Bad Fortune Favors You....

Bad fortunes. I guess it's the luck of the draw....There are so many traditions to try ones luck.... Such examples are throwing coins in fountains, sticking your hands in questionable places, kissing stones upside-down, rubbing questionable appendages on statues, etc., and of course, trying your fortune. Well, there are quite a few stories connected with all the situations listed above... but the one I'm speaking of takes place at Senso-ji's Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. 

At Senso-ji's Temple, such a thing is called an "omikuji" or "paper fortune." When you travel to Senso-ji Temple, you must make an offering and then take on the task of shaking a lovely metal box in the attempt to get a bamboo stick with your fortune's number out of the hole. While you're shaking the metal box, you're supposed to pray to the Gods and Buddha's for good luck in the coming year, but I guess I got a bit distracted and tried my dance skills out instead.... Anyways, the number on the stick corresponds to your fortune, which you then take from the box. 

I got "daikyou," which translated, means "terrible luck"... Figures, right? Well, in case the title isn't bad enough for you, there is also a description of everything you shouldn't do... Like travel, date, marry, have children, etc. ... And most endings for those were death... You get the idea. 

Tradition holds that when you receive a poor fortune, you are supposed to tie the fortune to one of the iron posts to seal the fate within the temple instead of carrying it with you... Odd, but hopefully that works. Honestly, I nearly burnt it in the incense cauldron just to be sure, but my friend was against that... 

So, what do you do when you get a bad fortune? TRY AGAIN!!! I got "regular fortune," so basically everything is OK to do, it won't be great, but you won't die.... I guess I'll take it! 

Better luck next time? 

Love, Alison