‘Friday the 13th’ is a feared phenomenon. The fear of ‘Friday the 13th’ is
called “paraskevidekatriaphobia,” a word derived from the Greek words Paraskeví (Friday) and dekatreís (thirteen),
attached to phobia (fear). Some people are so paralyzed by
paraskevidekatriaphobia that they avoid normal activities, and some even refuse
to come out of their homes.
The
origin of the link between bad luck and ‘Friday the 13th’ is vague.
‘Friday the 13th’ is thought to be a day of unlucky events, although
the origins of such ideas are unclear. Consequently, several theories have been
proposed about its origin. One theory states that it is a modern amalgamation
of two older superstitions: that Thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday
is an unlucky day. Combining two unlucky elements into one day would make it
all the more fearsome, and so it has become. The number twelve is considered as
the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year,
twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel,
twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number
thirteen is considered irregular, transgressing this completeness. In the Bible,
the number (13) has a specific meaning. It is generally
associated with the fate of Jesus as the 13th guest among his
12 apostles in the Biblical account of the Last Supper. The Bible tells us that
one of the dinner guests - apostles, went on to betray Jesus Christ,
setting the stage for the crucifixion of Jesus on the next day - a Friday! It
was, for many years, designated the day for capital punishment and informally
referred to as "hangman's day." At some places it is also believed
that it was Friday the 13th when Eve tempted Adam with the
forbidden fruit. Other theories regarding the origin of ‘Friday the 13th’
include a Norse myth involving Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and
fertility, whose name means “Friday.” When Christianity came to her country,
Frigga was denounced as a witch and banished to the mountains where, it was
believed, she convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil on
Fridays to plot revenge and ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many
centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as “Witches' Sabbath.”
In
modern times, these superstitions permeate society. Many hospitals have no
room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some
airline terminals omit Gate 13. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would
not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13
guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also paraskevidekatriaphobic,
with an abnormal fear of the number 13. The Turks so disliked the number
13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary. Many cities
till today do not have a 13th Street
or a 13th Avenue. Many
airlines don’t have seat number 13. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. Hotels
do not have room number 13. Even the opera houses in Italy avoid this
number. These facts clearly indicate that the myth of Friday the 13th is worldwide.
In
Numerology every number has a particular meaning; these meanings have been
adopted from the Egyptian pyramids. On the pyramids some pictures are engraved
and they denote some numbers. On the pyramids in Egypt, there is a picture
number (13), named ‘La Muerte’ which symbolises ‘Death’. In the picture
there is a skeleton with scythe (death) reaping down men, and a crowned head of
a man fallen at the point of the scythe. At its back, is a female head with
flowing hair parted in the centre. This is a symbol of the conception of
realisation. In the late Middle Ages, people interpreted this to mean
physical death, not realizing that, symbolically it meant death to an old way
of life and way of thinking – a change for the better. In tarology,
this card designates a metamorphosis. It brings with it the beginning of a new
era and marks the start of a transition. In most symbolism, it actually
represents transformation, purification and rebirth. The death of the old
and bringing in the new. The ancients described (13) as a “symbol of power,
which if wrongly used, wreaks destruction upon itself.” It was said that, “He
who understands the number (13) will be given power and dominion”.
In
essence, number (13) is a strong vibration representing organization and
accomplishment in a creative and unique way. It describes a pattern of new
beginnings (1) + creative expression (3) = building and structure (4). It
is actually a theme of solid, grounding movement. The (13) is composed of the
numbers (1) and (3). The (1) represents the Sun, the giver of life, light and
energy. The (3) represents the Jupiter, the expansive, good luck planet. Both the
(1) and (3) are naturally dominant and powerful. However when you add the (1)
and the (3), the sum is (4), which is ruled by the Uranus, the planet of
surprises and unusuals. There may be destruction with (13), but the
destruction of the old is necessary for birth of the new. And there is great
promise when one gives in to the Will of God, to let oneself destruct so that
they can be reborn. The Aztecs considered thirteen to be a very sacred
number. It was the number of time and stood for completion. An Aztec week
lasted for thirteen days. According to their philosophy the number (1)
represents building and creating, relating to many aspects of Mother Nature.
Mother Nature is always recreating and reconstructing her creations. The number
(1) represents manifesting, strength and being a leader. The number (3)
represents creating within the physical reality, so bring what is in your
consciousness or higher self to life. It relates to giving birth to your
creations and allowing yourself to connect to these higher realms, where the
information resides; The Universe, Earth and Spirit…The Body, Mind
and Soul….The Holy Trinity...!
Hence,
Number (13) is a karmic number and is the number of upheaval so that old
grounds can be broken and new grounds can be made. This number has great power.
If this power is used for selfish purposes, it will bring destruction of the
self, and in turn, this will bring dis-ease and illnesses. However, adapting to
change gracefully will bring out the strength of the (13) vibration, and
decrease any potential for the negative. It is a transformational number, the
one of strength and courage. Friday is ruled by Venus. Venus is symbolic
of softness, feminine nature, pleasures of the senses, passions, silver
objects and ornaments, pearls, watery places, vitality etc. Venus reminds
you to trust in your beauty - the trust that inspires you to move forward to
help you embody your divine gifts with ease. On ‘Friday The 13th’
Venus joins (13) and the Moon to blend beauty, love and powerful shifts.
So
let go of the old superstitions and misunderstandings about the energy of
Number Thirteen. Instead of focusing on
your fears and superstitions, this is a day that bodes well for setting your
mind on a project you want to make progress on. The effect of your
individual cycles far outweighs any peripheral influences. It is what you
chose to put out in the universe that will come to you on this day. Trust the Universe always – the
Universe is divinely designed to bring you what you need to grow and thrive at
any given moment. Look at ‘Friday the 13th’ as a day of
strength creation rather than a day of bad omen!
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