Feet First
21st September 2008
When it comes to proverbs, no part of the body is as popular or well-represented as our feet! We have to put our best foot forward to get back on our feet again, we are dead on our feet and need to put our feet up, we get our foot in the door but catch someone on the wrong foot, we have both feet firmly on the ground and never put a foot wrong, we put our foot in it and can never set foot there again, we stand firmly on our own two feet and hope never to have one foot in the grave!
We are all familiar with palm reading, but neomancy - based on the position of moles on the body - is a less known method used by fortune-tellers. According to neomancy, the size of a mole on the body determines the power of the premonition. A small mole on the right foot signifies an eager traveller, whereas a large mole on both feet represents international travel. A large mole on the left foot implies that the person is quick-witted and bright.
There are also no shortage of alternative therapies focusing on the feet, the most famous of all being reflexology. Chinese philosophy considers the sole of the foot a map of bodily parts with corresponding pressure points - the big toe represents the head, the top part of the foot the upper body, etc. As the reflexologist applies pressure to the points, he attempts to relieve medical conditions such as migraines, backache, sinus problems and slow circulation, to mention just a few.
Others prefer to try homeopathic remedies and it is even rumoured that the Royals are fans of homeopathy. Apparently Princess Diana favoured a homeopathic cream of rosemary and calendula to sooth tired feet and got Prince Charles to go down on his knees to apply it. Whether this is true or not, Princess Diana was a role model to millions of women and we should follow her example here too. A lot of women spend hours filing and painting their nails or going for manicures, but they totally neglect their feet.
Strange when you think how many men consider feet to be one of the most erotic parts of a woman's body. Even my beautiful old tomcat, Tiger, has a foot fetish and is constantly rubbing his cheeks against my soles or nibbling at my toes. Ask any man and he'll agree that the ballerina pumps worn by girls at the moment are one of the worst fashion disasters ever, closely followed by bulky platform shoes and flat, unflattering flip flops.
If men had their way, women would wear sexy, feminine high heels 24/7, especially in the bedroom and when you see what a lovely shape high heels give to a lady's legs, it is perfectly understandable. Women look taller and, therefore, slimmer and even walk differently when they wear high heels, but what men don't realise is that tottering around in high heels can be crippling for women. So if you've just spent the last few hours admiring your wife's pretty pins, why not treat her to a soothing foot massage when you get home. She will appreciate your thoughtfulness and the rewards could be remarkable!