Being as today was Friday the 13th, I decided to do a Tarot Reading (using, as always — The Book of Thoth Tarot). I asked the Psychic reason for the phenomena known as Paraskevidkatriaphobia, in other words, Fear of Friday the 13th. The former syndrome is somewhat related to Triskadecaphobia, an irrational fear of the Number 13.
The Tarot Reading: The cards I pulled were 1) The Sun; 2) The Ace of Cups; and 3) The 3 of Swords; 4) The top card was 7 of Disks; and 5) The bottom card was the Queen of Wands.
Tarot Translation: The Sun card indicated that the fears are exaggerated and overblown; The Ace of Cups shows the linking of the Divine Feminine (Cups) with the fear of the 13 Lunar Months, representing the female fertility cycle; and the 3 of Swords again shows this fear creates its own misfortune by worry and the power of rumor. The 7 of Disks shows that the fear of this number (especially when it falls on a Friday), causes people to hesitate to start any new venture at this time. Funny, since 13 is the number of fertility! The Queen of Wands tends to back up my assumption, as the real fear of this card is linked to the Goddess and her power of creation.
I then asked if Paraskevidkatriaphobia was Christian in origin and received the 8 of Disks as an answer. This shows this information has been written about, and projected as fact. This answer showed the foundation of this irrational fear originated from these two situations: 1) The destruction of Constantinople; and 2) The martyrdom of Jacques DeMolay at the hands of King Phillipe of France.
I then asked if either Paraskevidkatriaphobia was Pagan in origin and received Fortune (The Wheel) as an answer. This showed there was no Pagan foundation to this belief — actually, quite the opposite!
My final question was if people should really worry about Friday the 13th, and the answer was: The Magus, in essence, no — people should not allow the fear of Friday the 13th to affect them in a negative way. The reading also intimates to me that those who actively fear the date Friday the 13th, tend to create their own misfortunes.
For more info on the origins of the idea of bad luck on Friday the 13th, and check out what Wikipedia has to say about the subject. Feel free to check out my Magickal Forum and post your own experiences with Metaphysics and Magick.
3 Responses