Thirteen is a number which has a fear associated with it. To add to that, today is Friday the Thirteenth! This fear of number Thirteen is real for many. There’s also a word for that, “Triskaidekaphobia”. But where does this fear come from? Some believe that in the painting “The Last Supper” Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus was the 13th to sit at the table. While folklore historian Donald Dossey suggests that the origin of unlucky nature of number 13 comes from Norse Mythology where 12 Gods were having a dinner party in Valhalla – a majestic hall in Asgard which was ruled by Odin – the God in Norse Mythology. A trickster God Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the 13th guest and arranged for Höðr to shoot Balder – son of Odin with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Whatever the story, the fear amongst many people about Thirteen is real.
On the other hand, if we look at Thirteen, it is a powerful number. Thirteen is the first year of a teenager. At Thirteen many physiological, biological and mental changes happen in adolescents. Thirteen Weeks is a duration in which businesses’ and markets’ progress is measured – typically we refer to this as a quarter. There are approximately Thirteen moon cycles in a year. Apollo 13 had a successful landing on the moon and journeyed back to earth despite an onboard explosion. 13 is the atomic number of Aluminium – a metal primarily used in many day-to-day objects, including the aircraft in which we travel. In many Asian cultures, 13 is an auspicious number. In a Hindu calendar, the Thirteenth day is referred to as Trayodashi. It is considered to bring happiness and prosperity. Around Thirteenth is also the day of ovulation in a female cycle, and therefore can be considered as a day of fertility.
Both the above paragraphs refer Thirteen or 13 in either its dark side or in a good light. Both the paragraphs are stories or a form of abstract ideas against which Thirteen is looked upon. We can either choose to be afraid of the number and suppress ourselves or see the other side of it and be inspired. But a true transformation happens when we will be able to simply see Thirteen as Thirteen, and therefore Thirteen can be an opportunity to see things the way they are.
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