Good luck charms come in all shapes and sizes. From 4 leaf clovers, wishbones, a lucky penny and crystals, good luck charms are known to be tangible objects that are said to bring good luck, fortune and protection from the universe. What gives these objects their power to enforce positive influences on a person’s life and give them a sense of security is unknown, but that’s the kind of mystery were here to delve into….
There’s a penny on the ground. Heads up. You pause, just for a second, and then pick it up, maybe even whispering the rhyme: “Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck.” Sound familiar?
Across cultures and centuries, we have placed faith in objects to bring good fortune or ward off evil. But why? What gives these everyday items such mystical weight? And is there something deeper, perhaps conspiratorial behind our collective obsession with luck?
CRYSTALS:
Crystal healing is a billion-dollar industry. Followers believe crystals vibrate at certain frequencies that interact with our body’s energy fields, realigning and healing them. Sceptics call it pseudoscience. But regardless of where the truth lies, one thing is certain: people feel better when they carry them.
Vaishali, business owner of Mindful Souls, a crystal business said: “Crystals become good luck charms when their energy aligns with your intentions. Their powers come from a blend of tradition, culture and energy science. Popular luck crystals include rose quartz for love, amethyst for protection, Citrine for success, the list goes on… I work with them all!!”
“Choosing the right crystal is all about intuition and personal connection, often influenced by your birthstone or zodiac. This is why I have 504 thousand loyal customers because they understand the deep-rooted meanings to crystals and they believe in the personal benefits each one has on their life… each crystals offers all different kinds of luck like abundance, love and protection, so to answer your question I don’t think it’s a conspiracy, its energy, its real.”
“I offer guided rituals and kits to help invite like mindfully… our crystals are ethically sourced to keep their energy pure”.
Psychologically, this may come down to the placebo effect, our mind’s incredible power to influence how we feel. Believing a crystal protects you might actually make you more confident, calm, or focused. And in a world full of chaos, that’s its own kind of magic.
But some argue there’s more to the crystal craze than meets the eye. Critics point to the mining practices behind crystal production, often unregulated, environmentally damaging, and exploitative. Is the industry built on spiritual healing, or is it a capitalist scheme exploiting our need for control?
FOUR LEAF CLOVER:
A four-leaf clover, a rare variation of the common three-leaf clover, is widely considered a symbol of good luck, with each leaf traditionally representing faith, hope, love, and luck. Its scarcity fuels numerous superstitions and an almost mystical allure. The ‘conspiracy’ surrounding four-leaf clovers often stems from their rarity, leading some to believe that they are not merely random genetic mutations but perhaps strategically cultivated or even artificially enhanced by certain groups to perpetuate the myth of their natural occurrence and associated good fortune. This playful “conspiracy” theory, while lacking concrete evidence, adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already enchanting botanical anomaly. So, if you’re walking in a field, watch out for those rare 4 leaf clovers and you might find yourself having a very lucky day!!
WISHBONE:
The tradition of breaking a turkey’s wishbone dates back to the Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilisation who believed birds were oracles. The furcula, the “wishbone”, was thought to hold magical powers. Later, the Romans introduced the practice to Britain, and it eventually made its way into American Thanksgiving dinners.
Today, two people each tug on a dried wishbone while making a silent wish. Whoever gets the bigger piece is destined to have their wish come true. On the surface, it’s a fun holiday tradition. But the symbolism runs deeper: it’s about control over an uncontrollable future. In the age of uncertainty, even a fragile bone becomes a vessel of hope.
COINS:
Coins have long been associated with power, wealth, and fate. The “lucky penny” likely evolved from ancient beliefs that metals were gifts from the God’s and carried protective energy. Finding a coin, especially one showing the monarch’s head or sacred symbols, was seen as a divine sign.
But there’s a curious contradiction here: why only heads-up pennies? The “tails” side is often seen as unlucky, even though it’s literally the same object. It reflects how we tend to interpret signs in binary terms, good or bad, depending on how they feel rather than what they are. Some psychologists call this confirmation bias: we remember the times it worked and ignore the times it didn’t.
There’s also a conspiracy theory floating around Twitter and Facebook forums: what if the “lucky penny” was a subtle tool to condition behaviour? Encouraging people to pick up currency off the street, reinforcing the idea that wealth, even a cent, is worth chasing. It’s far-fetched, but not entirely out of step with how symbols of luck have been co-opted by advertising and consumer culture.
Luck is, in essence, a narrative tool. It gives shape to randomness. When something good or bad happens, luck lets us explain it without admitting how little control we have. Superstitions, lucky charms, rituals, they’re all ways of saying: “I’m doing something to protect myself from the unknown”.
For those who lean into conspiracy theories, luck is rarely seen as truly random. They see it as a common underlying belief. What appears to be lucky is often the result of hidden manipulations or unseen forces. This can range from the idea that certain powerful elites or secret societies orchestrate events to their benefit, thereby controlling the “luck” of others, to more metaphysical theories suggesting that spiritual entities or even universal laws are secretly directing outcomes, with rituals or specific knowledge being the key to tapping into or altering these hidden currents of fortune. While the mainstream views luck as chance, conspiracy theories often act as a concealed design, driven by identifiable actors or mysterious principles.
In a world increasingly ruled by logic, data, and technology, luck is a remnant of our myth-making instincts. It’s irrational. It’s emotional. And yet, it’s universal.
Whether you’re tucking a crystal in your pocket before a big exam, snapping a wishbone on Christmas day, or crouching down to pick up that shiny copper coin on the road, just remember, maybe it’s not about the object itself. Maybe it’s about believing something is looking out for you.
And maybe that belief is the real magic.
