The Witches Astrology Journal for Friday, April 13th
Don’t be superstitious. Nothing will happen on Friday the 13th that cannot happen on Saturday the 14th.
—Unknown
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th is believed to be an unlucky day in many countries, but a lucky one in others.
What Do People Do?
For most people who consider Friday 13th unlucky, it is more a question of what they avoid doing, rather than what they do on this day.
The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia. Frigg is the Norse goddess whom Friday is named after and triskaidekaphobia means the fear of 13. It’s also known as paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is based on the Greek word for Friday.
Truly Frightening
It is a real fear – some people who have this disorder are even too afraid to say the words “Friday the 13th.” Others avoid flying on a plane, going to work, or even getting out of bed. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, millions of Americans are afraid of Friday the 13th. Symptoms of this fear range from mild anxiety and a nagging sense of doom to full-blown panic attacks.
August the Worst
In Brazil, Friday 13 in August is considered unluckier than any other Friday 13, especially as agosto (August) rhymes with desgosto (sorrow).
Some charities use Friday 13 for fund raising events. At Port Dover in Ontario, Canada, there is a big celebration for motorcyclists called PD13, which attracts large crowds.
Others choose to have parties with unlucky or creepy themes similar to Halloween.
Famous Horror Film
“Friday the 13th” is also the name of a commercially successful Hollywood movie series. An image of a hockey mask donned by the film’s character Jason is often associated with the film.
In many Spanish speaking countries, Friday 13th is a lucky day. In fact, the Spanish edition of “Friday the 13th” was renamed “Tuesday the 13th” (“Martes 13”), because this is believed to be the unluckiest day of the year. It is also a common belief that Friday 13 is a particularly lucky day for children to be born.
Super Lucky
Some people have won millions of dollars in lotteries on Friday 13. According to CNN.com, one British couple won $17 million after buying their lottery ticket on Friday 13. The same day, their mirror at home fell and broke, which according to superstition leads to 7 years of bad luck.
Judas – 13th Guest at Last Supper
Some say that the concept of Friday and the number 13 being unlucky may be linked to stories from the Bible. For example, Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, has been labeled “the 13th guest” at the Last Supper.
Other biblical events that supposedly occurred on a Friday include the great flood during the time of Noah, the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, the day Eve tempted Adam with the apple, and Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified.
On Friday 13, October 1307, a warrant was issued for the Knights Templar to be arrested. Masses of Templars were tortured or executed.
Loki – Norse Party Crasher
The superstition surrounding Friday 13 could also be linked to Norse mythology. According to one legend, 12 gods were at a banquet at Valhalla when Loki, the demi-god of mischief who was not invited, turned up, bringing the total number of guests to 13. He was responsible for the chaos that led to the death of one of the good gods, Balder, so all the gods grieved.
Egyptian Afterlife
The ancient Egyptians thought the number 13 was lucky because they believed that the 13th stage of life was related to the afterlife. After the decline of the ancient Egyptian civilization, the number 13 was still associated with the end of earthly life. However, its connotation shifted from hope to death and fear.
Symbols
Some people believe that the number 13 and black cats, which are associated with Friday 13, are symbols of femininity.
Reference
timeanddate.com
Friday the 13th: 13 Facts About the Unluckiest Day in the Calendar
Friday the 13th is considered to be the unluckiest day in the Gregorian calendar. Here are 13 facts about this day of ill-repute.
1. It’s Unclear Why it is Feared
Very little is known about the origins of the day’s notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The first documented mention of the day can be found in a biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday 13th. A 1907 book, Friday the Thirteenth, by American businessman Thomas Lawson, may have further perpetuated the superstition.
Others believe that the myth has Biblical origins. Jesus was crucified on a Friday and there were 13 guests at the Last Supper the night before his crucifixion.
Another account suggests that the day has been associated with misfortune since 1307, when on a Friday the 13th, the French king gave the orders to arrest hundreds of Knights Templar.
2. Yet, the Fear is Very Real…
So real that one scientific name wasn’t enough. The fear of Friday the 13th is also called friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia. Now say that 10 times really fast!
Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from Frigg, the Norse goddess of wisdom after whom Friday is named, and the Greek words triskaideka, meaning 13, and phobia, meaning fear. Paraskevidekatriaphobia is also derived from Greek: paraskeví translates as Friday, and dekatria is another way of saying 13.
3. …And Very Common!
