I practice witchcraft and still believe in god, Jesus and the holy spirit✨ I grew up catholic but never agreed with the church’s views on how to live life in order to make it into heaven. For a good 10 years I was proud to say I didn’t believe in god but I was in a dark place during that time. When I felt scared, lost and no where to go to I finally asked god for help and he came through and protected me. It was believing in God again that lead me to my spiritual journey and I’m grateful for it. Personally, practicing my craft makes more sense to me than being religious.
I'm sorry but witchcraft is pure Luciferianism. The story of Adam and Eve, whether literal or not, is the story of humanity being deceived into self diefication. Leviticus further and unambiguously forbids witchcraft.
@@MindScope666I’m wondering if you’ve ever been to the south, or the Appalachian mountains of the US? It’s done all the time. There are may different cultural practices that mix the Bible and magic. Now most of these won’t call it witchcraft sure.
My instinct is that a lot of the conversions are actually reversions. They were raised in Christian households and essentially were practicing witchcraft as a rebellious phase. In the same way that the white picket fence kid who went through an emo phase is now a white picket fence soccer mom driving a minivan, as they have gotten older the rebellion fades and they return to their childhood culture.
Yeah, not for all, but I think for a lot of people that is true - especially for people who have zero community unless they belong to a religious institution because everyone in their proximity is religious.
"Rebellious phase?" LOL When was it ever a "phase" to actual witches? My so-called "phase" is almost 31-years-old and the more I practice and the longer I've stayed a Witch the more convinced I was that farty runt versions of Christianity (AKA Christfaggotry) are just masks for the depraved to hide their evil behind.
It's a trend cycle. These people were never believers to begin with. A lot of the things people think they believe are actually things they absorbed from the people around them, wholesale, no thought applied.
Not in my case. I was raised in an atheistic home and both parents are still atheists, never went to Church and God was basically a Santa Claus figure who I stopped believing in at age 12. The occult is what led me to God.
Because in times of crisis people turn to religion because A) it’s familiar B) it’s something that has a bigger community and people chase community in times of turmoil
I'm a former Christian minister who left the faith and ended up a practicing witch. The point you made about the New Age and fear-based approach is spot on, and it's why Wicca didn't work for me. It's like the witchy cousin of Christianity.
I left the church in 2022, while in the last semester of earning my ministry degree. It was through those very studies that I realized that it doesn’t resonate with my soul and so I left. Paganism, specifically witchcraft, has brought such profound peace into my life. I have been highly criticized by some of my family members but I have no regrets about leaving. One major aspect of why I left is because I realized I joined the faith based on an emotional upheaval in my teenage years. Trauma bonded to the religion and it was further reinforced with manipulation and fear tactics. When I started healing my trauma, those binds started to unravel and I realized I didn’t want to remain in the church.
Hello. I walked the Left Hand Path since 1995 & it has been 29 years for me. Believe it or not, My late mother (1935-2008) was a Christian (Baptist, Protestant & a Born Again Christian) & my late father (1924-1981) was a World War II Veteran & an Atheist. My Mom raised me, yet I was a rebellious kid since I was 9. Since my father died in 1981. I was young and my inquisitive journey started in the Occult including Vampire Folklore. However, I am happy in the present moment because I refuse to back to the Mainstream. My Mother was worried that I am going to Hell, yet I was growing in my own way. I was fascinated with Magick, Witchcraft & Sorcery since I was a kid. I am 52 now. I will NEVER go back to Christianity because it has nothing to do with me and too many rules. Thank you & So it is Done. 😈
I can speak from experience. After having my baby I went through postpartum depression and anxiety. I felt so alone and sometimes their God seems more accessible. In times like that people seek community, and here in the south US there is one on every corner. These churches have woman’s studies, mom groups, kids clubs and welcoming people. You can’t always find that in witch and pagan spaces. Great video!
If you're in the Nashville area, come check us out. We have all of that and more. We also have mom groups, but instead of doing finger piants with the kids, we teach our kids to conjure spirits, and raise the dead to build our dark armies to take over the world, bwahahahaha. Also, we have snacks.
I have been a witch for 20 years now but have never felt a connection with pagan deities and felt like I was always searching for a greater meaning to encompass my practice. When Jesus came into my life I cried like a baby. I’m now a Christian witch who sees both the pros and cons of both systems, and experience how they converge effectively!
I’m connected to many gods and goddesses and it’s wonderful. Nothing wrong with you finding your own beautiful path. You sound like you took what you needed from both. I am not trusting most christians right now so it’s tricky for me to be cool with the religion.
Hey sis! There’s an awesome channel here on RUclips for Christian witches. It’s run by a very spiritual and wise black lady whose I have learned a Lot from. You probably already know her.
It's like you said Anya, Spirituality is personal to everyone. I am not a Christian. I used to be. But, I do respect Christians who are open-minded and not trying to convert anybody to join their club.
Christianity mandates that you call people to the faith. There's nothing wrong with trying to convert people. There's nothing wrong with believing other faiths are wrong either. The only problem is if people try to limit religious freedom with force.
Because they never deconverted and still had fear of hell. and they blamed their mental illness symptoms on witchcraft. They are also mad that they couldn’t handle the heat of dealing with the spirit realm and socially they value being liked by a group over their individuality.
So the witches channelling deities and giving readings and talking about Fae and unicorns etc = sane. But if a witch starts complaining about demonic attacks = insane. Thats a conveinient way to measure these things. Do you think truth is only ever the things you WANT to hear or make you feel good? Is the truth NEVER inconvienient? I used to be a part of the community, ive seen the way they purge people who dont tow the line on their dogmas.
@astraluna555 im not sure what your comment means. You claimed that people reporting demons in these occult practices have mental health issues, but if they do spells to influence their surroundings, channel messages from deities etc, they do not have mental health issues. Im just saying thats a very conveinient way of justifying it. Aside from that the pagan deities people are working with today have been sanitised to be more 'christlike' anyway and do not really resemble anything written about in the original mythos. So if your all just making it up as you go then its really just a worshipping of yourselves, if these deities are just convieniently whatever you want them to be reguardless of what your ancestors described them as. If you have to turn these pagan deities into a christlike figure in order to make them more palatable, then i would question what your doing. I can understand people raised in very strict religious communities needing to take a breath from that, but if the alternative is just making up a God to your liking and potentially serving demons as others have described in their own experiences which are just as valid as anyone elses experiences - remember these are the rules, then im not sure what your all getting at. Once you start questioning it, youll realise the only thing the occult has going for it is actually the community, if you challange their dogmas, theyll purge you before you can blink .
i think you really articulated all of this so well. this can be a super sensitive topic, but you pointing out that many people engage in things out of fear, without recognizing that that's what motivates them to engage in certain belief systems or practices. it's incredibly easy to take advantage of people who are acting out of a place of fear. i came from Christianity to occult practices looking for a sense of freedom from dogma. i like that i can build my own system, and that i get to define my relationship to God, instead of having someone else tell me who God is and what God does or does not want me to do.
They tell people that their light will be a beacon and negative beings will attack them because of that light. I was a witch before I knew what that truly was, when I was 13 I came across a book and as I read it I was like yes that feels right and that was when I realized what I had been doing my whole life was witchcraft and that was the true beginning of my journey. I started studying everything I could and I found my path when I was 16 Cerridwen was my first Goddess and I branched out from there working mostly with Celtic dieties. I am now 53 years old and I will never renounce my gods. I was born to follow my path and I am dedicated fully to it. I don't bend a knee in fear to my gods I work with them with respect and love.
Been muslim in the past . Now witch who isnt muslim anymore . I sometimes feel like i want to go back to islam but not because i believe in it . Its more out of fear , because the religious programming happened at such a young age that i cant really get rid of it . And sometimes i feel if i went back to it i'd be able to have a more acceptable life in my circles so its easier and less stressful in a way . And so i think most of these people probably felt the way i do so they went back to christianity. Add to it the fear of not knowing the afterlife or if there is one . Not knowing where your place will be . But if christianity tells them there is an afterlife and they will go to heaven if they did this and that , it feels safer , and it also gives them a purpose and erases the after death fear in a way
This is the first video that I came across on the Witches converting to Christianity that was very maturely done. I want to say thank you! I am new sb.
Thank you for saying that, it really means a lot. ❤️ Sometimes I think everything needs to be polarizing and intense all the time, but people are loving a more nuanced perspective as well, I'm so grateful for that. 🌹
The Pastor at my church gave me very little comfort when my son died, just general platitudes (he's in a better place, bla bla bla), but the psychic medium at the local metaphysical store was able to really help. She explained the Afterlife, how to look for signs, make contact with my son's spirit. I still go to church, but honestly it's easier for me to imagine people leaving the church to practice witchcraft than the other way around.
You can’t contact your son’s spirit. What the medium does may seem like it’s healing you but it’s not, it’s causing more pain by deceiving you into believing your son is still around. The best thing for you is to grieve fully, and then let go. Familiar spirits are demons and unclean spirits that hang around your bloodline so they know who you are and what you’re like. They can shift themselves to appear as a loved one. After my dad passed away I kept seeing him in my dreams. I believed that he wanted to help me and assist me in this life but I was wrong. Eventually the dreams began to look distorted, he sometimes would look eerie and upset/unhappy/dark. It was creepy. After I rebuked the evil spirit in Jesus name it stopped and hasn’t come back. Those dreams were NOT my father, it was an evil spirit that wanted me to continue grieving over him.
@@KYV97you’re a nasty person for commenting this this to a grieving mother. You are despicable and I hope you get your karma in this lifetime seriously. You need to stop judging because you can become an earth bound spirit and the irony if Christians called you a demon instead of helping you cross over.
@@KYV97 see, i would have conceded to your first reply on the pinned comment talking about your "salvation" but then you cannot help proselytising even to people who don't want / don't need /don't care for your point of view and still you shove it down their throat. i wish some christians had the ability to see how against their own principles it is to take free will from people by trying to scare them according to their own fear. "God" gave us free will, who are YOU to try and take it away from others with your fearmongering? Go hide in your church if you fear mediums, don't go to those of us who find their own comfort and safety in our practices. Missionaries always just morally blackmail and you've shown your true colours here.
@@astraluna555 I’m a nasty person for sharing truth that heals rather than enable a lie that causes further harm? Ok. God is the sovereign king over all of the heavens, if God says these are not dead loved ones, then it’s not a dead loved one but an evil spirit that hates you and wants you to suffer. In fact, I would find more comfort knowing that my deceased loved one is with GOD the King of peace and love, than stuck here on this cursed land lost and damned.
yes it's important for people to know that there are multiple realities going on.. people are always going through powerful shifts.. at the same time someone is having this visceral, spiritual experience that convinces them to join christianity.. there is someone having a profound, grounding experience to leave the church! as people are going through profounds experiences of releasing blockages and healing childhood trauma.. there are babies being born who haven't even started the trauma journey to heal from it.. the human experience is so vast and really comes down to the individual, their ancestors, guides, and what the soul is looking to experience/learn.. writing this i feel a heavy sense of dejavu!
I think because it's hard to pull together a full theory of the ultimate value of the universe from occultism. It's possible and in my opinion so much richer to do so -- pulling from your own intuition and gnosis -- but you have to be a pretty introspective, philosophical, hyper-reflective and independent type of person. It's just not for some personality types, and some people are better fulfilled with Christianity (etc). ❤
Yes. In short, from what i observed myself while part of the community , they seem to be making it up as they go, or as the christians would say 'creating a God in their own image', personally i found that their breakdown of pagan deities was not really reflective of the actual original texts about the deities. They have sanitized their deities to make them more 'christlike' but ironically still mock Christians and the Bible and Christian values, yet their conscience would never allow them to practice paganism as the anscestors did (or at least most of them wouldnt, ive seen certain corner of the witch community that would probably go along with anything but i dont think they are a majority). They qould be horrified if they saw the original uninterrupted pagan practices still going in Africa for example. Weve all see those people who conduct themselves with compassion and self awareness however i would posit that those types are not isolated to this community alone as much as they try and promote it.
