It es to know generally, yt ye tyme electe to gyve a medcyn in
es whan ye mone and ye Lord ascendyng ar free from all ille and
not let by it, … and it es hyely to be ware to a medcyn whyles
ye mone es in an ill aspect, wt Satne or Mars.
An almanac for the year 1568, published by John Securis, London, contains
a list of days in that year favorable or otherwise for the preservation
of man’s health.
The second day of January was therein declared to be wholly propitious.
The twelfth was unfavorable, owing to the furious aspect of Mars to the
Sun, which was not, however, likely to cause bodily sickness, but rather
to incline the hearts of some people to imagine evil of their rulers. The
fifteenth of April was especially to be dreaded. On that day, says the
writer, “God keep us from the fury of Mars.”
In June evil passions were to stir men’s hearts, anger, hatred, and
strife; for in that month were no less than six quartile aspects of the
planets, one to another.
Many propitious days are also mentioned, and in conclusion _all_ days are
declared to be favorable to a good man.
“A New Almanacke and Prognostication for the Yeare of our Lord God 1569”
(London) says that surgical operations must be performed only when “the
Moone or Lorde of the firste house” is in the zodiacal sign governing the
particular member or organ which is to be operated upon.
And in an English almanac for the year 1571 we find the following
passage:—
No part of man’s body ought to be touched with the Chirurgicall
instruments, or cauterie actuall or potencial, when the Sunne
or Moone, or the Lord of the Ascendent, is in the same signe
that ruleth that part of man’s body.
Also _Gemini_, _Leo_, the last halfe of _Libra_, and the
first 12 degrees of _Scorpio_: with _Taurus_, _Virgo_, and
_Capricorne_, are not good for the letting of bloud. Two days
before the change of the Moone, and a day after, is yll to let
bloud.…
If the same be for the Pestilence, the Phrensie, the Pluresie,
the Squincie, or for a Continuall headach, proceeding of
choler or bloud; or for any burning Ague, or extreme paine of
partes, a man may not so carefully stay for a chosen day by the
_Almanack_: for that in the meane tyme the pacient perhaps may
dye. For which cause let the skilfull Chirurgeon open a veine,
unless he finde the pacient verie weake, or that the Moone be
in the Same Syne that governeth that part of man’s body.
The persistence of similar beliefs is shown by the following extract from
“A Briefe Prognosticon or rather Diagnosticon for this Year of Grace”
(1615), by John Keene, London:—
Seeing that these inferiour and sublunary mixt bodies are
governed of the superiour and simple bodies, and especially by
the motion of our neighbour Planet, the Moone, diseases vary
and differ, and not for that she exceedes the rest in vertue
and power, but because she is neerer us and swifter in motion;
for wee see, the Moone increasing, humours increase; and when
she decreaseth, humours decrease: for the bones in the full
of the Moone are full of marrow, all living creatures both on
sea and land, are then augmented in humiditie, as the Crab,
Lobster, Oyster, etc. Also humours in man’s bodie and in Plants
are then increased: for when the Sunne and Moone are in hot
signes, heate is increased, in cold signes, cold exceedes
heate; therefore have we just cause in purging of humours to
consider the motion of the Moone through every signe of the
Zodiacke, not only in purging of humours, but also in curing
diseases and in strengthening the faculties and vertues.
In the “Dialogue of Dives and Pauper,” printed by Richard Pynson in 1493,
this subject is referred to as follows:—
Alle that take hede to dysmal dayes, or use nyce observances
in the newe moone, or in the newe yeere, as setting of mete or
drynke by night on the benche to fede alholde (or gobelyn).
The French traveler, Jean Chardin (1643-1713), stated that in the year
1668 Cossacks invaded the northern provinces of Persia; and when the
inhabitants appealed to the Persian government for aid, they received
only the reply that no assistance could be sent them until the moon had
passed out of the sign of the Scorpion. The Persians formerly divided all
the days of the year into three classes,—preferable or lucky, middling or
indifferent, and unlucky or detested ones;[416] and the Emperor Frederick
the Great of Prussia (1712-86) was governed in his military operations by
the advice of astrologers, and always waited until they had indicated the
fortunate moment for a start.
The “English Apollo, by Richard Saunders, student in the divine,
laudable, and celestial sciences, London, 1656,” in giving advice to
mariners, says that the good or bad position of the planets at the time
of sailing has much influence over the fortunes of a voyage. The ancient
sages, moreover, declared that the chief means of averting evil were,
first, the devout invocation of Providence; and, secondly, the careful
choice of a proper time for sailing by observation of the rules of
astrology.
In William Jones’s “Credulities Past and Present” (1525), St. Augustine
is quoted as follows:—
No man shall observe by the days on what day he travel, or on
what he return; because God created all the seven days which
run in the week to the end of this world. But whithersoever
he desires to go, let him sing and say his _Paternoster_, if
he know it, and call upon his Lord, and bless himself, and
travel free from care, under the protection of God, without the
sorceries of the Devil.