“Spells” are certain words, the saying of which persons believe will effect for them something wonderful—­a miraculous cure, for instance, or protection from some evil.  “Charms” are articles worn about the body for the same purpose.  They may be little black beans, little stones of a certain shape, the teeth of animals, etc.  In uncivilized countries the inhabitants use many of these charms.  But you may ask, Are not these medals, scapulars, etc., that we wear, also charms?  No.  These things are blessed and worn in honor of God, of His Blessed Mother, or of the saints.  We do not expect any help from the little piece of brass or cloth we wear, but from those in whose honor we wear it, and from the prayers said in the blessing for those who wear it.  But they who wear charms expect the help from the thing itself, which makes their conduct foolish and sinful, since God alone can protect from evil.  Again, such things as medals, crosses, and scapulars are blessed by the Church and worn by its consent, and it could never allow all its children to do a sinful thing.  It is good and praiseworthy, therefore, to wear the blessed sacramentals in God’s honor; but even with these holy things we must be careful not to go too far.  It is true the Blessed Virgin will protect those who wear her scapular; but it would be sinful willfully to expose ourselves to danger without any necessity, because we wear a scapular.  Thus it would be suicide for a boy who could not swim to plunge into deep water because, having his scapulars on, the Blessed Virgin ought to save him by a miracle.  Again, it is wrong to look for miracles from God when natural help will answer.  Thus it would be wrong for a man who broke his leg to refuse to have the doctors set it, because he wanted God alone to heal it.  “Dreams” are caused by the mind being at work while the body is sleeping or at rest.  The mind never sleeps; it is always awake and working.  Thus when we are asleep the imagination, without the reason to guide it, mixes together a number of things we have seen, heard, or thought of, and gives us strange scenes and pictures.  Sometimes what we dream of seems to happen; but that is only because we dream so much that it would be strange if none of the things ever happened.  We will generally dream about whatever was on our mind shortly before.  We read in the Holy Scriptures that God at times made known His will to certain persons by dreams; as when the king of Egypt dreamt of the great famine that was to come; or when the angel appeared in sleep to St. Joseph, telling him to take Our Lord into Egypt, where Herod the king could not kill him. (Matt. 2).