This is not a self promotion comment. 20:21 I did a short video on this very same thing today. Comparing the Mass and the Eucharistic ritual to magic. I haven't finished editing it yet. I just find it so interesting that I ran across this video today after doing a short talk on it. Thank you for this discussion!
did you miss the part where they accidentally kill the abusive ex-boyfriend comes back as a ghost and they have to do an exorcism on Nicole Kidman's character?
Jesus was a magician. The Magi were magicians. There are prophets in the Bible. Prayer is comparable to petitioning and chanting. Performing miracles? Magic! Religion is about believing in the unseen, not unlike pagan beliefs.
So much of Christianity has co-opted various pagan religions in the regions where it first spread. Christmas being on December 25 (Saturnalia). The Easter Bunny is Ishtar, as opposed to the Resurrection of Christ. And on and on.
I love this! I became a Christian 6 years ago, but I went through a Spiritual Awakening and I've been working with Jesus and the Angels which led me back to my tarot reading and going down the Divine Feminine path as a witch. I fully believe in Jesus but not in a fully religious way. I believe He is God and the Divine Masculine, and I believe He did do miracles but that also coincides with witchcraft! I recently left the church but I have such a strong bond to Jesus and I practise my witchcraft with him daily! I also learned about the lost Gospel of Mary and she is the Divine Feminine counterpart to Jesus! So many things we weren't allowed to know in Christianity is now coming to light of Jesus real teachings which is exactly what the spiritual/witchcraft communities are about mostly! I feel so much freer knowing this and that I'm not doing anything wrong, and I feel that as long as I'm connected to Jesus and the angels and my Guides I'm okay! Plus my intention is always pure and loving ❤
Hey! I do religious studies, and I was really impressed by this video. Seriously, I have no notes- I always have notes.You seem really spiritually mature and well adjusted and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!
I teach witchcraft and black magic for a living, and I've seen quite the opposite.... The last few years have shown me an enormous amount of Christians that are coming over to witchcraft. Christians who have gotten tired of the empty promises and the god that never shows up, so instead they come and they learn how to contact gods that actually care about them, how to make a contact with powers that are real, and how to use those powers to benefit their lives.
They're tired of fear based, hierarchical organized religion that tells them they need a priest to be saved and aren't good enough. The idea of original sin is extremely harmful. Same w the patriarchy, misogyny, and shaming. Many are becoming witches. I still use the Bible in my workings because it's powerful but Christianity alone is limiting and all about scaring us into submission to hierarchy so we obey and tithe. I see so many more practitioners of earth based spirituality (witchcraft) than in years past.
"Christians who have gotten tired of the empty promises and the god that never shows up, so instead they come and they learn how to contact gods that actually care about them" I have to say, I am an ex-Christian who attempted to delve into a couple of pantheons, and I have not "heard back" from any deity I tried to contact - even went through the trouble of giving offerings and everything. And anytime I seek out something I always do research beforehand and take notes, go into the Reddit subs of the practitioners and read their experiences and practices. Is it possible to be like... spiritually blacklisted? Or is my intuition just shot?
@33-vertebrae Have you tried to open yourself to divine experiences without looking to contact a specific deity? I find, often the right deity for you will find you if you're open to it. Or maybe reflect on what you expect from a relationship with a deity and why you feel you want/need it in your practice. My own practice with deities is ever-changing. They come up naturally when I need them, but sometimes I don't have contact with them for a long time if they feel they have no purpose in my life. So maybe you're trying to force something that is not necessary - or your relationship/expectations with divinity might need some more shadow work before you can be truly open to it. Just some ideas. 🌹
Currently where I'm at it doesn't really matter whether or not my deities, magic, tarot, etc. are real. I come from a heavily atheist background so I still have a lot of self-doubt to work through, but when it comes to people arguing whether or not my gods are real, I sort of don't care? I just find this path very fulfilling for myself at the very least. But I do love the idea that my deities are protecting me and guiding me around. That for whatever reason these powerful beings have decided "I love these humans and I'm happy this particular one chose to worship me, I will bless his life." I love hearing about other peoples' deities and how our experiences can be similar but different
Sorcery is everywhere in the Old Testament, it's just not always specifically referred to as sorcery, but if you get like a Bible History book that expands on the context of Biblical stories, you'll find it's full of witches, warlocks, pagan prophets, etc. It's actually cool af. The witch of endor is a really cool example, which I'd highly suggest reading if you're into that kinda stuff. She was like an old & ancient witch who was able to prophesize using something called gastric divination where she spoke from like depths of her stomach
@@kevinvassago Gastric divination is reading the entrails of a cut-open animal (usually a sheep or goat). It was actually a common form of divination in Ancient Sumeria & Egypt too. Yeah, the Witch of Endor was OG! 😅
I'm SO glad you honed in on the fear. From a 'Consciousness' point of view, when someone is still at the Path of Fear/Contraction/Service to Self level of Consciousness Dogma and Othordoxy is going to be more appealing, something where someone "gives you" the answers is more appealing vs. when someone is at a Path of Love/Expansion/Service to Others level of consciousness it is more appealing for one to "find" the truth and the answers for themselves. This is not a judgment of either, both exist for a reason and are part of the evolution of consciousness. Idky but It is so common recently to hear a LOT of spiritual ego, and people claiming to be awake BUT having no compassion for those in a painful state, it's a bit concerning. Personally, any time I hear someone saying you "must always do xyz" or "must never do xyz" in terms of belief system, it alerts me that they do not concern themselves with freewill, or spiritual sovereignty and use my discernment accordingly. If they seek to change not only behavior but a person themselves, that should be a pretty big reg flag in terms of both opperating in fear & level of consciousness. I appreciate your educated, aware AND humble approach to this topic, Anya. 🙏🙏❤️🔥🙏🙏
I think Doreen Virtue was never really into New Age beliefs. She did it to make money and now that she's made all her money, her true self is out. To turn your back on something you claimed to love for so long and call it demonic is hateful and shows her true colors. I grew up going to a baptist church and left when I was around 19 after hearing the call of the Goddess. I will NEVER go back to that. Watch Practical Magic..you'll love it!
She is very extreme in either direction, to the point of dissing yoga or meridians in the body... as if there's nothing beyond one religion. If we have a soul and that soul is made out of energy, the idea that some energy inhabits our body in a pattern or flow is too wild of an idea?! Please Doreen lady...
I think it's fear. Apparently, she used to believe in a peaceful and accepting Jesus, but then she was looking for a quote from Jesus to use for cards she was making, and she saw a scary verse in the bible where Jesus said that he would deny people before his father. It seems like she already had a christian bias before leaving the New Age, since she just assumed that what the bible says is true and she just assumed that Jesus was special.
This is a good topic for discussion and you raised many interesting points. I was raised and lived my life in the Bible belt USA. From a young age, I always had a drawing to that which, in the Bible belt, is called dark but I had no foundation/knowledge to build upon. Then as an adult, I was born again. Wonderful. Exciting. I finally had something to build upon. I followed the Evangelical/Charismatic movement. However, as time went on, I started to apply critical thinking. And there was a pull that I could no longer ignore/push away/bury. Which led me to finally admitting to the woods and myself (out loud) that I was indeed a Witch and to return to my roots. It took about a 6 months to completely deconstruct from the Christian religion. While I have completely renounced everything of the Christian religion, I do not discount the wonderful experiences I had while in it. And you are correct concerning the difference in Christianity as compared to shadow work in the Craft. No comparison in my experience. I also agree that those of the Abrahamic faith need to stop trying to convince others they are wrong, but I know why they do. Thanks! Blessed Be! John Paul
You hit every topic I was interested in. Thank you for your input. I also think it's strange to scare people away from witchcraft. I don't listen to the scary stories because I do my best to follow instructions and i'm not too off put if something i manifest does not come through.
I would love to see what part of them talked to demons. People often do that thinking they will just give you things in this material realm without demanding change in you. They are a coaches. They train you to play they don't play the game for you. They start raising up shit on your life and create situations where you can process and let go of the things that are in the way. And even just talking to spirits triggers the path of self development. That's scary and can make people run to the "unconditional love that doesn't demand anything of you but just accepts you as you are"(edit. As long as you accept the "gift" 😔). And that is ok. They aren't ready yet.
I wouldn't refer to christianity as "unconditional love that doesn't demand anything of you". Christianity demands self denial to be a follower of Jesus. It demands putting aside self to live for Jesus and to become "born again" as a new person through Jesus, and to try to follow Jesus after being baptized and accepting sins being forgiven (through him being a sin offering as a human sacrifice on the cross).
@@lovestarlightgiver2402exactly Christianity is not unconditional love. Hell read revelation or the Old Testament. The Christian God is a good cop bad cop relationship and will give you stolkholm. More like a“ dear leader” situation 😂
@@lovestarlightgiver2402 Absolutely and I get from where you come from. My father is a priest. Theologically you are on point but for the *average* modern Christian hell barely exists. It's about getting to god "just the way you are". Which is actually pretty healthy and fine.
I am a tarot user but I have never deconverted away from Christianity. I am a Catholic Convert who worships at a liberal Lutheran Church. However, I have since I was a child gravitated towards Christian esoterism.
I left the Church (Anglican) a long time ago, for personal reasons, and started studying Tarot; I found it led me to God but along a much more rewarding path, where my personal relationship with the Creator became far more real. I felt sad about leaving but found my Christian studies were really helpful with Tarot (I use the RWS as my main deck).
@denisehill7769 I am attracted to bright colors. My favorite decks are Radiant RWS mini, Morgan Greer mini, and the Aquarian tarot. I tried for a decade to practice Catholicism conservatively and failed. As a Christian I am a failure. I was never able to let go of reincarnation and a belief that we are to BE or BECOME our own unique version of Jesus. Before I converted Catholic, I was flirting with becoming a pastor in the ELCA branch of the Lutheran Church. The church I grew up in had a female pastor. She called me an gnostic. In my version of Christianity, the most important practice to strive towards is to serve others. Love through action. Everything else is entertainment. If you said I wasn't really a Christian, you would probably be right. Yeah, tarot does have a funny way of deepening one's spirituality.
@@the-999-asmr-tarot-art-show Maybe you're not a failure, maybe you are the kind of Christian/person that Jesus wants you to be? I was the same, about the belief in reincarnation; to me it makes perfect sense and doesn't fly in the face of Christianity as regards the afterlife. Neither did I believe that animals don't have souls. I also went in for lay ministry but part of that study made me question more and more. After I left and explored Tarot, and later witchcraft, I realised that a lot of what I had accepted without question was misinformation and superstition....ie, witches don't worship Satan; the pentagram isn't evil...etc etc. I wish I could go back and ask people to think about the nature of the Creator God, and have a bit more faith in His omnipotence - the Church teaches that with God, all things are possible, but fails to really demonstrate this. In my view! I love Tarot. I remember opening that first deck and waiting for the sky to fall in, which of course it didn't, and that amazing sense of "knowing" the images as though they were as familiar as a childhood story book - yet I hadn't seen them before. I have found peace, and that really is a true gift. BB xxx
@@denisehill7769 My first tarot deck/coloring set gave me the heebie jeebies. It took me a few months to get over the imagery and understand the history of tarot. One artist’s “disturbing” imagery is another reader’s favorite deck to connect with. I find tarot very useful in personal development.
