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Anchors to Wheels, why are they associated to Good Luck?

Below information about Anchors to Wheels and as to why they are associated to Good Luck has been collected from various sources.

ANCHOR
Among the early Christians, the anchor was a symbol of hope and salvation. It is also an obvious lucky charm for sailors, who regard the anchor as a promise of safe return from their voyages.

ANKH
The symbol of a cross topped with a loop comes to us from ancient Egypt where it was an indispensable lucky charm for the pharaohs, who regarded it as a symbol of eternal life.

AXE
Axes are lucky charms that can bring success. Archaeologists have unearthed talismans in the shape of axe heads in all parts of the world. They invariably have holes in them, indicating that they were worn around the neck. Ancient art from the Far East, pre-Columbian America, the Mediterranean, and Africa frequently depicts a double-bladed axe to indicate power.

CIRCLE
The circle is one of mankind's oldest symbols of good fortune. It stands for eternity because it is without beginning or end. It is a sign of completeness, perfection, and wholeness. The idea probably began as a representation of the apparent parth of the sun around the earth. Our ancestors were careful to move in a clockwise direction, following the sun's east-west path. Today, many people think that bad luck can be averted by turning clockwise three times. Over time, people began to believe that evil spirits could not cross a circle because it represented a greater power than theirs, that of the sun. The concept gave us many kinds of lucky symbols, including rings of every description and the circular designs of Amish hex signs, not the mention the wreaths we hang on our doors at Christmastime. Lucky charms such as horseshoes and wishbones are also rooted in the idea of the power of circles. Although, open at one end, they are believed capable of trapping evil spirits within themselves.

COIN
Many people consider it lucky to carry a coin with their birth date. Some say that coins found heads-up are also lucky, and that a coin minted in a leap year will bring good fortune. Luckiest of all are coins that are bent or have holes in them, espesically if they turn up as change after making a purchase. The luck of such coins is enhanced if they are carried in a left-hand pocket or worn around the neck. Coins can bring luck in literally hundres of ways. You will have good luck if you keep a jar of pennies in the kitchen. The first coin you receive each day should be placed in an otherwise empty pocket and it will attract more. A coin in a new jacket, handbag, or wallet will bring good luck. If you get pennies as change on a Monday, you will have good luck all week long. Click here to read about why we can not resist of tossing a coin into a fountain or wishing well for good luck.

CRESCENT
Among the most powerful of all lucky symbols, the crescent is especially lucky for young children and their mothers. In ancient Egypt, the crescent moon was the symbol of Isis, the mother of the gods. As its symbolism spread throughout the world, it eventually became a symbol of paradise, especially when represented with a star. It is particularly significant in Islam.

CROSS
Although the cross has come to be a symbol of Christianity, it was venerated both as a religious and lucky sign for centuries before the Christian era. It has been found in parts of the world where the message of Christianity never reached. The Aztecs in pre-columbian Mexico regarded it as a symbol of the rain god, the most important in their pantheon. In most primitive religions, the cross represents the tree of life. In some ancient cultures, the crosspiece intersecting the upright represented a ladder that helped a worshiper to reach God. In other cultures, the upright pointed the way to heaven and the crosspiece represented earthly influences. The oldest known version of the cross, is the swastika. This cross with its arms folded back took on a sinister meaning in the 1930s when it was adopted as the symbol of the Nazi party which subsequently turned it away from a symbol that had been considered lucky almost from the time that man began to walk upright.

HAND
In just about every Mediterranean country, charms in the shape of human hands have been powerful symbols of good luck. In Muslim countries, the hand is made with the thumb and fingers outstretched in honor of Fatima, the favorite daughter of the prophet Mohammed. Fatima was one of only three women worthy of entering heaven. The thumb represents the prophet himself, the first finger represents Fatima, the middle finger her husband, and the others her two sons. The ancient Etruscans and the Greeks wore lucky amulets representing a fist with the thumb tucked beneath the fingers. Similar charms with the index finger extended were believed to have power to ward off the evil eye. Sometimes a simple hand gesture encourages good luck or helps ward off bad luck. In most Christian churches, worshipers are blessed with the age-old sign of the benediction, with the minister’s first and second fingers outstretched and the thumb and other fingers closed over the palm. In many countries, but especially in Italy, the evil eye is thwarted with the so-called “devil’s horn,” the fist clenched with the index and little fingers outstretched

HEART
Charms in the shape of hearts are obviously intended to bring luck in love. Among the ancient Egyptians, such charms were also believed to have power over the influences of black magic.

