Lady luck has left the building.

Insert horror movie doom music, Friday the 13th hath arrived, bringing with it a sense of general unease.

But why the dread?

The reason for the unlucky association stretches back centuries to Nordic folklore and beyond. According to myth the twelve primary deities of the Nordic pantheon threw a dinner party in Valhalla (fun). The trickster god Loki showed up uninvited as the thirteenth guest and shot his arrow through Balder the Beautiful, god of gladness. The death of Balder brought grief to the world and solidified the bad vibes of the number thirteen.

Fateful feasts continue in the Christian tradition. At the last supper, thirteen bros were present and Judas, redheaded betrayer of JC was the last to arrive, furthering the association of the number with an invitation for death or ruin. Friday comes into biblical play in several ways; Jesus was crucified on the Friday following the last supper and it is also understood that Friday marked the day that Cain killed Abel and Eve offered Adam the evil apple. Yikes.

Friday the 13th has played host to a myriad of moments in history that have further stoked its reputation as a baddy. Notable among these are the arrest and subsequent massacre of the Knights Templar in 1307, the bombing of Buckingham Palace in 1940, and the murders of Kitty Genovese in 1964 and Tupac Shakur in 1996.

Fear of this date is as vast as its history is long; there are even two terms to describe the phobia, the root of each sounding remarkably like Ikea furniture, paraskavedekatriaphobia and friggatriskaidekaphobia, respectively.

This Friday the 13th intersects with a ring of fire annular solar eclipse, which opens portals and eats the light of the sun on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Remember that the dark is a gift that enhances intuition — don’t waste what it brings you.

This eclipse cycle is burning and exists on the Aries/Libra axis. In simple terms, Aries is the self and Libra is the self in relationship, conversation, communion, codependency and conflict. The cycle began forging and forming us in the spring of 2023; it will include a total solar eclipse in April 2024 and conclude in 2025.

The key to navigating today and the days to come is grace, the grace period you will need to arrive on time safely and and the grace you can extend to yourself and others when words falter and meaning is lost. With this in mind I bring you sage advice for your sign this Friday.

Your patience has been tested and your buttons pressed over the past few months, Aries but hopefully you’ve learned that you can be calm in spite of instigative forces and you can take that proverbial chill with you as your ruling planet turns direct and your drive gets back on track. Progress need not be precipitous.

Double your bubble and guard your vibe this Friday the 13th my bull babies. As a Taurus, you are allergic to cheap but making a budget for both your finances and your emotional availability can be helpful to you now.

The long term effect of Mars in your sign coupled with your own innate extremism may have led as of late to a series of highs and whiplash lows. Yet, knowing what you are capable of, and capable of enduring should sure up your self-concept, Gemini.

Have you been self-sabotaging under the guise of care taking others, Cancer? Deflection masquerading as devotion is a meager meal for both parties.

You and your friend relationships are not wholly unlike the bonsai tree, Leo. Regular maintenance and strategic pruning are required to ensure your root system is oxygenated and your lofty levels don’t get too full for their own good.

You are wildly capable Virgo and also deeply resistant to the status quo which makes your relationship to learning and career objectives a little strained at times. Remember that you are in charge and what doesn’t exist is simply waiting to be made.

Mars going direct challenges you to apply the concepts of self-definition you’ve been cultivating over the past several months, Libra. Who are you apart from what you can provide to others?

You may have been knocked down or taken aback by revelations and relationship drama over the past few months, Scorpio but rest assured you are returning to fighting form and are better equipped than ever to communicate your wants and meet your needs.

Great news Sagittarius, it is possible to feel simultaneously free and safe in relationships both professional and romantic. Instead of looking for an escape hatch, start searching for your get away driver.

How have you been loving yourself lately, Capricorn? Success is not the same thing as self-care. Treat your body like the long term investment that it is.

You function well under pressure but cannot create when there is chaos, Aquarius. Lean into and on the people that give you calm conditions and permission to be yourself.

Do not, I repeat do not engage with your estranged ex, father figure, abusive boss or draining friend, Pisces. They haven’t changed pal, you’ve forgotten just how toxic they can be. All that hope and good will and sex magic you once poured into them can and should be bottled up and swallowed whole by you and for you.

Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.