I knew some witches in England. They belonged to a coven which was in my parish. I blogged about them last year this time.
Believe, me. They’re real. They’re out there, and they’re not nice. One Saturday morning a fifteen year old girl knocked on my door. She was dressed all in black, with plenty of black eye make up. She asked if I could help. She had been at the pub with ‘Alex’. I knew that Alex was the king of the witches and that he had a reputation for seducing teen aged girls.
I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say that the girl was experiencing a real demonic attack as a result of her dabbling with the occult. She’s not the only one. In my ministry whenever I came across spiritualists, Freemasons, New Age devotees or those who dabbled in any kind of occult practices I also came across spiritual blockage, mental illness, psychic disease and negative spiritual forces.
Never forget or underestimate the power of evil in the world. In the midst of all the ‘fun’ of Halloween we should remember the spooks are real and they want to destroy all that is pure, good and beautiful.
The ugly, scary masks and costumes should remind us that the forces of evil really are ugly, scary and destructive. Really really.
Well that’s why we don’t celebrate it!
Father – we will have probably 100 to 120 people at my house tonight. The costumes will be Saint Dymphna, Saint Francis, Saint Thomas More, Saint Helen of the Cross, Saint Ignatius, Sait Isaac Jocues – and the list go on. What a tribute to All Hallow’s Eve – that the real heroes of history would be celebrated!
Please tell me St. Thomas More will be holding his head and St. Isaac Jogues will be missing some fingers? It just wouldn’t be Halloween without some gory stuff. Martyrdom can be icky.
Icky is right. I remember one of the early martyrs sung hymns while his accusers threw daggers at his body.
Gosh, one of my peers in CCD came to a church function flashing around a demonic looking pentagram like it was a Miraculous Medal. He was big into MegaDeth, and later Marilyn Manson. In my public school, he became part of a crowd of Goths: people who dress like the walking dead. Some of his friends would vehemently debate God’s existence with me in class. Others, if not all of them, did heavy drugs and drew pictures of dead animals. One I knew from childhood played Ouija. Unfortunately, the lives of these people were punctuated with death, divorce and domestic abuse. They needed God the most, but refused to associate anything good with Him.
Thanks for this post. I got involved with the occult in the past…and I still sense certain things in my life that have occurred or are occurring as a result of my willfulness. While I have been to Confession and clearly, have renounced these things, I still wonder if it would be worthwhile to speak to a priest who is knowledgable about these specific things…do you have any advice? To people who think it’s all fake, I say this: the occult IS real, it IS powerful, and it leads to death, spiritual and physical. It leads to physical manifestations of evil, and causes harrassment far beyond the actual practices themselves. God forgive me for the doors I opened, upon myself and upon others.
I’ll never forget a very harrowing tale told me by one of my cousins and some of his friends in Italy. They were in Cefalu, Sicily for a vacation when a sudden urge hit my cousin and several of his friends to seek out Crowley’s Abbey of Thelema. Now, that site is a wreck, and very few people ever go there. One of his friends, who was either bold or dumb enough to sneak inside, came out shaken and visibly terrified. He had a camera with him, with which he managed to capture some videos of the horrible murals inside.To this day they treat that tape with thee utmost caution. I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve been told there is a very real evil in that place.
I really, really, believe you! The problem is people do not take the occult seriously–they treat it as a fun game–and yet they want a real spiritual experience–so is it really a desire to amuse oneself, or the desire for a touching of the evil power? The occult is a disordered desire for power–against the first commandment.The fruits of the occult, like you said, Father, is spiritual blockage, mental illness, psychic disease, and negative spiritual forces. And people continue to be attracted to the occult–why?
The “I’m spiritual, just not religious” default setting of the post-modern pagan is a ready-made receptacle for evil of many shapes. When we do not worship the one, only, living, and true God in spirit and truth, we will fashion our own gods to worship. And then the Father of Lies is ready to seduce and destroy.
fr. jay scott newman:Good comment. I am always at a loss as to what to say to those who say they are not religious but “spiritual.” I just think, “how absurd,” and am at a loss for words. You gave me my new response: “When we do not worship the one, only, living, and true God in spirit and truth, we will fashion our own gods to worship. And then the Father of Lies is ready to seduce and destroy.”Thanks Father.
