Just like in the old days, traveling now is often fraught with danger and is fraught with various pitfalls in the form of accidents, fines, and car breakdowns. To smooth out troubles and make the trip easy and safe, you need to perform simple rituals in advance and follow simple signs. When preparing for a long journey, you need to pay attention to some rituals, consisting of ancient warnings that have survived to this day.

Signs before a long journey

Among the many well-known travel signs and traditions, the most popular are those performed before setting off on a long journey. But they also work on a short trip, so you shouldn’t ignore superstitions in any case.

1. The most important sign is to “sit on the path,” that is, sit down for a minute on a sofa, chair, stool, be silent, think about the good. Then get up, say the phrase “God bless you!”, and leave the house.
2. Before leaving the apartment, hold on to the edge or corner of the table, as if maintaining an invisible connection with the house. In the old days they also kissed the tabletop, but now the ritual has lost this effect.
3. When leaving the house, you must not step over the threshold with your left foot, otherwise evil forces will feel their power over the traveler.
4. It is forbidden to return to the hallway after slamming the door and turning the key, having forgotten something in the rooms. If this happens, you must definitely look in the mirror before going out, smile at yourself goodbye and stick out your tongue, scaring away harmful evil spirits.
5. On the day of departure of any family member, none of the household members should sweep up litter or take out trash from the apartment until the next morning. You can “sweep the road” by making it dangerous.
6. You cannot drop a bunch of keys after locking the door - this promises misfortune on the way.
7. On the day of departure, especially just before the trip, you cannot sew, darn, cut or sew anything - your luck will run out.
8. When walking to a car or a bus stop, you need to walk around all the sticks, slats, heaps of garbage, under no circumstances stepping over them, otherwise you will encounter many obstacles on the trip. It is also forbidden to pick up coins; this promises monetary losses.
9. If you meet an acquaintance along the way and ask where you are going, you must answer with a succinct phrase: “To Kudykina Mountain.” This will avoid the evil eye.
10. To return from a trip faster, you must turn around after leaving and look at those seeing you off again.

Rituals on the way

There are many warnings, signs and traditions associated with the trip. Some rarely come true, and this is very good, since sometimes signs of fate promise trouble and danger. Others often come true, warning of possible dangers and forcing the motorist, passenger, or traveler to be more careful.

1. Seeing a worm crawling along the road is a good sign, promising good luck in an important matter.
2. If the first person seen after the start of the movement was an elderly woman (in simple terms - an old woman) or a priest, priest - there will be trouble. You can neutralize the sign by putting a figurine (fig) in your pocket.
3. Seeing a button or a nail on the asphalt under the wheels or in front means possible troubles. But a coin shining on the road promises happiness.
4. To see through the window, driving through a sparsely populated area, a person with packages, a large bag, packages - to a fruitful journey and good luck.
5. It started to rain during the trip - a good omen that promises a happy day.
6. A tire that goes flat or squeaks or knocks in the hub means financial costs and troubles.
7. Meeting a funeral procession along the way means good luck, a wedding cortege means problems and bad luck.
8. Seeing a pregnant woman while traveling is good news.
9. A black cat or hare crossing the road is a bad omen. You can neutralize it by turning the cap or baseball cap on your head with the visor back.
10. When traveling on an airplane, you need to put a coin between the seats - this will attract material benefits.

Whether or not to believe road signs is everyone’s business. Simple actions will not bring harm to anyone, and they guarantee peace of mind, so you can perform a couple of rituals before a long journey.

Many exciting moments are associated with this event. Anxiety and nervousness before traveling, joy from meeting family and friends upon returning home. What do the signs say for the journey?

1. Before a long journey, you need to hold on to the corner of the table in order to be sure to return to your home.

2. You need to set off on a journey in a good, calm mood, prepare and plan everything in advance, be sure to go to the bathhouse a day or two before leaving (a good omen); Immediately before the trip, you are not allowed to wash your hair, wash your hair, or cut your hair.