I really enjoyed the calm, nuanced and entertaining video. You really have a way about you. I found that I couldn’t NOT subscribe. Well, I guess I could have resisted that temptation - but finding a reason for that resistance was way too elusive. One thing that makes me write this is that I’m American. We Americans tend to be extremely emotional, animated and outspoken. Another thing that gives me that impression (other than you) is my instincts. What I’ve noticed about you and Bjørn Andreas Bull-Hansen is that you’re both calm and balanced about your approaches to existence. I’ve also noticed that, when I get enough sleep, enough exercise and enough to eat, I’m more myself, rather than being the typical manic American. And that’s not meant to disrespect my fellow Americans; who knows, maybe I’m more manic than everyone around me. If people had a more balanced lifestyle, they would be more in tune with being in a human orbit (while Earth orbits). Balance allows a person to be more graceful. I appreciated what you said about being able to believe in a demiurge, gods, goddesses or whoever - all at once or however you choose. All supervisors have a big boss, so why not? Jesus was probably closer to a heathen than a Christian (I mean seriously, I can’t picture him worshipping himself; he seemed like more of a shadow worker, a falconry practitioner or an existentialist - I mean what about the Dead Sea Scrolls, people?). What came first, the chicken or the egg? The question seems to drive some to plan mass atrocities - but it also inspires most people to follow a spiritual path instead . Whether it be creation or destruction, can’t we all just get along? I realize these questions don’t quite compute with the human brain; it’s the ultimate enigmas. That’s where the heart comes in. I like that Gregg Braden talks about heart-brain unity; I don’t like that he charges a lot of money for people to hear about it in person. I don’t know, maybe he wants to be a spiritual rock star or something? He is a Human enigma. I like how you disclaimed that your vid is just a conversation starter. You know, that’s as important as anything.
I am a christian witch who practices the Faecraft along with my christian/angel/saintwork and i found your video to be very respectful and i am thankful for that. I hate the scare tactics that Christians use to try to make people convert and i believe everyone has a right to believe and practice what their soul resonates with. But i hope the people who did convert find peace and happiness in their current path but they shouldn't make people who practice the craft feel uneasy for their path either. May everyone find peace and happiness on their personal path. Blessed Be ❤
I appreciate in value your video, so I have been a solitary practitioner for 6 years as of July 2024, I come in to witchcraft from Christianity because I was not happy with my past I wasn't getting anywhere if that makes sense, I love the part where you said community helps I live in the Bible belt I'm in North Carolina and I have never ever been to a witch event because they're not around I've never been around any other like-minded people like me not by choice, is there just isn't any of us in my area and if there is maybe they don't want to come out when I first started I never hid who I am, my husband is a Southern Baptist and he totally respects what I do, I've never had to hide anything from him, I have so much to say about this video all in all I value every single thing that you said
Thank you for this video, as someone who was raised in a religious cult and has ocd who is now a witch, I needed the reminder to check up on my practices to make sure they weren’t fear based practices
Something verbatim to what you said that stuck with me is that i need to work on taking time to feel the protection I already have around me instead of always asking for it as if there is a lack of it!
I'm a Christian witch, and this can feel lonely sometimes. But witchcraft has so many beautiful parts that I feel like I'm closer to God in my craft. The witch community, for the most part, has been pretty accepting. I also needed a goddess to call upon, besides Mother Mary and witchcraft has helped reveal her to me. 🌒🌕🌘
❤whoa the comments section I think you created the safest space for Christian Witches & also Muslim Witches to be able to speak out and be seen! I remember in pagan & witch groups back when I was on FB people in the community would dogpile on anyone who spoke about being a Christian witch. It’s great to see so many. Blessed Be!
Hey Anya! Thank you so much for the video I really enjoyed it. I myself began deconstructing from Christianity just over 4 years ago and I don’t see myself going back😂 it’s definitely been a ride and I have come to learn so much along the way. Good and bad, wins and mistakes. Your take on witchcraft and manipulating energy was interesting too. At the beginning of my journey I really rushed into energy manipulation without fully understanding just what it is and it didn’t always work in my favor and from my observation I think such experiences tend to lead new witches back to christianity, as they would write off the journey and equate it to being evil or not of God, instead of actually looking at why things may have not gone their way. Anyways, I was still determined to go down my spiritual path as I got so much healing and learned quite a lot about myself and I was just determined to do it the right way. I believe Christianity has nothing more to offer me (I do respect the religion and other Christians- if it works for you thats great) I have been thinking about manipulating energy again but I am still a tad nervous to go down that route😂 but I think I will get back there eventually!
Thank you for sharing that! And yeah, take it slow with your practice, whatever feels good. 😌 There's so many resources out there on everything, including energy manipulation or even just being able to feel/perceive energy as a start.
I really resonate w your experience, mine has been very similar.... After learning and experiencing what I have I could never go back to Christianity as it seems so small and broken in comparison.... I believe it is possible for Christians to experience this "bigger picture" (for lack of better words) but due to the dogma and manipulation it's not the norm, at least from my perception at this point... If I wouldn't have pushed past my fear and brainwashing I don't think I would have ever got to my current understanding just through the Bible and my Catholic upbringing alone.... If anything it crippled me in several ways, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.... So I've been working the past 4 years to deconstruct my religious programming and it has surprised me how deep it really goes and how much it affects...
@ Oh wow! Thats great. I was raised Catholic too. And my family is super religious. On both sides. I know how difficult it is to unlearn what you are brought up in so I wanna say congratulations on actively working towards finding your truth. I would like to say I was lucky-even though my family was heavily religious, I just never connected to Christian teachings as much, from childhood too. And I honestly did try. Even after leaving home to go study abroad, I went to different types of churches to see if it would be different but it never was. It was until I started searching for God by myself, connecting with nature, my ancestors and my higher self that I began feeling Source’s love more and more and I have just been trying to walk on that path and grow more. And thats just what works for me😂
@shaniadijeng8866 yeah I understand.... When it was being said that some people find comfort in their old religious beliefs it's the opposite for me.... All those beliefs brought me was fear and horrible self esteem nature, the ancestors, guides, spiritual teachings (non dogma) and all that has brought me far more comfort then Christianity ever did.... But I do recognize all beliefs can have a potential dark side when misunderstood and such.. ..
So an ex gf of mine ( we both practiced manifestation and with no Christian beliefs what so ever more elemental and nature work ) DMed 4 years since we fell out this was about 6 months ago completely out of no where..through a YT video of some woman “like her” it was absolutely baffling I learned so much from her and vice versa we worked together on all of it. Also she is now straight of course tried to treat me as if I am sick/doomed for my sexuality treated as if I was just a phase in her life and definitely tried to convert me and I politely declined and just got away from her. Honestly that hurt worse than us ending our relationship/friendship. I just don’t know who she is anymore at all I just cannot be near her in anyway. I do definitely think social media,RUclips,TikTok had a hand in this total personality change. Just baffled by it still and hope she is mentally safe but I still think of this from time to time like WTH HAPPENED?
This speaks to the fact that most people’s idea of an entire religion is the limited exposure they have had. I have a very religious friend who has only been to one church denomination. Who has genuine Christianity? It’s all based on where you happen to find it, not actually considering the entire religion.
Hi Anya- I really love every single thing you said about empowerment in spirituality and faith, and that what it comes down to is both our own sense of self-empowerment through our religions and/or practices, and the empowerment we find through faith and belief in connection with the divine, no matter how that expresses.❤🌌 While there may be a split in the culture between witchcraft and Christianity still, I find myself wondering sometimes if the more prominent divide is between fear based expressions and embodiments of spirituality and religion, and empowered expressions and embodiments-- which often comes down to the individual psyche of each person, and how they interpret, and just on a deeper level really carry within themselves the the texts, symbols, etc. of their practices or chosen faith. How they come to fear or empowerment may include what practices, groups or churches they're drawn too, and how hierarchies, distributions of power, "pecking orders," and so forth are, or are not carried out within those places. How people grow up, or if they've grown up around dysfunctional religious or spiritual practices and/or communities, or even in non-spiritual environments that were very strict, domineering and controlling I imagine is something that might play out as a pattern that gets tangled up in disempowered/fear-based expressions of belief when not addressed on the level of psyche. I wonder if some of the people you mentioned who converted will find themselves in a similar place with Christianity after a few years, when the novelty and newness of conversion has worn off? If it does, it might not have a lot to do with either practice or faith-- but the personal journey and relationship with "the divine"--- whatever that may be--- that each one takes, and how they do, or do not connect and grow through it. I'm just in the middle of your video now, but had to pause and share a few thoughts and appreciation. Thanks for raising so many great points and food for thought here! Best!😊❤🌌
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yeah, I think in the end it is always humans deciding: Am I using my belief system as a means of empowerment and trust or as a means of scaring myself away from what I consider bad? Every system can be used in both ways, but as you said, a system like Christianity has so many fear-mongering institutions and churches that the latter approach has become much more common in Christianity. I think the same would happen to witchcraft if those people who fear in people's hearts were in true positions of power, unfortunately. But luckily, witchcraft in itself is kind of set up to work mostly on an individual basis. But still some people try to be thought leaders and spread fear etc.
Completely agree about the problem with "fear-based" witchcraft! At that point, it's just another form of dominance and control, so what is even the point of being a witch?
You are very intelligent and well spoken! I agree with you. Fear is used on the vulnerable. It’s in all religions, even witchcraft. But it comes down to what you choose to believe. What you believe is your reality. Can’t stress that enough. 🤷🏽♀️ I chose to leave Christianity after I realized I was in it because of fear
Another aspect is Self-selection bias. Converts to Christianity are pursued for their testimony, while converts form Christianity to another spiritual path are NOT self selecting to give testimony. A notable exception is complete religious deconversion, but otherwise, the Jesus testimonies are many and give the impression that it's a dominant movement.
Yeah, I see your point. Especially in times of social media, everything becomes so much more visible. So it seems like everyone is converting. Add onto that the fact that everyone wants attention online and it's just shocking and polarizing to upload a testimony and you get a lot of engagement.
I am one of those ex-Christians who became a witch in the last five years. I’m pushing my late forties. I know I will never go back to Christianity because I had a reckoning with it, looked the toxicity in the face, looked the basic tenets in the face and realized I was disgusted by them and could no longer pretend they could be anything but deadly to nature. Sounds a little harsh, but I’m telling you I had a reckoning! Most people dabble or try to remain open minded without taking a hard look at beliefs and where they align with who they are. Most people don’t even make a distinction between their beliefs and who they are. It’s tangled, uncomfortable work that few are brave enough to do. Most of us are raised to develop co-dependent relationships and are totally blind to how that co-dependency informs our spirituality. What am I getting at? Everybody’s looking for a daddy, a mommy, someone to tell them it’s alright and they have all the answers. That’s what makes religion so irresistible. Witchcraft, at least some veins, tend more toward spiritual independence, and that’s a hard thing to stick with when you’ve been trained to be dependent. Well I probably made some folks mad, but you can’t be so “toleranty” that you can’t look a truth in the face. It’s taken me years to undo that internal dependence on getting someone to tell me what to do and that it will be alright. It takes hard work to learn how to be your own god and do that for yourself. It’s exhausting. You really have to get sick of the control and powerlessness dynamic. Plus, I’m always shocked at how some beliefs have been so universally accepted but never looked at face value. Why are so many people okay with the concept that it’s perfectly okay to sacrifice the innocent to assuage the guilt of the guilty? Like oh that’s normal! Of course, the innocent should pay for the sins of the guilty! I’m reminded of Sir Francis Bacon’s essay Of Truth: it’s the lie that sinks, and stays that does the most damage. And what witch in their right mind would be okay with the concept of original sin?! That Nature is inherently evil and flawed? These things run so contrary to who I am. They violate life. They violate me. I’m also LGBTQ. I have to look these truths in the face. Others have luxury of not having to. Most people don’t look their beliefs full in the face. They go into their indoctrinated lingo mode and try to rationalize these brutal concepts into something loving. Loving?! Me thinks most folks don’t know what love is. Anyway, I had a reckoning. I can never go back. I would have to betray my own soul to go back. I have little understanding or sympathy for those that do. I can’t unknow what I know. And I certainly will never betray myself for a mother, a father, a sister, a god ever again.
I'm an X-christian who practiced the religion and was devoted for 35 years, then I confronted all the questions and questioned the goodness of god. Today I've been freed for a year. Witchcraft helped me though the trauma it created. I feel alive for the first time in my life and free of fear of hell and punishment. Thanks for your videos, I love them❤
I too practice witchcraft and I think I'm very lucky that I literally had no exposure to any sort of religion growing up. There isn't any chance I will fall into the christian mindset thankfully. Even the deity worship isn't part of my practice. Sacred Geometry, physics, chemistry, and biology are definitely the tools I use and they feel more real to me than randomly worshiping archetypes. I agree with those who suggest that those who end up into christianity are just reverting back because of peer pressure from friends and family.
