Traditional Craft intersecting with Folk Tales

Buy a wart? Ode to silver water? Pop a penny under the mat? Rid yourself of a croaky throat? Divine your future with horse brasses? 

Poor old feet have their own superstitions: an itching foot = a journey to somewhere new; Flat feet = bad temper; do not enter a building left foot first, to avoid bad luck.

Itching eyes: if the right eye tickles, it's lucky, and vice versa. Theocritus has it, 'My right eye itches now and I shall see my love.' 

'Trust not the man whose eyebrows meet, for in his heart you'll find deceit.'  Hmm, perhaps I'll ignore the latter eh husband?

The list is goes on and on: First Footings; the first sneeze of a newborn breaks the spell o' the fey;

You only have to look and you'll find much of our past in the present, much is written in the folk hostory accounts of authors such as Christina Hole and Anne Ross (representing a long list of wonderfully informative researchers and authors). Music and TV sometimes bring forth our connections with the past and make us see the deep and abiding circular paths we all tread...what 'old wives tales' can you think of that form parts of your story and family-have you ever followed them back to see their origins?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e196Jsd-oQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2oFmOEC7I
Wood carving taken from Pip WIlson's "Witches of Warbois" site
http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/witches_of_warbois.html