Magic, at its core, lies in its simplicity firstly, and then, and only then, in its complexity. As a group, we ascribe things with meaning and it is so. We do not believe any differently because we do not know any differently. If you speak English, you were told at some point that the color of the grass is “green” and until this moment, you’ve likely never questioned this. Despite perhaps having seen grass that was white, grey, brown, beige, yellow, and more colors! The grass is green, the sky is blue, and Friday the 13th is unlucky.
If you are a human being with even a lick of innate magical power, you are drawing your “desires” to yourself all of the time. The problem is that these desires are as often fears as benefits. Ergo – if you believe that Friday the 13th is unlucky, you may in fact draw bad luck to yourself on and around that date.
It is one of the simplest ways that our beliefs manifest into reality.
As with all superstitions, finding its origin can be tricky. Though modern witches like to claim it as a church move to stifle the magic number 13 of the modern witches coven, there is little evidence of that. In fact, it would appear that the Christian superstition (which likely came about in the middle ages) has more to do with combining the day of the week of the crucifixion (Friday) with the number of people who attended the last supper (13). In the North, there is some potential connection between the myth in which Loki kills Baldr (as he was the uninvited 13th guest) but certainly no connection to Friday, or to witches.
That said, I don’t think that a story needs to be ancient to hold power. Whatever the source, Friday the 13th is often seen as a day of power for modern-day witches in Western traditions and that is something that we can work with.
Simplicity
I am keeping this spell as basic as possible to make it most adaptable to your practice. This is by no means the way in which I would cast this spell – please see the next second for variations on this theme.
You will need: 1 green candle and something to carve it with
To perform this spell, draw the Fehu rune on your green candle (or draw it onto the outside of a green candle that is encased in glass). Fehu is the first rune in the Elder Futhark rune alphabet. A direct translation might be “cattle” – it is a rune that represents all that is material and tangibly a sign of prosperity. All runes contain many ideas within them; both new beginnings and luck are well within Fehu’s domain.
That’s it. Please practice fire safety.
Notes: Green is the color normally associated with luck in Western culture but if you do not like the color green or prefer another color, you do you. What matters most is that YOU associate this candle with luckiness. The type of candle doesn’t matter particularly – just keep in mind that the amount of time that the candle burns for will have some effect on the duration of the luck that you get from it.
Complexity
There are so many ways to enhance this spell. We are already, by default, casting this spell on Friday the 13th which is an appropriate day to do a luck spell. You could further this by casting it during the hour of Venus (enhancing Friday’s energy) or the hour of Mercury (for those trickster vibes if that’s your thing).
This stage of your ritual planning is in some ways the most important. Contemplate: What does luck mean to you? What colors, tastes, plants, minerals, and/or symbols do you associate with good luck? This is a very personal process and what will make your spell bind to you – you need to give yourself the unconscious cues that this spell will make you lucky just like you gave the spirits through the use of the Fehu rune.
Botanicals
Additionally, I always dress my candles with oils and herbs appropriate for my intention.
Cunninghams’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs lists the following as good luck botanicals: allspice, aloe, bamboo, bluebell, cabbage, calamus, cinchona, cotton, daffodil, fern, heather, holly, huckleberry, Irish moss, linden, moss, nutmeg, oak, orange, pineapple, pomegranate, poppy, purslane, rose, star anise, strawberry, vetiver, violet
You could certainly make and bless a luck oil on Friday the 13th for future luck work.
Stones and other “inert” ephemera
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, & Metal Magic lists the following as connected to luck: Alexandrite, Amber, Apache Tear, Aventurine, Chalcedony, Chrysoprase, Cross Stone, Jet, Lepidolite, Olivine, Opal, Pearl, Sardonyx, Tiger’s Eye, Turquoise
Any of these could be used separately or in a crystal grid around your primary candle to add energy to your ritual. You could choose a crystal to then carry with you or place in a prominent location related to the type of luck you want to bring into your life (in your bedroom for luck in love or at your workspace for luck in business, for example).
Additionally, you could charge a talisman made from a lucky crystal or another object that you considered lucky to wear on your person. Or combine the leftovers of this spell together afterward into a spell bag. Something to bring the spell with you throughout your days.
Candle Magic
There are so many ways to enhance your candle magic. I personally practice sympathy; I like to use a figural candle that represents my work visually in some way that is meaningful for me. I prefer to use a green cat candle for this to make it a “Lucky Cat” spell but I can see using a green Buddha candle or a Maneki Neko candle if they are appropriate to your magic. If you work with a diety that is known for luck work, you may decide to choose a candle that is connected with them by color or shape.
An immediate example that comes to mind is Freya + a green cat candle + catnip as a luck attractor herb. Please remember to be respectful and only call upon energies that you already work with!
Additionally, you could use supportive candles in colors representing the type of luck that you would like the spell to bring you. You could burn a supporting candle over an existing spell jar to bring extra luck to your ongoing magic.
You could burn 13 tealights around your main candle to hone in on the number 13.
Reversing Bad Luck
If you are already stuck in a cycle of bad luck or feel that somebody may be (intentionally or otherwise) affecting your luck for the worse, you can add a reversal candle as part of this ritual. I would be very careful in the order that you light your candles here: light your reversal candle first, let it burn all the way through the black, and when it gets to the red, light your luck candle. Reversal magic can take some finesse and isn’t something that I’d suggest for an inexperienced witch.
If you’re feeling unlucky because it’s Friday the 13th – or worried that you aren’t over your Triskaidekaphobia, you could reverse those bad thoughts and then light your lucky candle and watch your life change!
That is, after all, the power of magic.