Friday the 13th – always one of my favorite days. There are folks who suffer from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, and those who can claim friggatriskaphobia and/or paraskvidekatriaphobia, the actual fear of Friday the 13th. But I lean in the other direction – I think this an auspicious day inviting us to pay attention and celebrate. Thirteen has long been considered a goddess number and connected to the lunar calendar, and Fridays are devoted to Venus.
One of my favorite blog shares is always a gathering of things I’m delighting in, and what better way to celebrate this day honoring Venus than with 13 things I love, find beautiful, or please my senses?
- This is one of my favorite images of Venus – from the Moon Oracle deck, which is a deck I love and use often. I think she looks especially nice sitting in a field of four-leaf clovers – which happens to be a spread in Katie Daisy’s book How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide.
- I have a friend who has a superpower of being able to locate four-leaf clovers without fail – she can stand amid a field of endless green and hone right in on them. Makes me laugh every time. I’m pretty sure it makes Venus happy as well.
- Another happy association: did you know 13 was a happy number? Did you even know there were such things? Frankly, I feel better knowing we live in a world that has happy numbers, and I delighted to know that Deborah computed numerically is a happy number.
- You surely know I love unusual words, and you’d never get me to admit to a single favorite. There are so many to love! But often I will declare on my favorite of the week and this week’s award goes to quoz: strange or absurd thing or person. I’m pretty sure we can just label this whole year and our entire collective world right now as quoz and call it done!
- Periodically I dial into the blog of Professor Oddfellow. He’s known as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” I don’t know about that, but given my love of abecedariums, I am powerless to resist a website with the name Abecedarian. Poking around I discovered this curiosity, definitely a quoz, from 1909 entitled Rose from Hell. A most unfortunate moniker, I think, for something so interesting, and which turns out actually to be a gall. Yet, another example of beauty in unexpected places.
- I recently accomplished something worth celebrating and I’m doing so by enjoying these fabulous peonies. They’re from South America, which explains how I happen to be indulging in them in mid-November. All the more abundantly frivolous and fabulous, don’t you think?
- I’m quite fond of Patreon and the concept of supporting those artists we love. I’m a big fan of Heidi Rose Robbins, who is a poet and an astrologer – a great combination don’t you think? In any case, I’m always delighted to receive a daily poem in my inbox – something chosen and read by her for her Patreon supporters.
- I have a great love for Persephone, particularly in her empowered guise as Queen of the Underworld. I always find myself deep diving in these energies as we move into the longer darker nights. I’ve recently begun working with Persephone Elixir, a product foundationed on Pomegranate and Mulberry, created by PoppyandSomeday,
- One of my favorite things about autumn is the plethora of local apple varieties that become available.
- Palo Santo is a beautiful sacred tree. While I more often use it in its essential oil form, smudging with it is wonderful as well. Here’s a brief video.
- I’m kind of obsessed with lapis at the moment – I keep dreaming about finding myself waking up under a literal lapis sky, and all sort of other lapis references are popping up on my radar.
- Lately I’ve been working with Blue Lotus (Nymphaea Caerulea), also known as Egyptian Lotus or Sacred Lily of the Nile. It was highly valued by ancient Egyptians, and although I’ve seen it before as dried petals, this is the first time I’ve been able to work with the whole dried flower.
- And finally, another blue thing I’m loving. I tend to drink more tea during the autumn and winter. It always feels like a special treat to indulge in blue tea – butterfly pea flower tea – which brews up into a lovely shade of blue. You can read more about blue tea here.
So there you have it, thirteen things I think are in the realm of Venus – things I love, things that are beautiful, things that honor and delight the senses. I’m very happy to celebrate Friday the 13th and feel very lucky to have such goodness in my life. What about you? Feeling lucky? Celebrating Venus? Avoiding black cats and walking under ladders today? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Hello Deborah,
I haven’t visit your site for ages! A love Friday the 13 and I claim 13 to be my lucky number. It must be Venus who pointed my in direction to your site today. Hugs
I meant to say pointed me not my
How lovely to have you stop by for a visit Evalina! I hope Venus has been showering you with love and beauty and much luck today, and you and yours are healthy and happy.
Quoz is such a unique looking word too! I like Fridays, don’t mind the number 13 and have a much adored and pampered black cat. 🙂 I’m off to read about the apples! As a native Washingtonian, I couldn’t resist!
I really hadn’t thought about the appearance of quoz, but you’re absolutely right Margaret. Yet another point in its favor! You have a very beautiful black cat and it’s only right she’s pampered and adored. I’m sorry I don’t have an actual link about the apples – I was just expressing appreciation for them. I never eat an apple without cutting it so I can admire the hidden star inside. Somehow I think Venus would approve.
I don’t worry about the number 13. I rather like it, but if it bothers someone I don’t mention my acceptance of it. There’s no reason to start an argument. We’ve got more important disagreements to sort out.
Spoken like a very smart woman indeed Ally.
Hi dear Deborah,
Thought it was high time for another visit to your virtual place. And what a delightful post you’ve created again. Sending you a big hug, with love. Patty
Hi Patty. Thank you for coming to visit and for your kind words. I’ve just been reflecting on how neglectful I’ve been of this blog, even though I really like both writing and connecting. It’s been such an odd year, and even as we’re nearing the end of it, I still can’t seem to find my rhythm. There is always more for us to learn and sort through isn’t there?! In any case, I hope you and yours are doing well, and send loving hugs your way as well.
Can totally relate to this, dear Deborah. This morning I read this:
“In order to improve your writing, you have to practice just like any other sport. But don’t be dutiful and make it into a blind routine. “Yes, I have written an hour today and I wrote an hour yesterday and an hour the day before.” Don’t just put in your time. That is not enough. You have to make great effort. Be willing to put your whole life on the line when you sit down for writing practice. Otherwise you are just mechanically pushing the pen across the page and intermittently looking at the clock to see if your time is up.
Some people hear the rule “Write every day” and do it and don’t improve. They are just being dutiful. That is the way of the Goody Two-shoes. It is a waste of energy because it takes tremendous effort to just follow the rules if your heart isn’t into it. If you find that this is your basic attitude, then stop writing. Stay away from it for a week or a year. Wait until you are hungry to say something, until there is an aching in you to speak. Then come back.” Natalie Goldberg
I think that is wonderful advice and not only regarding writing.
All well over here, although sometimes still feel that my personal space is being compromised now my hubby is working at home.
Fortunately, our house is large. Which is truly a luxury, the ability to be ´not together-together´.
I absolutely agree with Goldberg’s instruction that the heart must be engaged and hungry, or else the exercise is just rote effort that doesn’t actually create movement or spark or anything other than filling time. I might disagree a bit with her in that I think when one is truly engaged, it doesn’t actually take efforting – one is simply following the call of the heart and when one is doing that it really isn’t an effort, it’s simply how things must be.
You made me smile with your comment Patty – may you always find togetherness with enough room for personal space. Perfect!
Hi Deborah – love Friday the 13th … as I was born on the 13th – it’s a number I’m happy with and in fact lived in a number of # 13s! I didn’t know it was a happy number … suits me though … Your peonies are just wonderful – a flower my Ma loved … and I was always happy when I found her some for her room in her last years … she delighted in fresh ones being around – and I always bought in season. Lapis Lazuli – conjures so many colours of delight … the richness of it … and those medieval art works, where it was used.
Quoz – a new word … but good to see the post – a little late – but I’m here. Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe – Hilary