntoaderi
Supernatural beings in Romanian folklore known for causing illness through music and danceBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚫馃嚜 SwedenSj枚r氓
A Swedish lake spirit that rewards kindness and drowns the disrespectfulBeing 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomJoan the Wad
A Cornish pixie queen linked to fire and fortuneFigure 路 Luck and prosperity 路 Protection Legendary
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomCeffyl D诺r
A Welsh water spirit that takes the form of a horse to test or harm travellers.Being 路 Cursing and harm 路 Luck and prosperity Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Firebird: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Huldra: Bernard Evans Ward, Public domain, source
- Xana: John William Waterhouse, Public domain, source
- Changeling: Henry Fuseli, Public domain, source
- Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
- Draugr: Kim Diaz Holm, CC BY 4.0, source
- P煤ca: Wirt Sikes, Public domain, source
- Brownie: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Vodyanoy: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source
- Pied Piper of Hamelin: Edmund Evans, Public domain, source
- N谩br贸k: Bernard McManus, CC BY 2.0, source
- Melusine: GilPe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tatzelwurm: Abrasax, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Lindworm: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kulshedra: Bidgee, CC BY 3.0, source
- Skogsr氓: Gunnar Creutz (Achird), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Midas: The Midas Painter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Glas Gaibhnenn: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Farfadet: User:Mattes, Public domain, source
- Puck: Joseph Noel Paton, Public domain, source
- Holy Grail: Photographed by the National Library of Wales, CC0, source
- Cat-s矛th: John D. Batten, Public domain, source
- Vishap: Kulttuurinavigaattori, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Golden apple: Guido Reni, Public domain, source
- Enchanted Moura: Henrique Jos茅 Teixeira Matos, Public domain, source