Experts say that friggatriskaidekaphobia affects millions of people and estimate that businesses, especially airlines suffer from severe losses on Friday the 13th.
Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13, is even more widespread. So much so that many high-rise buildings, hotels, and hospitals skip the 13th floor and many airports do not have gates numbered 13. In many parts of the world, having 13 people at the dinner table is considered bad luck.
4. Friday the 13th Can Come in Threes
A bit of bad news for all of you who suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia – all years will have at least one Friday the 13th. The good news is that there cannot be more than three Friday the 13ths in any given calendar year. The longest one can go without seeing a Friday the 13th is 14 months.
5. Blame Sunday
For a month to have a Friday the 13th, the month must begin on a Sunday. Don’t believe us? Check out our Calendars and test it for yourself.
6. Friday the 13th Patterns Repeat in the Calendar
There is a calendrical method to the madness of Friday the 13th. Whenever a common year begins on a Thursday, the months of February, March, and November will have a Friday the 13th. This will happen 11 times in the 21st century.
The February-March-November pattern repeats in a 28-year cycle. In the 21st century, the cycle began in 2009. In 2015, 6 years later, Friday the 13th occurred in February, March, and November. This won’t happen for 11 more years until 2026 and we’ll have to wait again for 11 years until 2037 to see the February, March, and November trilogy.
This pattern will repeat itself starting 2043, 6 years after 2037.
7. Even During Leap Years
Three Friday the 13ths can occur in a leap year as well. If January 1 of a leap year falls on a Sunday, the months of January, April, and July will each have a Friday the 13th.
In the 20th century, this happened in 1928, 1956, and 1984. And in the 21st century this will happen four times in 2012, 2040, 2068, and 2096. Notice something interesting? Yes, it is the 28-year cycle again!
8. Fittingly, Alfred Hitchcock Was Born on the 13th
The master of suspense was born on August 13, 1899 – so Friday, August 13, 1999 would have been his 100th birthday. He made his directorial debut in 1922 with a movie called Number 13. Unfortunately, the film was doomed from the start and never got off the ground due to financial troubles.
Other celebrities and well-known personalities born on a Friday the 13th include actors Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen; novelist and playwright, Samuel Beckett; and former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro.
9. It’s an Unlucky Day Only For Some
Friday the 13th is not universally seen as a day of misery. For example, in Italy, Friday the 17th and not Friday the 13th is considered to be a day that brings bad luck. In fact, the number 13 is thought to be a lucky number!
In many Spanish speaking countries and in Greece, Tuesday the 13th is seen as a day of misfortune.
10. And Research Suggests That It May Not Be Unlucky After All
There is very little evidence to show that Friday the 13th is indeed an unlucky day. Many studies have shown that Friday the 13th has little or no effect on events like accidents, hospital visits, and natural disasters.
11. The Day Inspired One of the Highest Grossing Film Series
The commercially successful Friday the 13th enterprise includes 12 horror movies, a television series, and several books that focus on curses and superstitions. Even though the films and the television series consistently received negative reviews from critics, they have a huge following. The mask worn by the key character in the films, Jason Voorhees, is one of the most known images in popular culture.
12. And a Country to Raise Safety and Accident Awareness
Since 1995, Finland has dedicated one Friday the 13th in a year to observe National Accident Day. The day aims to raise awareness about safety – on the roads, at home, and at the workplace.
13. An Asteroid Will Safely Fly By the Earth in 2029
On a Friday the 13th! Friday, April the 13th, 2029 to be exact. When 99942 Apophis was discovered in 2004, it was thought to have a small chance of colliding with Earth. But you can rest easy because since then, scientists have revised their findings which show that there is absolutely no risk of the asteroid impacting the Earth or the Moon.
Reference
timeanddate.com
Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Friday, April 13
The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 65.30° ENE
Sun Altitude: -15.67°
Sun Distance: 93.208 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 21, 2018 5:07 am (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:22 am↑ 78° East
Sunset Today: 7:27 pm↑ 282° West
Length of Daylight: 13 hours, 4 minutes
The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 96.36° E
Moon Altitude: -3.03°
Moon Distance: 241961 mi
Next New Moon: Apr 15, 20188:57 pm
Next Full Moon: Apr 29, 20187:58 pm
Next Moonrise: Today5:19 am
Current Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 8.1%
Reference
timeanddate.com
Astrology of Today – Friday, April 13, 2018
The Moon is in Pisces until 11:25 PM, after which the Moon is in Aries.
