Have you ever experienced the strange sensation of your left hand itching? Many cultures and superstitions believe that this itch carries some deeper meaning. While itching in general can be caused by various factors such as dry skin or insect bites, the itch in the left hand has its own set of interpretations. In this article, we will explore 11 possible meanings behind this mysterious itch and what different cultures believe it symbolizes.
1. Itchy Palm: Money is Coming Your Way
Another superstition around itchy hands is that if you have an itchy right palm, you will get money. An itchy left palm, on the other hand, means that you’re going to lose money. Additionally, if your hand is feeling hotter than usual, that is also said to mean that you are about to have a windfall.
We can see how this one came about. People generally use their right hand to pay for things and accept money. If your right hand is itchy, it may be a sign that you’re about to receive some money. Say, getting paid for a job or finding cash in your pocket you never knew about.
In the past, before cash and credit cards were widely used, people would only be paid by cash for their work or goods. So if you wanted to buy something and had no money in your pocket, it’s possible they created this superstition around itchy palms to feel better about their financial situation.
There’s no scientific proof behind this superstition, but that doesn’t mean there are no plausible explanations. The most common explanation for your hands heating up or itching is that there is some excess energy moving through your body. Most likely, it’s from a small boost in adrenaline and not related to a sudden influx of money at all.
Whether we believe that having an itchy right hand means we’re about to have some unexpected income or not, there’s no denying how often the link comes up. People around the world continue to believe in the saying and many have stories where they’ve noticed a connection between the two.
2. Meeting an Unexpected Visitor
There is a popular superstition that states if your left hand itches, then it may be a sign that you are about to meet someone who is going to bring you some money. This person could be anyone like a family member or old friend.
While we don’t believe that a person who has an itching left hand will win money, we do believe that it could be a sign of something similar. If your left palm is itching, then this could be a sign that you are getting ready to be met with some good fortune.
For example, if you have applied for a job and are waiting to hear back about it, your left palm itching could be a sign that you are in line for some good news. You could also receive a call from someone offering you money or an opportunity to get more money in the future.
From our perspective, if your left hand is itching too much, it means you should put on some lotion or anti-itch cream to get relief.
The belief of money coming can also apply when your left ear itches; many think this is a warning to beware of gossip and small talk. In China, they believe this is the opposite of what an itching ear means and think of the right ear as being bad and the left ear as good.
We’ve also seen people turn this into the following game: When your right hand itches, you are going to wish for something, while an itching left hand means that you will fight someone. But if you think about it, both of these “rules” apply when your hands itch at the same time.
3. The Arrival of Good News
Another common superstition is that your hand itching represents the arrival of good news. If it’s your left hand that’s itching, it’s likely that the good news will be a little bit more significant.
Many people believe that an itchy palm is a sign that you’re about to receive a monetary gift, or even an unexpected promotion or raise. These superstitions about left and right hands can depend on the culture of the person you’re talking to. While one person may believe that an itching left palm represents money, another may say the same about the right palm instead.
The Chinese have a lot of superstitions surrounding hands, which can also inform this belief. So if your palms feel extra itchy, it might be time to check your bank account just in case.
What to Do
If your palm is itching because good news is on the way, there may not be anything for you to do. The thing about this particular superstition is that it’s essentially out of your control. If you have an upcoming job interview, meeting with a boss, or dinner with wealthy relatives, though, it may be a good idea to brace yourself.
Avoid making any big financial decisions in anticipation of some good news, even if the superstition turns out to be true. After all, if the actual good news doesn’t arrive when expected, you could have some regrets.
Other Meanings
There are some other superstitions regarding itchy palms to consider as well:
- Itchy hands can also mean that bad weather is coming
- If only one hand is itching then you may not receive the money from someone in your family
- If someone else’s hand is itching then they may give you money soon
- Your right hand itching indicates that you will lose money soon instead of gain it
- Itching in the center of one palm indicates coming complications with your finances or your endeavors
- Itching on both palms means that you will either have financial difficulties or financial success soon
- Giving someone money after your palm has been itching should bring good luck to both of you
4. A Sign of Financial Loss
What does it mean when your left hand itches? Some people believe that an itchy left palm is a sign of financial loss. If you observe an itch on your left palm, you may not want to spend too much money right away.
Whether or not you’re spiritual, an itchy left hand can remind you to watch your spending. This is especially true if you’ve been losing money recently or if you have bets riding on something.
