The magical charm of trefoil shamrock goes way beyond the fifth century Christian legend of St.Patrick. The three leaf plant (trefoil) is said to be the source of inspiration for the triskele, triple spiral, pagan symbols and beautifully illustrated knot-work illustrated in the Books of Kells. So why is this little plant classed as lucky? And why does it appear in mythology across so many civilizations? Or were you actually just born lucky?
My Grandfather was renowned for saying ‘They were born lucky’, when someone he knew won a prize. Unbeknownst to him, his philosophy was shared in Chinese culture and metaphysics. They believed one’s destiny is determined by THE THREE LUCKS (San Cai), otherwise known as the Cosmic Trinity. Put simply your life is a combination of these three lucks.
Heaven Luck - Cosmic Chi that comes from the heavens. It's the luck you're born with, your fate if you like.
Earth Luck - Environmental influences and Feng Shui falls under the realm of this luck.
Man Luck - This is under our own influence, it's the luck we create for ourselves, like a luck acquired via good deeds (ji yin de) and our morals and code of conduct.
Of course the power of three, is a familiar symbolic principle in many cultures - Mind, Body, Spirit - Birth, Death, Rebirth or - Land, Sea and Sky to name but a few. While in spiritual culture, the three spirit realms of Under World, Middle World and Lower World; spring to mind. But it was St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, who used a trefoil Shamrock sprig, as a metaphor for the Christian triple deity - the Holy Trinity - of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Luck and Lore
Regardless of your luck at birth, to find a four-leaf clover is regarded far and wide as a harbinger of good fortune. You’re encouraged to make a wish upon finding one, some say to place your find in a book and when your wish is granted return the clover to the færies by returning it to earth. Others believe you should hand it to another to increase your good luck. I’m now the owner of one such tailsman, personally found on my birthday last year so I’ve yet to test the theory. to find a two leaved version, it’s said you find a lover soon and five leaved is a money magnet when worn for all to see. But no matter the number of leaves, Shamrock is still considered a lucky talisman.
Shamrock or Clover
The adage, ‘The Luck of the Irish’ is a well known saying which perhaps stems from Shamrocks luck and its depiction as an Irish emblem. Appearing on Ireland 1st stamps in 1922, designed by my hubbies Great Uncle, James Ingram no less! It’s often seen as a representation of the Emerald Isle, in the same way that the Rose represents England and the Daffodil, Wales. To wear a sprig of shamrock on your lapel jacket (right breast, to bring success to your endeavours) on St. Patrick’s day, is still a common tradition in modern Ireland. That said, only a certain kind of trefoil is picked - it’s a very small leafed clover, without the white ‘V’, commonly seen on white or red clover, with tiny yellow flowers when in bloom.
1st Irish Stamp of the Free State, issued 5th Dec 1922. Designed by my hubbies great Uncle, Mr. James Ingram!
shamrock | clover image from @gypsielovin
But it was English herbalist John Gerard, in 1596 who referred to the common meadow trefoil (also known as clover), as 'Shamrockes'- its Irish name. The name shamrock comes from the Gaelic word seamróg, which is a diminutive of the Irish word for plant (seamair) which means ‘little plant’.
But, according to the Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myth and Secrets; Islamic Arabs of the East called shamrock ‘shamrakh’. The trefoil lily flower was representative of the ancient Moon Goddess - the triple Goddess, known as the Threefold Moon. Shamrock, represented a design of three yonis and it’s symbol appears on artifacts of Indus Valley (Egypt) and on ceramics from Mesopotamia, between 2300 and 1300 b.c.
Gardening Lore
Undoubtedly the shamrock plant is ubiquitously linked to Luck and Færy magic. Not surprising then, in a witch’s garden it’s used as a conduit to wealth and success. And if you do grow it in your own garden, it has excellent properties to enhance and set nitrogen levels in soil. It’s mother nature’s very own answer to enriching earth - ensuring a fecund season for cultivating lush produce.
There’s a tradition in many Irish communities to plant out potato tubers on or before St. Patrick's day. The custom may stem from another piece of folklore among farmers; to never planting potatoes on Good Friday, as they will fail to grow. The custom is said to hail from an older superstition, that no iron should enter the ground on this day. The planting window therefore seems to span between St. Patrick's Day and Easter, which generally falls after veneration of the nations patron Saint. Fields are rich and lush with nitrogen bearing shamrock in March, ideal for potato planting.
The adage ‘in the clover’ is said to come from cattle grazing in a lush paddock of clover - suggesting you’re fortunate in life. Clover growth is prolific and thus implies abundance which is really a reference to bountiful fecund conditions for abundance - i.e wealth. So if your cattle were healthy and fed, then you were wealthy.
Another interesting link, I’m sure you’ll agree, to the use of clover as a veneration herb to Goddess Wadjet (uto) of lower Egypt, hailed for her prowess in regenerating the earth forces. Her name means ‘green one’ and she is often depicted as a Green Cobra snake head somtimes seen on the statue over the Kings brow or as the left eye of the Moon - Eye of Ra.
Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by Anna-Marie Kellen. Goddess Wadjet (uto)
A wooden celtic knot.
Astrological Magick
Author Karen Harrison, notes the Celts also traditionally burned clover and used it to cense their cattle herds with the flumes of smoke to purify and ward against evil. Linked also to the element of Air and associated with the planet Mercury, the clover plant is oft found on altars for good luck spells.
Trefoil clover is a sacred plant linked to the Celtic Goddess Maiden, Mother, Crone and promises protection to its wear. Like the‘triquetra’, an intricate Celtic design that shows the center of three connected circles (or eclipses) joined by a circle in the center, it’s likened to the symbol of protection to modern Wiccans. Across many cultures the trefoil is seen in Ecclesiastical architecture and heraldry throughout the ages. It’s also seen as a stylized motif, embellished on many surface decorations and Celtic artifacts from the La Tène era and continued in 5th -12th centuries where objects were fashioned for sacred uses and purposes.
Saints, serpents and (lucky) shamrock
As I’m Irish; I can say in closing, my fellow countrymen and women may have a generous smattering of ‘Man luck’ - it’s the luck we create for ourselves and our ancestral lineage; and færy magic no doubt plays a part. Or maybe we found lots of four leaf clovers?
But across civilizations, a thread appears between saints, snakes and snake goddesses when they join forces with the trefoil clover. There is much talk of St. Patrick banishing Ireland of snakes - purported to be a metaphor for early Paganism, which is a faith in nature-based deities. I love referencing nature’s folklore when I hear mention of snakes, shamrock and St. Patrick. Because in Geomancy circles it’s said if clover (shamrock) grows on your property, it will keep snakes away! (There is a great article on this by patheo.com that speaks to why snakes aren’t a metaphor for Druids). Speaking of serpents and Christian mythology, the biblical first lady Eve, apparently took a four-leaf clover with her when she was expelled from the Garden of Eden; more serpent reference. And finally, the aforementioned Cobra headed Goddess is venerated with offerings of clover.
Wherever you’re domicile, we hope you enjoy your St.Patrick’s celebrations. I’m off to keep a little tradition alive that existed in my family household. Since 17 March falls during the Catholic observance of Lent - a time of fasting - the food source denied during the customary Lenten rite, could be broken for one day. You guessed it - it was St. Patrick’s day. I’m off to eat chocolate! ⧇
“Living eye to eye with environmental wisdom ”