4. Before traveling, you need to make and take with you a small bag of wormwood - it will scare away everything evil and unclean from you, then the road itself and temporary residence in another place will work out successfully, in your favor.

5. Whether you are going on a short trip or a long journey, there is a tradition before leaving the house to sit on a wooden surface and be silent for a couple of minutes. In this case, you will definitely return home, as you leave a piece of your warmth and transfer energy to the house through the tree. And vice versa, if you do not want to return to this house, you do not need to adhere to this sign.

4. When leaving the house, if you tripped on your right foot - good luck, on your left - to troubles along the way, lost a glove - also expect troubles.

5. If you meet someone along the way, the journey brings good luck, the wedding procession brings disappointment. In any case, there is no need to cross their path.

There are signs that are associated with your journey. If on the road you remember that you forgot something at home, you will definitely come back. Good travel companions will accompany you on the road if something falls off the table. If you don't want anyone to disturb you, just knock on the table with cutlery.

Your actions after the departure (departure) of guests

• You cannot wash the floor immediately after the guests have left. Wait for them to get there.
• After guests leave, shake the tablecloth after them. This ancient superstition gave rise to the popular expression “good riddance” - the road home will be quick and easy.
• When a person is on the road, think about him in a positive mood. The energetic relationship between you and the traveler will make his journey faster and easier, and the entire trip successful.

A short or long journey is always fraught with anxiety, but signs will help you along the way and make the journey enjoyable and the return home joyful.

Write your opinion

When we send someone on a trip, we always worry that nothing will happen. We try to do everything to make the journey of our loved ones easy. Absolutely unconsciously we observe the signs that our grandparents could not do without: sit on the path, do not wash the floor while a person is on the road. After all, they say that in this way his path can be erased and he will not return. Usually they start cleaning when it becomes known that the person has already arrived at the destination, or on the third day after his departure.

Photo freemixer/ E+/ Getty Images

Where does the belief come from?

“Every person has a certain energy,” shares an expert on folk signs Inna Mikhailova. - When he leaves, a “trace” remains for some time. If you start washing the floor right away, then in this way you mercilessly “drive out” its spirit. The person feels it. Then circumstances develop such that he will either be offended, or you will never meet again.”

The sign originates from a collision with the other world. When a person passes away, the floors must be thoroughly washed afterward. This was necessary so that his soul would not get stuck in this world and, suffering, would not return back. And when they marry off their daughter, they also need to immediately carry out wet cleaning. Otherwise, the girl may not settle down in her new home and may return back.

Road signs

Sit on the path

This is the most popular belief that almost everyone uses. It also has a kind of therapeutic effect. This way the person calms down and tunes in. bon voyage. And thoughts, as you know, attract corresponding events. In addition, this pause in getting ready gives you the opportunity to remember if you have forgotten anything.

Hold on to the edge of the table

“A table is a symbol of one’s home,” says Inna Mikhailova. - When a person, leaving, strokes its corner, he leaves his energy trace. This suggests that the spirit of the house will protect him throughout the trip.”

Photo Essentials/Istock

Don't wash your hair

"In history different nations There is one common belief: a person’s life force is contained in hair,” says Inna Leonidovna. - Therefore, a lot of signs are associated with them. Before traveling, you should not wash your hair, as you will lose much needed strength. It's best to condition your hair clean look a day or two before departure."

You can't go back half way

“If you left your apartment in a hurry, got to the bus stop and realized that you forgot to grab something, then, of course, you will have to return,” the expert continues. - However, don’t forget to look in the mirror and stick your tongue out at yourself. This way you ward off failures.”

Don't drop your keys

“The keys are also a kind of symbol of getting, so to speak, into another space, into another world,” says Mikhailova. “They contain the energy of the place they “protect.” Therefore, they must be treated with care. If the bundle falls out of your hand, then tap it on the table.”

Don't split

When asked where you are going, don’t tell anyone your destination. It’s better to smile delicately and answer: “On business.” Now no one will jinx your plans for sure.

