Mystery of the number 13
The world is surrounded by a number of legends, beliefs, and myths. One would have thought that rationalist people know better than to believes these legends but that has not been the case. Even in today’s modern world legends continue to enthrall people.
One legend, belief, or myth surrounds the number 13 and says that it is an unlucky number.
If you visit China or America, you will find that most hotels and buildings don’t have a thirteenth floor. You will see floor number twelve and you will see floor number fourteen but there will be no thirteenth floor in the middle since it is considered unlucky. Even the house after number twelve is number 12 ½ and not 13. After 12 ½ comes the house number 14. Did you know that there are people who are ‘scared’ of the number 13? The fear is called triskaidekaphobia.
If you think about it, there have been a number of incidents that have fuelled this belief. You could take the Apollo 13 for example. This was the single unsuccessful mission by the superpower United States of America. It was supposed to land on the moon but it failed. On April 13, 1970 an oxygen tank exploded and this caused the ground crew and the flight crew to go through a number of intense and difficult days. The astronauts were, however, safe. The mission may have failed but it has made its mark in the history of the world.
Another example is the Columbia Space Shuttle. This one went into space on 1/16/2003. Add all the numbers and you will get the number 13. During its re-entry into Earth, it exploded. All the crewmembers aboard the shuttle died.
You can also think about the analysis made by The Telegraph, the leading United Kingdom newspaper, in 2005. They analyzed the lottery balls that won right form the year 1994, which marked the beginning of the UK National Lottery. Their analysis showed that number 13 was indeed an unlucky number. It was drawn only 120 times since 1994 to 2004. The luckiest ball was found to be 38. It was drawn for whopping 182 times.
Even Microsoft considers the number 13 very unlucky and that is the reason why there is no version 13 of Microsoft office. The version 12 is Microsoft Office 2007 and the next version Microsoft Office 2010 is actually version 14. Thus, the company skipped number 13 all together.
Most people fear it when the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday. The day itself is considered unlucky because most believe that Friday is an unlucky day and the others believe that number 13 is unlucky. Combine both of them and the resultant day is as unlucky as it could be. In fact, the English government had tried to prove that the myth related to Friday was silly. The government started building a ship named Friday on a Friday. The day of its launch was also Friday but sadly, the ship couldn’t even complete its first voyage! It sank!
So, why is this number so unlucky?
According to Numerology, the number 13 is defined as an ill-fated number of a haunting number. But, you should not believe such perceptions because they are completely wrong.
Number 13 is actually all about leadership. It represents a Guru or a master. Among all those born under the number 4, the number 13 people are very unique. They are unpredictable and can’t be analyzed easily. They are more like a puzzle. You can’t understand them easily and it will feel like you are unearthing a hidden treasure. There are many secret societies and sects that select their leaders who are born on the thirteenth.
If you notice the symbol of the United States of America, you will see the number 13. The seal has two sides and there is the number 13 there. There are also 13 leaves, 13 olive seeds, and 13 arrows. You see the number 13 even in the head of the eagle.
13 is also a cosmic mystery, according to many findings. There is apparently a 13th zodiac sign that has been revealed by NASA but again, it is a mystery.
Think about Jesus Christ’s life. It is a mystery. Did you know that he had 12 disciples and he was the 13th?
The Great Seal of USA also has a mysterious meaning and you can see the number 13 on it.
Those who are born of the thirteenth of any month or those who have a name that adds up to thirteen have a very mysterious life.
