In the contemporary West the number thirteen is considered as an unlucky number. Researchers are not confident about wherein this conception is rooted. Often they describe that the number twelve is conceived as a perfect number whereby a thirteenth would be a disturbance of that perfection. For instance there are twelve Olympian gods, twelve zodiac signs, twelve months in a year and twelve hours in a day (and twelve in a night). We also find this in Biblical lore where there are twelve tribes of Israel, twelve minor prophets and twelve disciples around Jesus Christ.1, 2, 3
The numerological value of thirteen is four (1+3=4), a number which is less present in the consciousness of the contemporary West. In the ageless wisdom, where man is considered as consisting of seven principles, the number four is related on the one side to the lower self with its four principles of concrete mind, emotion, vitality and physicality and on the other side to the plane of the intuition or buddhi, being the fourth plane in existence.4, 5, 6
For this contemplation it will be interesting to follow the line from the number thirteen to the number four to the intuition. This intuition, buddhi, is related to the heart centre (anahata chakra) which (counted both from above and below) regards the fourth centre and which is also the seat of the soul principle, the love-wisdom principle or the Christ principle.7, 8
Following thus the above line we see the number thirteen as being connected to the Christ principle. This makes sense when we consider that Jesus Christ had twelve disciples, for this makes Him the thirteenth in the company. This is acknowledged when we consider the number thirteen as consisting of the numbers one and three, for in the ageless wisdom in a threefold division one is the number of spirit and three that of matter, which are related to each other and thus brought together by the Christ principle.9
The above thought connects to what has earlier been contemplated about the Greek character psi (Ψ) .10 For this character, consisting graphically of a turned over number three above and a number one below, was found to signify the soul and thus the Christ principle. Analysing the number thirteen (13) further graphically it was also seen in that contemplation that graphically it depicts a butterfly (seen from the side), which regards a well-known symbol of the soul.
'Why then, if the number thirteen is related to the Christ, would it be regarded as an unlucky number?' one may ask. Basically this may have to do with the given that in order to win the Christ consciousness a detachment from all materiality must be reached. Every material thing we cling to must be given up, inwardly, if we want to attain Christ.11 So what may be regarded as an unlucky number by the average human being who has no interest in spirituality may be regarded as a lucky number by spiritual people, aspirants and disciples who want to attain Christ.12
May then thirteen become to us a lucky number.13