Fun with Four-Leaf Clovers

Finding four-leaf clovers are exciting. I seem to have a knack for it. Maybe it’s my Irish heritage. Maybe I have a lucky streak that beats the 10,000 to 1 odds. Perhaps there could be more than luck in finding four-leaf clovers. It seems that the author of Finding Four-Leaf Clovers thinks so! Below are some of Roberta MacDonald’s insights.

The History of the Four-Leaf Clover

The four-leaf clover has been considered lucky since ancient times in Wales and Ireland. The Celts considered all clover to be a gift from God. The plentiful clover was the favorite munching for cattle, horses, and sheep. If the abundant three-leaf variety could make them healthy and fat, how much more luck would that extra leaf provide?

Peeking back at the history of four-leaf clovers, we start with the Celtic priests known as the Druids. They believed the leaves represented the four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, as well as the four seasons.  This led to four-leaf clovers being used in spells and divinations to ward off evil spirits. Strangely, the Druids thought four-leaf clovers also helped find fairies and avoid witches.

When Saint Patrick introduced Christianity to the Celts, he used three-leaf clovers to symbolize the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the people held firm to their superstitions. Ultimately, the four leaves morphed into the four points of the Celtic cross, representing Hope, Faith, Love, and Happiness.

Planning Your Irish Adventure

So, how does one find these elusive, green-leafed treasures? First, start by looking in the largest clover field you can find. If you live in a city, the healthiest clover may be in the grassy areas near the highway. Parks are a possibility. Schoolyards, church lawns, and front yards offer protected areas to explore. However, the better clover patches are in the thicker, grassy places off the beaten path. Four-leaf clovers, or fours as some call them, tend to go to bed early, closing their leaves at dusk.

Second, be sure to consider public scrutiny. Onlookers may view your quest as a curious activity and ask questions. Most will think you are looking for something you lost. Leave traditional behaviors behind when looking for fours. Who cares if you look silly?

Third, bring a small container filled with water. Drop any fours you find into the water stems down. Holding them in your hand will cause them to wilt.

Fourth, you may choose to bring a book with you to press your fours right away.  Some propose that the book choice is significant. The subject matter inside the book infuses the four-leaf clover with the spirit of the page. Therefore, poetry, dictionaries, and classical fiction make for optimal book presses. (I love that!) Clovers should remain pressed for at least two weeks. A parchment effect in the book may be left where the clover dried. Cool!   

You are now ready for the hunt. Sit down, squat, or recline amid your chosen patch. Standing up can come later as you acclimate. A general overview rather than a specific inspection is key. Do not look at each individual clover. Un-focus your eyes to look at all of the clovers within a one-foot square range. Doing this affords your vision a lack of depth to become two-dimensional. Herein lies the secret. Relax your eyes to cause those fours to pop out. Squinting is not useful.

Another sight technique involves passing your hands over the clover field as you search. Glide your hands over the tops of the clover to gently separate them from one another. This helps improve eyesight discrimination. Within minutes, you will be plucking a four of your own. Boom!

Big hint: Once you find a four, others are close by. They tend to grow in clusters. You may become so well-adapted at finding fours that you begin noticing fives or sixes! I once found a five-leaf clover while looking down nonchalantly during a dog walk. Seriously.  

A surprising benefit to hunting four-leaf clovers, when done the right way, is that it offers a state of calm. The mind relaxes, allowing the unconscious to receive information, separating the ordinary from the extraordinary. Try praying or counting. Notice the warmth of the sun. Do anything that maintains an unfocused vision. Sound like a lotta hoopla? Not to Roberta MacDonald. She once found 98 four-leaf clovers on her farm over a period of several hours. She wanted the clovers to help celebrate her friend’s 80^th birthday. While she intended to give her 80, the friend replied she would accept all 98 as an omen for extra years of life.