Not the stuff of superstition...

I have a bit of hard time understanding the superstitious fears around Friday the 13th… and this year we’ve got 3 of ’em! So sorry to be the bearer of that inauspicious news to those of you who don’t relish this infrequent date. (After this year there won’t be another Friday the 13th until 2026 according to Charles Walford, columnist for Mail Online in the UK in this very eye opening article.)

Here are a couple of bits of Friday the 13th lore: Friday is considered unlucky in the Christian tradition because it is the day of Christ’s crucifixion. 13 is considered unlucky because Judas, the last and 13th to show up for the Last Supper, was the same disciple who betrayed Christ resulting in his crucifixion. And 13 is the number of turns of the rope that tie the hangman’s noose.

In just doing a little reading I’ve discovered that auto accidents really do go up A LOT on any given Friday the 13th (maybe due to anxiety?) and the real estate business slows down to a trickle… people just don’t want to buy on this inauspicious date and many won’t even think about buying a residence that has the number 13 attached to it. Who knew?

Well this particular Friday the 13th doesn’t have any black magic attached to it that I can see. So take a deep breath and let your fears subside. 

This day looks to be largely about relationships according to the astrology at hand. Venus and Neptune are conjoined lending the possibility of  gentle romance, idealism, yearning for the Other (with the alternate possibility being deception or dissolution in relationships – so there is that to watch out for). Chiron, the Wounded Healer is involved with that combination as is the Moon – there is the potential for healing past transgressions now – particularly with family members and lost loves. And Saturn lends support to our relationships today, helping us to understand and define them and possibly helping to create stability. Mars strokes the Sun lending desire, strength of will and a bit of earthy assertion to the package while the Moon kisses Pluto and Mercury perhaps compelling some of us to want to dig deeply and emotionally for the truth in our relationships and, of course since it is Mercury, to talk about it.

If you are opting out of life today – staying home and out of trouble – watch romantic films, read  poetry, dive into art, or curl up with a good psychology book. Probably a great day to chat with friends, get the scoop on the stars (movie stars that is), and to re-connect. Have a glass or two of wine…

So, happy Friday the 13th! And have fun relating… family, friends, lovers – let them all know how you feel!