Fate may have left, but the chances of you getting lucky are still high.

Add horror-movie doom music: Friday the 13th is coming, bringing with it a sense of general unease and an unexpectedly delightful astrological transit.

Before we get into primary sex and shadow work, let’s first discuss its ominous reputation.

Why are you so afraid of Friday the 13th?

The unfortunate association of this day of days goes back centuries to Norse folklore. According to the myth, the twelve primary deities of the Norse pantheon hosted a dinner party in Valhalla (pleasure).

The trickster god Loki appeared uninvited as the thirteenth guest and orchestrated the “murder by mistletoe” death of Balder the Beautiful, god of light and joy. Balder’s death brought sorrow to the world and reinforced the bad vibes of the number thirteen.

Fateful feasts still take place in the Christian tradition.

Friday is no fun, all death in the Bible

There were thirteen people present at the Last Supper. Judas, probably Aries and the red-headed betrayer of John, was the last to arrive, further strengthening the association between this number and impending death or doom.

And the hits just keep on coming, folks.

Friday plays a role in the Bible in several ways. Jesus was crucified on the Friday after the Last Supper and according to tradition, Friday is the day that a) Cain killed Abel and b) Eve offered Adam the apple of knowledge.

Oh dear.

Friday the 13th in history

Throughout the Bible and beyond, Friday the 13th has seen horrific events that have further fueled its reputation as a villain. Notable among these are the capture and subsequent massacre of the Knights Templar in 1307, the bombing of Buckingham Palace in 1940, and the murders of New Yorker Kitty Genovese in 1964 and rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996.

The fear of this date is as deep-rooted as its history. There are even two terms to describe the phobia, both of which sound remarkably like Ikea furniture: paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia, respectively.

The Astrology of Friday the 13th

In astrology, Friday belongs to Venus, the planet of love, beauty, attraction, qualities, aesthetics and ambient light.

And coincidentally, Venus is in her home stage of Libra on Friday the 13th this year.

This transit amplifies the energy of love, attraction, beauty and reception. This is an excellent time to summon desires and go out on the town or meet a stranger for role play, family constellation, freelance opportunities or a hotel date.

Venus in Libra = getting excited about turndown service, and getting really excited about having sex in a room that someone else has to clean.

Black Moon Lilith and Friday the 13th

In a union of the status quo and the subversive, Venus will also conjunct, or merge energies with Black Moon Lilith (BML) on Friday the 13th. Libra represents conventional attraction and desire, while BML is the toe-sucking, shadow-walking, salty underbelly of taboo.

In connection with the dark associations of Friday the 13th, BML represents our wild self, our primal urge to create and destroy, the shadow side of human sexuality, our assigned shame, our subconscious, hidden desires and reservoirs of power.

You know, sunny stuff.

During this conjunction, the boundaries between the illicit and the accepted blur, expression and experimentation are encouraged. Venus asks that we be fully present for the physical enjoyment of life, while BML demands that we own and initiate that which makes us feel vital, powerful and free.

Letting it out, making it exciting, taking it off, and speaking the truth are excellent ways to honor the spirit of this transit and welcome next week’s eclipse, whose main theme is being released.

Given the horror movie hype surrounding Friday the 13th, may I suggest translating the painful/pleasurable, expectant, and dark, curious energy of those spooky fests into your pursuit and enjoyment of all things?

Astrology 101: Your Guide to the Stars

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches planetary configurations and their effect on each sign, and reports on them irreverently. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experiences. To book a reading, visit her website.