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Make Your Own Luck on Friday the 13th (with Tarot)

I love Friday the 13th. I get excited when one comes up…if I had my way, this would be a floating national holiday. I think that it’s ok to take this day off, or calling in sick may be even more in the spirit.

It’s always been a lucky day for me (knock wood).

I have a long history of loving the number 13 in general – I was born at 3:13pm, my sister was born at 11:13am (I think, but this may be family legend), which always made me feel special and connected to the number.

My romance with my future husband started at a Friday the 13th party I threw in honour of the day. We got married on Friday the 13th (this date was chosen on purpose, of course).

My friends make a point of wishing me “Happy Friday the 13th” because they know the significance it has for me.

So, whenever this holy day rolls around, I love to watch people’s reactions. Apprehension, excitement, complete indifference…all across the spectrum.

I love Friday the 13th because it is a day we notice, it is not just a regular day, it calls attention to itself whether or not you believe in the superstition. I love this day because it is a little thrilling, scary, there is the feeling of the unknown and that anything could happen. This is one of those days when it feels like the veil is a little bit thinner than others.

When I say that this is a lucky day for me, I don’t mean to domesticate the energy…there is still a feeling of wildness and unknown in that luck.

What scares you? Is Friday the 13th an unlucky day?

If you ask people why Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, you’ll usually get a vague historical explanation, or an “I don’t know” or “It just is!” kind of sentiment. A quick Google search was no more illuminating. Even though there is a general feeling that Friday the 13th is steeped in history and folklore, it seems that (according to Wikipedia), “there is no written evidence for a “Friday the 13th” superstition before the 19th century, and the superstition only gained widespread distribution in the 20th century.”

So, this info, plus my love of this day, made me think about superstitions, traditions, long-held beliefs about ourselves…things that we just accept in our lives without examination.

“Are you superstitious? Do you ever stop to ask yourself why you believe some of the things you believe?”

I am a fan of ritual and I celebrate every holiday or tradition I can fit in but sometimes its refreshing to challenge our assumptions, try things on from a different perspective, and question why we celebrate or fear the things we do.

On that note, I created this Tarot spread that you can do on Friday the 13th to explore your own perspectives and assumptions. I used four cards, because four is the number that is considered unlucky in Japan!

Friday the 13th Tarot Spread:

1 – What assumptions do I make about myself that aren’t really true?

2 – What can I do differently in my daily life today?

3 – What aspect of my life needs to be looked at from a different perspective?

4 – Which card has a message of luck for me today?

Try this spread on Friday the 13th

Do you celebrate Friday the 13th? Does it slip by without you noticing? What do you consider lucky or unlucky? Put some time aside on Friday to think about what you believe and why. It doesn’t have to be scary, have fun with it. Good luck!

4 Responses to Make Your Own Luck on Friday the 13th (with Tarot)

  1. Marie July 10, 2018 at 1:33 pm #

    I don’t know why people get so excited over numbers or dates that are said to be bad. I have had good luck, I have had bad luck on the 13th, it’s up to the Universe to send me whatever it thinks I deserve on that day, in my opinion. lol

    If you worry over something bad going to happen to you, it will. Because you have more or less willed yourself to make it so by placing it in your subconscious and conscious.

    Nothing is bad unless you make it. Not numbers, not dates, not black cats, nothing!

    In fact my rescued black cat has only been to the vet for needles and spaying while my orange cat was a vet’s delight! He passed away some 5yrs back while she, at 17yrs, is still going strong. And a more loving gentle creature you could hope to find. Never has she raised a paw to anyone.

    • innergoddesstarot July 11, 2018 at 11:18 am #

      Hi Marie! I personally love black cats and the number 13, but I have to admit I won’t walk under a ladder and I throw spilled salt over my shoulder. There is power in belief, I do think you can influence your circumstances, but sometimes fate takes a hand. I believe in free will, but I like to wear talismans and protective amulets.

  2. Lynda Fox July 11, 2018 at 3:49 am #

    Thirteen is my lucky number!
    I was born during a full moon on Dec.13 – a Thursday, but I do get to have my birthday on Friday the 13th every once in awhile!

    Also, my grandmother’s birthday was Jan.13, my brother’s Sept.13 and my sister-in-law’s June 13 – plus their wedding was May 13 (still married 38 years later).

    I did hear that 13 was considered unlucky by Christians because Judas was the 13th disciple and Friday was unlucky because Jesus died on a Friday.
    Put them together and that made Friday the 13th an all round bad day.

    • innergoddesstarot July 11, 2018 at 11:15 am #

      Hi Lynda! So cool to be born on the 13th, and love your family connections to the number as well. I have heard that connection to Judas as well, but I was surprised that there is no clear consensus as to why Fri the 13th is considered unlucky. Lucky and unlucky numbers are really interesting – when I lived in Japan, I discovered that four is unlucky, so you never bought dishes or glasses etc in fours, always fives, which is a small thing but so different to North America. Nine was also unlucky, but 13 was fine. This had to do with the word itself and its similarity in pronunciation (eg. four sounds like the word for death, nine sounds like pain or suffering).

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