It’s better not to go on a long journey on Friday: there will be no road. - On Friday, it was not recommended not only to go on the road, but also to do some work, especially for women.

This is connected with the cult of Paraskeva Friday, which is often associated with Fate. And there is no need to test Fate once again.

An interpretation related to fasting Friday is also possible (it is no coincidence that Wednesday, another fast day, is also mentioned in a similar situation).

Signs for the road

From the word “where?” the road will be unhappy. Those who, out of foolishness and narrow-mindedness, ask: “Where are you going?” must answer: “For the Kudykin Mountains.”

It has always been believed that if someone else knows your plans, then this is an unnecessary hindrance.

Thus, a pregnant woman hides the fact of pregnancy from strangers for a long time.

Family members prefer not to tell anyone exactly when the birth is expected before the baby is born.

To say where you are going is to jeopardize the purpose of the journey. That’s why the word “mountains” arose: they say, so far away that you can’t even see it.

At the same time, his word is returned to the questioner, which, thanks to this, no longer has force.

Going on a long journey in rain that came unexpectedly is a sign of a successful journey. - It was believed that rain (heavenly water) washes away all illnesses and sorrows.

Since pagan times, the perception of rain as heavenly milk feeding the earth and everything growing on it has also been preserved. In ancient times, the Earth was identified with the feminine principle, the Sky with the masculine, fertilizing. All this taken together remains in the belief.

The soles itch - towards the road, the legs burn - towards the path. - Rather, this is not a belief, not a sign, but a joke. Although a person who already knows that he has a long journey ahead of him may well experience similar sensations.

If you stand on your left foot, there will be no way. - This superstition, like many similar ones, comes from the belief that a tempter, the devil, stands behind a person’s left shoulder, and a guardian angel stands behind his right shoulder.

That is why the words “right” and “truth” are so close.

Even more ancient roots lead to the following explanation: praying to the sun in the morning, that is, turning his face to the east, a person on the left felt the cold of the north (evil forces), on the right, the warmth of the south (good forces).

In essence, all the signs, beliefs and superstitions associated with the left side are based on this: the left hand is not offered when greeting; You can’t start the day with a spruce leg; They spit over the left shoulder to prevent trouble from happening.

If someone sets out on a journey and suddenly it starts to rain, it means a safe journey. If someone is called by the name of a person who has left, then this person will be angry when he arrives.

Do not sweep the floor when someone dear to you has left, so as not to block his path to your home.

What not to do on the road

Before a long journey, you need to hold on to the corner of the table - this is good luck. - Only an echo of a Slavic belief has reached us, which said: when setting off on a journey, you must kiss the table.

This attitude is associated with veneration, which has existed for centuries and is reflected in folklore (“As much as there is at the table, so much in the Kingdom of Heaven,” etc.).

The table was considered such an important symbol of the house that in the old days, when selling a house, they left the table in it (for the house and the table are inseparable).

And when they set off and touched the corner of the table, they received the blessing of the house for a successful journey and a safe return.

Before a long journey, you need to sit down and be silent. This is a successful path. - Quite logical, because it is at these moments that a person once again thinks about whether he took everything with him? And silence helps you concentrate.

Before a long journey, if you don’t wash your hair, you’ll invite trouble. - Of course, the attitude towards hair is clearly expressed here, because, according to the beliefs of the ancients, life force lies in it.

The hair motif is reflected in all the most important events in a person’s life: a lock of a baby’s hair is rolled up in wax; a child cannot be cut until he is one year old; on certain days, a pregnant woman is not only not allowed to cut her hair, but also to wash it, etc.

It was believed that thrown hair could cause damage and deprive one’s health, so they warned against throwing hair away anywhere.

After washing your hair, some of the hair remains in the water, some remains on the comb, which is not welcome before the road: all the hair should be with you.

Sewing something before the road means no luck. - According to the ancestors, this is what “sews up luck.”

Signs for protection on the road

Sagebrush

Take wormwood with you - the path will be prosperous. - In this case, wormwood is recommended as one of the effective means of protecting against the evil eye.