While no scientific studies support this theory, according to Your Tango, the idea has been passed down through generations. In general, an itchy left hand can make you think about what you’re doing with your spending.
Whether or not an itchy left hand is a sign of financial loss, many people believe that money superstitions are all in good fun. From horseshoes to certain numbers on a clock, there are endless amount of superstitions about money.
Take the rumor with a grain of salt, and remember to be diligent with your finances. And as always, enjoy some good luck if you can. Sometimes, that’s truly all you need.
Three Financial Superstitions You Should Be Following
If you love the idea of money superstitions, why not explore a few more? They may not all be true, but they’re certainly an interesting way to look at the world. From financial losses to sudden wealth, here are a few superstitions that may catch your eye.
1. A Bird Pooping on You Equals Good Luck
No one wants to get pooped on by a bird while they’re out for a walk…. but at least there’s some good luck involved! You may not win the lottery after getting hit by bird poop, but this superstition has been around for years.
2. Always Enter Your New Home With Bread and Salt
It sounds like a strange combination of items, but entering your new home with bread and salt is supposed to bring good luck. The superstition has been around for centuries and is believed by many.
3. Cross Your Fingers For Good Luck
Crossing your fingers for good luck is one of the most popular superstitions out there. You’re likely familiar with it as a way of hoping for the best.
5. Superstitions in Ancient Rome
Our superstitions about an itchy left hand originate from ancient Rome. The Romans believed that every part of the human body could predict the future. They relied on signs to tell them if they should marry, buy a house or go to war.
The Romans also believed that the left side of the body is more sinister than the right and that it was generally bad luck. Can you guess what happened if you had an itchy left hand? Your luck was about to take a turn for the worse.
Rubbing two fingers together on your right hand could help alleviate your symptoms. However, you’d only find relief from your itchy left hand if you met someone with the same symptoms. When this happens, it’s good luck to rub your itchy palm against their own itchy palm.
Some Roman men believed they could also find relief from an itchy left hand by going a brothel. As you can expect, this old wives’ tale was not true and doesn’t have the same healing effects that scratching your itchy left palm against someone else’s would.
One of the reasons why finding someone else with the same itchy palm was considered a good thing was because of potential earnings. If one person in a family had an itchy left hand and crossed paths with another person with an itchy left hand, both people were considered lucky. The two people would be so lucky they would receive money instead of giving money.
The results shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The Romans believed that any situation that forced you to lose money was considered unlucky. With that in mind, this particular old wives’ tale may have been used by scammers to swindle even more people out of their money!
6. Cultural Interpretations in Asia
Most Indians firmly believe that the itchy palm of the left hand means you are about to get some money. It is referred to as “Haath Shagun” and is considered a good omen to receive money when your left hand is itching.
There may be some astrological basis for this belief as well. Indian astrologers believe that if the planet Jupiter is favorably positioned in your birth chart, then you might experience left hand itching and gain wealth.
In China, people believe that an itchy forearm means that you will have to spend more money. The Chinese also believe that an itchy wrist on your left arm means that you will be actively involved in giving or spending away your wealth. This could mean making a large donation to charity or spending it on luxury items like vacations, cars or anything else that could burn a hole in your pocket.
It may just be a coincidence, but the Chinese also attribute spending performance according to the gender of the person whose arm is itching. Itchy right wrist on men means they will spend money and an itchy left wrist on women implies that they will also be actively involved in spending their dollars.
In Vietnam, if you have an itchy left palm, you will need to use your money. If you have an itchy right hand, you can expect to receive money.
The Vietnamese have a similar belief about eye twitches. They believe that an eye twitch on your left eye means bad luck while one on the right eye implies good luck.
Additionally, the Vietnamese often associate certain body parts with wealth. A twitching nose is believed to bring bad luck regarding wealth. An itching or ringing ear signifies that someone is talking about you or complaining about you. If your knee itches, then it means your mother-in-law is speaking highly of you somewhere.
7. Symbol of Spiritual Awakening
People can joke about how superstitions and old wives’ tales seem to explain everything around us, but the truth is that there are some things they can’t explain. A good example of this would be why our hands sometimes have a mind of their own and start to itch for no reason at all.
For some people, this might just be a simple case of carpal tunnel, but others will heavily rely on their culture’s old tales to explain the mysterious itch at the palm of their hand. In this article, we’re going to talk about one of the most popular reasons why people believe that their hands start to itch: that you are going through a spiritual awakening.
