by Robert Wilkinson
Every so often I get an email that declares a certain month special because it has 5 of certain days instead of 4, and we are told it only happens every 824 years and so it will bring good luck or money or some other form of good fortune. Can this be true?
This year’s model involves an email (thanks, Mom!) circulating that says “August, this year, will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens only once every 823 years. The Chinese call it ‘Silver pockets full.’ So, send this message to your friends and in four days money will surprise you. Based on Chinese Feng Shui. Whoever does not transmit this message may find themselves poor.”
That would be funny if it weren’t so ridiculous and threatening in a backhanded way. I spoke about this 16 months ago in the article Is December 2012 Special Because it has 5 Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays?
As I said then, it's pure superstition to believe that somehow a given generic month is special in a way that guarantees us wealth. If our charts indicate it, then perhaps we could become wealthy in that month. But as a generic notion, it makes no sense, since that could mean that EVERYONE can become wealthy simply because a month has 5 of a certain set of days.
This phenomenon of 5 days in a month happens so frequently as to be a meaningless metric in searching for any kind of pattern or meaning. It is merely the result of how we’ve structured our modern Western calendar.
The phenomenon of three consecutive days being repeated in one month happens in every month with 31 days. In December 2012 it involved Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. That particular Sat-Sun-Mon sequence occurs where the first day of the month is a Saturday. (Because a month almost always has more than 28 days, the overlap keeps it rolling forward so that each month with 31 days will have this happen).
For example, Dec 2011 had 5 Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Jan 2012 had 5 Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. March 2012 had 5 Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, May 2012 had 5 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, July 2012 had 5 Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, August 2012 had 5 Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, October 2012 had 5 Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and so forth.
We are always told this “5 times a month” sequence is special since it hasn’t happened in over 800 years. The newest email states exactly 823 years, a day off of the last email stating how many centuries it’s been since this happened.
The problem with those numbers is, in the case of the December 2012 sequence, we most recently had 5 Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays in one month in July 2006, December 2007, March 2008, August 2009, May 2010, January 2011, and October 2011. The next ones are now, March 2014, and then August 2015.
In the email I got, the sequence in August 2014 deals with 5 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We last had that happen July 2011 and March 2013 and will again May 2015.
This year, 2014, in Jan we had 5 Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, I just mentioned March, and May 2014 shows 5 Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, July 2014 shows 5 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, August 2014 has 5 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, October 2014 has 5 Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and Dec 2014 has 5 Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
These sorts of emails are actually useful in an important way. In our lives, one of our “spiritual tasks” in perfecting our human mind involves awakening to and refining our “glamor dispelling mechanisms.” As an evolving consciousness, we have to learn how to overcome all tendencies toward superstitions and glamorous belief systems. We have a reasoning mind that must be trained in objectivity, critical thinking (not the same as criticisms), and the ability to examine all that comes before it for observation, analysis, and synthesis into some form of holistic realization.
The sort of “number play” we’re looking at here is in the same area of fantasy as those who play with the calendar, finding “meaning” in 12/12/12 or 11/11/11 or 10/10/10 or 09/09/09 and all those other points in time that came and went with no lasting measurable result. That's why emails circulating with statements like this can become useful and simple harmless lessons in cultivating our analytical skills while suspending our credulity. (Look it up.)
All analysis of calendar quirks aside, we also have the power of thought forms and affirmations at our disposal. It’s always good magnetism to affirm that we are finding ways to attract wealth, and learn what we need to learn to get into the groove of material prosperity!
In our human-ness, we do have the Divine guarantee of health, wealth, love, and perfect self-expression to the degree we embrace these. From time to time this means unlearning old patterns and living new ones. It usually involves redirecting the mind's focus and magnetism, so that we can get it working toward our highest, best interests.
So by all means affirm that money, resources, or other things of value will come to you in August 2014. Now too! While it will have nada to do with the email, it may serve your higher intention to focus that way. It’s all part of learning the game of life, and how to give and receive forms of energy that we love, whether on material, emotional, mental, or spiritual levels.
© Copyright 2014 Robert Wilkinson
Yes I think he has ignored the real question, which is what is the year when August will again have 5 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays?
Posted by: steve | June 09, 2014 at 07:57 PM
Hi steve - Why don't you do your own research and leave the answer here? I know when the next one is, and it's a fairly easy thing to find out.
For other readers, please feel free to enlighten Steve and anyone else who thinks this is important.
Posted by: Robert | June 11, 2014 at 07:11 AM
Very nicely said, Robert. I enjoyed your style of writing, and the way you looked at the bigger, human picture. I just googled a coworker's assertion, and randomly picked your page. Glad I did.
Posted by: Brent | July 03, 2014 at 05:39 AM
Steve, I think 2025 is that year.
Posted by: SomeOne | August 01, 2014 at 07:23 AM
Hi SomeOne - Ya da winnah of da dallah question of the year! 2025 is indeed the answer.
Posted by: Robert | August 01, 2014 at 07:59 AM