Saluting magpies!

I'm confused about this magpie malarky

If I see one at home and one on my way to work does that mean that I've seen 2, or that I've got 2 lots of sorrow on the way????!!!!

I’m not superstitious but happily say, “Good morrow, Master Magpie” and bow. It’s just a quaint old custom.

I was going to post the Rossini overture The Thieving Magpie, but when I saw the comments below on youtube decided against it.
A pity because the music expresses the magpie nature well imo.

Yes they do mate for life, hence the poem. When we had thatched roofs because they like things that glitter any red ember would be plucked off the ash heap and as the magpie flew would be dropped yes perhaps on to that roof. So very unlucky birds to have around; but I still wish a single one a courteous good morning Mr Magpie.

We always used to turn around 3 times, after saying, 'Good morning/afternoon Mr. Magpie'. (I still say it, but have omitted the turning around - unless viewing the magpie from somewhere where I won't be spotted!)
No, I don't really believe in all this superstition ... but still ...?
I still hold my collar when I see a hearse and mutter, "Touch your collar, never swallow, never catch the measles. Not for you, not for me, not for all the family." (What's the origin of this, I wonder?)
Pictures falling off a wall portends a death.
Bubbles on top of a cuppa foretell the arrival of an important letter.
Crossed knives on a table is a dreadful sign.
No! No! It's all eyewash!
Yet I still put silver in a purse that I'm giving as a present. I couldn't possibly not!

do and I saw a magpie today, and we're relieved to see a second on the adjacent tomb in the churchyard. My mother always saluted them, but I don't go that far.

Many years ago, when we were expecting our first child, we saw five magpies. "It's going to be twins," I joked. There's many a true word spoken in jest...

Hated that film. Couldn't watch it all so no real idea what it was about.
We have a lot of Magpies here. Occasionally we have the most unholy row when Magpies raid the rooks nests.. All the rooks are flying around screaming and the Magpies do that awful chattering. Last spring one raid went on for over half an hour. The noise was awful.

I still think there's something really creepy about magpies.
Does anyone remember that horrible film, Clockwork Orange? Rossini's overture The Thieving Magpie was background music to the worst bits.
So I've read, never saw the film - I used to like that music before.

No I don't talk to Magpies and have never even heard of this.I am not superstitious and think we often make our own luck.

It’s strange as I am not openly superstitious, but do still get that slight feeling of dread if I see just the one magpie or see a ladder in my way lol.

I also hate receiving these chain letter messages on FB saying if you don’t forward to x number of friends this will happen. I am getting better at ignoring them, but, a small part of me is filled with dread, am I tempting fate???

what a waste of salt.

what a load of codswallop. I saw 8 the other day .all perched on the railings waiting for the food I feed them. they are just birds.

I always say when i see one magpie.Good morning Mr Magpie how your Wife.Than i look for another close by.If i dont see pne straight away but later i always say that its mistress.My husband and children think i am quite mad but have grown use to it.

Oops, just seen that I've repeated the rhyme! Should have read the thread properly!
My late DMil always used to salute a single sheep

I always salute a single magpie "Good morning, Mr Magpie, and how is Mrs Magpie". And I go through the rhyme in my head:

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy.
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.

And I throw salt over my left shoulder.

I am not at all superstitious as far as l am concerned magpies are just birds. I am more concerned that some people actively encourage killing them. This is because the are said to kill other birds chicks. A few years ago a pair of magpies made a nest in one of my trees. I watched them build the best the chicks hatched but sadly all were killed. I enjoy seeing them and happily they are increasing again were l live.

I had completely forgotten about the Magpie custom, my GF told me about it when I was a child. We get lots of Magpies in the garden and I usually prefer to see them in pairs. My mother was very superstitious and I find I often continue the same customs - trying not to break mirrors; not crossing knives; salt over shoulder, not walking under ladders etc. They're harmless traditions, I don't really believe disaster will strike if I tread on the cracks in the pavement. It amuses our grandchildren and they like to hear the folklore.

In other parts of the world seeing a magpie is seen as a good omen and a sign good fortune or money is on the way to you.

We have Australian magpie invaders here and their song is quite musical
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYEYc8Ge3nw

but they are just as destructive as the UK kind and during nesting can and do attack animals and people, sometimes injuring quite badly. Children must be aware and keep away from nest sites.

I caught extreme superstition from DM, and unfortunately subscribe to most of the aforementioned. One I didn't notice posted was giving a coin in exchange for the gift of a knife or knives, so as not to cut the friendship. The one that is a constant pain is not seeing the new moon through glass!

My family aren’t superstitious at all....comes with the territory of being atheists I suppose ...as religion is the biggest superstition. But my in-laws were absolutely daft about ‘new shoes on tables’.... picking up a knife somebody else had dropped... passing on stairs...open umbrellas in house... walking under ladders. Honestly I don’t know how they ever survived a day!! We’ve been married 46 years and my hubby still comes out with total twaddle sometimes.

Fair comment Lazigirl. You are of course right. We’re not all superstitious.... just a good few of us it seems!

Not all Urmstongran. I'm with Elegran on this.

True Elegran but then you have to remember we are a SUPERSTITIOUS lot!! ?

Granless What I'd make of it is that rigor mortis sets in at a certain point after death and goes away at a certain point after that so of course his hand was supple if the time was right. People can come off their scooter or have other accidents at any time. He might even have been still a bit tense from your dad's death and driving less than perfectly. You were expecting to hear of a death, so you put two and two together when you did. That woman was prety insensitive to start fortune-telling about deaths when you were mourning your father.

Same with SheilaSue 's experience. How many hundred times did you see a magpie without a death? You remember the one where they coincided, not the many others.