Wicca Witchcraft Goes Mainstream...3,4

Wicca Witchcraft and Wiccans – Part 3

 realize that some parents might view my position as extreme, yet my unequivocal message concerning the wildly popular Harry Potterseries remains: Buyer Beware. Officially available for purchase July 16 at midnight, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was grasped by eager hands around the globe – hands mostly belonging to kids and teenagers. When 10.8 million copies streamed off presses, that sixth volume of a seven-part series boasted the largest initial print run of any hardcover book in history.

otter fans contend that J.K Rowling’s series is unquestionably positive because it has motivated a TV-saturated generation of youth to read books, develops the imagination, and teaches lessons about good vs. evil. “Besides, they’re just fiction,” shout Harry’s friends, “so lighten up!” Growing numbers of Christian authors say ‘ditto.’ Some say Rowling’s mega-series can even edify the body of Christ. Pottermania marches on.

n spite of the craze, here are four sober facts Bible-believing Christians should consider:

• A real devil exists behind the scenes (see Revelation 12:9)
• Real occult practices originate from this sinister entity
• Real Witchcraft is growing rapidly around the world
• Harry Potter is a sorcerer

his author has read every Harry Potter book. I’m familiar with the arguments – pro and con. Potter supporters say, “Rowling’s books are fantasy, and the magic described has no connection to real occultism.” This is not entirely true. Here’s the proof.

beron Zell-Ravenheart is a world-renowned occultist, a master wizard, and a practicing witch. His popular book, Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard (New Page Books, 2004), is now available on Amazon.com. In bold print the Grimoire says that its express purpose is totarget the growing numbers of Harry Potter readers who have become interested in exploring real Witchcraft. Under “Acclaim for the Author,” the Grimoire unveils its mission:

o catch the rising tide of youthful interest in benevolent magick...
...a trend reflected in the interest in Harry Potter... (12)

he back cover declares: “Out of the millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide” many “want to really do the magical things J.K. Rowling writes about. But would-be wizards must rely on information passed down from wizard elders. Is there a Hogwarts anywhere in the real world? A real Albus Dumbledore? Where is the book these aspiring wizards need? Luckily for all these fans, male and female, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, today’s foremost genuine wizard, has written the essential handbook.” (13)

bviously, not every kid who reads Harry Potter is going to rush out and join a coven. It’s also true that much of the magic described in J.K. Rowling’s series isn’t exactly what real occultists do. But that doesn’t make any difference. Lucifer is diabolically brilliant, and he knows that when a generation’s hero is a ‘cool’ wizard who experiences exciting supernatural power through Witchcraft, this will create an interest to explore the real thing in many young hearts. Oberon’s Grimoire is proof that occultists also realize this – even if naive parents don’t – and they are capitalizing on the “rising tide of youthful interest in benevolent magick...a trend reflected in the interest in Harry Potter.”

he entire Harry Potter storyline divides of the world into two classes: wizards and “Muggles.” While many wizards in Rowling’s series lack many brain cells, the real heroes – Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore – are presented as ‘cool’ practitioners of ‘white magic.’ Believe it or not, this is exactly the way real witches view themselves and the world. Under “Lesson 3: Between the Worlds of Magick and Mundane,” Oberon’s Grimoire declares:

he wonderful Harry Potter books of J.K. Rowling present a mythos (that is, a foundation story) that says: Beyond the boarders of the mundane (‘Muggle,’ as she calls it) world, there is another world full of magick, and magickal people...I used the word mundane just now, to distinguish the ordinary, everyday, so-called “normal” world from the World of Magick. We call that world “Mundania” – and the people who live only in that world and know no other, we sometimes call mundanes or mundys. (14)

ere Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, one of the most respected occultists in the global Pagan community, tells us that J.K. Rowling’s essential Magic vs. Muggle distinction aptly expresses the perception of real witches. Take note: Oberon declares: “...the Wizard knows the importance of stories and myths, and seizes the power to tell a story in a way that shapes the future.” (15)

id you catch that? Stories shape the future. Jesus Christ understood this perfectly, that’s why He taught in parables. According to Mr. Ravenheart, real witches understand this too. And guess what? So does Lucifer. Paul wrote, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

early 11 million copies of the sixth Potter book are coming,” reported the LA Times right before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hit bookstores on July 16, 2005, at the stroke of midnight. The next day, after 7 million copies sold in less than 24 hours, Rowling’s mesmerizing tale of a cool wizard-boy once again flowed through the brains of literally millions of unsuspecting youth all over Planet Earth. And unknown to naive parents, the tsunami-like “rising tide of youthful interest in benevolent magick” surged another notch higher. One more Potter book remains on the horizon, which will no doubt be the biggest seller of them all.

tories shape the future.

here are we heading?