The Moon is void from 7:26 AM to 11:25 PM.
The Moon is waning and in its Waning Crescent phase.
The Last Quarter Moon occurred on the 8th, and the New Moon will happen on the 15th.
Mercury is retrograde (Mercury is retrograde from March 22nd to April 15th).
Moon in Aries
Moon in Aries, which creates an instinctual, volatile, courageous, and energetic personality, can be a spur to achievement or the cause of perpetual conflict.
The best traits of the Aries moon include emotional courage, inventiveness, idealism, and enthusiasm, while problematic traits include emotional volatility, defensiveness, and a strong potential for interpersonal conflict.
The sky this week for April 13 to 15
Mars and Saturn chase the Moon, the Summer Triangle returns to prominence, and a brilliant Venus takes center stage, all in the sky this week.
By Michael E. Bakich
Friday, April 13
This could be your lucky night if you want to hunt down a galaxy. First, you’ll need to head to a dark observing site. Then, with binoculars in hand, scan about one field of view east-southeast of 2nd-magnitude Phecda (Gamma [γ] Ursae Majoris), the star that forms the southeastern corner of the Big Dipper’s bowl. You should see a triangle of 5th- and 6th-magnitude stars. The spiral galaxy M106 lies 1.7° south of 3 Canum Venaticorum, the triangle’s southern tip. The galaxy will appear as an oval blur of light glowing at magnitude 8.4.
Saturday, April 14
Brilliant Venus dominates the evening sky starting about half an hour after sunset. It stands 15° above the western horizon 30 minutes after the Sun goes down and doesn’t set until around 9:30 p.m. local daylight time — a full two hours after the Sun. Shining at magnitude –3.9, it lies in front of the stars of Aries the Ram and appears far brighter than any other point of light in the sky. When viewed through a telescope tonight, Venus spans only 11″ and shows a 92-percent-lit phase.
Sunday, April 15
Dwarf planet 1 Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter. Almost any telescope will reveal its 8th-magnitude glow. All this month it moves eastward in front of the stars of the constellation Cancer the Crab. You’ll find it tonight between magnitude 4.0 Iota Cancri and 57 Cancri, which glows at magnitude 5.4. It lies two-thirds of the way from the brighter to the fainter star. If you can’t pinpoint it exactly, sketch the area and come back one or two nights later. The point of light that’s moved will be Ceres.
Reference
Astronomy Magazine
In the Sky This Month
The constellations of spring begin to dominate the evening sky this month. Leo, the celestial lion, stands in good view at nightfall and leaps high across the south later on. Virgo follows the lion across the sky, with their brightest stars, Regulus and Spica, respectively, separated by more than 50 degrees — more than five times the width of your fist held at arm’s length.
April 13: More ‘O’ Stars
The Orion Nebula is 1,500 light-years away, yet it’s easily visible to the eye alone. It contains thousands of newborn stars. But it shines so brightly thanks mainly to just one star, Theta-1 Orionis C-1. It’s a member of class “O,” the most impressive class of stars in the galaxy.
April 14: 47 Ursae Majoris
The star 47 Ursae Majoris lies near the bowl of the Big Dipper. In a dark sky, it is barely visible to the unaided eye. It is home to a planet, which is too faint to see. Astronomers discovered the planet because its gravity tugs at the star.
April 15: Extinct Constellations
A pair of abandoned constellations sit on the back of Camelopardalis, the giraffe, which in the northern sky as night falls. One is the reindeer, while the other is the harvest keeper. Both were created to honor events of the 18th century.
April 16: Stationary Saturn
The word “planet” comes from a Greek word that means wanderer, because each of the planets moves against the background of “fixed” stars. Occasionally, though, a planet stands still against that background. Mercury and Saturn both reach such a standstill this month.
April 17: Moon and Venus
Venus is the brilliant “evening star,” low in the west at sunset. It outshines all the other planets and stars in the night sky. It’s especially prominent tonight because it stands close to the crescent Moon.
April 18: Moon and Aldebaran
The Moon is in the west during twilight this evening. Aldebaran will stand close to the upper left of the Moon. The bright orange star represents the eye of Taurus, the celestial bull.
April 19: Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula, which is the debris from an exploded star, stands close above the Moon this evening. It is an easy target for small telescopes. Its filaments of gas and dust resemble the outline of a crab.