The smell of wormwood itself has a positive, cleansing effect. In some places they make brooms from wormwood and sweep the house with them, “so that the witch cannot enter and so that the sorcerer is afraid.”

Almost all plants that have a pungent odor are used for the same purpose as wormwood: dill, garlic, onion, oregano, coriander, violet, caraway, thyme, mandrake, mint, etc.

Thistle

If you take thistle with you on the road, it will protect you from temptations. A decoction of thistle stems is good to rub on your sides and back when you have a cold.

Thistle protects the house from witches and people from damage. - Thistle, also known by the names: murat, sow thistle, thistle, turnip (cirsium and carduus species) is a prickly weed.

Repellent properties are attributed to it because of its thorns.

It is believed that anything piercing (needles, pins), pointed at an evil person, deprives him of the ability to cause damage, since his gaze stumbles upon a sharp one.

The grass got its name because people believed that it was the best way to drive away devils. A respectful attitude towards thistle as a talisman is recorded not only among the Slavs, but also among other European peoples.

Elder

If you set off on a journey with an elder staff, you will not be afraid of either evil people or wild animals.

This attitude towards elderberry has been recorded by researchers not only in Russia, but also in England, Germany, Scotland and other countries.

This is based on its healing properties and beneficial smell. An infusion of elderberry flowers cures fever. They carry a branch of elderberry with them against the evil eye.

Naturally, these features are transferred to the staff, which can also physically protect the traveler.

Signs about animals for travelers

When a dog crosses the road, there will be no harm, but there will not be much success either.

A black cat crosses the road - there will be no luck that day. You must either turn around its axis, or, breaking the rod into two parts, throw the fragments in different directions.

You can cross your fingers on your right hand, placing the middle one on the index finger.

The black cat is one of the most sinister symbols in Slavic mythology. It is directly connected with evil spirits, with witches, sorceresses turn into it, etc.

This motive is widely reflected in folk tales, and in literature (just remember Gogol’s stories).

Accordingly, it is believed that a black cat crossing the road can bring bad luck to a person. How to get rid of such an “evil eye”?

Turn around its axis, that is, start the path again, “from a new turn.” Break the rod, that is, open the road closed by the cat, again free this road for yourself, make it open and clean.

Cross your fingers (sometimes take hold of a button), that is, resort to the help of a symbolic cross (buttons are often sewn on with threads forming the shape of a cross).

There are other techniques - amulets.

A similar attitude is recorded towards almost everything black.

This comes from pre-Christian times, when people were not inclined to consider coldness, gloominess, gloominess, symbols of which are darkness and black, as good qualities.

The wolf crossed the road - fortunately. - It’s a strange sign, considering that wolves have always been feared and even recognized as being related to evil spirits.

And the patron saint of both the wolf and the herd is considered to be the same saint - George (in pre-Christian times - Veles).

There is a proverb about this: “What the wolf has in its teeth, George gave it.” That is, he ate the sheep not by his own will, but by the will of God.

Being partly a product of evil spirits, the wolf is at the same time at enmity with it.

Therefore, its claws, teeth and fur are often used by people as a remedy for diseases.

A squirrel crosses the road - not good. - Perhaps this is due to some kind of equation between a squirrel and a cat: running across the road with a cat (unlike a wolf!) was not considered favorable.

Some researchers believe that this attitude towards the animal with a fluffy tail is based on the fact that it was once the only witness to the fall of Adam and Eve; Therefore, it is in the nature of squirrels to be near sinful deeds.

Signs about meetings on the road

If a dog runs across the road, there is no harm in that, but don’t expect much good either. - Whatever the sign, so is the explanation: on the one hand, the dog looks like a wolf, on the other, it is a friend of the house.

If a black cat crosses the road, there will be no luck that day.

To get rid of this, you need to: turn around your axis, that is, start the path again; break the rod, that is, open the road closed by the cat; cross your fingers; grab the button.

If you meet a bald horse or pig, don’t expect good luck on the way. - A “bald horse” is a horse with a long white patch on its forehead. The belief is based on the negative consequences of any meeting with the “marked” (including people).

