Omens are essentially events or occurrences that are thought to tell the future. They often signal the beginning of a great change, and though many people feel cautious about bad omens and what they might mean, the truth of the matter is that omens could traditionally foretell good things or bad things.
Most cultures have some history of using omens, and in some cases, the omens were even used to predict the actions that a great leader might have taken. Some of the earliest mentions of omens in human history come from the ancient Romans. Omens were such an important part of public and private life that there were two types of omen readers. Haruspices found omens in the entrails of sacrificial animals, while augers watched the flight of birds.
These offices were held in high regard and would be consulted before any major event was to take place. During times of peace, they might foretell the perfect day for weddings or festivals, and during more turbulent times, they might decide when the city went to war.
There were many events that might have seemed like omens to the ancient people of the world, and astrological phenomena were often associated with events that were going to happen. For instance, Halley s Comet was recorded on the Bayeux tapestry and there are many people who saw it as a portent of great things to come. The Romans were certainly not the only people who believed in omens and what they might mean. The ancient cultures of India, China, and South America all have stories that speak about omens, especially as they relate to the birth of famous people or to the birth of a new era.
What are some things that can be read as omens? One common omen that people run into in the modern day is Friday the Thirteenth. This is a date that can happen once or twice a year and it is usually seen as a day of bad luck. Some people are indifferent to it, while other people become very concerned about what it might mean to them. Similarly, thirteen itself is often seen as a number that is unlucky as well. Because of this, there are some hotels that will skip the number thirteen when they were numbering their floors, going right from twelve to fourteen.
It is interesting to note that people can be seen as being omens as well. For instance, there was once a tradition of making sure that a chimney sweep met the bridal couple on their wedding day. Seeing a chimney sweep meant their good luck would last throughout the year. Another bridal omen involved the lighting of matrimonial candles in China; as long as both ends burned bright, the couple would have a long and happy life together.
Omens are things that have played a large part in the history of the world and they are very much intertwined with the practice of fortunetelling. Consider omens and how they affected the lives of people in the past and how they even affect the lives of people today!
Author Resource:
Keith Ward is the Founder and Director of the Circle of Professional Clairvoyants, which offers psychic readings with fully qualified Senior UK Clairvoyants and Psychics: http://www.psychicreadings.org.uk/ .
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")