Witchcraft, Black Magic & Superstitions: Discussing Fact, Fiction & Influence
A 60-minute session (held 11 August 2024) on the beliefs we half-hold: the sneeze we wait out, the evil eye we blame, the horoscope that gets a say in a marriage, the ghost story that kept us in bed, the witch who is always a woman. Which of these are harmless comfort, and which quietly shape how we treat each other? Twelve independent cards; open three or four.
The opening question
What's one superstition from your childhood that you still follow, even just a little?
Everyone in the room answers this in one line before any card is opened. Write the answers down; you will come back to them.
The cards
12 ways into the topic
Each card is independent. Your group votes on which to open, and four or five is plenty for an hour. Behind every card sit three prompts, one at a time, that only appear once it is opened on the board. Unopened cards keep for next time.
- 1
Rules You Follow Just In Case
A black cat crosses the road ahead of you. You don't believe in any of that. But you still wait for someone else to cross first.
- 2
Blaming The Evil Eye
You get a promotion and tell everyone. A week later, you fall ill. Your aunt says, “Somebody's jealous eyes did this.” The whole family nods.
- 3
Matching Horoscopes Before Marriage
Two people like each other. Their families like each other. Then the horoscopes come back, and the astrologer shakes his head.
- 4
Scaring Kids Into Behaving
A child won't eat and won't sleep. So someone says, “Eat up, or the ghost will come and take you.” It works instantly.
- 5
Going To A Healer First
Someone in your family is unwell, and the medicine isn't helping yet. An elder says, “Let's take them to a healer as well. What's the harm?”
- 6
Believing In Ghosts
You're alone at home late at night. A door creaks somewhere. You tell yourself it's the wind. You still don't go and check.
- 7
Why Witches Are Always Women
In stories, the witch is nearly always a woman. Often she's old, lives alone, and nobody quite trusts her.
- 8
Paying For Better Luck
Your business is struggling. Someone says a new spelling of its name will turn things around. It costs money. You pay, just in case.
- 9
Tarot Cards And Astrology Apps
Before a big day, you check your horoscope. It says to expect good news. You don't believe it. You feel a little better anyway.
- 10
Period Rules At Home
You're thirteen. Your period has started, and suddenly there's a list of things you mustn't touch or do. When you ask why, nobody really answers.
- 11
Elders' Superstitions At Home
You want to buy a car this week. Your grandmother says the day is wrong and you must wait. You think it's nonsense. You wait anyway.
- 12
Why Superstitions Are Worth Keeping
Imagine every superstition vanished overnight. No lucky habits, no little blessings before a journey, no family rituals for big days.
The line to leave with
Of the things you do “just in case”, which ones are protecting the people you love, and which ones are only protecting a fear?
More boards,more ways in.
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