Today’s offering comes to us from Dawn Colclasure. Dawn is a writer who lives in Oregon. She is also a Witch who focuses on Earth Magic, while also studying Forest Magic. She has written articles for Reference.com, Able News and BackHome Living. Her books can be found at dawnsbooks.com.
One day I performed a spell to help a sibling get a job, unaware at that time that the pennies I was pouring into a bowl symbolized good luck. Yes, the words I chanted and the intention I put into the ritual may have helped it to be a successful one – as I later learned, that this sibling did get the job – but perhaps it was the power of the penny that helped things along.
It was once believed that metal was a gift from the gods, thereby endowing it with protection and auspicious power. This was especially true for copper, which pennies are made with. Copper is ruled by Venus, which means pennies can attract good luck to those who know how to use it for such purposes.
But pennies do not just attract good luck; they are also believed to ensure protection against evil. Because windows and doorways are openings to enter into a home, the tradition of placing pennies over a door and on windowsills for protection became a common practice.
Pennies [cpastrick, Pixabay]
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Pennies can also be a connection to the dead. A found penny often symbolizes visits from the dead. Some people believe that finding pennies is a sign from deceased loved ones. When I find a penny, I often consider it to be a loved one offering comfort or security. It could be seen as a reminder that a dearly departed loved one is with us.
However, keep in mind that not all found pennies should be picked up. According to Lexa Rosean’s Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients, if we find a penny that shows the heads, we can pick it up and it will bring us luck. However, if we find a penny and it is tails up, we should turn it over and leave it there for another person to find. The custom dictates that picking up a found penny that shows the tails brings bad luck. This aligns with the belief that a penny that shows the tails side is a “no” answer to a diviner’s unasked question.
On the other hand, finding a penny could also serve as a means of attracting money. Any coin found on the ground is seen as a gift from the gods and to refuse it is seen as a refusal of money or good luck. I have often picked a penny up from the ground and voiced an expectation that more money will come to me, and it usually does.
Pennies have also been used for healing practices. One example of this use is to purify water, as described by A.C. Fisher Aldag in Common Magick: Origins and Practices of British Folk Magick. Copper has an antimicrobial effect on water, which allows it to kill bacteria, as well as inhibit the growth of any bacteria in water.
However, we should keep in mind that nowadays, most pennies are not made with very much copper. While modern pennies do contain a thin layer of copper, most of the metal used in them is zinc, and drinking water that has had a zinc-made penny in it for hours can be hazardous to your health.
The fact that pennies and water can bring good fortune is not surprising. There is some truth behind the custom of throwing pennies into a wishing well, as well as tossing pennies into a fountain while making a wish. According to folklore, when throwing a penny into the water and making a wish, the penny serves as an offering to the spirit of the water, thereby increasing the chances of a wish coming true.
Pennies can also be used in Witchcraft to attract money. Place a few pennies on the bedstand or in the corner of a room for this purpose, or place some pennies beneath the front door mat and sprinkle them with cinnamon, to attract money and keep away evil.
A coin tree on the banks of the River Barle upstream of Tarr Steps in Exmoor, Somerset. [Wikimedia Commons, Ethan Doyle White, CC 3.0]
Have you have ever come across a tree with several pennies nailed into it and ever wondered why? This is something that is called a “coin tree.” In Yorkshire, some Pagans believe that spirits residing inside of the trees would provide healing and wisdom if an offering in the form of a coin was hammered into the tree. On most occasions, the coin of choice was a penny, with the belief that hammering a penny into a tree as an offering to the spirit would grant a wish. In the United Kingdom, there is an abundance of such trees, as well as logs, with pennies hammered into them, and this sparked the term “penny tree.” This practice has existed since at least 1863, and despite the efforts of conservationists, it continues to this day.
Some people, regardless of their lifestyle or beliefs, have been known to place a penny or two on the grave they have visited. While military tradition dictates the type of coin to place on the grave of a deceased veteran, Pagan traditions often center on the placing of a penny on a grave that has been visited. Doing so is seen as a gift or offering, as well as a token of respect for the dead. Placing pennies or other coins on the first gravestone when entering a cemetery or graveyard is seen as an offering to the gatekeeper spirit and will grant protection as the visitor traverses through the grounds.
Finally, pennies have been placed on the eyes of the dead in ancient times as a means of payment to the god or spirit who will guide the dearly departed to the afterlife.
Pennies have played a major role in mythology and folklore for centuries. Due to being made with copper, they remain an important part of modern-day Paganism and Witchcraft rituals. There are also assorted superstitions surrounding pennies, though there is some truth behind such superstitions.
Whether they are collected or used for a variety of reasons, pennies are still useful for many individuals. Keep a few pennies on your bedside table or over your door in order to witness what kind of benefit doing so will bring.
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