You may have noticed a pretty little brand new flower button freebie placed on top your orders / goodies this month from TheWitchery.Ca. Buttons are one of those mundane items that are actually quite magical and have a ton of folklore associated with them. Why are buttons magical? Think of their physical function – they keep clothing and linens closed….therefore protecting what is underneath from weather, illness, dirt, etc. So automatically, with buttons think protection and comfort. Also, buttons are tools that sit on a threshold. YES. The threshold between us and the outside world! So they are also useful in spirit work. These magical little amulets can be used for all types of witchy work whether it be divination, protection, and or luck. Some of my fave superstitions and talisman ideas are listed below!
If you buttoned up your shirt the wrong way, you had to leave it buttoned that way all day, it was bad luck to rebutton it. But other folklore says if you button it incorrectly to avoid bad luck take if off immediately and re-do.
Familiar with the old chant ‘tinker, tailor’ soldier’ spy’? You could apparently discover what your future husband would be by counting buttons. The rhyme was ‘doctor, lawyer, merchant, cheat’ or ‘rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief’. I think I would rig this one… A similar process was applied using the chant ‘he loves me, he loves me not’.
If a bachelor asked you to sew a button on, do it. Apparently once you had completed the sewing task for him, inside of a year he would be your husband. Presuming you actually liked him obviously, otherwise avoid the sewing…
Got some old buttons and a new coat? Don’t sew them on. Putting old buttons onto a new coat was considered bad luck.
If you are wearing a smart business suit and a button comes off, your luck is about to change. Which way your luck changes is not specified.
Lost three buttons in one go? Either you need a new or bigger suit, but folklore suggests you can expect a funeral to happen in the near future.
Look for coats that sport eight buttons, these are meant to be lucky. But then having a garment with an odd number of buttons on is supposed to be lucky too.
Find a button on the ground? Pick it up, check the number of holes and put it in your pocket. You will have good luck for as many days as the number of holes in the button. Unless it is a black button, in which case leave it on the ground because picking that one up brings bad luck.
Finding a button on the ground could mean a letter is on the way, actually two or four depending on how many holes the button has.
To stop someone gossiping about you, bit the top button on your shirt and that person will be rewarded with a blistered tongue.
Having a jar full of buttons is supposed to bring good luck.
Never sew a button on when you are wearing the garment, it is considered unlucky.
To ensure safe travels throughout your day, do up an odd number of buttons on your clothing.
If a funeral procession passes by, touch one of your buttons to ward against bad luck and remain connected to living!
Gifting buttons to newlyweds, or anyone for that matter, brought luck to the receiver. But buttons weren’t always lucky to our ancestors. Back in the day, if you came across a black button in your path, NEVER pick it up! It was supposedly a sign of bad luck or a curse. I don’t think most of us come across buttons in our paths but if I do, I’ll be sure to leave it where it lies.
What are you going to do with your shiny new button?