Tara ~ Why do people seek it? The same reason I did….the religion they grew up with failed them in catechesis, and people claiming to represent it seek the same things and publish their acceptance of it, leading the ignorant to think such things are acceptable. Another reason…they are truly seeking God, but instead of understanding the need to wait for Him, they seek the voice of the Other, and seek to know the future and things that should remain unknown…and open a door that should not be opened. Another reason….they don’t know God, they have never been properly introduced to God, or if they have, people who claim to represent the Lord warped things not in words but in behavior. I had a friend, a Wiccan. She was raised Christian, got married, and her husband’s family, who claimed to be Christian was clearly not so as they were incredibly abusive, etc. Her husband claimed to be Christian..but subjected her to terrible tortures, and then kidnapped and murdered her son. She sought refuge…and in doing so, sought the occult, because as far as she was concerned, the occult had never hurt her. Her husband, a “Christian” had damaged her more than anything ever could. (Please pray Divine Mercy for her…she is a wonderful human being, who really loves others, who really seeks God..but practices other things, not realizing what she is doing.) It is for these souls Jesus plead when he prayed upon the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” I have no doubt that if my friend truly met Jesus, she would accept Him…but she has been so damaged by those who claimed to be representative she will forever suspect anyone who claims to follow Christ. There are so many like her. Pray for them; most are just lost, not obstinate. They are wounded, they are broken, and they are confused. You may not be able to reach them by voice, but through prayer alone. Keep praying. Always. Please.
Adoro~Quite right. Although some people do get involved in a desire for power, many more go that direction because “christians” have hurt them very badly in the past, and so they run away.Archistrategos~ I was never even comfortable looking through a copy of Crowley’s Tarot, I can’t even imagine what that building must have been like. *shudders*And it’s true– too many people not directly involved with the occult fail to take it seriously. But I’ve lost friends to the madness that poisons their minds after messing about with that stuff. Wicca is sad enough, but that Thelema stuff is really, really nasty.We should pray for eveyone involved in these things.
I’ve seen pictures of Thelema. Believe me, you’re better off not knowing.
adoro:What Father Newman said is the perfect answere: “When we do not worship the one, only, living, and true God in spirit and truth, we will fashion our own gods to worship. And then the Father of Lies is ready to seduce and destroy.”When we don’t know God, we allow Satan to fill our void–and make-up our own gods.I will keep praying!
“whenever I came across spiritualists, Freemasons, New Age devotees or those who dabbled in any kind of occult practices I also came across spiritual blockage, mental illness, psychic disease and negative spiritual forces.” I could say the same thing about certain instances I’ve encountered with Christains!
I got involved in spiritualism and recently moved out-am still clearing the evil out.I recommend that anyone in similar position or trying to help someone in simialr position look for CANA and Sharon Beekmannon the web as they were once both involved and are now each christian and have written advice.I was surprised when reading through that one of you bloggers (sorry that sounds rude but I cannot recall which) states that Harry Potter is a favourite book). Even before I tried to get out of new age stuff I realised that that book is a very bad influence and introduction for childrean into new age practices of witchcraft. CANA explains further problems with the book.Everything bad that is said about spiritualism including possession, destruction of life etc and that it is the work of evil/satan is in fact true. This I learned through direct experience. I once thought that opinion was hyerbole. Its not. I am speaking from experience.For the lady whos freind became wiccan because of her abusive christian family. This is a familiar reality. My brother was abused by a priest. I was taught by nuns a couple were nasty pieces of work. This is no excuse. Jesus said that many would come in his name but not be of him (I am not good on verbatim quotes). She needs to at least do what I did…I kept asking God to never let me go whatever happened and also to stop deceit and show me the truth and I would say the rosary or pray generally.That happened.I got what I asked for. Even new agey know to ask for what they want: tell her ask God through Christ for the truth and always keep asking. This stuff nearly killed me..I actualy did die but was resusitated. I will not tell you the negative things that I have seen or heard but it was always mixed in with supposed good. They love to confuse and distract and decieve. Tell her GET OUT and fast.She may take the message more seriously from others who have been involved before. I contacted a catholic from a healing ministry for help but I rejected him because I thought that he was just closed minded and scared of the truth. In time I found that he was abolsutely right but it was those who had converted back from new age that I paid more heed to.Still cleaning out, byex
Hi!I do believe in witches.So do my friends, 1 of them said she went to a funeral in Cornwall,and the church had been known to have ghost and witch sitings,Well anyway when the funeral endedmy friends relitive said:I wont be suprised if the writings gone from the stone tomorrow. My friend thought they were laughing at witches.The next day they went to see the grave again,all the writing was gone all it said was; Do NOT mock.And my friend said it was never spoken of again. But every time she does tell someone, It gives me the shivers. -Smiley.Erin
I am a witch Do not mock me for I am REALI know everything about everyonethat smiley.Erin person was rite.I wrote on the stone becausethat girl “Laura” Her relative was mocking my decendants.I shall have revenge on the world some day and you shall all be DOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!! =(
dude your crazy! i believe in ghsts and poltergeiste but not witches. and halloweeen is just a holiday that kids celebrate to get more candy.ghosts, bad luck black cats, telekinesis, and greys are real. witches AREN’T!
im a witch and no we are not evil in any way. black magic is only used when needed. tho some times it was white magic but turned black so it is now grey magic and yes there is such thing. all u non belivers can hunt us and and believe that we’re evil but we know that what goes around comes around. and we can do nothing to stop karma so thats y we just dont do evil evil evil. we have to do good 2. most of us are teens and i am 2. WE’LL HAVE OUR TURN BELIEVE US OR BETTER YET JOIN US!! http://www.spellsofmagic.com