Friday The 13Th

Blessed be.Do you think Friday the 13th is unlucky, or even dangerous? Personally, I find that Friday the 13ths have always been interesting days for me. Once, it was when my family celebrated my mother's birthday. At that time, I didn't know it, but my mother was born on a Friday the 13th. Not that she knows, anyway, since she doesn't really believe in superstitions, or even in witchcraft for that matter -- sadly. Anyways, I'm rambling. Friday the 13th is interesting for me because the things that occur on this sacred (or is it cursed?) day have always been equivocal in nature, in the sense that they are neither good nor bad per se. For example, I'd lose something tangible, like the keys to my house, and gain something intangible, like some wisecrack crap that you probably know but don't practise, like 'Patience is a virtue' yadda yadda yadda, or a near miss from an accident. Maybe this was what aroused my interest in Wicca: I've probably always been a witch in the sense that I had always taken part in 'informal rituals' of sacrificing something that I own to the Goddess or the Spirits and gaining something in return, which is what I do in rituals anyway. Maybe there's another reason that this day is called the Witches' Sabbat than the myth I shall retell in a while -- although no writers I know of have ever written about a Sabbat outside of the Four Greater Sabbats (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltain and Lammas) and the Four Lesser Sabbats (Yule, Ostara, Litha and Mabon).Why is Friday the thirteenth considered unlucky? For those who watch "Charmed", I'm sure you know that Friday the thirteenth is a very dangerous day for the sisters, because it is on Friday the thirteenth that the Demon of Fear, Barbas, escapes Purgatory and has until midnight to kill 13 witches inorder to be free from the eternal torture of Purgatory. This demon is extremely dangerous because he manipulates people by manipulating their deepest fears and making them come to life. There is no known way to vanquish him, except in Season 7 when Charmed became really cheapskate and Elders like Leo can kill even upper-level demons by shooting lightning out of their hands (how cheap is THAT?). One can only banish him temporarily by conquering one's own fear. (See? THAT'S the kind of "Charmed" I like!) Anyway, for those who do not watch "Charmed" (I hope the video below will change your mind), there are many other tales of why Friday the thirteenth is considered to be so unlucky, like the story that the Knights of Templar were executed on Friday the Thirteenth. However, the one I will discuss is the one regarding the Norse mythe of Frigg, or Freya.As you can probably tell, Friday was named after Frigg, the Norse goddess of marriage. Many worshipped her, when the Vikings were still Pagans, at least. Therefore, when they were converted into Christianity, the whle Pagan Pantheon (I know this word is used more appropriately in Greek mythology, but I lack a better word) was cast away and labelled as workers of the Devil and Frigg, escpecially, was known as the Evil Witch who gathers with eleven other witches on Friday the 13th and discuss their evil deeds with the Devil (not that we Wiccan witches believe in the devil, anyway. We don't believe in ultimate good nor ultimate evil. everything consists of both. They are both required for the balance of the Grand Design.) That's why Friday the thirteenth is considerd to be a day of the convergence of evil. That's also one of the reasons why it was considered the Witches' Sabbat, along with the fact that it is a day holy to Frigg.As for me, I personally feel that Friday the thirteenth is a mix of positive and negative influences, as are most things, but it is more extreme. This is due to the negative influences that the day carries for most people (except those born on Friday the Thirteenth; for them, it's their lucky day, so my mum is probably enjoying her lucky day right now.) and the positive influences bought to me by Venus. After all, Friday is the day sacred to Venus, who rules over my Zodiac sign. That's why I believe in the magick of Friday the thirteenth!

Reference: crafty-witch.blogspot.com