Whether you are superstitious or not, being dealt a ‘13’ can make you think you are unlucky. Most of us can go about our daily lives without necessarily bumping into the number 13; however there are times when we have no choice. Will 2013 be one of those times?
We were all thirteen once, and apart from the start of facial spots, raging hormones and the ‘I’m bored feeling’ it is pretty much like any other year. But what if you are 13 in 2013? I bet parents didn’t consider that in their family planning…
2013 is no different to any other year, it’s still 365 days long, and at least it’s not a leap year! For anybody that suffers from Triskaidekaphobia (the fear of thirteen), this is going to be a tricky year!
First we have to think of why thirteen causes so much grief. If you polled a 100 people about the superstition surrounding the number you will likely get many different answers. But research puts the last supper at the top of the list. There were thirteen people around the table, counting Christ and the twelve apostles.
Next there is the end of the Mayan calendar’s 13th Baktun followed by the start of the 14th Baktun, 13.0.0.0.0, on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar.
Then there is the gruesome hangman’s noose tale. Thirteen turns make a traditional hangman’s noose, anything less would not snap a neck!
There are other ways that thirteen cycles of something have caused problems, for example a Blue Moon occurs when a second full moon happens in the same month, this can only occur if the first full moon appeared near the beginning of the month. This of course means that some years have thirteen full moons instead of the normal twelve. For ecclesiastical purposes the Paschal Moon was used to determine the date of Easter but a thirteenth moon would distort the calendar as only twelve moons were identified. The identification of the 13th full moon as Blue Moon enabled the religious events calendar to stay on track.
There are of course other stories such as NASA’s Apollo 13 mission, but as these are fairly recent events it is likely that they have in part been attributed to the effects of the number thirteen, rather than been something that has shaped why thirteen is unlucky to begin with.
Whatever the reason thirteen does have an impact on us – you may live in a ‘13’ postcode, catch a number ‘13’ bus, buy your baked beans in aisle ‘13’ at the supermarket and enjoy watching Sarah Beeny on catch up Channel 4 Freeview ‘13’. You can be happy that most hotels and large buildings nowadays miss floor ‘13’ altogether skipping from floor twelve to fourteen.
Various sports where numbers are used for players often try to avoid including a thirteen shirt. In fact many world-class athletes refuse to wear 13 on their jerseys or helmets. As a result a number of sports including Formula 1 do not include ‘13’. Pro-cycling riders of the Tour de France can be seen with their race number ‘13’ upside down to counteract any bad luck. On the other hand there are some good number ‘13’ sports stories – American basketball player Wilt Chamberlain wore a 13 jersey and he always said it wasn’t unlucky for him, but it was unlucky for his opponents as he is the only player to achieve a score of 100 points in a single game. Equally the former quarterback of the Miami Dolphins – Dan Marion wore a ‘13’ jersey and holds an all-time NFL record in the Hall of Fame for records in passing touchdowns and passing yards.
One occurrence that has already been identified as a possible set-back during 2013 is the purchasing of new cars. New British cars registered between 1st March and 31st August 2013 should display a number thirteen registration number. You will see the steps the DVLA and car industries have taken to ensure the car industry is not hit during this year which demonstrates what a collective pull the superstition has behind the number thirteen even today. As this could be a huge hit to the car industry, the DVLA is giving the choice to people lucky enough to be buying a new car, of either a ‘13’ plate or a new batch of the previous six months ‘62’ plates. You will get top marks if playing I-Spy in the car and you manage to spot the ‘RO13 ERT’ (Robert) or ‘RE13 ECA’ (Rebecca) number plates. The Irish government has taken even further steps. Cars registered in Ireland between January and the end of June will have a ‘131’ registration, and those from July to the end of the year will have ‘132’ at the start of the plate.
Another interesting fact – a survey in 2009 which celebrated the 15th anniversary of the National Lottery found that the number ‘38’ popped out the most but that the number‘13’ was one of the least drawn numbers…
There are some people that buck the trend and consider the number to be lucky for them; one such celebrity is our Free Spirit previous cover star singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. She was born on December 13th in 1989; she turned 13 on Friday the 13th. Her 1st album went gold in thirteen weeks. Also each time she has won an award or accolade she has been seated in the 13th row or in the 13th section or sat on a seat labelled 13 or row M – which is the 13th letter. As such Taylor wears the number written on her hand at all of her concerts for luck.
If you are concerned about how the number ‘13’ in 2013 might affect your life and your decisions then why not contact one of our Psychics:
Kristen (pin: 2323) is clairsentient, clairaudient and an expert in tarot. She has been on a lifelong road of learning and spiritual progression. Kristen is a firm believer in the natural cycle of life and is attuned to how this impacts various situations and challenges we all face as part of our journey.
My name is Aelissa (pin: 4444), I’m psychic, clairvoyant, clairaudient, clairsentient and a far seer. To me the tarot is the most versatile reader tool; I find that I can see more clearly the reasons behind issues that have occurred as well as giving possible timescales. It is easier for me to give likely conclusions and answer specific questions from the client if highlighted.
Seph (pin: 1369) comes from a long line of Scottish Seers, she has a unique way of reading and guided by spirit she will use all of her abilities, including Wicca to get to the crux of any situation. You will find a reading with Seph to be both enlightening and uplifting.
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