Being born on Friday 13th has always been a talking point. I used to quickly follow it up with "but it was Good Friday so that must cancel it out".
I live at number 13 too and have done for almost... 13 years now! I should mention that my Dad is incredibly superstitious and avoids the number 13 like the plague. He's an avid list writer and growing up I noticed he skipped from task number 12 to 14. I wonder how he felt when he realised his first child was born into the world on (Good) Friday 13th...
Interestingly, the number 13 used to be considered a sacred number, associated with the divine (whatever this means for you) and said to bring prosperity and good luck to those who embrace it. Some say the turning point was when Jesus died the day after 13 were gathered for the last supper.
"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" - Mama Donna Henes
Fear of the number 13 is apparently the most prevalent superstition in the Western world. So much so that there's even a name for it: triskaidekaphobia. While some people are out there avoiding seat number 13 on a plane - there's me paying extra to reserve it!
So, it's safe to say I've developed quite a relationship to this number. Only in recent years have I started to learn some of its hidden mysteries and wisdom, so I thought I'd share some of the symbolisms of the mysterious and often feared number 13.
In numerology the number 13 is considered to be a karmic number, a symbolism of cycles, of life and death, all signifying transformation. In the tarot, the 13th card is the death card (in some decks, including my own, this is depicted as transformation). I remember pulling the death card the morning of my first day of yoga teacher training...it was the 7th March 2020 (weirdly, exactly 3 years ago today). Death and transformation can seem scary... but the reality is, the universe we live in is ever-changing and ever-expanding and therefore, thankfully so are we. If we can recognise and embrace this truth, we open ourselves to limitless potential... and a big heap of compassion and understanding.
13 is often considered a feminine number because of its association with the number of moon cycles in a year and the average amount of menstruations a female has in one year. In sacred geometry the fruit of life is made up of 13 circles and represents the sacred pattern of the universe and the origin of all creation. The 4(1+3) seasons each last roughly 13 weeks, further strengthening the energy of cycles and change. If I had to pick 2 words for this number, I would choose Transformation and Creation.
When I visited Chichen Itza last year, I was fascinated by the Mayan traditions and the wisdom they drew from nature - the seasons, moon cycles, solar cycles, solstices and equinoxes. They were so in tune with nature and built such an incredible structure with layers and layers of wisdom weaved into it. The mayan calendar is made up of overlapping wheels, with one of them being numbered in cycles of 13 with 20 names. One special aspect of the pyramid that stuck with me was during each equinox, you'd see an illusion of snakes moving down the pyramid from where the sun was setting. They built this thing with such accuracy to honour such sacred moments in time!
I'd love to hear any of your stories or thoughts on this number...
...and if you're interested in learning more, I've just launched a 13 week course inspired by all of the above! You can click here to check it out, I would love to have you there!
We're bought up in this world where we're expected to grow in such a linear way, and this simply isn't our nature. We're cyclical beings, living in a cyclical world, and I'd like to help empower you to step into this truth.
Let's bring back the feminine magic of the number 13! Perhaps I'll see you on Tuesday 21st March to gather under the New Moon in Aries and Spring Equinox.
Lots of love,
April xx