Friday the 13th: its meaning and the origin of the myth of its bad luck

Bad luck, misfortune, fatality … For the superstitious -or not so much- the 13 this is not a lucky number. And if it is combined in one day Fridaythe popularity is even worse.

Myth says that a 13th Friday Eve tempted Adam with an apple; that a confusion was compelled to abandon the building of the Tower of Babel; and that Solomon’s Temple was torn down to the ground. They also say that on that day they crucified Jesus Christ.

If Tuesday the 13th, many will say “don’t get married or enter” and they will believe in the negative aspect of the day. However, the Anglo-Saxon tradition gives precedence to the last day of the working week and makes it the paradigm of misfortune.

In habits that range from starting on the right foot to being extremely cautious or not making important decisions, many fear 13th Friday and act accordingly.

And as if that wasn’t enough, this day includes a plusbecause he alone has his own phobia: the Paraskevidekatriaphobia -that’s its scientific name- comes from the Greek and is the sum of three words: paraskevi (Friday), dekatria (thirteen) and phobia.

What do they keep every Friday?

Ang Friday was dedicated to Venus, the female goddess of the zodiac, the goddess of love, pleasure, beauty and pleasure; the goddess he represents erotic love and lewd femininity.

For many, like Tuesday, Friday days of the witch. History says that the real origin of this superstition is a story from Scandinavian mythology.

At the time the tribes of that region were converted to Christianity, Friga -the Goddess of love and fertility- was cast out and accused of being a “witch”.

It is believed that, feeling resentment in this situation, every Friday he gets together with 11 other colleagues and hexes to destroy next week.

The “curse” of 13

It is said that the negative meaning of number 13 originated in recent times, however, its evil traces have been found since ancient times.

The Babylonians designated their thirteenth month of leap years as “unlucky crow”, and called him “lord dire” by the Chinese. In the Bible, the end of the world begins in the 13th chapter of Revelation.

Ang 13 it also refers to Judas, the thirteenth participant of the last supper and, therefore, the number signifies the death of Christ (and of all).

In an area as remote as Scandinavia, there is also a similar tradition: according to ancient mythology, the god Baldur He was killed by an arrow as the 12 great Gods sat at the table. He was invited to dinner and did not arrive.

The curse of 13 may also be related to tarot card who has that number.

This card is called Arcanum XIII and its plate is nothing but the number, it has the word death, just to not name or see that word. It is represented by a skeleton, carrying a scythe in the left hand on which it cuts off heads and grass.

Symbolically, 13 is unlucky because will take us more than 12which is considered a kind of “perfect” number, symbolizes the zodiac and, therefore, the Universe.

13 destroys the perfection of 12 pbecause it means a new creation.

In this sense, they are twelve signs of the zodiac where the Sun moves in a year and 13 moves in the moon.

The number 13 is associated with moon cycle, something that in our patriarchal culture is underestimated. So, negatively, we’ll see that 13 is a symbol of violated femininity for so much rationality and masculinity.

Within annual lunar calendarit was in the last month, the 13th, when the death of the daythe winter solstice.

In cultures that defend the idea of ​​a cyclical life process in which a person is constantly born and dies, it is not a problem that the Sun is dying, because of the next few days. will be born again.

However, in patriarchal cultures where there is a linear concept of time, which defends the idea that there is a definite beginning and end, that end will live in a more horrible way.

In addition, in patriarchal cultures the principle of a “continuous” day in the presence of a most variable monthsthe apparent “death” of the central axis of their lives, would mean a catastrophe.

What is the meaning of Friday the 13th?

Those who investigate the age of matriarchy begin on the basis that the 13 was originally a sacred number which changed with the advent of patriarchy in a “diabolical” figures, forbidden and feared.

Proof of this is the fact that the first calendars were the lunar calendarsaccording to which the pleasures of almost all religions are governed.

With the introduction of solar calendarthe number twelve becomes sacred, while 13 is cursedas is often the case with all the religious values ​​of ancestral cultures, because the most effective way to discredit these principles is to equate them with misfortune.

Since, the Moon, Venus, the night and the number 13 form a marginalized group of symbols while the masculine set is formed by the Sun, the sun and the number 12.

So, Friday the 13th can be a great time to express our feelings, convey emotions that we wouldn’t dare on another day.. And we might as well meet him again -so attacked- woman and give it space in our lives.

By Patricia Kesselman, astrologer and professor of astrology and tarot. On Instagram: @horoskopo.