“When people tell you, ‘Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?’ Tell them, ‘No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.’ People who try the other ways get nowhere—a dead end! Frustrated and famished, they try one thing after another. When nothing works out they get angry, cursing first this god and then that one, looking this way and that, up, down, and sideways—and seeing nothing, a blank wall, an empty hole. They end up in the dark with nothing” (Isaiah 8:19-22 The Message).
With a rush of chaos working to divide the world, people are becoming more open to the idea of tapping into the spiritual realm via different forms of witchcraft to escape the uncertainty that clouds the air. Through modern-day wars among self-segregated movements, through absurdly heightened sensitivity over minuscule things, through death tolls rising for no good reason, through all kinds of bad news surfacing daily, the hearts of humanity are purely exposed and in raw form. Open, yet vulnerably susceptible to counterfeited bliss. Ready to receive, yet drawn in by a fraud sense of hope.
Whether aware or not, people are getting desperate for a real encounter—an encounter with Jesus. But with moral compasses on mute, the masses are following trends blindly, stampeding toward the most accessible, instantly gratifying forms of comfort through control. The multitude who are still unversed in Holy Spirit’s ways are simply unaware of their deep need of a Lord and Savior. And Satan has learned how to capitalize on the world’s ignorance of what God deems wicked. The devil loves taking advantage of the world’s hunger for something more. Unfortunately, his persuasive counterfeits rarely fail to get humanity to succumb to his deceit.
Since the majority of the world is looking for spiritual guides, they don’t understand the danger in dabbling with witchcraft. Instead, because it’s attractively painted to be harmless, people are finding comfort in the wrong side. Everyone is searching for Truth whether anyone realizes or not. And until hearts are awakened to Jesus, the tireless search continues. The simple yet hard truth to grasp is that there are but two sides to everything. Especially when it comes to the spiritual world, there is only right or wrong, black or white, light or dark. Satan, over centuries, has honed in on his trickery by graying all the areas. He’s skilled at making what’s wrong seem right, what’s black seem white and what’s dark seem light. He’s well aware of the God-given hunger for more that everyone experiences. And nothing brings him more pleasure than causing fumbles in order to intercept authentic opportunities for souls to grasp Truth.
Witchcraft is becoming more popular in the world today, and it’s an easy assumption who’s behind it. Under Satan’s spell of deceit, people are swarming to the latest trends. Undetectably fraud to the naked eye, leading magazines like Allure are persuading minds with articles titled “In 2018, Astrology Offered Comfort in a Chaotic World” and “A Modern Witch’s Guide to Casting Love Spells.” In these published pieces, the occult is praised for the sense of control it offers and people are encouraged to literally cast spells in the name of love. Allure’s astrologer Aliza Kelly Faragher writes, “When we elevate a thought by infusing it with our magickal intention, it transforms into energy. Spell-casting is the art of identifying, raising, and directing energy to actualize our intentions, and when it comes to matters of the heart, love spells are the perfect tool for inviting positivity and connection into our lives.”
Who could argue with that? Not incredibly far from truth, anybody longing for connection (even believers) could get sucked in. The demand to get connected is significantly higher in today’s day and age, simply because social networking and social media have taken the world by storm. Overcome by technology, the most consistent personal touches have dwindled down to an electronic “like” or heart symbol via notifications. Feasting off of crumbs of connection has starved our world of deeper feels. This is where the draw toward witchcraft comes into play. According to Faragher, “In a way, a beautiful image of a tarot spread serves as a gateway to something more. Though we’re initially attracted to the visual vocabulary of magic, genuine interest in the occult stems from a much deeper, more vulnerable place. Occult offers the opportunity to connect with others in truth and honesty, inspiring communities to form through honest connections.”
It’s no surprise that massive numbers are collectively funneling into the world of witchcraft. Similar to the draw in gangs, there’s a community, a “family” with open arms, ready to accept whoever’s willing to dive in. Sorcery’s not even the main attraction. Bottom line is, people—all humankind—long to love and be loved. And if desperation is thick enough, it doesn’t matter who’s sending the invitation.
Everyone wants to feel like they belong. With witchcraft now being painted with softer colors of ease versus the dark and gothic energy it reflected back in the day, if you’re not a follower of Jesus, why wouldn’t you jump in to this inviting lifestyle? In these communities, only positive vibes are showcased. “Are you looking for long-term commitment…? Are you seeking to let go of painful, lingering feelings for your ex?. . .Once you release your magickal intention, it will take the best route to reach its destination, but this route won’t necessarily be the fastest. Your energy has the power to bypass obstacles, but in order for the universe to do its thing, you need to give it time, space, and trust. When you obsess over the outcome of your spell, you infuse this energetic current with desperation, fear, and doubt. This energy muddles the effectiveness of manifestations, so play it cool and let the magick groove.
Whenever you’re collecting and directing energy, consider the law of threefold return: Whatever you release into the world—positive or negative—will be returned to you three times. Depending on the spell, this triplicity can refer to either sequence or potency, but regardless, casting spells ethically will lead to the best outcomes for others and for yourself. At the end of the day, cosmic warriors, there is no greater power than light: The most effective spells are those rooted in empathy, kindness, and compassion, so always conjure with warmth.”
Although very enticing, these concepts and belief systems are 100% flawed. Faragher is not entirely wrong about some things, but in her column and entire belief system, there is a gaping, God-sized hole. Completely disregarding God creates an empty invitation to voided space never intended for humankind. We were always meant to connect with our Maker. As mentioned earlier, there are only two sides to things, so this is where Satan has found his niche in deceit. He takes what’s complete and good, eliminates God and markets similar concepts to the masses.
“That doesn’t surprise us, for even Satan transforms himself to appear as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14 New Living Translation)! This is the meat of his deception—he’s smart in the way he ever so slightly taints and twists truth that even the mature need to keep their eyes peeled. The question is: Why is the world so happy with a knock-off spirituality? Truth is, it’s hard to detect counterfeit, especially when the desire for instant gratification trumps the wisdom to align everything with the Word.
It is absolutely vital to remember that just because something is (or seems) good, it doesn’t at all mean it’s got anything to do with God. There may be countless similarities to the world of witchcraft and a Jesus-following, Holy Spirit lifestyle of hope and faith, but we must not ever believe the lie that they are one in the same. Jesus says “. . .for the prince of the world comes, and has nothing in me” (John 14:30 King James Version paraphrase with added emphasis). God makes it very clear in His Word how He feels about empty spirituality. And the more the dark side gets marketed exposure, the greater our opportunity to shine pure Light. Witchcraft may be popular, but it screams of the need for Jesus that every searching soul is truly after…
Faragher, Aliza Kelly. “In 2018, Astrology Offered Comfort in a Chaotic World.” Allure, 26 Dec. 2018. Website.
Faragher, Aliza Kelly. “A Modern Witch’s Guide to Casting Love Spells” Allure, 21 May 2018. Website.