Superstitions Chapter 1- Crossing your fingers

"I cross my fingers, fingers crossed ... Bingo!"

Today in the first chapter of the series on Superstitions, we are going to focus on investigating the origins of a gesture that we all do quite naturally: Crossing our fingers.

We have all crossed our fingers sometime, with the faith that something we strongly desire can come true. For example, crossing your fingers hoping that the bingo caller will call that ball with the last number on your card, and so you can take home the big jackpot tonight. But have you ever wondered where this tradition of crossing your fingers came from?

Crossing your fingers- the highest over the index finger- is an action that came from the early Christian era and was believed to neutralize bad luck, keep away any evil influences and give a blessing. But besides this obvious interpretation to evoke the holy cross, the origin of this gesture is much more primitive and leads to ancient pagan times.

And so it is that long before the Christian era, this gesture was used to avoid bad luck, supported by the belief that crossing fingers signify crossing two lines, roads or fates, where luck got stuck in the middle and future was decided. So once the election was made, all the luck trapped between these two lines, it would help to give good fortune to who evokes it.

Another mythological interpretation has to do with the symbolism that astrological association gives to the meaning of the fingers. The index finger, which represents Jupiter (Zeus, almighty in Greek mythology) and the middle finger, finger of sin dedicated to Saturn, are the protagonists of this gesture of crossing fingers. When the middle finger comes over, enclosing the index finger, the superstitious say that Saturn, the middle finger, who symbolizes your warmest wishes, briefly achieves to trap and impose its will over Jupiter's will, which is always in control of all fate. Therefore whatever it was that you strongly desire will come true.

Do not miss the next chapters of Superstitions! This is a new series where we venture through all the supernatural manifestations and superstitions, in an attempt to control fate and tilt it in our favor. Take notes, pen and paper ready, that this ancient wisdom can very well help you earn the biggest pot of the night!