Page 27 - August 2008 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Iby Anna Tennant
f you happened to miss a chance for good luck on July 7, 2007, you still have another opportunity to surround yourself with the energy of a lucky number this year. Speci cally, on August 8,
2008, you can join many other people throughout the world in capitalizing on the aura of luck and good fortune. And you’ll be in good company, for traditionally in China the number eight has long been regarded as the luckiest of numbers, bringing not only good fortune, but also signifying wealth and abundance, and giving con dence to everyone who takes advantage of its positive energy.
One important reason for the good luck surrounding the number eight is that Asian cultures are partial to numbers whose sounds conjure up the feeling of
good fortune. e number eight has long been considered to be highly auspicious, particularly in China, because the sound of the word eight in both Cantonese and Mandarin is similar to the word that means prosperity in these languages. And when that sound occurs more than once, it’s like doubling or tripling the positive sound of money, wealth, and all-around success, no matter who you are or where you may be.
Triple Eights
It’s certainly not a random choice of date and time that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are scheduled to begin at 8:08 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month. China is looking to win big in athletics and image on the world stage, and the power of eight fosters a winning environment. In Chinese culture the number eight is highly sought after for addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts, and license plates. A single 8 on a house address or car license not only signi es good fortune, but it also lends a sense of high status to the holder. It’s been said that in China, the sky’s the limit when it comes to what car owners are willing to pay for a license plate bearing the number eight. As a result, the government now auctions these good fortune-bearing tags for tens of thousands of dollars to the highest bidders.
roughout the world, certain images and symbols have always conveyed the feeling of good luck—horseshoes, shamrocks, dice, and wishbones come to mind right away. In the western world, the number eight when written horizontally is the symbol for in nity, and often had the meaning of blessing and eternity in medieval tradition. e number eight appears in China as a decorative good luck design known as “double happiness,” which resembles the number 88. e search for signs of multiple eights traditionally extends even to the serial numbers on money, so you might want to check those singles, tens, twenties and hundreds you’re holding come August 8th.
Since other numbers have positive and negative aspects in Asian culture, on August 8th you might also want to check out the following combinations containing the lucky number eight, all of which are said to bring good fortune because of the meaning associated with their sounds. e number 168 signi es “the road to prosperity.” e number 289, another combination that includes the number
eight, means “easy long-term prosperity,” while 518 means “I will prosper.”
What’s In a Number?
While scientists can’t o er us hard proof that eights or sevens (or any other numbers we may think of as lucky, for that matter) can guarantee us success in gaming, many people consider certain numbers to be more fortunate than others, while other numbers, like thirteen in the western world and four in China, are to be
Psychologists who have studied human behavior tell us that in
general, people are more likely to remember positive experiences and
overlook the negative events in their lives. And if enough people over time
have something good happen in their lives, and somehow the event has included the presence of a particular number or symbol, that number gains a reputation that bolsters positive attitudes and becomes part of a culture’s belief.
In his book, e Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life, British psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman demonstrated in his research that people who expect good fortune usually end up receiving it. ey build up a positive attitude about the conditions surrounding their activities and this contributes to their attitude of good luck. us, it’s possible that lucky numbers can contribute to a winning feeling. at also seems to be true for the ip side, by the way, as the number thirteen has gained enough of a bad rep over years that you’re not likely to nd crowds feeling positive enough to embrace their good luck on Friday the thirteenth.
Lucky Eights
Need more convincing? Consider these lucky eights from the entertainment world, which may or may not strengthen the evidence that you, too, have a chance to experience good fortune this August 8, 2008. Elizabeth Taylor won her rst Oscar with the lm Butter eld 8, and Eminem’s lm 8 Mile included his song “Lose Yourself,” the rapper’s eighth hit single, which won the Oscar for Best Song. Hard Eight, a lm by director Paul omas Anderson, was the breakthrough success that led to his winning lms Boogie Nights and ere Will Be Blood. And for a nal bit of numerical good luck trivia, the eighth U.S. single of e Police,“Every Breath You Take,” was number one on the charts for eight weeks.
According to numerologist and author Pauline Edwards, eight is a number that relates to material good fortune, particularly with regard to money, power, and success. In her book e Power of Time she cautions, however, that too much of a good thing may not necessarily be such a good thing. at can lead us to wonder if the power of eights this August is a sign of certain success.
Finally, a Chinese numerologist who has chosen to remain nameless because of fear of reprisals has suggested that perhaps the number eight has not been quite so lucky this year as tradition would suggest. e recent devastating earthquake in central China was actually registered at 8.0 on the Richter scale, although o cial news sources in the country reported it as a 7.9 event. Other negative incidents occurring in China over the past few months might indicate that the positive power of eight isn’t a sure thing in 2008.
So what’s the bottom line when it comes to the power of eights? As already noted, no proven scienti c evidence exists regarding the potential of lucky numbers. But
as long as people keep adding their positive experiences with certain numbers
and symbols to the cultural lore, most of us will continue counting on
eights or sevens, lucky sounds and symbols to bolster our con dence to become winners in whatever we set out to do. How lucky do you feel about the power of eights? Could triple 8s be lucky for
you this August 8, 2008?
Anna Tennant is a travel writer and regular contributor to the
Southern California Gaming Guide.
AUGUST 2008
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 27
avoided. Why is this so?