Friday 13th has culturally been considered an unlucky day for centuries. Like much of folklore and superstition it’s hard to trace this belief back to source but general consensus seems to give it medieval christian roots. Friday was the day of the week that Christ died, 13 people at the last supper that took place on the 13th Nisan, (something that is argued). This date however is steeped in a culture of ancient goddess worship which I believe to be still deeply significant, positive and worth embracing today.
If we go further back we will see that in ancient cultures Fridays were associated with the goddess, even the etymology of the word Friday comes from the Norse goddess Frigga, goddess of marriage and motherhood. We have dies Veneris (Venus’s day) in ancient Rome, women would visit her temple on a Friday and pour wine at her feet. Both Frigga and Venus are associated with not just motherhood, love and fertility but also the cyclical nature of life.
An interesting look at a positive feminine Christian association with this day is the apparition of Fatima. The story goes that the virgin Mary appeared to some Shepard children asking them to join her in praying for peace (this was during world war 1) Her feast day is May 13th, she appeared on a Friday 13th as well as 4 other times all being on a 13th. If on this date the mother of god appeared to children asking them to pray to the rosary for world peace one would wonder why this date is so demonised. Which brings us to the number 13.
If we look at the number 13 now through the lens of the sacred and divine feminine, which is was seen to be by many ancient cultures.
Women traditionally have 13 menstrual cycles in a year, further connecting the number to fertility and the divine feminine.
The number 13 is linked to the lunar cycles, as there are 13 moon phases in a year. The moon has been understandably associated with goddesses and feminine energy for millennia worshipped from Babylonia, Ancient Egypt, India all the way to the west.
Sadly as Patriarchal Christian values took hold in history (particularly in the west) many of our divine feminine symbols, including the association of Friday with the goddess and the number 13, moon worship and more were devalued, demonised and shamed like so many women including our long lost wise women. What was once a day celebrating our divine power and energy became stigmatised as unlucky and evil. How about we reclaim it for our divine selves and weave some she worship into the everyday as a reminder of the strength, intuition, and creative power of women once revered in ancient times before it was shamed out of us.
This day could be so full of empowerment a chance for reflection, it could be private reflection on the sacredness of the female body, and the cycles of life, your body, your life. In an age where we as women continue to fight for recognition, confidence and more, honouring goddess traditions can serve as a base or focal point in which to re frame negative stereotypes about femininity and reclaim all it could be in way that feels meaningful and authentic to you.
And as for Friday 13th, Celebrating this as a goddess day can serve as a time to go within, a day of self-love, and spiritual renewal. It’s a day to embrace not only the feminine aspect within all of us but also to connect with the she in nature, the moon, and the ancient wisdom tied to these cycles. After all aren’t we the ultimate creatrix.
Ritual – Honour this day with private or group ritual
Self care – Take a day if you can or however much time you can do pamper and love yourself in the way that feels most nourishing and nurturing to you I often choose a hand made body scrub and flower bath!
Connect with nature – take a silent walk in nature, really connect with the cycles, rhythms, sounds and feeling
Join a women’s circle – this is the perfect date to seek out and call in your own monthly women’s circle.
Dance – My favourite way to honour the divine feminine, dance! Dance alone, or in a group, dance in nature, your own dance to the she. Your way of connecting or being in ritual doesn’t have to be still, complicated or serious. It can be the simple act of joyful movement.
Today I honoured Friday 13th my way. I took a little time to be in my garden and dance. Just the 20 minutes I had to connect with my body and with nature to some of my favourite lady jams! Joyful, divine, uncomplicated.
