GCY09G Lucky (Unknown Cache) in Tennessee, United States created by cgeek

GCY09G ▼

A cache by cgeek Message this owner

Hidden : 8/27/2006

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

*** CACHE IS NOT AT THE LISTED COORDINATES ***

HISTORY

	Luck is the belief in an organization of fortunate and unfortunate events. Luck is a form of superstition which is interpreted differently by different individuals.
A rationalist approach to luck includes the application of the rules of probability, and an avoidance of unscientific beliefs. The rationalist feels the belief in luck is a result of poor reasoning or wishful thinking. To a rationalist, a believer in luck commits the post hoc logical fallacy: A happens (luck-attracting event or action) and then B happens; Therefore, A caused B. In this worldview, probability is only affected by confirmed causal connections. A brick falling on a person walking below, therefore, is not a function of that person's luck, but is instead the result of a collection of understood, (or explainable) occurrences. Statistically, every person walking under the building was just as likely to have the brick fall on them.
There is also a series of spiritual, or supernatural beliefs regarding fortune. These beliefs vary widely from one to another, but most agree that luck can be influenced through spiritual means by performing certain rituals or by avoiding certain circumstances. One such activity is Prayer, a religious practice in which this belief is particularly strong. Many cultures and religions worldwide place a strong emphasis on a person's ability to influence their fortune by ritualistic means, sometimes involving sacrifice, omens or spells. Others associate luck with a strong sense of superstition, that is, a belief that certain taboo or blessed actions will influence how fortune favors them for the future. Carl Jung described syncronicity: the "temporally coincident occurrences of acausal events". He described coincidences as an effect of a collective unconscious. Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions believe in the will of a supreme being rather than luck as the primary influence in future events. The degrees of this Divine Providence vary greatly from one to another; however, most acknowledge providence as at least a partial, if not complete influence on luck. These religions, in their early development, accommodated many traditional practices. Each, at different times accepted omens and practice forms of ritual sacrifice in order to divine the will of their supreme being or to influence divine favoritism. Mesoamerican religions, such as the Aztecs, Mayans and Inca, had particularly strong beliefs regarding the relationship between rituals and luck. In these cultures, human sacrifice (both of willing volunteers and captured enemies) was seen as a way to please the gods and earn favor for the city offering the sacrifice. The Mayans, also believed in blood offerings, where men or women wanting to earn favor with the gods, to bring about good luck, would cut themselves and bleed on the gods altar. Many traditional African practices, such as voodoo and hoodoo, have a strong belief in superstition. Some of these religions include a belief that third parties can influence an individual's luck. Shamans and witches are both respected yet feared based on their ability to cause good or bad fortune for those in villages near them.
Some encourage the belief in luck as a false idea, but which may spawn positive thinking, and alter ones responses for the better. Others like Jean Paul Sartre and Sigmund Freud, feel a belief in luck has more to do with a locus of control for events in one's life, and the subsequent escape from personal responsibility. According to this theory, one who ascribes their travails to "bad luck" will be found upon close examination to be living risky lifestyles. On the other hand, people who consider themselves "lucky" in having good health may be actually reaping the benefits of a cheerful outlook and satisfying social relationships, both of which are well known statistically to be protective against many stress-related diseases. If "good" and "bad" events occur at random to everyone, believers in good luck will experience a net gain in their fortunes, and vice versa for believers in bad luck. This is clearly likely to be self-reinforcing.

Most cultures consider some numbers to be lucky or unlucky.
Considered to be lucky:
- Finding a penny with heads facing up
- Horseshoes
- Four-leaf clovers
- A rabbit's foot
- Ladybugs
- Elephant with the trunk pointing up
- The number Seven
- Knocking on wood
- Crossing your fingers
- A tea stalk standing upward on the bottom of a cup
Considered to be unlucky:
- Friday the 13th
- The number 13 (Many buildings skipped 13 when numbering their floors for this reason)
- A Black cat crossing your path
- Stepping on a crack (the mothers back will break; rhymed as "step on a crack, break your mothers back")
- Stepping on a line in pavement or floor cover (similar to above, rhymed as "step on a line, you'll break your spine")
- Breaking a mirror (seven years bad luck)
- Spilling over salt (When salt was more precious than gold, if you spilt some it meant that a demon was trying to steal your salt, but by appeasing it with a little salt over your left shoulder the demon would leave)
- Putting a hat on a bed
- Opening an umbrella indoors
- Walking underneath a ladder (when being hanged, the condemned man would often be made to pass underneath a ladder before climbing it and onto the gallows)
- Saying "good luck"
- Picking up a penny face-down (can be avoided by giving the penny away)
- Putting shoes on a table. In the UK, this is considered to bring extremely bad luck, traditionally the death of a person in the house. This is sometimes specified to only be unlucky when new shoes are put on a table

THE PUZZLE

Decide the answers to the following and insert the answers into the coordinates at the bottom of this page:

A	According to legend, each leaf of the four-leaf clover represents something. The first leaf is for hope, the second leaf is for faith, the third leaf is for love, and the fourth leaf, naturally, is for luck. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this is the highest number of leaves found on a clover. A = the second digit of that two digit number.
B	"Rabbit Foot Blues" is a blues song by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Jefferson's grave was unmarked until this year, when a Texas Historical Marker was erected in the general area of his plot, the precise location being unknown. B = the third digit of that four digit year.
C	One reputed origin of the tradition of lucky horseshoes is the story of Saint Dunstan and the Devil. Dunstan was a blacksmith by trade. The story relates that he once nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshod the Devil's horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door. Dunstan became the Archbishop of Canterbury in this year. Subtract 1 from that three digit year and you have a different three digit year. C = the third digit of THAT three digit year
D	"Lucky Star" is the fifth and final single from American singer Madonna released from her 1983 debut album, Madonna. In this year, Madonna signed a singles deal with Sire Records in the United States that paid her $5,000 per song. Take that year and SUBTRACT 2. D = the fourth digit of that four digit year. Warning: Some websites show differing dates so look around carefully.
E	This movie starred Robert Young and told the story of a compulsive gambler. What year did that movie open? E = the fourth digit of that four digit year.
F	"Luck Be a Lady" is a song from what musical by Frank Loesser? What year did this musical open? F = the third digit of that four digit year.

THE CACHE

Using the information you gathered above, complete the coordinates below. You will be looking for a green decon container. There is room for small trade items but you will need to bring your own pencil. The cache begins with the following contents: a bunch of "lucky" pennies (I dropped them on the ground and picked up the ones that landed face up), some of my personal wooden geocoins (they show a four-leaf clover), and two free Lucky-7 lotto tickets for the FTF.

Muggles should not be an issue right now but as this area becomes more populated, that will definitely change. Enjoy!

N 35° 10.ABC
W 089° 44.DEF