The Real Origins of Friday the 13th: A Day of Power, Not Fear
This isn’t a particularly festive blog post this week, but I couldn’t let Friday the 13th pass without marking it. While many will spend the day avoiding black cats and 8ladders, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the real origins of this day and what it truly represents.
As Friday the 13th looms on the calendar, many people brace themselves for bad luck, superstitions, and perhaps even a little anxiety. It's a day that stirs a sense of unease, largely due to a long history of negative associations. However, if we dig deeper into the true origins of this ominous day, we might discover something surprising: Friday the 13th wasn’t always a day to fear. In fact, it was once considered a day of power, especially for women — a power that was systematically stripped away by the Church and the patriarchy.
While today’s modern interpretation of Friday the 13th is mostly shaped by pop culture and horror films, the roots of the superstition date back much further, tied to religious, cultural, and historical forces that sought to diminish certain aspects of spirituality, power, and knowledge.
A Day of Power for Women
Historically, the number 13 was seen as sacred, particularly among pagan cultures, where it was linked to the cycles of the moon. A year contains 12 lunar cycles, but the 13th cycle — the "13th moon" — represented something beyond the predictable, a symbol of female power and fertility. It was connected to the divine feminine, the moon goddess, and the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth.
In these ancient times, the number 13 was associated with women's natural rhythms. A woman's menstrual cycle, which typically lasts around 28 days, roughly coincides with the lunar cycle, with the full moon often signalling a time of menstruation and heightened intuition. Many cultures celebrated this connection between women and the moon, seeing it as a time of heightened power and insight.
Moreover, Friday was also considered a day of female power. In Norse mythology, the goddess Frigg (from whom we get the word "Friday") was the goddess of fertility, love, and destiny. In medieval Europe, it was often believed that Friday was the day of the week dedicated to women’s strength, intuition, and connection to nature.
So, when these two powerful symbols — Friday and the number 13 — came together, the result was a day that was once seen as potent, a time when women had an extra connection to their inner wisdom and divine forces. Friday the 13th was once a day to celebrate the feminine and the mysteries of life.
The Patriarchy and the Church's Influence
But as history unfolded, these associations with feminine power began to be seen as a threat. The rise of Christianity, coupled with patriarchal societal structures, sought to suppress or demonise anything that threatened male-dominated authority. The Church found itself in direct opposition to the older, pagan traditions that celebrated the sacredness of the feminine and the number 13.
In the Middle Ages, this suppression became more overt. The infamous witch hunts, for example, were in part a backlash against women who were seen as too powerful, too connected to the natural world, and too independent. These women were often labelled as witches, accused of sorcery, and branded as dangerous. The Church propagated the idea that women’s intuition and spiritual practices were sinister, framing them as evidence of witchcraft and a threat to Christian order.
As part of this broader campaign to control women and their roles in society, the Church and patriarchal systems began to associate the number 13 with evil and misfortune. The 13th was seen as the number of witches (who were often accused of gathering in covens of 13) and connected to dark, forbidden rituals. When combined with Friday, a day already associated with the feminine, it became a symbol of everything the Church wanted to eradicate — independence, wisdom, and feminine power.
The Church's fear and control over these associations culminated in the persecution of the Templars on Friday the 13th, 1307. The Knights Templar were a powerful and wealthy organisation, and their sudden arrest on this day, ordered by King Philip IV of France, further cemented the association of Friday the 13th with misfortune and fear. The Templars' eventual dissolution led to the popularization of the myth that Friday the 13th was cursed.
Why We Shouldn’t Fear Friday the 13th
The narrative around Friday the 13th, shaped by centuries of fearmongering, has had a lasting impact. But it’s important to understand that the origins of this superstition weren’t about fate or misfortune; they were about control. The demonisation of the number 13 and the vilification of women’s power were political tools used by religious and patriarchal institutions to reinforce a certain narrative.
Instead of fearing Friday the 13th, we should reclaim it. This day — much like the number 13 — represents a power that once belonged to women, a force that has been suppressed and misrepresented for centuries. It's a day to acknowledge the strength, intuition, and wisdom that has been hidden away, a day to honour the feminine in all its forms. The moon, the cycles, the mystery — these are not things t8o be feared. They are sources of power and empowerment.
So, as we mark this Friday the 13th, let’s take a moment to reflect on its true origins. Let’s honour the women who, throughout history, have been silenced, marginalized, and erased from history. Let’s also remember that Friday the 13th, with all its mystique, is not a day to fear but a day to reclaim power.
The next time Friday the 13th rolls around, don’t let it be a day of dread. Instead, embrace the day for what it truly is: a reminder of strength, of untapped potential, and of a connection to the deeper, sacred wisdom that has always been available to us.
Friday the 13th — not a curse, but a celebration of the divine feminine.