All cultures have their fair share of superstitious beliefs. Some are grounded in ancient wisdoms while others are based on primitive interpretations of natural phenomenon.
Irrespective of their origins, they are nevertheless interesting and the beliefs passed on to us by our grandmothers can sometimes work wonders.
We collected 18 interesting WEALTH superstitions and rituals that are sure to get readers wondering. If you want to try them out what’s the harm?
(1) Wearing a jade ring on the little finger is said to bring you wealth. For males, wear on the left hand, and for females, wear on the right hand. The best is to look for rings that are made completely of jade. This can be expensive as it requires a very large piece of jade to carve out a ring, but you do not need to wear the best quality jade – something with a nice translucent green colour will do.
(2) Cut a length of green string 30cm long. Use a cotton knit string. Tie it 5 times round your little finger in a clockwise direction. For males, do this on your left finger and for females, do this on your right finger. Then make a knot. As you go about your daily activities note that when the knot gets wet, you should again repeat the exercise on the same finger with a new string. The Chinese, especially those of Cantonese origin, believe that by doing this, you are activating plenty of wealth luck.
(3) Every morning before you step out from the house, use a red pen and write the word for money on your right palm. (Chinese character - Cai).
If this is too difficult, try writing the dollar sign. Do this every morning for fifteen days starting with the day of the new moon and it is believed you will receive a “windfall” within three days of the full moon. It is even more effective if you can use red cinnabar to do this. Or better yet, use a stamp which already has auspicious words on it.
(4) Here is a truly superstitious belief to generate wealth luck. You will need a red coloured wish fulfilling jewel and a money bank. Draw a hexagon star on a piece of paper, place the red jewel on the center of the hexagon, wrap it carefully, then place it under your pillow. Go to sleep. The next morning, place the red jewel in front of the money bank and put a coin inside the money bank. Then close your eyes and repeat your wish as many times as you can. Repeat this ritual for 15 days starting with the new moon.
All through the fifteen days of the waxing moon, by having the red jewel under your pillow and adding a coin each day, by the 15th night you will have completed the ritual to actualize your wish. When your wish has been accomplished, keep the red jewel and coins safely in a container, which should be kept hidden. When you run out of money, you can repeat this wealth-generating ritual. Remember, you must do this during the 15 day phase of the waxing moon!
(5) If you are winning some big money during a gambling session, the belief is that you should make sure you do NOT get up to wash your hands. And you should definitely not go to the toilet – better to hold on for as long as possible!
In Cantonese, the word pee means “to let go of water”. To the Chinese, water always means money, so if you leave the gambling table to go to the toilet, it is like pouring your money down the drain.
(6) Gamblers also believe that it is a big NO NO to gamble against a pregnant woman. This is because the Chinese believe that expectant women are “carrying their good fortune inside their belly” and they also have an extra pairs of “eyes” to observe the whole scene. So pregnant women are said to bring good luck to gamblers.
If someone pregnant stands behind you while you are betting, it is believed that you will win. Never touch someone’s shoulders when he/she is busy gambling. Even a light tap on the shoulder is disastrous to a gambler, as they earnestly believe this will cause whatever good luck they have to evaporate. It is vital to observe this sensitivity if you keep the company of people who like to gamble.
(7) When you are gambling make sure there isn’t someone reading a book behind you or in front of you, because “book” sounds like “to lose” in Chinese.
(8) The Chinese believe that the SE is the wealth sector in any room you occupy, so it is important to identify this corner. Then make very sure NOT to put or paint the colour red anywhere within this wealth sector. If you do so, it will make it very difficult to obtain wealth luck.
(9) It is believed that having a few grams of sea salt inside your wallet attracts wealth luck. The best is to place the salt inside a plastic bag, then put it in a secret compartment inside your wallet. You have to change the salt each month, otherwise it loses its potency.
There are some who say the use of sea salt can also be extended to the house. Make your house attract wealth luck by having sea salt (placed inside a small plastic container) in all the corners of your house i.e. wherever two walls meet.
Change the salt every ten days. You can also hang a bag of sea salt on the center of the main door, changing it once a month. This is said to attract wealth luck. (Maybe because salt attracts water?)
(10) Chinese gamblers are very superstitious. If they are on a winning streak, they will resent anything out of the ordinary suddenly happening, as they believe this will spoil their luck. So for instance, if they suddenly see a nun or monk approaching, they will stop gambling immediately.
This superstitious belief is based on the assumption that the bald heads of monks and nuns symbolize “nothingness” and is a sign that any further gambling will lead to loss of money.
(11) The Chinese believe that if you place a red fan in the center, South and Southwest of any room you use frequently, this can enhance the wealth luck of the whole house. These corners are of course earth and fire sectors that benefit from fire element energy – hence the benefits of using a red fan. Perhaps feng shui was the origin of this superstition.
(12) The Chinese are very superstitious when it comes to wearing a ring on the correct finger. To have authority, wear a ring on your index finger. For everlasting love, wear a ring on your ring finger. But remember never wear a ring on the thumb as this strongly signifies loss of wealth and an evaporation of success.
Movie stars in Hong Kong are very mindful of the “no ring on the thumb” rule, as it is said this will lead to overnight failure, and of course movie stars are a very superstitious lot!
(13) Those in business should make sure that a fly swatter should never be left on their cashier counter. This is believed to chase all your customers away. The same with a broom. Never place it near where you collect money. Keep it hidden from view if possible.
(14) The Chinese believe that walking on “money” is a surefire way of quickly climbing up the financial success ladder. So it is recommended to bury auspicious coins and even real money under floors before they are “finished”. You can also sew a few emperor or dragon coins under carpets. Place these carpets near the main entrance (for attracting wealth) and near the back entrance or at the back balcony (for safety and protection).
(15) Here’s a popular wealth-making ritual you might like to try. Get yourself a ceramic container (not too big). Write your name and birthday as well as those of your family members on the container. Place 12 coins inside the container. Also place a compass and a small Chi Lin , an ingot and some real money from nine countries. Bury the container in your front garden at the ideal time of 1pm.
If you do not have a garden, you can bury the container in a large flowerpot. The idea is to cover the container with earth so wealth comes to you from the earth. You will start to experience money-making luck within nine days. (No harm trying!)
(16) Another great way to create wealth luck they say is to place your bank checkbook inside a large red packet. Place 7 joss sticks, some joss paper and dried fruits inside, then meditate for wealth to come to you. Keep your eyes half closed and place the red packet on a table nearby.
Meditate for 10 minutes each time. It is said that when you meditate, the more realistic the picture you create in your mind of you receiving wealth, the faster wealth will come to you.
(17) Sea salt is often used by the Chinese to change a spate of bad luck. Amongst the Chinese in Taiwan, it is believed that if a dark blue or black ceramic mug is filled to the brim with sea salt, and you place it in the dry area of the kitchen, it will not only change your luck, it will also improve relationship between husband and wife. The salt should be changed every 10 days for it to continue to have potency.
(18) Here’s something you can do if you are going through a hard time in your life. Get yourself a round shaped sweet potato. Carve your name on it then plant it in water. Put it outdoors in the daytime; place it indoors at night. Once the potato starts to grow, eat the tiny leaves and the sweet potato as well, and you are sure to experience a big change in your life.
The following article is taken from the "Feng Shui World (November/December 2006)".
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