It is common for people with a spiritual perspective to interpret a phenomenon occurring in the body as being an omen.
After all, if everything is interconnected then every physical phenomenon has a spiritual meaning. Itching, tingling or ringing in the ears, etc many things, have long been associated with deeper spiritual meaning.
While modern society would consider itching ears to be a body issue, people who are spiritually connected acknowledge that physical sensations can have both a mundane and esoteric meaning.
In that perspective, What does it symbolize when your right ear itches? What is its spiritual meaning? And finally, What are the various superstitions, old wives’ tales regarding this right ear itch?
Understanding the true spiritual meaning of Itchy Ears:
To understand the meaning of physical sensations on a spiritual level, consider first associations you have with that part of the body.
Ears serve the function of allowing us to hear what others are saying. Symbolically, the ears are also associated with intellect, as listening is instrumental to learning. Therefore, the ear is connected to communication and understanding. For some, the spiral shape of the ear is also symbolic of life, evolution, and connection to the divine.
Next, consider the phenomenon manifesting in this part of the body. An itch is associated with annoyance, something just beyond reach (an itch that can’t be scratched). While not overtly painful, an itch gets your attention and results in the desire to scratch. This phenomenon is a form of communication from the body. It can also represent desire as in someone who is ‘just itching to try a new restaurant.’
Therefore, an itch inside the ear can symbolize an irritation or message having to do with something someone wants to tell you or is saying about you. It can also be a deep desire to hear or learn something.
There is also a reference in the Bible to “itchy ears” of people who will succumb to their desire to hear what they want, even if it is not true. Therefore, to have an itch in the ear may also be a reference to needing to hear what others have to say (even if it makes you uncomfortable), rather than surrounding yourself with people who will flatter you.
Some traditions attribute itching in the ear to someone whispering a secret, as in the saying ‘itching in the ear, a secret you’ll hear.’
Now the right ear itch vs left ear itch difference..
Right ear Itching vs Left ear Itching – Spiritual Significance:
In many spiritual traditions, the right and left side of the body are given specific meanings. The left side of the body is often associated with feminine energy and female gender, the right side of the body associated with masculine energy and male gender.
Further associations include the left side of the body being the ‘passive’ or ‘receptive’ side. This means that energy is believed to be received through the left side. The right side of the body, on the other hand, is associated with ‘projective’ or ‘active’ energy. Energy received from one’s surroundings, in other words, is associated with the left side of the body. Energy sent out into the world from the individual is associated with the right side.
In Ancient Egypt, it was believed that the breath of life was perceived through the left ear, also following the idea of receiving through the left side. Likewise, the breath of death was thought to come through the right ear.
To further help us understand the spiritual meaning of itching in the right ear, consider the deeper dimension of the beliefs associated with the right side of the body. In cultures where the right side of the body is associated with positive attributes like strength and orderliness, itching in the right ear is seen as a good omen of someone speaking favorably about you.
Some speculate this attribution to come from Biblical references to the ‘right side of God’ as a special designation for one who is pure, strong or holy. It is speculated that this belief also gave rise to bias toward right-handedness in some cultures, as well as beliefs about the right side of the body referring to one’s strength or ‘goodness’ while the left side of the body was associated with impurity, evil or having lost one’s integrity.
This is one of many beliefs, however. In fact, there are many cultures which give the exact opposite meaning to right and left. In matriarchal cultures or cultures that maintained roots to pre-Christian religions, for example, the left side of the body is associated with spirituality, mysticism, and intuition.
In Hindu belief, the right side of the body is straightforward and the left is chaotic or disorderly. In neo-pagan traditions, the right is associated with the God and the left with the Goddess. Following the natural cycles of the sun, some believe that clockwise motion or left to right is positive, lucky or natural while the right to left or counterclockwise is mysterious, associated with clearing or banishing. For some, the left side is associated with mystery and need not be threatening but rather can be creative, enchanting and transformative.
So, What does your Right ear itch symbolize?
Putting it all together, itching in the ear is considered an omen dealing with communication. Whether you can hear it directly or not, someone has a message for you, is thinking of you or is talking about you. Itching in the right ear specifically, when associated with masculine energy or male gender, is an omen that a boy or man is talking about you, thinking about you, or has a message or secret to tell you.
Itching in the right ear can be further associated with negative gossip. For the most part, the connotation is that another has bad intentions toward you or a negative attitude about you.
There is an old saying that reinforces this belief ‘left for love, right for spite’ which implies that the left ear either refers to a loved one or someone speaking kindly about you while an itch in the right ear is associated with conflict and fueling aggression through gossip.
Some believe that to counteract this, licking your finger and rubbing it on your right earlobe will end the gossip. According to folklore, this will cause the gossiper to bite their tongue, however, this could also be symbolic of a situation arising which forces the person to hold back from any further negative talk about you.
How do you know if you simply have an itch or if someone is gossiping about you? If all things are connected and have many layers of meaning all at once, then your best bet is to treat the itch as a symptom both of a physical occurrence and a spiritual omen.
Featured Image – Pedro Ribeiro Simões via Flickr cc2.0
Angela Kaufman is a Certified Intuitive Consultant, Psychic Medium, Intuitive Empowerment, Life Coach and an LCSW. She is an amazon published author and was Featured on several shows like Discovery Channel’s A Haunting, Echoes from the Past (2007) 14 Degrees: A Paranormal Documentary, Tune In to Wellness Today with LisaMarie Tersigni, and Empowering Entrepreneurs with Melissa Carter as well as numerous radio interviews. She is the author of Queen Up! Reclaim Your Crown When Life Knocks You Down - Unleash the Power of Your Inner Tarot Queen and also co-authored three books on metaphysical spirituality (Sacred Objects, Sacred Space; Everyday Tools for the Modern Day Witch | Wicca What's the Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions | The Esoteric Dream Book; Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind). Angela regularly conducts workshops, the Inner Queen coaching program and loves writing articles, that blend social criticism with spirituality.