Why you should find a four-leaf clover
When was the last time you found a four-leaf clover ? Or do you never look for one when you walk through the meadows?
Did you know that when you finally find one and take it home to dry or press it, it promises you a happy life? But most of the time you give up or don't look too closely, and then you can't find one. Maybe you think you're not one of those people who will ever find one.
After your unsuccessful search, you may have wondered: Do four-leaf clovers even exist in nature? And where does the belief that they bring good luck come from?
The four-leaf clover – a well-known symbol of luck
Yes, that interested me too!
I did a little reading and found out some interesting things about four-leaf clovers.
Follow me in an exciting story about Celtic Druids, paradise and a wonderful plant that contains many hidden powers.
Finding a four-leaf clover – is that really possible?
The answer is: Yes!
You can find a four-leaf clover, but they are very rare. In fact, most types of clover have leaves made up of three segments. How often four-leaf clovers occur has not been scientifically determined, but a probability of 1 in 10,000 is assumed. Rather bleak prospects for your personal search for luck, don't you think? Well, if you consider that entire meadows are often covered in clover, then you could say that every large meadow should actually have a lucky clover. And that's not all: clovers with five, six or more fingers are also known. In fact, the Guinness Book of Records describes a clover with 56 leaflets!
The Japanese Shigeo Obara was the lucky one who found this incredible clover leaf in 2009. By the way: Did you know that clover has been known since ancient times and occurs naturally all over the world (except Australia and Antarctica)?
245 types of clover are known! And in the ancient Orient, the Persians and the Celtic Druids considered clover to be a divine plant.
Clover as a magical plant
If you believe old myths and legends, four-leaf clovers are not only supposed to bring happiness: In the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "The Cockerel Beam", a girl is the only one in a crowd of spectators to recognize a magician's deception because she had previously found a four-leaf clover. The leaf gave her the ability to see through dirty magic tricks, and thus always see the truth.
There is a belief in Greece that if someone owns such a lucky clover, it will lead them to buried treasures. It is also said that the clover will protect them from serious illnesses.
In Russia, the four leaves of the clover represent fame, wealth, love and health, which are said to be bestowed upon the person who finds it.
The Irish also believe that four-leaf clovers have supernatural powers: anyone who finds such a rare leaf can attract the fairies who otherwise live in secret.
Well, if you ask me: It all sounds attractive to me!
The transfer to Christianity
The Christian missionaries of the early Middle Ages adopted many symbols and beliefs from the Germanic and Celtic tribes in order to make it more attractive for them to convert to their faith. We also find four-leaf clovers in Christian symbolism: they stand for the four evangelists Luke, Matthew, Mark and John. There is also a legend that says that Eve took one of these clovers with her as a souvenir when she was expelled from paradise. So if you find your lucky leaf, you will hold a piece of paradise in your hand.
Klee in architecture
If you like looking at medieval churches and houses, you'll know that the old walls are full of symbols and images. You can also find our lucky four-leaf clover in buildings that belong to the Gothic style. This is the tall, slender architectural style that was built from 1200 to 1500. The famous Notre Dame church in Paris is a wonderful example of this.
In Gothic buildings you can sometimes find windows in the shape of a four-leaf clover. Since the symbolism, especially in churches, always had something to do with the Bible, it is likely that this window shape was intended to refer to the four evangelists. But who knows whether one or the other builder also viewed his window as a personal sign of good luck?
Lively, indestructible, energizing
In addition to all the wonderful and legendary powers of clover, this plant also has very practical properties that may have contributed to the fact that we humans have always admired and loved clover.
Clover grows on almost any type of soil. It spreads quickly and turns a barren landscape into a lush, flowering meadow in no time. As early as 1905, "Meyers Großes Conversationslexikon" describes how clover is used in fields to improve soil quality and protect grain from being overgrown with weeds: you simply sow clover on the rye, oat and barley fields. Practical, isn't it? And completely environmentally friendly!
Unfortunately, the study of clover in medicine has not progressed far enough to offer it as a safe medicine. There are traditions, especially about its positive support during the menopause. It has also been proven that clover contains valuable vitamins and trace elements. Unfortunately, there are also some side effects that are not yet fully understood. Knowledge about clover comes mainly from folk medicine, and here too there are reports from many different countries about the medicinal use of clover. In traditional Chinese medicine, this plant is even used to treat cancer! I really hope that one day we will know more about it.
Have you found a lucky four-leaf clover?
How to preserve it
If you are lucky enough to find a four-leaf clover, you naturally want to keep it as long as possible.
Surely you already know the method of pressing leaves?
You place your clover leaf between some newspaper so that it doesn't get bent. Then you weigh it down with books and let it press and dry for at least a week. Afterwards, you will have saved your lucky charm from wilting for a long time.
However, pressing and drying has the disadvantage that the paper becomes brittle. But there are a few small craft ideas and home remedies to counteract this:
Laminate your cloverleaf
To protect your clover leaf, you can enclose it in foil. To do this, cut adhesive foil from the craft store into two equal-sized pieces. Carefully place your clover leaf on the adhesive side of the first foil and then place the adhesive side of the second foil on top. Smooth it out - done!
My crafting tip: Maybe you'll double your luck if you cut the foil into the shape of a four-leaf clover? I think it's worth a try, and it looks pretty anyway!
A pendant made from your four-leaf clover
If you would like to carry your luck with you from now on, I would be happy to make you a pendant out of silver or silver gold plated from the four-leaf clover you found yourself.
To do this, pack your clover leaf in a plastic bag immediately after picking it and send it to me as quickly as possible.
You can find the exact instructions here in this article.
Preserve your clover leaf in wax
You can carefully cover your clover leaf with colorless wax to protect it from decay. To do this, simply heat wax in a water bath until it has melted. Then pull your little lucky charm through the liquid wax and let it dry briefly in the air. Important: Please do not place it on newspaper, as the hot wax will stick immediately!
Preserve your cloverleaf in resin
If you prefer something a little more solid, you can also cast your lucky clover leaf in synthetic resin. For this you need a plastic mold, for example an empty spread jar or a discarded sand mold. First you brush it with a mold release agent so that the synthetic resin can be removed from the mold more easily later. Now you mix the synthetic resin with a suitable hardener in a disposable cup. It is best to ask at a craft store which one you can use. Leave the mixed resin mass to stand for 10 minutes so that no air bubbles form. Then hold your clover leaf in the mold with tweezers and carefully pour the synthetic resin into it. You let it harden and can then remove it from the mold and polish it a little with sandpaper.