When we talk about spiritual awakenings, we don’t mean that the person’s conscious mind had somehow finally been woken up from its sleep. Instead, we refer to the moment when a person’s spiritual side had finally reached a new plane of existence. The signs that this is happening can manifest in many ways and one of them is in the form of physical sensations like an itchy palm.
As with many things in life, there isn’t one single answer to explain why everyone who has itchy palms could be awakening spiritually. If you are considering entering this stage of your life, it is important to listen to the vibrations and energies around you so that you can get a better understanding of what your itchy palms mean.
As always though, know that any information you receive about your itchy palm is subjective and not all of them may manifest similarly on other people. The only one who really has access to these vibrations is you so only you have the answer to what your itchy palm might mean.
A call for connection
One common meaning behind an itchy palm is that your spiritual side is trying to establish a connection between you and another person or entity. Your body has many abilities that let you interact with other people and the world around you on many different levels.
At its core, having an itchy palm might be a sign that your body is trying to direct your attention towards something or someone else. It might be trying to tell you that someone out there needs help or maybe even that there’s a good opportunity waiting for you.
How your body reaches out to tell you this message is subjective and varies depending on who the recipient is. It’s also possible for chronic conditions and even environmental conditions to interfere with how exactly your body is sending its message.
The need for energy cleansing
If you are more in tune with your body and its vibrations, then you will know that not all energies coming from the world around us are good. These bad energies can attach themselves onto our skin and accumulate over time if they aren’t taken care of properly.
To give you an example, let’s consider someone who has spent most of their workweek with people who have negative energies. They might end up absorbing all these bad vibes into themselves which will likely start to accumulate at their extremities like their hands.
Henceforth, if we are experiencing stress because we are being targeted by other people or situations at work aren’t going well for us, then our body might try to tell us by giving us an itchy sensation at our hands. When we experience this sensation, it’s important that we know how to properly take care of ourselves so that we can remove these negative energies.
8. Psychological Causes of Itching
Physical causes aren’t the only possible reason for your left handed to itch. There are several psychological reasons that can cause the same sensation. One response could be related to stress, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
But rather than a physical sensation of itching, this is more of an internal response to these factors. If you feel as if your let hand is itching, but you don’t notice any signs of irritation, it’s possible that this is the reason why.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, stress can do a number on your skin. Symptoms include:
- Frequent acne breakouts
- Rash flare-ups
- Inflamed and irritated skin
- Dryness and flakiness
- Cracked skin
Intense itching corresponds more with conditions such as eczema, rashes, and psoriasis that are stress-related. However most itchiness stems from environmental allergies or dry skin.
Another possibility is that you have delusory parasitosis. This is where you believe something is crawling or moving on your skin even though there’s no evidence of pests. However, you may believe that parasites like scabies mites or lice laid eggs in your skin.
The aforementioned shortness in breath and chest pain from pericarditis would also be at play here as well.
There are also psychological factors behind why your left palm itches. Old wives’ tales played a significant role in superstitions and folklore that eventually led to psychosomatic reasons why people experience sensations like this.
Itching on the left palm could suggest financial woes in the future. If you believe in folklore, then an itchy left palm might mean money going out of your life.
Treatment
For physical reasons behind itchiness on the left hand, there are several ways to alleviate the irritation:
- Hydrate: Moisturizers help relieve dryness and flakiness
- Treat allergies: Antihistamines help reduce allergy symptoms by blocking histamine release
- Topical medications: Creams and lotions such as steroids help reduce inflammation and itching associated with rashes and eczema. In some cases, antifungals can help clear up infections like ringworm.
- Cool compresses: Apply wet cloths that are cool but not freezing to inflamed areas for relief from itchiness
- Light therapy: Controlled amounts of natural sunlight help improve symptoms associated with psoriasis but also raises your risk of sunburns and skin cancer. Artificial light therapy provided by a dermatologist reduces these risks while offering similar benefits.
In conclusion, the itch in the left hand can have multiple interpretations depending on different cultural beliefs and superstitions. While some believe it signifies receiving money, others associate it with the possibility of encountering a visitor. It is important to note that these interpretations are not scientific facts but rather traditional beliefs. So the next time your left hand itches, take a moment to consider the various meanings behind it in different cultures.