I find more unconditional love and safety in witchcraft and paganism. My connection with goddess isn't riddled with fear, guilt and confusion. As you said, there are no tools in Christianity for healing the shadow. I have found so many effective tools in my practice. I went to some healing sessions as a Christian but it was all about sin and forgiving others instead of healing my emotions and learning to love myself. I just cannot fathom converting to the Christian faith. I had so much trauma in it. I suppose everyone's experiences are different.
Early in life I was an atheist, and then agnostic, later I approached new age spirituality head-on, without fears or doubts, all the way to teaching yoga, reiki, etc. I came to know that a spiritual reality exists but also that, sadly, so much of modern spirituality is an illusion people buy to comfort themselves. A frustrating cycle of always searching and never finding, where many people keep looking for answers in tarot cards, crystals, or consulting oracles, instead of trusting - the simplest yet hardest thing to do. I've noticed that for many it's a way to bury your head in the sand - dwelling on the past or trying to peak into the future instead of confronting a very painful reality today. I understand these practices can provide an accessible way for many to connect with spirituality and gain a little bit of self-awareness, but staying immersed in them indefinitely feels like choosing to live in a world of illusion rather than embracing the full spectrum of Life.
Local church was hiring me as a church pianist. I enjoyed music and church songs. Yes all the mass process looks like rituals though. 😅 I also have my online store of witchy/devil/goth jewelry shop. I embrace this business and witch/pegan community. I am a Buddhist, also resonate with animism, shamanism: every natural elements have spirits and power. There is a Japanese comic "Saint Young Man," and in there, Buddha and Jesus are roommate in Tokyo suburban rustic apartment and enjoy their vacation on earth. Well, we all should have freedom in personal beliefs/spiritual practice.
i’m christopagan which is different for every christopagan but my beliefs are animism, polytheism etc and i view christian figures / deities / saints as a pantheon and the bible as a book of mythology! i’ve worked with yeshua/jesus in the past and now i work with mary magdalene! if u like christian symbolism and figures but don’t like the dogma highly recommend!! mary magdalene is an amazing goddess to work with if u have religious trauma and will allow to understand yeshua’s true teachings that the church distorted! highly recommend the book mary magdalene revealed by meggan watterson! witchcraft n paganism don’t have to be separate from christianity and as anya said christian rituals r highly magical ! there’s some amazing creators like sara ratresen and spiritualitea who make content about this kinda stuff
I appreciate that you made this video, as someone who has been in and out of Christianity and Witchcraft, myself. I do take issue with one point made, however. Yiu made the distinction between the desire to know what’s out there and the desire for power, and described coming to Witchcraft for power as unhealthy. I disagree. Witchcraft is about taking power and control, that’s why it’s a craft-something one does. This does not have to be a bad thing. You can do money spells to control a bad financial situation for yourself, and you can do spells to heal someone else. Witches of the past took control, they had to. It was survival magic. In my opinion, saying using Witchcraft as a means to power is a reflection of the Abrahamic religious teaching that we, as humans, do not deserve our own power. It’s the same judgment that the rest of the video speaks against. With power comes responsibility, of course. If you’re doing a spell for money, you have to consider what could go wrong and take protective measures or tweak your spell. The same goes for healing, hexing, etc. and each Witch will have their own definitions of power and responsibility. It is not wrong to want power in a world where most of us are so powerless. The desire for knowledge and power are what got Adam and Eve kicked out of Eden, and we don’t endorse that as Witches, do we?
Yeah, I see your point. I'm not sure anymore how I phrased it, but I definitely also don't think that going towards witchcraft for power is a bad thing in itself. It just depends what your motivation is and how you use that power. But yeah, at its core witchcraft is also a craft for the marginalized who get no justice unless they do it themselves. Thanks for pointing it out.
This is a great topic. Thank you for covering it. I think this is very Jungian at its core. We, as humans, NEED that container to hold our experience with the unknown parts of our nature, as Jung would say the "numinous". Witchcraft is essentially stemming out of yoga - not necessarily India but some form of spiritual metaphysics from some part of the ancient world; Druid, Celtic, Aboriginal, etc. It is the idea that you are a co-creator and responsible for your own direct experience of what you call God. Or it seeks to remove any religious container altogether. Any way you look at it, it requires a tremendous amount of self awareness, and personal responsibility to follow. This does not work for everyone. And that's okay! the strong "containing walls" of a religion like Christianity are exactly what an individual like that needs. And those that tried the more free-form approach of witchcraft that were not ready to have those "walls" torn down are, indeed, in danger of losing their minds (as the extreme case) or misusing the power they are given; having psychic entities latch onto them, etc. Thank goodness there are other ways to approach the numinous material in safe (although more restricted) ways. But eventually, the soul cannot stay in these restrictive molds. Eventually the soul reaches a line drawn in the sand they cannot cross unless they let go of the containers. It is setup that way; unavoidable.
I think another point to bring up is that Christianity is a VERY powerful egregore. And it gives tremendous protection to people that turn to it. I don't know what else I want to say about that but thought egregores should be a part of the conversation.
@@wa7pP986nah I don’t think they are any more at risk for entities they become aware of the entities already latched onto them and can’t handle the awareness! People think dabbling will give them demons nope it exposes the entities already in your field.
I’m finding similarities the more I explore things like the blue rose lineage, where it’s a combination of heart centered deities like Mary Magdalene and Quan Yin.
Hey there. I'm not sure how I got here, but algo gonna algo, I guess! It's no problem. This video sounds like it covers some pretty interesting thoughts. I just woke up and am still waiting for meds to kick in, and you cautioned viewers with religious trauma that it may be unwise to watch, so I've decided to pass on it for now, but into the queue it goes. However, I had a quick look at the chapter titles, and seeing that it doesn't much look like it talks history, but rather discusses high-profile recent conversions, I wanted to suggest some historical topics that I think you might find interesting, particularly when talking about conversion and harmful beliefs. I actually initially wrote a ton here, but decided to pare it down. These are complex topics with at least 2000 years of history, but a bullet list does more for the possibility of discussion, and it's easier to read. - Christianity as a part of constructed white identity, and how the connection back to Rome, Rome's collapse, the "dark age" of Europe, and the loss of the library at Alexandria, all together as the origin of the first "lost cause" myth that created and has fueled white supremacy to this day. - The church, especially when embedded in matters of state, as a further unifying point for white supremacy, and a driving (or even just excusing) force in European colonization and subjugation of the entire world, and homogenization of people within European countries and colonies. Crucial examples: crusades, inquisitions, and the papal "doctrine of discovery" of 1493. Also everything happening in the US since... well, even before its inception, but the backslide into Christian Nationalism, white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia of all kinds (with intent to exterminate), nativism, etc are terrifying. - How fear is a component of "willing" conversions (from your chapter list, you cover this), but in the context of so much historical (even up to fairly modern times) conversion under threat of genocide (so genocide either way, but one of them is survivable), how willing should we be to believe converts have been truly willing, rather than manipulated, even if they say so? It isn't for us to challenge them on this, but we can question it internally. - How the colonized peoples of the world survived forcible conversion into people subservient to the white supremacist Christian hegemony through syncretism and disguising cultural practices. Examples of syncretism: Haitian Vodou, Brujeria. I'm not suggesting an inherent violence to Christianity. The words attributed to Jesus were beautiful, made room for acceptance of others being different, and recognized a universal validity to how different faiths conceive of the divine. It is the wielding of the levers of power that makes Christians become hateful and violent. Jesus has nothing to do with it. I don't blame anyone who was hurt for rejecting it all, though. I have been hurt *badly* and am still being hurt "in the name of Jesus," by people who must not truly understand what they're doing. I have to believe that of them, even though I know that humanity is full of the capacity to do things both great and terrible.
I grew up religious and went to private Christian school, where we studied the Bible as a required course. The biggest issue is that it literally says to change or alter it will mean you are forever cursed, and that it is the living breathing Word of God. I can get behind all of that theoretically but the issue is the political changes that have been made to it - plus the fact that Jesus didn’t write it, a bunch of other people wrote it about him and interpreted him. They said “I was close to him this is what he meant when he did suck and such a thing”. Essentially what Jesus was trying to get across was that religion can be bad when taken out of context and that sacrifices are no longer necessary to the old gods because when he was killed, he was the perfect sacrifice as he was Gods Son made flesh. Pagan Saints, stories, holidays, goddesses and martyrs who died to further the mission all got blended in somehow and then it became about money. It tracks very well as a cult that had humble beginnings but really took off in a world that was slowly populating and unifying. It’s not myself as a witch that is offended by any of this - it’s history. The issue is that often people don’t read the book for themselves and rely on others to translate it for them, quote it out of context, or start slapping absolutes on there. The problem is when you have “THE way, THE solution” everyone else is WRONG. And whoever Jesus was (likely a practitioner of witchcraft or sorcery tbh) he became more of a legend and I doubt we will ever really know what all happened because it is lost to time, revisions, wars, persecutions, etc etc. Christianity is very problematic, being at the very root of it are a lot of people pulling the strings with a lot of money and power, so much so I think they completely lost the point - Jesus was like “you don’t need religion!” After he died everyone was like “hey… let’s make a religion about Jesus” *facepalm I feel like he would not be very impressed tbh 😂
There's a few good channels on RUclips that I would recommend. The Gnostic Informant, and MythVision. Awesome information on the mythos of Christianity. But as always, do as you will and harm none. ❤
I sm extremely open-minded and eclectic - I generally keep the same worldview and understanding of my own spirituality, but I lean in on or towards different paths at different times. I think it’s about your own personal vibration, which can be impacted by the outside world and a whole bunch of other things. It’s true that many magical practitioners are also Christian converts! Currently I am very happy having my focus on a prosperity interpretation of the bible, and also spell casting using the bible. I know this is a far cry from Protestantism… but I can’t believe the results I’m getting. If this leads me all the way to praising lord Jesus and renouncing the so-called enemy by this time next year, so be it!
So, the witches are converting to Christianity? Well, to which version out of 44.000 denominations? In which exact denomination and according to which different set of rules, will god protect me and love me finally? No sarcasm. I'd really like to know.
I like Doreen’s books, I haven’t read many, I would like to collect them all (🎵Pokémon!) since they are outta print, but I have a book problem…I have too many already 🤣 hopefully I’ll be able to still find them on eBay when I’m ready 🤞🏻
It seems to me, that what you a saying 14:29 is that these folks had a fundamentalist personality type. That they lived in a concrete (binary) world. Their esoterism was not rooted in direct experience with God or spirit world. Rather their experience was exoteric in nature. Interesting.
I really recommend True to the Earth: Pagan Political Theology. It describes how religious teachings composed orally are fundamentally different than those composed in writing. Oral composition has an “and, and, and” format, so a poem describing a god might list twenty names of the god, or twenty attributes of the god. Written composition makes us deduce that god is one thing. The book argues that the advent of writing caused the change in human thought that led us to monotheism. It’s fascinating.
@Sahalielove I believe it. printed words ha e led to fundamentalism as it is expressed today. The path towards monotheism began with Zoroastrianism about 4000 years ago or so. Technically, Christianity is polytheistic. The doctrine of the Trinity is mental gymnastics to weave three gods into one god. The Eastern and the Western Church with honoring the saints, asking them for prayers, and whatnot resembles polytheism too. An outside observer would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Have you read the book, "God," by Reza Aslan. It is about how people reinterpret the concept God through time. It is a fascinating read.