HEX SIGN
One of the delights of a visit to the Amish areas is the huge round designs painted on the sides of the barns. They are hex signs and they are there to protect the barn and livestock inside from the influence of witches. The designs are usually circles with circles, following the belief that devils, witches, and other evil beings can't cross into a circle or, more important, out of one. Hex signs are often painted in many bright colors, but the dominant one is red, known to frighten the devil and all his kind. The name for them, "hex," refers to the witch's own weapon, the ability to cast a spell, or hex. The hex sign is intended to cast the spell on the witch before she can put one on the barn.

HORN
Like crescents, which they resemble, charms in the form of animal horns are believed to have great power over the evil eye. Because of that special power, horns rank among the most effective bringers of good luck. The belief in the power of the horn extends to cultures over the world and is among the most ancient in the world of luck.

HORSESHOE
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KACHINA
The Pueblo, Hope and Zuni nations of the American Southwest place great store in the luck-bringing properties of these dolls. They represent native spirits and each is dressed in elaborate costume. Although regularly used in tribal ceremonies, these dolls, known as kachinas, are also used as playthings by children and displayed in homes as well as in sacred places. It is believed that by making the spirit represented by the doll an intimate member of the family group, luck will come to that family in the form of good harvests and protection from natural disasters.

KEY
A key given as a gift between lovers is considered a symbol of unlocking the door to the heart. It is believed that the giver will be lucky in love. As a symbol of luck, a single key is among the most important, not to mention one of the oldest, of charms. The Greeks and Romans believed it represented the Key of Life and had the power to unlock the door through which prayers reached the gods. They attached special significance to keys made of silver, the metal sacred to the goddess Diana. She was the protector of doorways and thresholds as well as the special guardian of mothers-to-be. As the Key of Life, it was worn as a talisman to promote remembrance of things past and foresight for things to come. Among the Japanese, three keys tied together are considered a powerful lucky charm. They enable the wearer to unlock the doors that lead to love, health, and wealth. According to the Gypsies of Eastern Europe, a door key with a metal ring attached will ensure a good night’s sleep if it is hung upside down over the bed. It will also prevent nightmares.

LADDER
Even people who don’t believe in luck usually make it a point to avoid walking under a ladder. It’s probably a good idea because you never know if someone up there might drop something on you. Ladders have been considered lucky symbols for centuries. The Egyptians usually placed them in their tombs to help the souls of the dead climb heavenward. They also carried charms in the form of ladders, to help avoid earthly temptation and to climb to greater heights. Ladders also appear along with other symbols of good luck on talismans that were carried in all parts of the world well into the Middle Ages. Ladders enter the realm of the unlucky when they are leaned against a wall to form a triangle with the ground. The same triangle is formed by an open stepladder. The three sides are believed to represent the basic family unit –father, mother, and child- and passing through it can violate the unity of the family. Others say the triangle represents the Trinity –Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- the unity of which must also never be interrupted. There is an antidote, of course. If you should unwittingly wander under a ladder, you can save yourself by crossing your fingers and spitting three times through the ladder’s rungs.

MIRROR
Break a mirror, they say, and seven years’ bad luck will follow. Actually, it isn’t the mirror that brings trouble, it is the image it reflects. The superstition has existed for centuries –long before glass mirrors were developed. It exists today among aboriginal people who have never seen a mirror. Since prehistoric times, it was a common belief that to see one’s own face was to see the life force, the soul itself. The usual way to see such a reflection was in a pool of water, and if an enemy should toss a stone into it and break the reflection, evil was sure to follow. As mirrors became more common and mankind more enlightened, the belief that the face reflects the soul faded away. But there was always that nagging fear that breaking a looking glass could be unlucky. For hundreds of years it was believed that the cells that make up one’s body are completely renewed every seven years. That meant, obviously, that if you are cursed with bad luck when your reflection is destroyed, it can’t last forever. You will be a whole new person in seven years. When that happens, your luck will change for the better.

