Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/572

 the Battle of Canna. In like manner all Postriduan daies are called black dayes, because that most commonly battles succeeded ill on these dayes: So amongst the Jews the black dayes are the seventeenth day of June, because on that day Moses brake the Tables, Manasses erected an Idol in the Sanctum Sanctorum, & the walls of Jerusalem are supposed to have been pulled down by their Enemies; likewise the ninth of July is a black day with them, because on that day the destructions of both the Temples happened, by this neason they are called Ægyptian dayes, in the old time observed by the Ægyptians, and every Nation by this way may easily make a like calculation of days fortunate or unfortunate to them, and the Magicians command that these holy and religious daies be observed no less then the planetary daies, and the celestial dispositions; for they affirm that they are far more efficacious, especially to obtain spiritual and divine vertues, because that their vertue is not from the Elements and celestial bodies, but descendeth from the intelligible and supercelestial world, and being helped by the common suffrages of the Saints, is not infringed by any adverse disposition of the heavenly bodies, nor frustrated by the corruptible contagion of the Elements, if so be that firm belief and religious worship be not wanting, that is, joyned with fear and trembling, for religion properly holdeth forth thus much; Hence those daies are called religious, which to violate is a sin, which if we carefully observe, we fear not any great mischief, which we may do, if we do otherwise.

Chapter lxiv. Of certain Religious observations, ceremonies, and rites of perfumings, unctions, and such like. Whosoever therefore thou art, who disirest to operate in this faculty, in the first place implore God the Father, being one, that thou also maiest he one worthy of his