Regarding believing in "something greater,"... for me, it's the difference between alief and belief. Alief is a very recently coined term from psychology, which is both a counter and a companion to belief. The classic example of the difference is, when standing on a stable but transparent balcony, one may have the rational belief that they are safe but a physiological response from the alief that they are not. I don't have a belief in anything greater. I am a skeptic, and at my core, an atheist. I think we are little more than very self-aware bundles of stardust, which itself is its own miracle of nature and physics, but my self-awareness and evolution-enforced desire not to die does not necessitate immortality in either myself or some greater consciousness. From darkness we came, and to darkness we return. But I have an alief in a greater protector because it is a comfort that is almost necessary to my mental health. I have an alief in the persistence of those I love after death because my heart might otherwise not heal. The world is chaotic, nature is indifferent, and the social contract can dissolve in a moment's notice. If we lived our lives truly aware of these very real Lovecraftian horrors, they would duly break us. The sense of control and predictability we have instead allows us to feel safe in this unsafe world and allows us to live more fulfilling lives with lower stress. The difference between what I "believe" now as a witch and what I was told to believe as a Christian growing up in the Bible Belt is that now I can select which (witch!) practices are better for me, my community, and the planet rather than being forced to swallow bigoted dogma dictated by those in power whose primary goal is to stay in that power. Sorry, rambled a bit into another topic, but... yeah. I both do and don't believe in something greater, which is a freedom of ambiguity that isn't permissible in most organized religions, especially Christianity and its related groups.
How can we be certain these "Witches"are such, or just dabbled and didnt like the consequences? Spoilers m.mwe can. It's far more likely they are women craving a place in Churches whereas most do not allow for women to play an equal role. I have yet to meet a fellow once witch....meanwhile I just tell the ones who try to reconvert me...I'm an rabid apostate...that sends them scurrying for, oftimes, a dictionary or a talk to their spiritual leader. Those in the know just go away..
It's literally just time. I've seen this trend coming for about 8 years now. We're due for a full cultural shift towards Christianity at least through 2033. It's that point in the cycle. Witchcraft was part of the trend cycle, too. After Christianity (and the socialism revival that's due in about a year or two), we'll go back to a kind of agnostic secular individualism (think the Bush Admin) and nationalism until about 2045, at which point we can expect a new age revival. I am psychic, but also, if you study generational astrology, world history, sociology, and trend cycles you can piece this together yourself.
*The part I edited was the year. I typed 2055, but 2045 is more accurate. The further we get into the future, the more the exact timeline wavers, but the cycle is the same.
My two guesses. They are discovering that Jesus was on fact a real person. They discovered that wicca was created by a catholic and uses catholic rituals.
I got baptized as christian orthodox after birth, but I grew up in atheistic family. At age of 16 I felt a need for spiritual connection, any kind, just a proof that there's also a spiritual realm, not just material. I was being very skeptical, so I decided to study myself the occult, check if divination works, if tarot is accurate, if it's accurate how it works, so on. For the next 20 years I studied the angelology, demonology, world's religions, spiritism, tarot, astrology, numerology, voodoo, witchcraft. A year ago before Halloween I was preparing to casts spells with other witches around the world), but God had other plans for me. I kept it going, even if my life was being destroyed on so many levels, I mean for a witch pacted to demons I shouldn't have had so many issues. The night before Halloween something felt off inside of me. I kinda had to admit to myself that maybe I was wrong. What if demons really can't be friends with humans? What if they deceived me? What if everything I know is wrong?! I stopped listening to demonic Enn chants, as every night before going to sleep.They didn't deserve praise anymore. I was wondering:"What kind of music would be the opposite of the Enn chants?". I checked the internet, the answer was:"Gregorian chants". I searched for Gregorian chants on YT, I pressed play on the first suggestion, I've put my headphones on and listened to it. And it changed everything. I've never been the same after this. I was listening to St. Benedict's chant:"Crux sacra sit mihi lux/33 repetitions". Little did I know it was a powerful exorcism chant. It paralyzed me in pain, and God the Father spoke to me. He's real. So is the holy spirit and Jesus Christ. For the next 3 months I went through deliverances, on January 16, 2024 I became free of demons. I live an amazing life since then, everything I lost, Jesus Christ returned it back to me and restored me. Witchcraft doesn't save anyone, and the new age practices are modern witchcraft. What Jesus Christ gave to me in 3 months, spirits and deities couldn't give me in 20 years. Because there's only one savior, and his name is Jesus Christ, nothing else matters. God bless us all. ❤
Born and raised Christianity (evangelical) and have converted to paganism. I have found more God and more Jesus in the spiritually than I ever found in the church. The church talks about unconditional love but doesn't live it... The pagans/wiccans/witches preach it and live the way of unconditional life and unity with God.
Most of these "witches" no matter how long they were practicing the occult had any idea what they were doing 🤷🏼♀️ As an occultist You're going to work alongside spirits of all types. If that spooks you or you see something that gets you paranoid then the work isn't for you.
I do believe there are similarities (Christianity and Witchcraft/spirituality) and they both intertwined… I don’t mean that pagan witchcraft is similar… I mean spirituality and rituals… utilizing nature and earthy signs to predict and interpret ARE intertwined. I consider myself to be a Christian but I also have witchy/spiritual practices and beliefs. Most Christians do struggle with deciphering whether tarot and astrology is acceptable in the faith or not but Christianity DOES have elements of spirituality and it was apart of the Jewish culture and the wise men who met Jesus were magicians. Of course you’ll have ppl condemning them and saying God can use them too… but I truly believe that humans just simply lack the understanding needed to know whether or not it is accepted… and I believe the TRUTH lies somewhere in the middle. I do believe there is a truth and there is a God who knows and sees everything and who loves us..I also believe there was a savior named Jesus who was sent to save humanity… what I don’t believe is human’s interpretation of the Bible and the “truth” 🤷🏽♀️
I'm trying to understand Christianity through the subject of Gnosticism but I still remain on the Left Hand Path! But not going back to mainstream christianity because I know what it's all about! I have no interest going back to the herd! Its all about the God within than looking for Divinity outside oneself! But I can say more but won't go any further! But I'm neither Christian or New Age!
I personally think it's great that if witches want to bring God into their practice I feel like that would be great that would be okay, like I said before I've been doing this for 6 years and if I want to bring him back into my practice I feel like that's my choice and I'm okay with that, I see so many practitioners working with God, but also working with with other gods and goddess
I practice witchcraft and still believe in god, Jesus and the holy spirit✨ I grew up catholic but never agreed with the church’s views on how to live life in order to make it into heaven. For a good 10 years I was proud to say I didn’t believe in god but I was in a dark place during that time. When I felt scared, lost and no where to go to I finally asked god for help and he came through and protected me. It was believing in God again that lead me to my spiritual journey and I’m grateful for it. Personally, practicing my craft makes more sense to me than being religious.
Thank you for sharing that, and I'm glad you found the right path for you! ❤️
Yes, they can be harmonized. I know several self proclaimed “Christo-Pagans.”
I'm sorry but witchcraft is pure Luciferianism. The story of Adam and Eve, whether literal or not, is the story of humanity being deceived into self diefication. Leviticus further and unambiguously forbids witchcraft.
@@MindScope666 I just did
@@MindScope666I’m wondering if you’ve ever been to the south, or the Appalachian mountains of the US? It’s done all the time. There are may different cultural practices that mix the Bible and magic. Now most of these won’t call it witchcraft sure.
My instinct is that a lot of the conversions are actually reversions. They were raised in Christian households and essentially were practicing witchcraft as a rebellious phase. In the same way that the white picket fence kid who went through an emo phase is now a white picket fence soccer mom driving a minivan, as they have gotten older the rebellion fades and they return to their childhood culture.
Yeah, not for all, but I think for a lot of people that is true - especially for people who have zero community unless they belong to a religious institution because everyone in their proximity is religious.
Or Religious Harassment
"Rebellious phase?" LOL When was it ever a "phase" to actual witches? My so-called "phase" is almost 31-years-old and the more I practice and the longer I've stayed a Witch the more convinced I was that farty runt versions of Christianity (AKA Christfaggotry) are just masks for the depraved to hide their evil behind.
It's a trend cycle. These people were never believers to begin with. A lot of the things people think they believe are actually things they absorbed from the people around them, wholesale, no thought applied.
Not in my case. I was raised in an atheistic home and both parents are still atheists, never went to Church and God was basically a Santa Claus figure who I stopped believing in at age 12.
The occult is what led me to God.
Because in times of crisis people turn to religion because A) it’s familiar B) it’s something that has a bigger community and people chase community in times of turmoil
Yeah, those two aspects are definitely part of it!
THIS. Please electic witchcraft being "dogm free" is easy to get lost and having "no solid pillar to hold yourself to"
Because Wicca and Christianity both share gardens
I agree as a witch who has had a few religious phases (although at a soul level i know my own path is my own)
Not religion! They turn to Christ Jesus! Who started the Catholic Christian church!
I'm a former Christian minister who left the faith and ended up a practicing witch. The point you made about the New Age and fear-based approach is spot on, and it's why Wicca didn't work for me. It's like the witchy cousin of Christianity.
Agreed 🤟🏾😂🐈⬛.
I left the church in 2022, while in the last semester of earning my ministry degree. It was through those very studies that I realized that it doesn’t resonate with my soul and so I left. Paganism, specifically witchcraft, has brought such profound peace into my life. I have been highly criticized by some of my family members but I have no regrets about leaving.
One major aspect of why I left is because I realized I joined the faith based on an emotional upheaval in my teenage years. Trauma bonded to the religion and it was further reinforced with manipulation and fear tactics. When I started healing my trauma, those binds started to unravel and I realized I didn’t want to remain in the church.
Congratulations on making that choice, it's a hard road. I lost my friends and family but I'm finally free❤
Hello. I walked the Left Hand Path since 1995 & it has been 29 years for me. Believe it or not, My late mother (1935-2008) was a Christian (Baptist, Protestant & a Born Again Christian) & my late father (1924-1981) was a World War II Veteran & an Atheist. My Mom raised me, yet I was a rebellious kid since I was 9. Since my father died in 1981. I was young and my inquisitive journey started in the Occult including Vampire Folklore.
However, I am happy in the present moment because I refuse to back to the Mainstream.
My Mother was worried that I am going to Hell, yet I was growing in my own way.
I was fascinated with Magick, Witchcraft & Sorcery since I was a kid. I am 52 now.
I will NEVER go back to Christianity because it has nothing to do with me and too many rules.
Thank you & So it is Done. 😈
Please reconsider that statement. I'm here to tell you that Jesus love you and want you back. God bless you.
I can speak from experience. After having my baby I went through postpartum depression and anxiety. I felt so alone and sometimes their God seems more accessible. In times like that people seek community, and here in the south US there is one on every corner. These churches have woman’s studies, mom groups, kids clubs and welcoming people. You can’t always find that in witch and pagan spaces.
Great video!
If you're in the Nashville area, come check us out. We have all of that and more. We also have mom groups, but instead of doing finger piants with the kids, we teach our kids to conjure spirits, and raise the dead to build our dark armies to take over the world, bwahahahaha. Also, we have snacks.
I have been a witch for 20 years now but have never felt a connection with pagan deities and felt like I was always searching for a greater meaning to encompass my practice. When Jesus came into my life I cried like a baby. I’m now a Christian witch who sees both the pros and cons of both systems, and experience how they converge effectively!
I know a few self proclaimed “Christo-Witches.” They have found nothing but harmony and fulfillment.
Beautiful 🥰🙏🏻
I’m connected to many gods and goddesses and it’s wonderful. Nothing wrong with you finding your own beautiful path. You sound like you took what you needed from both. I am not trusting most christians right now so it’s tricky for me to be cool with the religion.
Hey sis! There’s an awesome channel here on RUclips for Christian witches. It’s run by a very spiritual and wise black lady whose I have learned a Lot from. You probably already know her.
@@Elusive.magick I get it - I identify as a Jesus follower. I actually prefer the term Jesus witch to Christian witch.
It's like you said Anya, Spirituality is personal to everyone. I am not a Christian. I used to be. But, I do respect Christians who are open-minded and not trying to convert anybody to join their club.
conversion is central to any christianity that believes in hell, though. what you're saying is a contradiction in terms.
Christianity mandates that you call people to the faith. There's nothing wrong with trying to convert people. There's nothing wrong with believing other faiths are wrong either. The only problem is if people try to limit religious freedom with force.
