Superstitions are sets of human beliefs and temporal practices observed in anticipation of the fulfillment of desired results through means not founded on Catholic faith. Definitely they are different from prayers.
In supertitions, a person relies on what he perceives to be his "power" to "create" or "prevent" or "destroy" from practically nothing, Such belief is not new since the first superstitious event was the infamous Garden of Eden incident involving Eve and eventually Adam.
They relied on the forbidden fruit to lead their lives and their future. They wanted to be God. They envied God. They were greedy and ungrateful. Eventually, pride engulfed them. They lied. They have in effect allowed themselves to be in a state of disbelief.
A superstitious person is torn between his human belief in the supernatural and his faith in the Divine.
Where do you stand?
Further readings:
Accordng to the Catholic Encyclopedia (see link), there are four species of superstitions:
* improper worship of the true God (indebitus veri Dei cultus);
* idolatry;
* divination;
* vain observances, which include magic and occult arts.
The number and variety of superstitions appear from the following list of those most in vogue at different periods of history:
* astrology, the reading of the future and of man's destiny
from the stars;
* aeromancy, divinations by means of the air and winds;
* amulets, things worn as a remedy or preservative against
evils or mischief, such as diseases or witchcraft;
* chiromancy, or palmistry, divination by the lines of the hand;
* capnomancy, by the ascent or motion of smoke;
* catroptomancy, by mirrors;
* alomancy, by salt;
* cartomancy, by playing cards;
* anthropomancy, by inspection of human viscera;
* belomancy, by the shuffling of arrows (Ezekiel 21:21);
* geomancy, by points, lines or figures traced on the ground;
* hydromancy, by water;
* idolatry, the worship of idols;
* Sabianism, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars;
* Zoolatry, Anthropolatry, and Fetishism, the worship of
animals, man, and things without sense;
* Devil-worship;
* the worship of abstract notions personified, e.g. Victory,
Peace, Fame, Concord, which had temples and a priesthood
for the performance of their cult;
* necromancy, the evocation of the dead, as old as history and
perpetuated in contemporary Spiritism;
* oneiromancy, the interpretation of dreams;
* philtres, potions, or charms intended to excite love;
* omens or prognostics of future events;
* witchcraft and magic in all their ramifications;
* lucky and unlucky days, numbers, persons, things, actions;
* the evil eye, spells, incantations, ordeals, etc.
For more about this, please visit source at Catholic
Encyclopedia of New Advent with URL http://
www.newadvent.org/cathen/14339a.htm
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