Reference
StarDate.com
Your Daily Cosmic Calendar for April 13
Here is a Friday the Thirteenth that carries a fairly favorable astrological-zodiacal vibration.
Feelings of euphoria and optimistic thinking are par for the course during a trine between the moon and Jupiter (4:28am). This auspicious alignment also begins a void lunar conundrum that lasts until the moon enters fiery Aries (8:27pm).
While the void-of-course moon condition is ongoing, empowering loved ones is still a priority during the monthly lunar union with peace-and-harmony advocate Juno in Pisces (7:27am).
Learn more about the secret teachings of all ages while the moon joins forces with shaman-mentor Chiron (8:07pm).
[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]
Reference
Astrology.com
The Witches Current Moon Phase for Friday, April 13th
Tomorow the Moon will be in a Waning Crescent phase. In this phase the Moon’s illumination is growing smaller each day until the New Moon. During this phase the Moon is getting closer to the Sun as viewed from Earth and the night side of the Moon is facing the Earth with only a small edge of the Moon being illuminated. This phase is best viewed an hour or 2 before the sunrise and can be quite beautiful if you’re willing to get up early. It can also be a great time to see the features of the Moon’s surface. Along the edge where the illuminated portion meets the dark side, the craters and mountains cast long shadows making them easier to observe with a telescope or binoculars.
PHASE DETAILS FOR – FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2018
Phase: Waning Crescent
Illumination: 8%
Moon Age: 26.91 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 392,515.36 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 150,031,931.42 km
Reference
MoonGiant.com
About the Waning Crescent Moon
The waning crescent moon, happens when the moon is between a 135 and 180 degree angle with respect to the Earth and Sun. So we are seeing less than half of the moon illuminated and more than half in shadow. The word “crescent” refers to the phases where the moon is less that half illuminated. “Waning” essentially means shrinking or decreasing in illumination. Each evening, as the moon’s orbital motion carries it away from the Earth-sun line, we see less of the moon’s day side.
Each lunar cycle begins with a new moon. As the Moon moves eastward away from the Sun in the sky, we see a bit more of the sunlit side of the Moon each night. We call this waxing. After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half illuminated, so it is a waxing crescent moon. When half of the Moon’s disc is illuminated, we call it the first quarter moon. As the sunlit portion continues to increase, now more than half illuminated, it becomes waxing gibbous moon. When the Moon reaches maximum illumination, a full moon, the Moon has completed one half of the lunar month.
During the second half of the lunar month, the Moon grows thinner each night. We call this waning. The waning gibbous moon phase occurs first, followed by the last quarter moon when half of the Moon’s disc is illuminated. Next is the waning crescent moon, which wanes until the illumination is completely gone; a new moon
Reference
Full Moon Phases
The Planets Want You To Manifest Your Creative Dreams Right Now
Tuesday’s earthy trine between Venus in Taurus and Mars in Capricorn may be separating now, but the divine lovers will continue to dance within three degrees of each other through the end of this week. Both planets will also sextile Neptune in Pisces (Venus today and Mars on Saturday), making the next few days an extremely fertile time for creativity.
Saturday’s other sextile, between retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn, adds some vivid, intense colors to our emotional palette. Passions stirred up this weekend – romantic, creative, or otherwise – will be reignited by Venus on Tuesday, when the goddess of love opposes Jupiter and trines Pluto. Digging deep and exploring darker areas of life, such as sexuality, mortality, and the subconscious (as Frida did in many of her paintings) can reward us with a newfound sense of empowerment and self-worth.
If we’re waiting for inspiration to strike, Sunday, with an Aries new moon-Uranus conjunction, could be our day. With Mercury stationary direct in Aries on the same day, we’ll be fired up and ready to enter radical new territory. ¡Viva la revolución!
The only thing that could possibly stop us now is Saturn. As the planet of restriction stations retrograde in his home sign of Capricorn on Tuesday, we’re likely to encounter challenges or setbacks that bring us face to face with our own limitations.
But don’t let Saturn douse your fire! Instead, take inspiration from the resourceful and unstoppable Frida. Despite a lifetime of chronic pain from a crippling bus accident and countless surgeries, she lived one of history’s most colorful lives and left an artistic legacy that only grows more vivid with time.
Reference
Astrology.com
Conjunction: Saturn Pluto 2º
Semi-Sextile: Jupiter Pluto 1º
Sextile: Mars Uranus 1º
Square: Jupiter Neptune 2º
Trine: Moon Mercury 2º
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