It’s all expressing a positive hope in something that’s beyond our control, though, isn’t it? “I wish you all good things,” is a bit wordy, but it’s what I’m usually aiming for. Really, one of my personal faves is, “May you be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead.”

It’s like the imaginary war on Christmas — whatever your preferred good wishes are, for me, I’m just happy to have them. I cannot imagine snarling with hostility at anyone who wished me a merry Christmas or a happy Solstice or a — whatever festival they were celebrating and wanted to wish me well. I think that we feel positive energy and negative energy that surrounds us, and even moreso if it’s directed at us.

That’s not some spooky, woo-woo, occult thing, either. It’s simple psychology. I once read a book on casting spells that wisely pointed out that the way for a voodoo doll to be effective was to ensure a clear identity — a resemblance — to put a lot of energy into collecting things (personal things, like hair trimmings or fingernail clippings or a lost button) of the intended recipient of the good or bad energy, to focus your thoughts on them and on your intentions for them, but most importantly, to make sure that they saw it.

No, I don’t believe in voodoo or witchcraft, but I do believe in psychology. If you found a very carefully crafted voodoo doll in your likeness, and it had pins sticking out of its head or its stomach, I’ll bet money you get a headache or an upset stomach, just knowing someone, out there, was directing that much rage in your direction. Likewise, if it was cared for and dressed nicely, placed on a few sprigs of lavender, and had tiny offerings of bread and wine, you might smile and know you had an anonymous admirer, and feel a bit more spring in your step.