Wicca Witchcraft and Wiccans – Part 4

icca” is a religion that practices Witchcraft. “Though it’s hard to know the exact numbers, Wicca may be one of the fastest growing religions among high school and college students,” reported National Public Radio in 2004 (16). Recently, as I have spoken about Wicca in seminars and at events, many have confided to me that family members, neighbours, or friends are into the Craft. In July of 2005 alone I was interviewed on over 30 radio and TV shows discussing whether Pottermania was fuelling teenage interest in Witchcraft. Most of these shows were call-ins. Many who phoned were practicing Wicca witchcraft.

hat do Wiccans believe anyway? Believe it or not, Christians are often quite mixed-up about this. When the average churchgoer thinks “Witch”, they imagine dark, sinister, scary folk who worship Satan, drink blood, and sacrifice animals in rituals. While some occultists dopractice such things, most Wiccans don’t. Surprisingly, most are great pet lovers, are squeamish before blood like the rest of us, and as for Satan – are you ready for this? – they don’t believe such an entity exists.

ell, to begin with, they [Wiccans] don’t believe in the Devil. The Devil belongs to the Christian religion, not to the Old Ways,” writes bestselling Wiccan author Silver Ravenwolf in Teen Witch: Wicca for a New Generation (17). Attempting to expose “dumb rumours about Witchcraft”, Silver writes, “Real Witches do not...

urt people
...take illegal drugs
...work black magic
...eat babies
...kill animals
...tell fibs or whopper lies
...get into sexual perversions
...drink or use blood in any way from animals
...steal or take part in criminal behaviour
...summon demons (18)

n a nutshell Ravenwolf says, “Witchcraft is a nature based, life-affirming religion that follows a moral code and seeks to build harmony among people, and empower the self and others” (19). Teen Witch calls Wicca “...the art and science of white magick, a gentle, loving practice” (20). With such claims to wholesomeness, perhaps you can understand why Wicca witchcraft is growing so rapidly.

hite magic – this is Wicca, or so Wicca says. And for all who deny any connection between J.K. Rowling’s books and real occultism, the fact is: it’s Harry Potter also. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (as in every Potter book), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are all depicted as good witches who learn good magic at Hogwarts to defend themselves from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (the evil Lord Voldemort) and his repulsive gang of Death Eaters who practice black magic. Whether you discern the connection or not: the popularity of Harry Potter parallels Wiccan growth. Both are booming.

 don’t doubt Ravenwolf’s sincerity, nor of other Wiccan authors, or of Wiccans and Pagans themselves. My question is: Is what Wiccaclaims, or is what Wiccans think, really the truth about Wicca? Or is there a dark side that Wiccans themselves don’t grasp? A few Saturday nights ago I was guest on a midnight New York radio show discussing Harry Potter and Witchcraft. When the show ended and we were off-air, the host then said something surprising. “Steve,” I was solemnly informed, “I’ve been in law enforcement for years, have seen the dark side of Wicca, and have witnessed behind the scenes what the pubic doesn’t see. I want you back on our show to discuss this more fully.” This confirmed what I already knew, for I have friends who have exited the Craft.

itches themselves are often puzzled over what happens behind Wiccan walls. New Worlds is the official Journal of Llewellyn Publications, which not only publishes Silver Ravenwolf’s books but is also the biggest occult publisher in the world. The March/April 2005 issue features an enlightening article entitled, “Protection Magic,” by “Natalie Harter, Acquisitions Specialist: Witchcraft, Paganism, Magick.” After opening with, “Protection magic is always a popular topic in magic circles [SW-it’s also big in Harry Potter],” Natalie wrote that for some strange reason those who delve deeply into magic often become the targets of “not-so-helpful energies.” Becoming more graphic, Natalie wrote that Witches are often “ransacked by bad spirits” to the point of being recipients of “psychic attack.” Attempting to offer insights on “protecting ourselves from malevolent forces,” Natalie naively recommends positive thinking, laughter, and protective spells to counteract “harmful voices in your head.” (21)

hat are those “harmful voices” pounding inside many Witches heads? Wiccans offer a variety of explanations, but one eludes them –Satan and his angels. The reason is they don’t believe they exist. Have you heard the phrase, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you”? The awful truth is, “What Wiccans don’t know can kill them.”

he only way to truly understand Wicca witchcraft (or any religion for that matter) is to look at through the penetrating perspective of Holy Scripture. Does the Devil exist? Ask the BTK (Bind, Torture, and Kill) serial killer now behind bars. He recently confessed it was “a demon” that entered him when he was “very young” (7) which prompted his cruelty.

etter yet, read the Bible. God’s Word declares, “The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).

ost Wiccans are nice people. Many are honest searchers for truth. The problem is: they have no clue what they’re dealing with.

ut God does.

hat’s why we all need Jesus Christ.