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Astrology is seeing a renaissance under the generations of millennials and Gen Z, as are tarot cards and psychic readings. Are these things actually harmful or simply entertainment? Here’s what the Bible says.
Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have long for and worked endlessly to discern the future, looking for guidance that would bring them warnings or advantages.
Today, more people are turning to alternatives to religion as a source of guidance and wisdom and are seeking answers most prominently from what is called the occult.
Occult simply means hidden. The dictionary definition of “occult” is supernatural, mystical, magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. Occultism, refers to the various theories and practices under the occult umbrella such as divination, ceremonial magic, witchcraft, and alchemy.
Astrology is considered pseudoscience. Modern astronomy has shown that our expanding universe is in a constant state of flux. That means the positions used by astrology move in real life, but astrology, in practice, does not move with them. This alone should prove there is no “truth” to astrology. NASA even suggested a “13th” zodiac sign and that said that all signs have moved from their original positions.
The harm of horoscopes comes from putting one’s faith so strongly in them that they dictate decisions and behaviors. And unfortunately, so many people fall into this trap. Astrology tells someone to not travel or enter contracts at a particular time, such as Mercury in retrograde. Or that another person is not compatible with you simply because of their zodiac sign. The list of untruths goes on. If astrology was accurate, it would foresee the many disasters that continually plague our world, especially the really big ones. But it never does.
“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”
–Leviticus 19:31
The Bible warns against involvement in the occult. It is considered a sin.
But why does the Bible warn us against these practices? What’s the harm?
The occult leads people down many dangerous roads. At the same time, the occult leads people away from God. They begin to put more faith in these practices than in God.
Over time, it is easy to be influenced by the occult, following predictions of the future that can lead us to harm. The Lord is the only source of truth, the only one who can truly see the future.
Little by little, the occult can lead people into a variety of practices, including the use of drugs or psychoactive potions, bloodletting, orgies, and blood sacrifices. In the Bible, in the most extreme, we see that the occult eventually led people to sacrifice their children to Moloch (Baal or Bel). The Aztecs also sacrificed humans.
If the occult was not real, God would have no reason for warning humankind to stay away from it. The biggest danger is that involvement in the occult can put one in contact with the spiritual realm, a hidden realm, where you really don’t know with whom or what you are dealing with. And as humans, we are not equipped to play in this arena. We are at a huge disadvantage.
A person conducting a séance or getting a psychic message from Aunt Belle could instead be actually communicating with a demon such as Bael. Demons have access to the past. They can mislead people by amazing them with ‘information that only a dead love one could know,’ and thereby manipulating them.
The Bible tells us that once someone crosses over, they cannot Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16, informing us that no one can crossover from heaven to hell or Earth.
Spirits are not material beings, but they can enter the human mind through the unconscious level: our thoughts, visions, and dreams. Because of this, they can influence human behavior. Have you ever had thought that seemed to come from nowhere? We all have. But have you ever had one that was completely out of character of your normal thinking? This might be an example of spiritual influence.
“The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
– 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The Bible warns us that Satan, while not as powerful as God, has significant power on Earth, which is temporarily his dominion. Satan and his demons have superior intelligence, or at least more knowledge than mortals, and have the power to deceive and manipulate human beings. And herein resides the danger.
Another interesting warning about the dangers of the occult comes directly from those who practice it most fervently. Ceremonial magicians, including those who practice black magic or witchcraft, acknowledge that it is not a simple pastime or game to be taken lightly.
Ceremonial magicians often make contact with demonic spirits to request information or to do their bidding.
The apprentice who is learning the craft is repeatedly warned not to get ahead of themselves or to attempt rituals beyond their knowledge. Further, they are instructed in a variety of protected measures. Magicians warn that demons are tricksters who will challenge the unworthy or underprepared practitioners.
Anyone dabbling in the occult should take heed of such warnings given by those who are experts in it.
But more than anything, anyone would be best to follow the advice of God and not to dabble in the occult whatsoever on any level. Even practices as simple as horoscopes are a pathway to deception.