SIGIL
A mystic word written or engraved on a talisman is called a sigil. Abracadabra is one of these words. Another, common in the Middle Ages, is Agla, formed of the first letters of the Latin for"Thou art mighty forever, O Lord." At about the time Columbus set sail for America, his contemporaries used the sigil Anizapta as a preventer of drunkenness. Presumably, if you could pronounce the word, you were probably sober. The names of the three kings of the Christmas story, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, were frequently used as a sigil to help one find anything that was lost. The names were scratched into wax tablets which, if placed under one's pillow, would produce a dream showing where the object could be found. The luck extended beyond material things and the sigil was believed effective in finding long-lost friends.

SOLOMON'S SEAL
Solomon, who was King of Israel in the 10th century B.C., and the son of King David, is considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. He was also a kind of mystic, an expert exorciser of demons and devils. Among his legacies is Solomon’s Seal, a talismanic device in the form of a six-pointed star made up of two opposing triangles. One of them, with its points upward, represents the sky, fire and masculinity. The other, with downward-facing points, represents earth, water and femininity. By synthesizing these opposites, the resulting star has the power to invoke divine protection for anyone who wears it. A version of this hexagram, known as the Star of David, is the symbol of the Hebrew religion and appears on the Israeli flag.

STAR
You can thank your lucky stars for the ancient belief that every person has been assigned a special star of destiny. Even today, many people believe we each have a star with our name on it. It shines at our birth and goes dark at the instant of our death. In the meantime, it guides us through life and brings us luck. Any charm in the shape of a star is considered quite lucky. One commonly used is the pentacle, the five-pointed star, which the ancients believed had the power to trap the forces of evil, rendering them powerless.

TIKI
The Polynesians of the South Pacific wear tikis around their necks to protect them from witches and other evil influences. Most often carved from jade but sometimes of wood, the charm is in the form of a little human-like creature. Its head is titled as if listening intently for evil lurking in the air.

TOTEMS
Native Americans, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, carved the figures of birds and animals on upright posts not only to venerate the spirits of these creatures, but to bring luck to their tribes. The same kind of symbolism exists in Central Africa and on the islands of the Pacific. The custom was also prevalent in the earliest civilazations in Egypt.

TRIANGLE
In engineering, the triangle is considered the strongest and most indestructible form for structures of every description. Even before mankind began to realize this, practitioners of ancient religions found mystical significance in the shape of a triangle and frequently fashioned charms and amulets in that shape. It was perceived as representing the cycle of life -birth, maturity and death- and as such it stood for the harmony of humans with their gods. It was considered a sacrilege to break its perfect shape. The ancient Egyptians used this holy shape when they created the great pyramids, which many today regard all by themselves as symbols of good luck even though they are in reality monuments of dead. The architects who designed them combined four triangles as a symbol of the coming together of the forces of earth and of heaven. In France, however, the triangle has long been considered an unlucky shape. The French believe that the devil is likely to be lurking at a crossroad or a field with only three sides. In the Western Hemisphere, quite possibly the unluckiest territory known to man is the infamous Bermuda Triangle, where ships and planes have been known to mysteriously vanish with unsettling frequency.

WHEEL
The flag of modern India has Buddha's Wheel of Life as its centerpiece. It was said that Buddha himself drew such a wheel in a rice field to teach his followers that all creation is a series of causes and effects following each other like the turning of a wheel. As a circle representing eternity, the wheel appears frequently as a lucky charm in many cultures. It symbolizes that bad luck passes and good luck rises, just as a wheel is turned. Lawyers in India, often wear wheel charms when they appear in court, and many believe they couldn't win their case without one. The ancient Romans usually depicted their goddess Fortuna with a wheel, symbolizing the same cause-and-effect relationship of bad luck turning to good that Buddha spoke of. It was this symbol that gave us the Wheel of Fortune.