Friday the 13th packs a double wallop of bad luck, since Friday, the day Christ was crucified, is an unlucky day to enter into contracts, start new ventures or get married. In 1969 a 13-year-old Eton schoolboy, S. r. Baxter, proved mathematically that the 13th day of the month was more likely to fall on Friday than any other day. There is at least one Friday the 13th every year; the most that can occur is 3, as happened in 1987.
Many Western cultures associate the number 12 with completeness. There are 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 disciples of Jesus. Because 12 is so complete, it only makes sense that 13 would be considered unlucky. The ancient Code of Hammurabi even skips the 13th law (though experts say this was probably a clerical error).
There are also two famous stories of an unlucky 13th guest: in the Bible, Judas Iscariot is the 13th person at the Last Supper, and he goes on to betray Jesus. In Norse mythology, Loki is the uninvited 13th guest at a feast for the gods, and he causes plenty of chaos.
How did these two superstitions combine into one? Some believe that Friday the 13th is seen as unlucky because on that day in October 1307, King Philip IV of France arrested members of the Knights Templar. However, some say that although Friday and 13 have long considered unlucky separately, they were combined only recently. There’s virtually no written reference to the superstition prior to the 1900s.
Today, some modern witches are reclaiming Friday the 13th. In 2012, urban shaman and ritual expert Donna Hennes wrote for “Up until the patriarchal revolution, both Fridays and 13s were held in the very highest esteem. Both the day and the number were associated with the Great Goddesses, and therefore, regarded as the sacred essence of luck and good fortune."
She explained, "Thirteen is certainly the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year. The approximate number, too, of annual cycles of the moon... Thirteen is the number of blood, fertility, and lunar potency.” She added that in Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Iceland, and Teutonic cultures, Friday is associated with “ the early Mother Creation Goddesses for whom that day was named,” called Freya, Freia, Freyja, Fir, Frea or Frig.
Typically when a Friday falls on the 13th, most folks are prone to breaking out their superstitious selves, smudge sprays, and avoid any hint of bad luck.
But, what if we told you that Friday the 13th used to actually be a lucky day? And, the day celebrated goddesses. In fact, Fridays were particularly associated with moon goddesses and the number 13 itself is a positive marker in many cultures.
So, let's dispel Friday the 13th as the harbinger of bad luck. It's gotten an unjustifiably bad rap, no? Instead, call back to when lunar figures are celebrated and dispel the current notion that there's such a thing as a "bad" number.
Get your spells, your lucky charms, and your manifesting prowess ready. Check below for three rituals for a lucky Friday the 13th. 1. Cleanse and rededicate your altar or sacred space. Set aside some time to recalibrate the area of your abode where you complete rituals, intentions, or any spell work. Depending on your intentions and goals, smudge the air and the space with a specific herb to redefine your space. Not sure what herb you need? mindbodygreen has a list that'll point you in the right direction. 2. Imagine good things happening to you constantly. Positive thinking amps up your personal power. What are these good things? What do they feel like? How does that make you feel? Imagine and carry these feelings with you throughout the day. 3. Pay it forward without expecting any returns in your favor. Seriously, do good for the sheer fact that it spreads good and encourages good to grow and thrive in this world. Do this fearlessly and tirelessly without expecting one damn thing to come back to you. Make someone smile. Brighten a stranger's day. Buy a coworker a coffee. Walk a neighbor's dog. Experience joy in these unexpected interactions.
What’s In A Number To understand the number thirteen, we should start by comparing it to twelve. In numerology ’12’ is the number of completeness. It is connected to the twelve hours of the clock and the twelve months of the year. But there are also several religious correlations:
the twelve labors of Hercules
the twelve tribes of Israel
the twelve apostles of Jesus (even though this makes the group 13)
the twelve successors of Muhammad in Shia Islam
the twelve gods of Olympus
the twelve signs of the zodiac
The number ’13’ is often referred to as the number of transition/change. It is seen as constantly at odds with ’12’, trying to undo the completeness. People, in general, are resistant to change and reluctant to take on change when times are going well. But change is inevitable and constantly moves us forward, often whether we want it to or not. Thirteen also represents good luck and moving with the flow of Divine energy.
