Friday the 13th. (Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)
Everything from movies to books show the dread of Friday the 13th. Since the 80’s we’ve watched an unstoppable force slay the unfortunate, but deserving, visitors of Crystal Lake. Cartoons have episodes dedicated to Friday the 13th. Comic books have characters and themes that embrace the superstition. For those who pay particular attention to the day and date, the first real instance of Friday the 13th as extreme bad luck was a book published in 1907 titled “Friday the 13th.”
A casual Google search on the origins of Friday the 13th reveal that Christianity has a lot to do with the superstitions of both Friday and the number 13. Friday is a black day because they believe Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden on a Friday as well as Friday being the day their Christ was martyred. According to Biblical tradition regarding numbers, they also believe 13 to be an incomplete and chaotic number. By their own admission, Judas Iscariot was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. It makes sense why, conventionally speaking, Friday the 13th is reputed to be an unfortunate day.
When I delve into my meditation, I like to research my conclusions and look up to see if my beliefs ring true with anyone else. The number 13 has been on my mind a lot since my first blog post and so far I’ve seen that the number along with its allusion to death do not mean awful things. To further my understanding of this number, I considered numerology‘s stance on 13. What I found harmonizes with what I understand.
Numerology concerns itself with different facets. You will find methods of numerology for life plans, for personality, for events and so on. The inclusion of different mathematical practices to divine a number’s meaning also makes it a varied system. But the number 13 itself, without addition or subtraction shows us what we’ve been discussing this whole week:
The number 13 represents changes. Numerology takes it a step further by stating that it represents drastic change and extreme upheaval, as though ruining the old earth beneath us so new growth can take its place. If 13 is leading you somewhere in life, accept the change that comes with it. Those abusing the number 13, on the other hand, will experience an uncomfortable period of illness or moments of self-destruction.
Among numerology’s systematic use for divining the importance of numbers, it also shares a belief I hold dear to me: That everything in the universe has a vibration. The vibrational energy of 13 exists as a conduit for your own energy. If you seek change or find change coming your way, 13 is telling you to embrace it. Alternatively, if you see 13 as an awful, unlucky and mischievous number, all of that energy will return on you. It’s easy to see why for some, Friday the 13th is as bad as they think it is.
Given the superstition around 13, following the number is easy as many offices don’t have 13th floors and most restaurants don’t use 13 in their menus. Approach Friday the 13th as a day to follow 13’s advice and accept whatever changes come your way.