About the pig folklore researcher SV. Maksimov writes that this superstition among the people has completely disappeared and “only crayfish sellers are afraid of meeting a pig, convinced by experience that the smell of pork kills them, that is, they fall asleep.”

Meeting a monk is unlucky. When you meet a monk, immediately make a fig in your pocket, otherwise trouble awaits. - Kukish (gesture mat) serves as a talisman.

S.V. Maksimov in his “Winged Words” explains this as follows:

“It was considered unkind to meet a priest, and a deacon, and the poor long before the teachings appeared, and has remained so until our living times.
Meetings with clergy have been considered unfortunate since those times when pagan Rus', not always by exhortation, but more often by violence, converted to Christianity and was baptized in water and herded into churches...
Time has changed this superstition: meeting a monk is now considered one of the lucky ones.”

Meeting a man first in the morning means good luck, and a woman means bad luck. - One of the reasons lies in the fact that it was believed that a woman (especially an old one) can cast the evil eye much more often than a man.

Another reason lies in the talkativeness of women, who will then talk about who they met, how he was dressed, where he was going

Meeting a man first in the morning means good luck, etc. And this will certainly affect what was planned (in the worst case, it will reveal a hidden secret).

If someone comes towards you with a full bucket, give way to them.

The mystical meaning of this: you cannot cross the path of your own luck, which is thus communicated from above.

It does not matter what is in the bucket: water or milk, berries or sand - the main thing is that it is not empty.

Someone comes towards you with empty buckets - to an empty day, empty chores. Pop, yes girl, and empty buckets towards you - bad news.

This belief, like many others associated with the concept of “meeting” (“Take the first person you meet as your godfather,” etc.), is based on the fact that a meeting is given to a person from above and determines his fate.

This means that every meeting is a sign of Fate, which cannot be avoided. In the second belief, “girl” (maiden) is added to the previously mentioned butt and empty buckets.

It was a meeting with a girl, a maiden, an unmarried woman that was considered unfavorable, and a meeting with a pregnant woman and those who were carrying something filled was considered extremely favorable.

Accordingly, empty buckets in the hands of anyone they meet are perceived as a warning from above about impending failure or misfortune.

When you leave the house, any meeting on the porch is not good. - It is believed that the oncoming person crosses the path of the intended business in a certain way, cutting off the path.

A sign that is very disturbing to suspicious natures: based on the belief that any meeting is destined by Fate, a person then, against his will, spends a lot of energy on unraveling the meaning of this first meeting, which actually has an effect.

A meeting when leaving the house is both a possible forbidden question, “Where are you going?”, dooming your plan to failure, and a simple unplanned delay, leading to being late.

Accidentally meeting a funeral procession on the road is a sign of good luck. This strange belief took root on the basis that it used to be customary to give the first person you met on behalf of the family of the deceased the so-called “travel”: a piece of canvas, bread, a candle and a coin.

It was believed that the one who accepted all this symbolically absolved the sins of the deceased. In gratitude, the deceased in the next world will be the first to meet this person and will be his guardian, protector and mentor.

This is where the belief came from that the one who goes first towards the funeral procession - happy: he has already ensured good treatment for himself in the next world. However, in some areas there is a diametrically opposite belief.

If on the day of the exam you meet an old man with a stick on the street, you will be in big trouble.

If someone else follows in your footsteps, then he takes away the strength from you, who is walking in front. - The trace left by man and animal has always been endowed with mystical power.

It was believed that from the trail left behind one could not only learn a lot about the person walking, but also, following in his wake, damage him and take away his strength.

Physically, this is due to the fact that those walking along the beaten path spend much less of their own energy than those who pave the way.

The mystical explanation is that by deliberately trampling down traces, a person is deprived of his own trace and made unprotected (an analogue is a person without a shadow).

In some places, especially in Ukraine, there is an even darker belief: if you follow in someone’s footsteps, someone in that person’s family will soon die.

