In this eerie, nerdy deep dive, My Latest Fixation explores the strange history and psychology of the “knock on wood” superstition—why we tap the table after saying something hopeful and call it “not jinxing it.” This episode traces the ritual from pagan sacred groves and Christian symbolism to old British children’s games and modern anxiety habits, showing how a tiny gesture became a global superstition about luck, protection, and fate. Along the way, you’ll hear about trees as powerful witnesses, wood as a zone of safety, and how small rituals help us manage uncertainty without ever admitting we’re nervous. If you’re into folklore, history of superstition, ritual psychology, or the weird ways humans try to control the future, this is the episode to queue up—preferably with a desk nearby, just in case.

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