Triskaidekaphobia Free Zone

Today is Friday the 13^th – invariably one of my favorites.

It always feels like a rather special day, a little out-of-the-ordinary and definitely worth celebrating.  It’s like a lovely little surprise – a celebration randomly inserted into the calendar and when it appears it’s best to pay attention.

I most definitely don’t suffer from triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13.  I do think it’s a fabulous word though, and I do like the opportunity to bandy it about, so I’m all about saying I’m triskaidekaphobia-contrary.

Being afraid of Friday the 13^th rates its own label.  Actually there are two to choose from:  friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia.  Fabulous words, no?  See don’t you feel lucky already, with marvelous words to roll around in your mouth?

I was rooting around in my studio looking for a copy of a wee zine I did once called Triskaidekaphobia, and while I didn’t find it, I did manage to amuse myself.  I found this charming vintage post card of cats playing cards.

No black velvet dogs playing poker for me – nope, I’ll take cats on a postcard any day.  And while the subject amused me, I was even more amused by the theme at play.

I looked at my studio table and saw what it actually looked like – something one doesn’t often actually see when one is working.  But spying with fresh eyes, I saw the table was strewn with cards as I’m mid-project creating my equinox mailables.  So I’d guess you’d say I was card playing as well.

Which made me smile even more broadly because just yesterday I found an amusing website.  I’m not entirely sure how I found it, which is often the way with best finds, but somehow I stumbled upon it because of its connection to the word abecedarian.  And if you know anything about me at all, you know I love abecedaries (or as I prefer to call them abecedariums) – those a to z compilations.  This particular site is curated by Professor Oddfellow.   (Fair warning you may get trapped by the sheer number of odd/silly/obscure things to explore.)

In any case yesterday I clicked on the site’s “Is Today the Day?” link and the message that came up was:

“Today is the day for putting the cards on the table.”   – Forbes Burnham, A Destiny to Mould, 1970

Which felt like a fun little admonition and prompted me to have a couple of conversations with friends about some new things I’m planning for my biz.   And so another example of playing cards.  Those little connecting threads always delight me.

Being Friday the 13^th also has me thinking about various superstitions, and being curious about their origins.  Black cats are traditionally considered an omen of bad luck in the U.S. and yet considered quite lucky in Japan.  When there are such disparate views it always seems like a perfect opportunity to open things up wider doesn’t it?  So much of what we believe is based on perception and our perceptions are hardly one-size-fits-all.  What beliefs are we hanging on to that really are ridiculous and could afford to be dust-binned?  Today might be a good day to think about that.

I especially like celebrating Friday the 13^th by remembering 13 is considered lucky because it references the 13 lunations in a year; it’s a prime number and a happy number.  Seriously, doesn’t it make you smile to know there are happy numbers?

I’m pretty sure I’m a happy number.  Since I don’t actually know my number, there’s no reason I can’t choose, and so I choose happy.  Being sovereign has a lot of fun benefits doesn’t it?  What about you?  Triskaidekaphobic?  Know anyone who is?  Like playing cards?  Reading cards?  Sending cards?  Have a lucky number?  Do tell – you know I love to hear.