Suddenly, magic is all around me here in Westchester County, New York. The rainy spring weather brought more than the usual amount of weeds to my garden this year. Is there some spiritual rain that could account for the bumper crop of businesses that seemed to have sprung up having to do with the practice of magic? I think so.
I was searching for a parking space before my gym workout last week. I had to park further away from the location than usual. I parked right in front of a spiritual wellness center. In its' big picture window it advertised itself to be a spiritual counseling service, which included tarot card readings. It was also a full supplier of magical botanical products. When I mentioned this store to my trainer, he was only vaguely aware of its' existence. But, he did notice a large and rather gaudy purple awning in another section of town. It too did tarot card readings, in addition to spirit circles and energy adjustments.
Hey, what gives? Two new pagan beachheads just sprung up in a town not far from my own. I did not see that coming. In the war between good and evil we tend to think that the pagan practices of the past as outlined in the Bible are dead and gone. We don't expect to see the divination spoken of in Leviticus 19:31 which states: Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them : I am the Lord your God.
We might even have failed to take it seriously when we read passages such as 1 Samuel 28 which tells us that King Saul sought advice for his future by counsulting a witch. It may seem remote from our life as a believer so we fail to see its' relevance in today's world.
Why are some people looking to the stars or to spirit guides to find answers? In the mission territory that is Westchester County, New York, atheists tell me they believe that science has or will have all the answers. Why then are these ancient pagan practices sprouting up in this rationalist enclave? Wouldn't the microscope, a D.N.A. test or a brain image be more helpful? Hasn't our world found salvation with its powerful, life-altering pharmaceuticals instead?
All of these thoughts went quickly through my mind as I waited in front of the store with a purple awning for that long red light to change to green. I had a busy day that afternoon but I could not seem to get those stores out of my mind. What did it portent for my community, and for people's souls? It was not good, I knew that.
Flashing back to my own childhood I recall people in my family turning to these practices during times of trouble. My earliest recollection of such things, began as a usual visit with my grandmother, holding her hand as we did her weekly errands on the vibrant streets of the lower East side of Manhattan. Haggling amid the stalls of the old markets and buying live poultry under the Williamsburg bridge was fun. One day that fun turned to dread when we walked into one of the many storefronts dedicated to the practice of Santería.
Even as a young child, I knew what this was. My childlike understanding was simple but, I knew that Santería was the commingling of Christian beliefs and the Yoruban polytheistic belief system. I also firmly understood that this was an abomination to the God of the Holy Bible. I had been taught that at a Christian school that gave me some basics of the faith. My father also made no secret that he was none to pleased with his mother's dabbling in Santería. Whereas, I was concerned with her spiritual well-being, my father was more concerned with it being injurious to her wallet.
My own mother who seemed to laugh at various occult practices throughout the years found herself vulnerable when she and my dad went through a divorce. My mother was the classic example of a person who did not realize the power of the occult and so failed to be able to effectively mount a defense when she fell into temptation. I do not want to make the same mistake.
As I contemplate what the aforementioned businesses could mean for my life, I again think of the story of King Saul. He was facing an invasion by the well-trained and well-equipped soldiers of the Philistine army. The prophet Samuel had died and even though he had thrown the mediums out of Israel in the past, his present circumstances led to his backslide and the temptation of seeking their advice now. He wanted to speak to Samuel just one more time. Contacting a dearly departed loved one is the number one reason that people fall into occult practices.
The same thing happened to my mother and grandmother. We must be aware that during challenging times we might encounter spiritual warfare. We could then be tempted to seek answers and solutions that come from forces other than God. Sometimes we are impatient to receive an answer from God or we can't accept a loved one is gone. However, when we choose to contact a dead person, look at our horoscope, get a tarot card reading or look to crystals for healing, we are denying the power of God Almighty. We are following other gods. We are now in violation of one of the all-important ten commandants.
Choose to follow Jesus and Him alone. Resolve to resist the temptation of seeking fast answers. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones- Proverbs 3:6-8
NEXT WEEK- A Little Magic? (Part 2): More occult encounters in Westchester. Do occult practices really work?
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