Items on the road

Finding a nail or something sharp on the road means trouble. - The original meaning is in relation to amulets and damage.

If a person himself wants to protect himself from damage, from misfortune, he directs everything sharp against the supposed enemy (for example, needles stuck in the door; a knife at the threshold with the tip outward).

If something sharp is directed towards the traveler, it means that he has been mystically “pierced” and deprived of strength.

True, almost all folklorists have heard the clarification: trouble awaits the traveler only if the object is pointed at the person, and if, on the contrary, it is away from him, then this is to the memory of loved ones about him.

Dream about the road

If a patient in delirium imagines a road, it means he will soon die. - Of course, the essence of the sign is based on a simple association of the road and the “last path” that the patient thinks about or anticipates.

Signs about returning home

If you had to go back

If you came back halfway for some reason, before going out again, look at yourself in the mirror and stick your tongue out at yourself. You can look under the rug, the doormat also helps.

Mystically, the sign is based on the fact that the returnee must certainly deceive or frighten the evil spirit (and it nests just under the rug or looks over the left shoulder into the mirror).

At the same time, make it clear that they are not afraid of her. Some symbolically change something in their clothes or appearance: they put on a different tie, comb their hair again. Thus, it turns out that this is already a different person.

Return

Anyone who stumbles while returning home will quarrel with his family. - Stumbling is generally not a good omen, because it is interpreted as third-party interference.

To return

If you want to return to the area you like, throw a coin into the nearest body of water. - Water in Slavic legends is characterized by mystical symbolism, primarily purifying and life-giving (“dead water” - purification, “living water” - creation anew, revival).

Water is the border between this and this light, all of it ultimately comes from heaven. Throwing a coin into the water means to appease it, to pacify it, to show your respect so that it does not interfere with its return.

And at the same time, it’s as if you were leaving a part of yourself in this place (let’s remember the belief about something forgotten in someone else’s house: you will definitely return there).

Cleaning a house in the ancient folk sense is not only ridding space of debris and dust, but also cleansing it of negative energy and failures. How to clean so that everything shines, and at the same time harmony and well-being appear in the house? To find out this, you can turn to folk signs.

When not to clean

There are many beliefs about when cleaning is strictly prohibited.

• You cannot clean after sunset, otherwise you can sweep wealth and health out of your home.
• You cannot clean when one of your close household members is on the road. By cleaning you can spoil his path. Also, previously it was forbidden to clean on the day of departure of a family member - there would be no road.
• It was not customary to clean up after the matchmakers left - the wedding might not take place.
• You cannot clean on major church holidays - it is best to do the cleaning a few days before the important date in order to celebrate the holiday in a clean house.

Cleaning the house and attracting good luck

If you go away on the waning moon, then everything bad will leave the house. In addition, it is believed that during this period the dirt disappears better.

You need to sweep from the farthest corner to the door to sweep away all the negative energy. But you can’t take revenge on garbage through the threshold - you can bring trouble.

Don't wash away crumbs from the table with your hand - there will be no money.

Previously, it was not customary to clean with open windows, since in this case a quarrel in the family may occur.

“You can’t take trash out of the hut”- now this expression has the following meaning: you cannot tell strangers about your family problems and what is happening in the house. Previously this expression had direct meaning. They always tried to burn garbage in ovens, since they believed that it contained the energy of the house, and if it was left on the street, then a negative person could easily send damage or the evil eye through it.

Revenge follows with one broom, if you sweep with two brooms, then the goods will scatter into the corners.

You can't clean and cook at the same time, otherwise there won’t be enough food in the house.

You can't step over the mop and a floor rag, otherwise trouble might come to the house. To attract good luck to the house and get rid of the negative energy of people coming to the house, after the guests leave, you should shake off the tablecloth outside. There is even a popular expression about this sign - “good riddance.” This is what they say when they are seeing someone off.

Esotericists recommend that while cleaning, tune yourself to the idea that along with dust and dirt, all illnesses, troubles and problems leave the house. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

04.06.2015 09:12

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