Why does one carry a lucky token? Because one believes that fortune is needed in some way. But they are also constructed to carry social power as well. Lucky charms are in essence fetishes: objects culturally invested with magical properties. (Though, if it's not the real thing, is it still lucky? It didn't go through the 'fortune-making' process, after all.) And while I am willing to accept that carrying one is no stranger than carrying a rock to help things go smoothly, there's something slightly creepy-to me-about carrying a dead animal's body part around for luck. The stone is my most recent token-a gift from a friend, it typically finds its way into my pocket or on my person to help me face things that make me nervous. I've had a variety of tokens, including a Cat's Eye marble a two-dollar bill and a black stone with the word 'Ahoy' engraved on it. It could have been a baseball cap, a pair of socks, a key chain, a piece of jewelry, a rock or some other otherwise ordinary object that held deeper meaning for us or offered comfort when we needed it most. Īt some point, most of us have likely had a token that we believed would protect us or bring us luck.
Ed note: As Halloween rapidly approaches in the US, AiP will be exploring superstitions, beliefs, and the things that go bump in the night.
