Eighth, there is superstition about times: those who observe days, months, and years, not for the worship of God, but for the direction of their own business. Thus those who collect herbs or cut timber at fixed times, for buildings or ships, lack superstition if they do this moved by natural observation of place and celestial influence. At certain times the power of herbs is more effective; timbers also are less subject to corruption and more suited to use.
But it would be superstition if one fixed day of the week or month alone were observed, or a fixed hour of the day, merely because it is such an hour or such a day; or if useless circumstances were added, or idle or unapproved prayers. Hence Binsfeld rightly infers that to this belong those who observe certain feast days, such as the Conversion of St. Paul, St. Vincent, St. Urban, or others, and if it rains on them or if the sky is clear, promise themselves fair weather, fertility, abundance or lack of wine, or continued rains for so many days. They even made superstitious verses, the first of which is: “A clear day of Paul marks good times of the year,” and so forth.
Likewise, those who gather herbs on the day of St. John for certain effects, believing that on that day they have a more effective natural power; or graft trees on the very day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary; or bleed horses on the feast of St. Stephen; and do similar things while attending to a natural cause, when there is none, establish these things vainly. They also dishonor feasts in this way rather than venerate them.
But if they directly ascribed these things to the merit of the saints, attributed the effect to God as honoring those saints, and intended themselves to honor those saints, I would not dare condemn them.
To this also belong those who observe certain days, such as the day of St. Mary Magdalene or Monday, as unlucky or lucky for travel or for beginning some matter. Likewise those who observe whether, when they rise, they first put on the right shoe or breeches or the left, or with which foot they first touch the ground or leave the house, and trifles of this kind. It is established that they sin by this kind of superstition.
[margin: Augustine on Galatians 4:10 and in the Enchiridion, chapter 79; canon “Do not observe,” cause 26, question 7; Caelius Rhodiginus, Ancient Readings, book 14, chapter 9; Peter Breslayus, Notable Things, book 1, chapter 53; Alexander ab Alexandro, book 4, chapter 20; Ambrose and Augustine on Galatians; Anselm’s commentary; Augustine again on Galatians]
In canon law the Egyptian days seem to be such, which are mentioned by St. Augustine. Alexander ab Alexandro gathered together the ominous and shameful days of almost every nation, but omitted these Egyptian days. Caelius Rhodiginus says only this: that days called black and unlucky by the ancients are commonly called Egyptian by a corrupted word, “from the vanity of Egypt,” he says, “with the name slanted downward.” Augustine mentions them, and they are not omitted in the canonical decrees. But he ought to have explained which days these were among the Egyptians.
The canonical gloss wants the Egyptians to have taught which days throughout the whole year would be unlucky for beginning works, and wants the Church formerly to have marked these in its calendars. I do not doubt that the latter is false, for the Church never received these things, mindful of the apostolic prohibition. The former can be accepted, for these were inventions of astrologers, and Egypt was the inventor of astrology.
Peter Breslayus, in the first book of Notable Things, chapter 53, says such days are January 1 and 25; February 4 and 26; March 1 and 28; April 10 and 20; May 3 and the last day; June 10 and 17; July 13 and 27; August 1 and 24; September 3 and 21; October 3 and 22; November 5 and 28; December 7 and 22. I do not know where he received this. Yet I suspect that the Egyptians also considered those days unlucky and ill-omened on which they were struck by Moses with so many plagues, and the day on which Pharaoh with his army was drowned in the sea. For days notable for some disaster were afterward always regarded as black by individual peoples, as Alexander ab Alexandro taught concerning Romans, Greeks, and others.
The Fathers supply many examples of these superstitions when explaining the words of St. Paul, “You observe days, and months, and times, and years. I fear for you, lest I have labored among you in vain.”