Because they never deconverted and still had fear of hell. and they blamed their mental illness symptoms on witchcraft. They are also mad that they couldn’t handle the heat of dealing with the spirit realm and socially they value being liked by a group over their individuality.
So the witches channelling deities and giving readings and talking about Fae and unicorns etc = sane. But if a witch starts complaining about demonic attacks = insane. Thats a conveinient way to measure these things. Do you think truth is only ever the things you WANT to hear or make you feel good? Is the truth NEVER inconvienient? I used to be a part of the community, ive seen the way they purge people who dont tow the line on their dogmas.
@@wondering_stars_in_oz8462cowards can’t slay the dragon and get the gold
@astraluna555 im not sure what your comment means. You claimed that people reporting demons in these occult practices have mental health issues, but if they do spells to influence their surroundings, channel messages from deities etc, they do not have mental health issues. Im just saying thats a very conveinient way of justifying it. Aside from that the pagan deities people are working with today have been sanitised to be more 'christlike' anyway and do not really resemble anything written about in the original mythos. So if your all just making it up as you go then its really just a worshipping of yourselves, if these deities are just convieniently whatever you want them to be reguardless of what your ancestors described them as. If you have to turn these pagan deities into a christlike figure in order to make them more palatable, then i would question what your doing. I can understand people raised in very strict religious communities needing to take a breath from that, but if the alternative is just making up a God to your liking and potentially serving demons as others have described in their own experiences which are just as valid as anyone elses experiences - remember these are the rules, then im not sure what your all getting at. Once you start questioning it, youll realise the only thing the occult has going for it is actually the community, if you challange their dogmas, theyll purge you before you can blink .
💯 took me about 45 years to get past fear of hell
Bingo!
i think you really articulated all of this so well. this can be a super sensitive topic, but you pointing out that many people engage in things out of fear, without recognizing that that's what motivates them to engage in certain belief systems or practices. it's incredibly easy to take advantage of people who are acting out of a place of fear.
i came from Christianity to occult practices looking for a sense of freedom from dogma. i like that i can build my own system, and that i get to define my relationship to God, instead of having someone else tell me who God is and what God does or does not want me to do.
Thank you so much! I really try to be nuanced and exact in my language, I'm happy it seems to have come across right. 😌
They tell people that their light will be a beacon and negative beings will attack them because of that light. I was a witch before I knew what that truly was, when I was 13 I came across a book and as I read it I was like yes that feels right and that was when I realized what I had been doing my whole life was witchcraft and that was the true beginning of my journey. I started studying everything I could and I found my path when I was 16 Cerridwen was my first Goddess and I branched out from there working mostly with Celtic dieties. I am now 53 years old and I will never renounce my gods. I was born to follow my path and I am dedicated fully to it. I don't bend a knee in fear to my gods I work with them with respect and love.
Been muslim in the past . Now witch who isnt muslim anymore . I sometimes feel like i want to go back to islam but not because i believe in it . Its more out of fear , because the religious programming happened at such a young age that i cant really get rid of it . And sometimes i feel if i went back to it i'd be able to have a more acceptable life in my circles so its easier and less stressful in a way .
And so i think most of these people probably felt the way i do so they went back to christianity.
Add to it the fear of not knowing the afterlife or if there is one . Not knowing where your place will be . But if christianity tells them there is an afterlife and they will go to heaven if they did this and that , it feels safer , and it also gives them a purpose and erases the after death fear in a way
This is the first video that I came across on the Witches converting to Christianity that was very maturely done. I want to say thank you! I am new sb.
Thank you for saying that, it really means a lot. ❤️ Sometimes I think everything needs to be polarizing and intense all the time, but people are loving a more nuanced perspective as well, I'm so grateful for that. 🌹
The Pastor at my church gave me very little comfort when my son died, just general platitudes (he's in a better place, bla bla bla), but the psychic medium at the local metaphysical store was able to really help. She explained the Afterlife, how to look for signs, make contact with my son's spirit. I still go to church, but honestly it's easier for me to imagine people leaving the church to practice witchcraft than the other way around.
You can’t contact your son’s spirit. What the medium does may seem like it’s healing you but it’s not, it’s causing more pain by deceiving you into believing your son is still around. The best thing for you is to grieve fully, and then let go.
Familiar spirits are demons and unclean spirits that hang around your bloodline so they know who you are and what you’re like. They can shift themselves to appear as a loved one.
After my dad passed away I kept seeing him in my dreams. I believed that he wanted to help me and assist me in this life but I was wrong. Eventually the dreams began to look distorted, he sometimes would look eerie and upset/unhappy/dark. It was creepy. After I rebuked the evil spirit in Jesus name it stopped and hasn’t come back. Those dreams were NOT my father, it was an evil spirit that wanted me to continue grieving over him.
@@KYV97you’re a nasty person for commenting this this to a grieving mother. You are despicable and I hope you get your karma in this lifetime seriously.
You need to stop judging because you can become an earth bound spirit and the irony if Christians called you a demon instead of helping you cross over.
@@KYV97 see, i would have conceded to your first reply on the pinned comment talking about your "salvation" but then you cannot help proselytising even to people who don't want / don't need /don't care for your point of view and still you shove it down their throat. i wish some christians had the ability to see how against their own principles it is to take free will from people by trying to scare them according to their own fear. "God" gave us free will, who are YOU to try and take it away from others with your fearmongering? Go hide in your church if you fear mediums, don't go to those of us who find their own comfort and safety in our practices. Missionaries always just morally blackmail and you've shown your true colours here.
Same
@@astraluna555 I’m a nasty person for sharing truth that heals rather than enable a lie that causes further harm? Ok.
God is the sovereign king over all of the heavens, if God says these are not dead loved ones, then it’s not a dead loved one but an evil spirit that hates you and wants you to suffer. In fact, I would find more comfort knowing that my deceased loved one is with GOD the King of peace and love, than stuck here on this cursed land lost and damned.
yes it's important for people to know that there are multiple realities going on.. people are always going through powerful shifts.. at the same time someone is having this visceral, spiritual experience that convinces them to join christianity.. there is someone having a profound, grounding experience to leave the church! as people are going through profounds experiences of releasing blockages and healing childhood trauma.. there are babies being born who haven't even started the trauma journey to heal from it.. the human experience is so vast and really comes down to the individual, their ancestors, guides, and what the soul is looking to experience/learn.. writing this i feel a heavy sense of dejavu!
I think because it's hard to pull together a full theory of the ultimate value of the universe from occultism. It's possible and in my opinion so much richer to do so -- pulling from your own intuition and gnosis -- but you have to be a pretty introspective, philosophical, hyper-reflective and independent type of person. It's just not for some personality types, and some people are better fulfilled with Christianity (etc). ❤
Well said, I don't think it's everyone's path to out so much effort and reflection into spirituality. Their focus lies somewhere else.
Yes. In short, from what i observed myself while part of the community , they seem to be making it up as they go, or as the christians would say 'creating a God in their own image', personally i found that their breakdown of pagan deities was not really reflective of the actual original texts about the deities. They have sanitized their deities to make them more 'christlike' but ironically still mock Christians and the Bible and Christian values, yet their conscience would never allow them to practice paganism as the anscestors did (or at least most of them wouldnt, ive seen certain corner of the witch community that would probably go along with anything but i dont think they are a majority). They qould be horrified if they saw the original uninterrupted pagan practices still going in Africa for example. Weve all see those people who conduct themselves with compassion and self awareness however i would posit that those types are not isolated to this community alone as much as they try and promote it.
This is one of the best videos I have watched about spirituality! Thanks for making this video! 😊
I'm 41 and when I was a teen we did not have Tik Tok . We had books and nature to teach us. I'm glad.
90 percent of these people were never what they claim.
I love this video and the message of fear in both communities. Thank you!
This is not a self promotion comment.
20:21 I did a short video on this very same thing today. Comparing the Mass and the Eucharistic ritual to magic. I haven't finished editing it yet.
I just find it so interesting that I ran across this video today after doing a short talk on it.
Thank you for this discussion!
Practical Magic is not scary at all, it's a romance movie, so it's safe for you to watch haha
Ooh I thought it had at least some Thriller vibes or something, but if it's harmless I have to get into it! 😂
did you miss the part where they accidentally kill the abusive ex-boyfriend comes back as a ghost and they have to do an exorcism on Nicole Kidman's character?
@@AnyaEsma I watch Practical Magic for the family dynamic that I wish I had
@@ceciliamarianneThat is a Banishment Ritual, not a Exorcism
Jesus was a magician. The Magi were magicians. There are prophets in the Bible. Prayer is comparable to petitioning and chanting. Performing miracles? Magic! Religion is about believing in the unseen, not unlike pagan beliefs.
So much of Christianity has co-opted various pagan religions in the regions where it first spread.
Christmas being on December 25 (Saturnalia).
The Easter Bunny is Ishtar, as opposed to the Resurrection of Christ.
And on and on.
I love this! I became a Christian 6 years ago, but I went through a Spiritual Awakening and I've been working with Jesus and the Angels which led me back to my tarot reading and going down the Divine Feminine path as a witch. I fully believe in Jesus but not in a fully religious way. I believe He is God and the Divine Masculine, and I believe He did do miracles but that also coincides with witchcraft! I recently left the church but I have such a strong bond to Jesus and I practise my witchcraft with him daily! I also learned about the lost Gospel of Mary and she is the Divine Feminine counterpart to Jesus! So many things we weren't allowed to know in Christianity is now coming to light of Jesus real teachings which is exactly what the spiritual/witchcraft communities are about mostly! I feel so much freer knowing this and that I'm not doing anything wrong, and I feel that as long as I'm connected to Jesus and the angels and my Guides I'm okay! Plus my intention is always pure and loving ❤
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 This video was so refreshing and beautifully delivered. I hope so many people watch this and let in what you’re really saying.
Really interesting video! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Hey! I do religious studies, and I was really impressed by this video. Seriously, I have no notes- I always have notes.You seem really spiritually mature and well adjusted and I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts!
Oh, thank you for the kind words! 🌹
I teach witchcraft and black magic for a living, and I've seen quite the opposite.... The last few years have shown me an enormous amount of Christians that are coming over to witchcraft. Christians who have gotten tired of the empty promises and the god that never shows up, so instead they come and they learn how to contact gods that actually care about them, how to make a contact with powers that are real, and how to use those powers to benefit their lives.
They're tired of fear based, hierarchical organized religion that tells them they need a priest to be saved and aren't good enough.
The idea of original sin is extremely harmful. Same w the patriarchy, misogyny, and shaming. Many are becoming witches. I still use the Bible in my workings because it's powerful but Christianity alone is limiting and all about scaring us into submission to hierarchy so we obey and tithe.
I see so many more practitioners of earth based spirituality (witchcraft) than in years past.
@HavehomefromGodYahweh this is correct, Yahweh has no relation to Jesus Christ. The OT was glued to Christianity to corrupt it.
Same
"Christians who have gotten tired of the empty promises and the god that never shows up, so instead they come and they learn how to contact gods that actually care about them"
I have to say, I am an ex-Christian who attempted to delve into a couple of pantheons, and I have not "heard back" from any deity I tried to contact - even went through the trouble of giving offerings and everything. And anytime I seek out something I always do research beforehand and take notes, go into the Reddit subs of the practitioners and read their experiences and practices.
Is it possible to be like... spiritually blacklisted? Or is my intuition just shot?
@33-vertebrae Have you tried to open yourself to divine experiences without looking to contact a specific deity? I find, often the right deity for you will find you if you're open to it. Or maybe reflect on what you expect from a relationship with a deity and why you feel you want/need it in your practice. My own practice with deities is ever-changing. They come up naturally when I need them, but sometimes I don't have contact with them for a long time if they feel they have no purpose in my life. So maybe you're trying to force something that is not necessary - or your relationship/expectations with divinity might need some more shadow work before you can be truly open to it. Just some ideas. 🌹
Currently where I'm at it doesn't really matter whether or not my deities, magic, tarot, etc. are real. I come from a heavily atheist background so I still have a lot of self-doubt to work through, but when it comes to people arguing whether or not my gods are real, I sort of don't care? I just find this path very fulfilling for myself at the very least. But I do love the idea that my deities are protecting me and guiding me around. That for whatever reason these powerful beings have decided "I love these humans and I'm happy this particular one chose to worship me, I will bless his life." I love hearing about other peoples' deities and how our experiences can be similar but different
There are Christians who practice it, the Bible is full of sorcery
It’s not sorcery 😮
@@Bridgton1 It's most definitely sorcery.
