The week has flown by and it's Friday the thirteenth. Most folks don't realize that the number thirteen was maligned many years ago because of its strong associations with pre-Christian spiritual traditions in Europe. There are about 13 cycles of the moon in a year and the moon and menstrual cycles were closely connected with the ancient worship of the Goddess. As the Church sought to repress the indigenous religions, it inverted old blessings into curses...and so the idea that the number 13 is bad luck persists even today. I like to think of Friday the thirteenth as a lucky day!
Speaking of the Goddess, I am working on an unusual set of Spirit Beads that celebrate the spiritual traditions of India, with an emphasis on the goddess Kali. She is the fierce aspect of the goddess and is the destroyer of the ego, and everything that separates us from our connection with the highest Self and the Divine. The beads will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.