In China, the number 13 is associated with good fortune and not bad luck. It holds the same distinction
In Italy, it’s Friday the 17th that’s considered to be the bad luck day
Thirteen also represents the number of revolutions the moon makes around the earth in a year
13 was the number of regeneration for pre-Columbian Mexicans
In ancient Israel, 13 was a sanctified number
Thirteen items were decreed necessary for the tabernacle
At 13 years of age, a boy was (and still is) initiated into the adult Jewish community
In Wicca, participants gather in covens of 13
Thirteen was also auspicious for the Egyptians, who believed that life has 13 stages, the last of which is death — the transition to eternal life
Superstition & Myth
Thirteen is linked to Old Norse mythology where having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners. In the myth, the Gods are having dinner in Valhalla when Loki shows up as an uninvited guest. Loki makes arrangements for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow (the only thing that can kill him). Once Balder dies, Earth falls into darkness and the whole world falls into mourning.
Thirteen is also linked to the thirteen Diners of the Last Supper with Jesus and his apostles. At this dinner, Jesus proclaims one of his devoted friends will denounce and betray him. The 13th guest at this dinner is noted to be Judas, who did indeed denounce and betray Jesus.
Today more than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
What’s In a Name?
Friday was associated with the early Mother Creation Goddesses for whom that day was named. In Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Icelandic, and Teutonic cultures she was called variously, Freya, Freia, Freyja, Fir, Frea, and Frig. Friday is Frig’s Day, Frigedaeg, in Old English, Fredag in Danish, Freitag in Dutch, and German. In Mediterranean lands, she reigned as Venus. In Latin, Friday is the Day of Venus, Dies Veneris; Vendredi in French, Venerdi in Italian, and Viernes in Spanish.
in western culture, Friday has been considered unlucky since the late 1300s. Some link this correlation to the publication of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. But there are older occurrences that suggest Friday being unlucky resides in older events and lore.
Among Christians, it is the day Jesus was crucified. Some biblical scholars believe Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on a Friday. Perhaps most significant is a belief that Abel was slain by Cain on Friday the 13th. Tradition also holds that the Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday. The Knights Templar, the de Molay and other French Templars were slaughtered by order of King Philip IV of France on Friday, October 13, 1307. Not all of these tales are factual, but they are good examples of how early Christians then and today have altered history to enhance their own importance and influence.
But Friday’s negativity is not only a religious thing. In the early days of Rome, Friday was execution day. In Britain, Friday became the Hangman’s Day. Many cultures have linked Friday to being a bad day to travel or start new projects. In the modern era, it’s been linked to being a bad day for releasing new products on the commercial market. Financially, Black Friday has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s, which is amusing to think that in modern times Black Friday is the largest commercial shopping date of the year!
It’s Not Just a Pagan Thing Liking or honoring the 13th isn’t restricted to modern-day pagans, it’s been in our history for quite some time. In many pre-Christian cultures, Friday is linked to a day of worship. In many pagan societies, it’s the day to receive blessings from the gods. Many pagan cultures chose this 6th day of the week (Friday) to celebrate and honor their gods/goddesses for the gifts they had received in the days prior and to petition their chosen deity for a favor in the days of the coming week. With all the ‘good luck’ and ‘perfect associations’ from pagan practices, it’s easy to see how the number 13 and Friday began to be vilified by non-pagan cultures and especially by the early Christian Church. As Christianity spread and denounced the old pagan ways, the concepts held by pagans became linked to negativity and evil. If the Bishops couldn’t convert a pagan concept into its Christian practice, then it was defamed and cursed. The number thirteen and Friday are good examples of this. While the mainstream Western World runs in fear from Friday the 13th, many pagans shed those made up connotations and revel in the day as one to be celebrated with joy and excitement. It’s a time to let go of the old that may be holding you back and welcome in the new. It’s a day to honor the Divine (whatever that is to you) and connect with spirit for progress and positive transformation.
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Very informative