Sorcery is everywhere in the Old Testament, it's just not always specifically referred to as sorcery, but if you get like a Bible History book that expands on the context of Biblical stories, you'll find it's full of witches, warlocks, pagan prophets, etc. It's actually cool af. The witch of endor is a really cool example, which I'd highly suggest reading if you're into that kinda stuff. She was like an old & ancient witch who was able to prophesize using something called gastric divination where she spoke from like depths of her stomach
@@kevinvassago Gastric divination is reading the entrails of a cut-open animal (usually a sheep or goat). It was actually a common form of divination in Ancient Sumeria & Egypt too. Yeah, the Witch of Endor was OG! 😅
@Red_Black_Key bro that's crazy😂
I’m proud of you. You spoke very respectfully and with kindness. An elegant way to address a potentially sensitive conversation.
I'm SO glad you honed in on the fear. From a 'Consciousness' point of view, when someone is still at the Path of Fear/Contraction/Service to Self level of Consciousness Dogma and Othordoxy is going to be more appealing, something where someone "gives you" the answers is more appealing vs. when someone is at a Path of Love/Expansion/Service to Others level of consciousness it is more appealing for one to "find" the truth and the answers for themselves. This is not a judgment of either, both exist for a reason and are part of the evolution of consciousness. Idky but It is so common recently to hear a LOT of spiritual ego, and people claiming to be awake BUT having no compassion for those in a painful state, it's a bit concerning.
Personally, any time I hear someone saying you "must always do xyz" or "must never do xyz" in terms of belief system, it alerts me that they do not concern themselves with freewill, or spiritual sovereignty and use my discernment accordingly. If they seek to change not only behavior but a person themselves, that should be a pretty big reg flag in terms of both opperating in fear & level of consciousness.
I appreciate your educated, aware AND humble approach to this topic, Anya. 🙏🙏❤️🔥🙏🙏
I think Doreen Virtue was never really into New Age beliefs. She did it to make money and now that she's made all her money, her true self is out. To turn your back on something you claimed to love for so long and call it demonic is hateful and shows her true colors. I grew up going to a baptist church and left when I was around 19 after hearing the call of the Goddess. I will NEVER go back to that. Watch Practical Magic..you'll love it!
She is very extreme in either direction, to the point of dissing yoga or meridians in the body... as if there's nothing beyond one religion. If we have a soul and that soul is made out of energy, the idea that some energy inhabits our body in a pattern or flow is too wild of an idea?! Please Doreen lady...
I think it's fear. Apparently, she used to believe in a peaceful and accepting Jesus, but then she was looking for a quote from Jesus to use for cards she was making, and she saw a scary verse in the bible where Jesus said that he would deny people before his father. It seems like she already had a christian bias before leaving the New Age, since she just assumed that what the bible says is true and she just assumed that Jesus was special.
This was a great video. Thank you for sharing it. It's interesting to see the parallels between fear mongering in Christianity and in witchcraft.
Yeah, so interesting and definitely not talked about enough in the witchy community!
This is a good topic for discussion and you raised many interesting points. I was raised and lived my life in the Bible belt USA. From a young age, I always had a drawing to that which, in the Bible belt, is called dark but I had no foundation/knowledge to build upon. Then as an adult, I was born again. Wonderful. Exciting. I finally had something to build upon. I followed the Evangelical/Charismatic movement. However, as time went on, I started to apply critical thinking. And there was a pull that I could no longer ignore/push away/bury. Which led me to finally admitting to the woods and myself (out loud) that I was indeed a Witch and to return to my roots. It took about a 6 months to completely deconstruct from the Christian religion. While I have completely renounced everything of the Christian religion, I do not discount the wonderful experiences I had while in it. And you are correct concerning the difference in Christianity as compared to shadow work in the Craft. No comparison in my experience. I also agree that those of the Abrahamic faith need to stop trying to convince others they are wrong, but I know why they do. Thanks! Blessed Be! John Paul
Subscribed! Very insightful
Thank you!
I've been hoping more people would do some videos/content on this topic! Just starting the video..
Thank you, thank you 🙏❤️🔥🙏
I think some of it is for more money. "Was a witch and now savied by jesus!" Is good click bait.
You hit every topic I was interested in. Thank you for your input. I also think it's strange to scare people away from witchcraft. I don't listen to the scary stories because I do my best to follow instructions and i'm not too off put if something i manifest does not come through.
Christian Witch here
Practical Magic is a great movie
I would love to see what part of them talked to demons. People often do that thinking they will just give you things in this material realm without demanding change in you. They are a coaches. They train you to play they don't play the game for you. They start raising up shit on your life and create situations where you can process and let go of the things that are in the way.
And even just talking to spirits triggers the path of self development.
That's scary and can make people run to the "unconditional love that doesn't demand anything of you but just accepts you as you are"(edit. As long as you accept the "gift" 😔). And that is ok. They aren't ready yet.
This is spot on
I wouldn't refer to christianity as "unconditional love that doesn't demand anything of you". Christianity demands self denial to be a follower of Jesus. It demands putting aside self to live for Jesus and to become "born again" as a new person through Jesus, and to try to follow Jesus after being baptized and accepting sins being forgiven (through him being a sin offering as a human sacrifice on the cross).
@@lovestarlightgiver2402spot on!
@@lovestarlightgiver2402exactly Christianity is not unconditional love. Hell read revelation or the Old Testament. The Christian God is a good cop bad cop relationship and will give you stolkholm. More like a“ dear leader” situation 😂
@@lovestarlightgiver2402 Absolutely and I get from where you come from. My father is a priest. Theologically you are on point but for the *average* modern Christian hell barely exists. It's about getting to god "just the way you are". Which is actually pretty healthy and fine.
I’m pretty much on par with you and your views…you’re very wise ❤️
I'm A Muslim.. And I Enjoy Your Video..🫰💜
Thank you, that means a lot to me ❤️
I am a tarot user but I have never deconverted away from Christianity. I am a Catholic Convert who worships at a liberal Lutheran Church. However, I have since I was a child gravitated towards Christian esoterism.
I left the Church (Anglican) a long time ago, for personal reasons, and started studying Tarot; I found it led me to God but along a much more rewarding path, where my personal relationship with the Creator became far more real. I felt sad about leaving but found my Christian studies were really helpful with Tarot (I use the RWS as my main deck).
@denisehill7769 I am attracted to bright colors. My favorite decks are Radiant RWS mini, Morgan Greer mini, and the Aquarian tarot.
I tried for a decade to practice Catholicism conservatively and failed. As a Christian I am a failure. I was never able to let go of reincarnation and a belief that we are to BE or BECOME our own unique version of Jesus.
Before I converted Catholic, I was flirting with becoming a pastor in the ELCA branch of the Lutheran Church. The church I grew up in had a female pastor. She called me an gnostic.
In my version of Christianity, the most important practice to strive towards is to serve others. Love through action. Everything else is entertainment.
If you said I wasn't really a Christian, you would probably be right.
Yeah, tarot does have a funny way of deepening one's spirituality.
@@the-999-asmr-tarot-art-show Maybe you're not a failure, maybe you are the kind of Christian/person that Jesus wants you to be? I was the same, about the belief in reincarnation; to me it makes perfect sense and doesn't fly in the face of Christianity as regards the afterlife. Neither did I believe that animals don't have souls. I also went in for lay ministry but part of that study made me question more and more. After I left and explored Tarot, and later witchcraft, I realised that a lot of what I had accepted without question was misinformation and superstition....ie, witches don't worship Satan; the pentagram isn't evil...etc etc. I wish I could go back and ask people to think about the nature of the Creator God, and have a bit more faith in His omnipotence - the Church teaches that with God, all things are possible, but fails to really demonstrate this. In my view! I love Tarot. I remember opening that first deck and waiting for the sky to fall in, which of course it didn't, and that amazing sense of "knowing" the images as though they were as familiar as a childhood story book - yet I hadn't seen them before. I have found peace, and that really is a true gift. BB xxx
@@denisehill7769
My first tarot deck/coloring set gave me the heebie jeebies. It took me a few months to get over the imagery and understand the history of tarot. One artist’s “disturbing” imagery is another reader’s favorite deck to connect with.
I find tarot very useful in personal development.
I really enjoyed the calm, nuanced and entertaining video. You really have a way about you. I found that I couldn’t NOT subscribe. Well, I guess I could have resisted that temptation - but finding a reason for that resistance was way too elusive.
One thing that makes me write this is that I’m American. We Americans tend to be extremely emotional, animated and outspoken. Another thing that gives me that impression (other than you) is my instincts. What I’ve noticed about you and Bjørn Andreas Bull-Hansen is that you’re both calm and balanced about your approaches to existence.
I’ve also noticed that, when I get enough sleep, enough exercise and enough to eat, I’m more myself, rather than being the typical manic American. And that’s not meant to disrespect my fellow Americans; who knows, maybe I’m more manic than everyone around me.
If people had a more balanced lifestyle, they would be more in tune with being in a human orbit (while Earth orbits). Balance allows a person to be more graceful.
I appreciated what you said about being able to believe in a demiurge, gods, goddesses or whoever - all at once or however you choose.
All supervisors have a big boss, so why not? Jesus was probably closer to a heathen than a Christian (I mean seriously, I can’t picture him worshipping himself; he seemed like more of a shadow worker, a falconry practitioner or an existentialist - I mean what about the Dead Sea Scrolls, people?). What came first, the chicken or the egg? The question seems to drive some to plan mass atrocities - but it also inspires most people to follow a spiritual path instead . Whether it be creation or destruction, can’t we all just get along? I realize these questions don’t quite compute with the human brain; it’s the ultimate enigmas.
That’s where the heart comes in. I like that Gregg Braden talks about heart-brain unity; I don’t like that he charges a lot of money for people to hear about it in person. I don’t know, maybe he wants to be a spiritual rock star or something? He is a Human enigma.
I like how you disclaimed that your vid is just a conversation starter. You know, that’s as important as anything.
I am a christian witch who practices the Faecraft along with my christian/angel/saintwork and i found your video to be very respectful and i am thankful for that.
I hate the scare tactics that Christians use to try to make people convert and i believe everyone has a right to believe and practice what their soul resonates with.
But i hope the people who did convert find peace and happiness in their current path but they shouldn't make people who practice the craft feel uneasy for their path either.
May everyone find peace and happiness on their personal path. Blessed Be ❤
I appreciate in value your video, so I have been a solitary practitioner for 6 years as of July 2024, I come in to witchcraft from Christianity because I was not happy with my past I wasn't getting anywhere if that makes sense, I love the part where you said community helps I live in the Bible belt I'm in North Carolina and I have never ever been to a witch event because they're not around I've never been around any other like-minded people like me not by choice, is there just isn't any of us in my area and if there is maybe they don't want to come out when I first started I never hid who I am, my husband is a Southern Baptist and he totally respects what I do, I've never had to hide anything from him, I have so much to say about this video all in all I value every single thing that you said
Thank you for this video, as someone who was raised in a religious cult and has ocd who is now a witch, I needed the reminder to check up on my practices to make sure they weren’t fear based practices
Something verbatim to what you said that stuck with me is that i need to work on taking time to feel the protection I already have around me instead of always asking for it as if there is a lack of it!
Yes, agreed! Wherever that protection comes from, it surrounds you. 🌹 It's a very helpful belief and I hold it as well.
Christianity is like putting a bandaid on an open spiritual wound
I'm a Christian witch, and this can feel lonely sometimes. But witchcraft has so many beautiful parts that I feel like I'm closer to God in my craft. The witch community, for the most part, has been pretty accepting. I also needed a goddess to call upon, besides Mother Mary and witchcraft has helped reveal her to me. 🌒🌕🌘
Spot on assessment regarding the fear base concept and capitalism.
