Poppet comes from the Old English popet meaning a small doll or person which, inevitably, came from a Latin word pupa for girl. It can also refer to a small and dainty person. Poppet is a chiefly British term of endearment, especially for young girls. Somewhere around the 13th century, poppet also came to mean a doll or image used in witchcraft. In witchcraft, poppets could be fashioned in the image of a person. The idea was that according to […]
The word omen has changed little over the centuries. The Latin word omen meant foreboding and though omens can be good or bad we still think of an omen as a presage for a bad event. In the end, an omen is probably only as strong as you want it to be. When Haley’s comet appeared in 1066, it was a bad omen for King Harold II but a good one for William the Conqueror. Mark Twain was born as […]
Do you have lucky numbers? Is 7 inherently lucky and 13 inherently unlucky? According to St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430), “Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth.” The Aztecs believed numbers were living aspects of the divine. Pythagoras gave them spiritual qualities as well. Numerology is another way we look for meaning. Some would say it’s a waste of time, but I’ve found it entertaining if nothing else. Numbers are […]
Magic is a very old word. If you lived in England during the Middle Ages, you probably would have called somebody who did magic a witch and magic itself was called wiccecræft—witchcraft or galdorcræft or even dwimorcraeft. Before that, Druid was the term you used for someone who did magic. Somewhere around the 14th century, people began saying magic which came from an Middle French word magique which came from a Late Latin word magice which came from a […]
The word lunar comes to us by way of Middle English where it meant “crescent shaped.” Before that, of course, it started as the Latin word luna meaning “moon.” From this, we now have Looney, lunatic, and lunacy. Anybody who works with large numbers of people or animals knows the full moon definitely affects behavior. As a teacher, I can tell you that during the three days of the full moon, anything goes in the classroom. Those little brains soak […]
Karma is one of those words that mean different things to different people. The concept is hard to pin down in just a few words. It’s origins are Sanskrit but like all words, it’s meaning has evolved over a very long time. The idea is in every religion though often defined as system of reward and punishment. In general, karma refers to the idea that ethical behavior is rewarded. Punishment isn’t a part of karma. Instead, if you don’t behave […]
