Intuition and Superstition – Understanding our superstitions and engaging with intuition. By Charlotte Hunt
Why are our superstitions and intuition important? When we hear the word ‘superstition’ we think black cats or cracks in pavements. An online search defined it as a ‘widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences’. And yet most of us carry some superstitious beliefs around with us, even if we don’t associate them as being of supernatural origin. Familiar ones include: ‘you have to work hard every day to be successful’; or ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’; while some beliefs may be more personal, such as ‘people like me don’t do those things’.
But it’s also important to note superstitions can be fun; some can even be empowering. I had an irrational belief once that a woman like me would never be accepted as a manager in the City, so why aim for it? Whilst disappointing at the time it subsequently led me to start my own company and follow what really made me happy. Because, in all truth, women like me would never be happy as a manager in the City. It is probably still an irrational belief but it makes me feel great, and my business and life are in true alignment.
By understanding our irrational beliefs or personal superstitions, we can consciously detach ourselves from negative or irrelevant patterns. By engaging with our intuition we can tune in and see, hear, or know, what our true dreams and needs are. Our intuition will tell us what we can do to achieve an inner sense of wellbeing. Trusting in it gives us the confidence to make these positive changes.
Superstition and intuition are both inner messaging systems. So where do these messages come from: Our sub-conscious mind? Suppressed emotions? God? The universe? Or just the confidence that comes with age and life experience? To some extent where they come from is not as important as what we do with the information they feed us.
How we interpret these messages can be complicated, however. We are socially conditioned to take things at face value, follow paths laid out for us, and not encouraged to think for ourselves. We allow this to happen because it is easy for someone else to make the decisions and take the responsibility. We can sit back, judge and complain. By letting others lead us we don’t need to take any responsibility for everyday things. From bankers’ bonuses, corruption, and food chain contamination, down to the brands we choose and where our lunchtime apples are imported from.
Or we can choose another way. We can choose to take responsibility for everything that happens to us, and everything we engage with. When we expand our awareness of the decisions we make and the things we put our faith in, we understand that we each have an individual core. This core centre can guide us if we allow it to. When we follow this intuitive core centre, rather than external influences, we can open up to our true potential.
How to open up
Trust is essential to recognising and engaging with our intuition. Yet it is the biggest obstacle for most of us. Wherever it comes from our intuition is our inner truth. Trusting our inner truth gives us a sense of authenticity and power. We can make difficult decisions with confidence.
Ask for what you need to know, and trust the answers you receive. How and what we ask for are important. Our subconscious mind will always provide our questions with an answer. So it’s important to ask it positive solution-focused questions. Don’t ask: ‘why can’t I get my dream job/life partner/go on that amazing yoga retreat?’. Rather, ask: ‘how can I get my dream job/what can I do to meet my life partner/what must I do to be able to pay for that amazing yoga retreat?’
The answers you seek are available to you at any time. If you cannot hear anything or see any signs, just focus and ask.
To subscribe to Om Yoga Magazine, click here