Ambrose says: “Those observe days who say, for example, ‘Tomorrow one must not set out; after tomorrow nothing should be begun,’ and in this way they are usually deceived more. Those, however, honor months who examine the courses of the moon, saying, for example, ‘On the seventh moon instruments must not be made; on the ninth moon a purchased servant, for example, ought not to be led home.’ And by these things adversities are usually more easily brought about. But they observe times in this way when they say, ‘Today is the beginning of spring, it is a feast; after tomorrow are the Vulcanalia.’ Again they say such things as, ‘It is posterum; it is not lawful to leave the house.’ Posterum means adverse and untimely, as though it were late because the opportunity has slipped away. They honor years in this way, when they say, ‘On the Kalends of January there is a new year,’ as though years were not completed every day. But so that they may recall the memory of that two-faced Janus, they use this superstition, which ought to be far from the servants of God. For if God is loved from the whole heart, with him favorable there ought to be no fear or suspicion of these things. For whatever is done simply under devotion to God can turn out prosperously.”
St. Augustine reproves those who say, “I shall not set out because the day is not favorable, or because the moon is so carried; or I shall set out so that it may turn out favorably, because the position of the stars is such. I shall not transact business this month, because that star controls the month for me; or I shall transact it, because it has received the month. I shall not plant a vineyard this year, because it is leap year.” St. Anselm inserted these words exactly into his own commentary.
The same Augustine says elsewhere: “Thus also those observe who on certain days or months wish or do not wish to begin something, because according to the vain doctrines of human beings they judge times favorable or unfavorable.” And again in another place: “Our little gatherings are full of people who receive from mathematicians the times for doing things. Indeed they do not hesitate to warn even us that something should not be begun, whether of buildings or other works of this kind, on days they call Egyptian.”
[margin: Ciruelo, On Superstition, part 3, chapter 6; Martin of Arles, treatise on superstition]
So far the Fathers, whose words I have written down because, although in the first place and according to the sequence of the context the Apostle was speaking of the superstitious worship of days, months, and years among Jews, whom the Judaizing Galatians no doubt imitated, as St. Jerome and Primasius excellently judged with the Greeks, nevertheless it could happen that some paganism crept in at the same time. I saw this in France in the time of Catherine de Medici, when these things flourished so much among courtly matrons that they dared undertake nothing without consulting astrologers, whom they called their “barons.”
I ask: if some day is unfortunate, whence does this come? They answer: from the influence and position of the stars. But this is different and variable in individual years, nor is it the same on that same day. Ciruelo refutes this at length with physical reasons in the cited part 3, chapter 6; he can be consulted.
To this daily superstition also belong those who on certain days touch vegetables with brooms so that gnats, caterpillars, worms, or other insects may not harm them; likewise those who do not want to cut their nails on Friday or spin on Saturday, while meanwhile they do not abstain on those days in honor of God from other servile works; those who believe that there is greater power in holy water blessed on Sundays after Ember Days than at other times for certain special effects; likewise those who keep throughout the whole year eggs which hens lay on Good Friday, because they believe these have power to extinguish fires if they are thrown into the fire.
[margin: Burchard, Penitential, book 19, under the making of ligatures]
Tell me: is this power natural? No one would say from the day or from the mother, for what could be more absurd? No special prerogative then belongs to the mother. Nothing singular is then infused by the heavenly orbs or stars. Therefore that power is supernatural. Why does the same not belong to eggs laid on the day of the Resurrection or on the Nativity of the Lord? “By special privilege,” they will say. Tell me, please, how do you know this? To whom and when was it granted? They will say, “It is established by experience.” But that experience is fallacious. And how are you certain that the effect does not arise from a pact? Another may say, “Devotion persuaded it.” It is not good devotion which is joined with scandal, which is deservedly suspect, which is old-womanish, singular, and supported by no help of the Church or tradition. Many do these things in these regions. But in the same regions there are many unskilled in piety and in matters of faith and morals, many curious people, and many superstitious people. Read Martin of Arles, treatise on superstition.