Say that ten times fast.

Definition: A morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th. And I don’t mean the movie.

Not surprisingly, this particular phobia may be the spawn of another, much more popular one.

The only unlucky thing about Friday and the number 13 was that once upon a time they were sacred to the Norse fertility goddess Freyja, and well, you can guess what happened to that Righteous Rib come invasion time. The text of Standard Operating Procedures for Gynophobic Conquering Christians, copyright 995 AD, specifically instructs the demonization of any pagan symbols, traditions or beliefs that honor the divine feminine.

We may never really know the cause of friggatriskaidekaphobia, but frankly, I’m much more intrigued by its cure:

Therapist Dr. Donald Dossey [claims] that when you can pronounce the word paraskevidekatriaphobia you are cured of the irrational fear. I’d like to see the science, however.

What’s the medical term for an irrational fear of quack therapists?
[tags]Friday the 13th, gynophobia, Christians, Norse mythology, divine feminine, phobias[/tags]