A religious wrote to ask if we know anything about Chinese decorative knots. “
They are red, and come in various designs and I believe go back hundreds if not thousands of years. I've read they can signify different things like luck, romance, love, etc. We have received, from a Chinese Priest, holy images of Our Lord and Our Lady which are decorated with these knots. Is there anything to be concerned about there? Should we remove the decorations?”
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KV writes:
“Recently a fellow Catholic told me about a ritual on the Eve of St. Agnes - fast all day and then at night the fasting woman will dream of her future husband. This sounds strange and superstitious to me. I could not find information on this from a credible Catholic source. Have you heard anything about this?”
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LD asks: "
My husband and I are wondering what you can tell us about the Hamsa Hand? What's the difference between this and a blessed object? "
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SM writes:
"I have a friend who insists that every word of a prayer novena has to be said correctly, or you have to start all over. Is this true?"
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While it’s true that the Druids once believed holly had magical powers, the use of this ancient evergreen on special occasions does not derive from any group in particular.
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AD asks: "Do you have any information on the Italian horn? I thought I heard it had an occult connection."
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(Image by Bryce Edwards, cc-by-2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
MH writes: “I'm wondering if you would know if there is any new age connection to birthstones? I'm from Ireland and wanted to get my niece a ring for her eighteenth birthday and she wants a birthstone ring. I'm not certain if there is any new age association. I would really appreciate it if you could answer this question.”
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CS writes:
"My wife's mother recently passed away after a long terrible bout with MS. Prior to her being debilitated with this disease, my wife tells me that she was into new age type beliefs. . .
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For the third time this year, the planet Mercury has gone into retrograde and once again, the internet astrologers are trying to outdo one another with dire warnings about how this cosmological event can wreak havoc on planet Earth. Too bad it’s nothing but hype to sell natal charts and good luck charms.
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MI writes:
“I don’t feel comfortable with this type of prayer request [that I received today]. ‘We are doing an Intercession of 1000 prayers for those people with cancer. Say the prayer and pass it to 10 people, Let me know if you cannot, so that we do not break this Intercession.’ Am I wrong? Isn’t it basically a chain letter. Would you participate? Looking forward to your thoughts!”
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