As I begin writing this, I had a thought that I don’t want to ruin the pop culture, traditionally ingrained spook factor for you if you really enjoy Friday the 13th in all of it’s glory. I mean the wonder of wondering what bad things will happen (not in a terribly fearful way but in a fun way), watching the Friday the 13th franchise, and all of the things that go along with that. I absolutely love Friday the 13th and plan to watch at least the first one, if not the first three, later today. I may even poke fun at a few friends about how unlucky their day might be. But really, why do we as a culture fear this day? I’m going to give you the Cliff’s Notes here and I hope you will do some further reading for yourself.
Before the Patriarchy, and I capitalize it because it’s a real organized thing that mobilized against women, Friday the 13th was not an unlucky day. This Vice article does a great job of explaining that before, neither Friday or the number 13 had any negative connotations. In fact, both were associated with the Divine Feminine and were what we would today consider something similar to holy.
Apparently, Friday was the day that Eve gave Adam the apple, and the day that he left the Garden and possibly died and was cremated. No offense to anyone who considers themselves a Christian, but don’t you think it’s somewhat problematic that everything was blamed on the female? This is the Patriarchy at work and has nothing to do with the Christ that came to embody Love. But the reputation of Friday was further cemented when they wrote that Christ was killed on “Good Friday.” They = a human male.
Again blamed on the female is the horrific nature of the number 13. 13 was the number of those at the Last Supper. It was also a Friday 13th when the Knights Templars were massacred by the Pope, who wanted their wealth and could no longer control them. But did you know that the Templars held the Divine Feminine in high accord?
Prior to the Patriarchy, the number 13 was celebrated as a feminine number. It is the number of moon cycles, which correspond with our menstrual cycles. The moon was also considered female by pre-patriarchy peoples and during our cycles, we were considered to have “divine and magical powers.” In other words, we are pretty powerful bitches during the time we bleed and the patriarchy sure couldn’t have that continuing. If you aren’t yet convinced, ask yourself why we are shamed for a very normal biological process.
I have not yet mentioned that Friday itself is named for the Norse Goddess Freya. I haven’t done my research into what other cultures called that day and how it is linked, but Friday is the English equivalent of Freya (in basic terms). Freya, a female whose name literally meant “Lady,” is described as the most renowned of the Norse goddesses and was patron of love, fertility, battle, and death. It’s the entire cycle of life in many ways. She’s one badass bitch!
So you can see why the Patriarchy claimed Friday, and the number 13, and then got creative with how they stuck it to females everywhere for hundreds of years and then some. I feel compelled to share some other information with you, but ask that if it makes you angry to learn about this sort of thing, that you don’t stay there. Use that anger to fuel positive change, and to fuel gratitude for the fact that now you know.
When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone – great book that details how the Aryans descended from the Caucasus mountains, brought their god Yahweh, and proceeded to infiltrate and take over the matriarchal societies specifically in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India. And yes, Merlin Stone is a woman. I actually got this book from the Huntsville library many years ago.
Lisa Lister – Lisa has written many “women’s books” that talk about things like loving your lady landscape (the actual title!), a book that discusses your monthly bleed and how powerful it is to take that back, and another called Witch that talks about the origins of the word (it meant Wise Woman!) and how many millions of women were exterminated over the course of the last several hundred years. Yeah, we didn’t learn millions in school did we? I did some digging – it’s accurate. Lisa has a website and Instagram, and she narrates her own audio books on Audible. They are fantastic!
Dr. Sharon Blackie – she is a Celtic studies expert but also writes about women. Her book If Women Rose Rooted ignited a spark in me and I can’t recommend it enough. I listened on Audible, but it’s in print too.
Rebecca Campbell – Rebecca delves into the mystical, but her book Rise Sister Rise was a clarion call to my soul. I had no idea that I needed it until I listened to it on Audible. She also narrates her own books there. They are fantastic.
Kara Cooney – Kara Cooney is an Egyptologist that has written many books about women in power in ancient Egypt. I enjoy her work and while it’s a different flavor than what I normally read, I love that she is talking about women and the real power dynamics.
And finally, a shout out to one of my local and favorite women’s champions, local artist and women’s champion Cami B. Miller whose studio is the Salty She.
Remember that the divine feminine isn’t only present in women, it’s somewhere inside all men as well. We embody both whether we have embraced them or not.
Tomorrow is Erin’s 7th Angelversary. Please think of me and her daddy tomorrow.
Love and blessings,
Nicole
