To The 9's

Recently, a friend sent me a funny email that said something about my horoscope:

"The Sun and Moon form a beautiful aspect for you, so the best thing you can do is simply go with the flow! Your best side will come forward, as your mind and your emotions are boosted by the cosmic energies. Romantic signals will come your way and might even meet your own excellent standards. Excellent colors are golden topaz and moonstone. Lucky numbers are 5 and 9."

Reading horoscopes, charting the stars and planets are just part of the fun in greeting the New Year. I was born on the 9th day of the 9th month and got two 9’s in my birth year. And with 2009 smacked right between my ears, I got the lucky 5 and the 9’s I needed for the above prediction to come true.

There is always this breathtaking feeling within us in trying to unlock the mystery that lies ahead. The readings reveal events that are going to happen about love, life, career and money. We drift into hopeful thoughts as we read our Zodiac “forecasts” and take note of the crucial things that come with it: lucky color, lucky number, lucky day, lucky stone and so on, and so forth.

For those who are dead serious and do not want to gamble their future on unreliable predictions and interpretations of fuzzy celestial pictures, hanging charms and crystals over their necks are definitely their best solution to do the job.

If there is such a thing as Pandora syndrome, this might be it.

All around the world, sales of charms, amulets and other mystical curios rocketed sky high. Top on the list are the Chinese knick-knacks of all shapes and sizes: lucky toad, jade coins, feng shui chart, fu symbol and the venerable smiling Buddha. Good luck will be yours if you wear them as a pendant, bracelet, hang it in your rear view mirror or attach one to your handbag or briefcase. But here is one catch: the charm will only work if given to you as a gift by a friend. How is that for a counter spell?

Not to be outdone are the mysterious African and Middle Eastern talismans with their cryptic mumbo-jumbo. They come in the form of custom-made rings, intricate bracelets and elaborate pendants, said to be more effective than their Chinese cousins. There is the al ain, hamsa, ankh, scarab and the Eye of Horus. Arabs and Africans believe it protects the wearer against the woe of all woes - the evil eye.

Lately, this superstitious pastime has taken a new serious twist. The appalling domino effect of the present economic mess has left everyone desperate for something to hold on. Everyone is hanging their hopes to the mystic and the magical, believing it will stand by them to get through hell and back.

What is happening? Are we losing our faith in God? Where is the proven and tested power of prayer? Our twisted moral values are precariously putting our belief in our Creator to a test.

The world is full of commercialism and trickery. We are swayed by promises of false hopes, and in return, trade our principles for a few pieces of silver.

And the five 9’s? Nah! That is inane bullstuff!