❤whoa the comments section I think you created the safest space for Christian Witches & also Muslim Witches to be able to speak out and be seen! I remember in pagan & witch groups back when I was on FB people in the community would dogpile on anyone who spoke about being a Christian witch. It’s great to see so many. Blessed Be!
I know, I'm so pleased to see how many people share their perspectives and that people are (mostly) being respectful. 🥹
Hey Anya! Thank you so much for the video I really enjoyed it. I myself began deconstructing from Christianity just over 4 years ago and I don’t see myself going back😂 it’s definitely been a ride and I have come to learn so much along the way. Good and bad, wins and mistakes. Your take on witchcraft and manipulating energy was interesting too. At the beginning of my journey I really rushed into energy manipulation without fully understanding just what it is and it didn’t always work in my favor and from my observation I think such experiences tend to lead new witches back to christianity, as they would write off the journey and equate it to being evil or not of God, instead of actually looking at why things may have not gone their way. Anyways, I was still determined to go down my spiritual path as I got so much healing and learned quite a lot about myself and I was just determined to do it the right way. I believe Christianity has nothing more to offer me (I do respect the religion and other Christians- if it works for you thats great) I have been thinking about manipulating energy again but I am still a tad nervous to go down that route😂 but I think I will get back there eventually!
Thank you for sharing that! And yeah, take it slow with your practice, whatever feels good. 😌 There's so many resources out there on everything, including energy manipulation or even just being able to feel/perceive energy as a start.
@ thank you! I will definitely look into that!
I really resonate w your experience, mine has been very similar.... After learning and experiencing what I have I could never go back to Christianity as it seems so small and broken in comparison.... I believe it is possible for Christians to experience this "bigger picture" (for lack of better words) but due to the dogma and manipulation it's not the norm, at least from my perception at this point... If I wouldn't have pushed past my fear and brainwashing I don't think I would have ever got to my current understanding just through the Bible and my Catholic upbringing alone.... If anything it crippled me in several ways, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.... So I've been working the past 4 years to deconstruct my religious programming and it has surprised me how deep it really goes and how much it affects...
@ Oh wow! Thats great. I was raised Catholic too. And my family is super religious. On both sides. I know how difficult it is to unlearn what you are brought up in so I wanna say congratulations on actively working towards finding your truth. I would like to say I was lucky-even though my family was heavily religious, I just never connected to Christian teachings as much, from childhood too. And I honestly did try. Even after leaving home to go study abroad, I went to different types of churches to see if it would be different but it never was. It was until I started searching for God by myself, connecting with nature, my ancestors and my higher self that I began feeling Source’s love more and more and I have just been trying to walk on that path and grow more. And thats just what works for me😂
@shaniadijeng8866 yeah I understand.... When it was being said that some people find comfort in their old religious beliefs it's the opposite for me.... All those beliefs brought me was fear and horrible self esteem nature, the ancestors, guides, spiritual teachings (non dogma) and all that has brought me far more comfort then Christianity ever did.... But I do recognize all beliefs can have a potential dark side when misunderstood and such..
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My Sicilian ancestors have combined Catholicism and folk magic for generations- Some call it "Hoodoo," and see the Bible as a powerful book of magic.
So an ex gf of mine ( we both practiced manifestation and with no Christian beliefs what so ever more elemental and nature work ) DMed 4 years since we fell out this was about 6 months ago completely out of no where..through a YT video of some woman “like her” it was absolutely baffling I learned so much from her and
vice versa we worked together on all of it.
Also she is now straight of course tried to treat me as if I am sick/doomed for my sexuality treated as if I was just a phase in her life and definitely tried to convert me and I politely declined and just got away from her.
Honestly that hurt worse than us ending our relationship/friendship.
I just don’t know who she is anymore at all I just cannot be near her in anyway.
I do definitely think social media,RUclips,TikTok had a hand in this total personality change.
Just baffled by it still and hope she is mentally safe but I still think of this from time to time like WTH HAPPENED?
This speaks to the fact that most people’s idea of an entire religion is the limited exposure they have had. I have a very religious friend who has only been to one church denomination. Who has genuine Christianity? It’s all based on where you happen to find it, not actually considering the entire religion.
Hi Anya- I really love every single thing you said about empowerment in spirituality and faith, and that what it comes down to is both our own sense of self-empowerment through our religions and/or practices, and the empowerment we find through faith and belief in connection with the divine, no matter how that expresses.❤🌌 While there may be a split in the culture between witchcraft and Christianity still, I find myself wondering sometimes if the more prominent divide is between fear based expressions and embodiments of spirituality and religion, and empowered expressions and embodiments-- which often comes down to the individual psyche of each person, and how they interpret, and just on a deeper level really carry within themselves the the texts, symbols, etc. of their practices or chosen faith. How they come to fear or empowerment may include what practices, groups or churches they're drawn too, and how hierarchies, distributions of power, "pecking orders," and so forth are, or are not carried out within those places. How people grow up, or if they've grown up around dysfunctional religious or spiritual practices and/or communities, or even in non-spiritual environments that were very strict, domineering and controlling I imagine is something that might play out as a pattern that gets tangled up in disempowered/fear-based expressions of belief when not addressed on the level of psyche. I wonder if some of the people you mentioned who converted will find themselves in a similar place with Christianity after a few years, when the novelty and newness of conversion has worn off? If it does, it might not have a lot to do with either practice or faith-- but the personal journey and relationship with "the divine"--- whatever that may be--- that each one takes, and how they do, or do not connect and grow through it. I'm just in the middle of your video now, but had to pause and share a few thoughts and appreciation. Thanks for raising so many great points and food for thought here! Best!😊❤🌌
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yeah, I think in the end it is always humans deciding: Am I using my belief system as a means of empowerment and trust or as a means of scaring myself away from what I consider bad? Every system can be used in both ways, but as you said, a system like Christianity has so many fear-mongering institutions and churches that the latter approach has become much more common in Christianity. I think the same would happen to witchcraft if those people who fear in people's hearts were in true positions of power, unfortunately. But luckily, witchcraft in itself is kind of set up to work mostly on an individual basis. But still some people try to be thought leaders and spread fear etc.
Completely agree about the problem with "fear-based" witchcraft! At that point, it's just another form of dominance and control, so what is even the point of being a witch?
You are very intelligent and well spoken! I agree with you. Fear is used on the vulnerable. It’s in all religions, even witchcraft. But it comes down to what you choose to believe. What you believe is your reality. Can’t stress that enough. 🤷🏽♀️ I chose to leave Christianity after I realized I was in it because of fear
Another aspect is Self-selection bias. Converts to Christianity are pursued for their testimony, while converts form Christianity to another spiritual path are NOT self selecting to give testimony.
A notable exception is complete religious deconversion, but otherwise, the Jesus testimonies are many and give the impression that it's a dominant movement.
Yeah, I see your point. Especially in times of social media, everything becomes so much more visible. So it seems like everyone is converting. Add onto that the fact that everyone wants attention online and it's just shocking and polarizing to upload a testimony and you get a lot of engagement.
I am one of those ex-Christians who became a witch in the last five years. I’m pushing my late forties. I know I will never go back to Christianity because I had a reckoning with it, looked the toxicity in the face, looked the basic tenets in the face and realized I was disgusted by them and could no longer pretend they could be anything but deadly to nature. Sounds a little harsh, but I’m telling you I had a reckoning! Most people dabble or try to remain open minded without taking a hard look at beliefs and where they align with who they are. Most people don’t even make a distinction between their beliefs and who they are. It’s tangled, uncomfortable work that few are brave enough to do. Most of us are raised to develop co-dependent relationships and are totally blind to how that co-dependency informs our spirituality. What am I getting at? Everybody’s looking for a daddy, a mommy, someone to tell them it’s alright and they have all the answers. That’s what makes religion so irresistible. Witchcraft, at least some veins, tend more toward spiritual independence, and that’s a hard thing to stick with when you’ve been trained to be dependent. Well I probably made some folks mad, but you can’t be so “toleranty” that you can’t look a truth in the face. It’s taken me years to undo that internal dependence on getting someone to tell me what to do and that it will be alright. It takes hard work to learn how to be your own god and do that for yourself. It’s exhausting. You really have to get sick of the control and powerlessness dynamic. Plus, I’m always shocked at how some beliefs have been so universally accepted but never looked at face value. Why are so many people okay with the concept that it’s perfectly okay to sacrifice the innocent to assuage the guilt of the guilty? Like oh that’s normal! Of course, the innocent should pay for the sins of the guilty! I’m reminded of Sir Francis Bacon’s essay Of Truth: it’s the lie that sinks, and stays that does the most damage. And what witch in their right mind would be okay with the concept of original sin?! That Nature is inherently evil and flawed? These things run so contrary to who I am. They violate life. They violate me. I’m also LGBTQ. I have to look these truths in the face. Others have luxury of not having to. Most people don’t look their beliefs full in the face. They go into their indoctrinated lingo mode and try to rationalize these brutal concepts into something loving. Loving?! Me thinks most folks don’t know what love is. Anyway, I had a reckoning. I can never go back. I would have to betray my own soul to go back. I have little understanding or sympathy for those that do. I can’t unknow what I know. And I certainly will never betray myself for a mother, a father, a sister, a god ever again.
I'm an X-christian who practiced the religion and was devoted for 35 years, then I confronted all the questions and questioned the goodness of god. Today I've been freed for a year. Witchcraft helped me though the trauma it created. I feel alive for the first time in my life and free of fear of hell and punishment.
Thanks for your videos, I love them❤
YEAH! Welcome home, friends
I too practice witchcraft and I think I'm very lucky that I literally had no exposure to any sort of religion growing up. There isn't any chance I will fall into the christian mindset thankfully. Even the deity worship isn't part of my practice. Sacred Geometry, physics, chemistry, and biology are definitely the tools I use and they feel more real to me than randomly worshiping archetypes. I agree with those who suggest that those who end up into christianity are just reverting back because of peer pressure from friends and family.
I find more unconditional love and safety in witchcraft and paganism. My connection with goddess isn't riddled with fear, guilt and confusion. As you said, there are no tools in Christianity for healing the shadow. I have found so many effective tools in my practice. I went to some healing sessions as a Christian but it was all about sin and forgiving others instead of healing my emotions and learning to love myself. I just cannot fathom converting to the Christian faith. I had so much trauma in it. I suppose everyone's experiences are different.
Early in life I was an atheist, and then agnostic, later I approached new age spirituality head-on, without fears or doubts, all the way to teaching yoga, reiki, etc. I came to know that a spiritual reality exists but also that, sadly, so much of modern spirituality is an illusion people buy to comfort themselves. A frustrating cycle of always searching and never finding, where many people keep looking for answers in tarot cards, crystals, or consulting oracles, instead of trusting - the simplest yet hardest thing to do.
I've noticed that for many it's a way to bury your head in the sand - dwelling on the past or trying to peak into the future instead of confronting a very painful reality today.
I understand these practices can provide an accessible way for many to connect with spirituality and gain a little bit of self-awareness, but staying immersed in them indefinitely feels like choosing to live in a world of illusion rather than embracing the full spectrum of Life.
Local church was hiring me as a church pianist. I enjoyed music and church songs. Yes all the mass process looks like rituals though. 😅
I also have my online store of witchy/devil/goth jewelry shop. I embrace this business and witch/pegan community.
I am a Buddhist, also resonate with animism, shamanism: every natural elements have spirits and power.
There is a Japanese comic "Saint Young Man," and in there, Buddha and Jesus are roommate in Tokyo suburban rustic apartment and enjoy their vacation on earth.
Well, we all should have freedom in personal beliefs/spiritual practice.
i’m christopagan which is different for every christopagan but my beliefs are animism, polytheism etc and i view christian figures / deities / saints as a pantheon and the bible as a book of mythology! i’ve worked with yeshua/jesus in the past and now i work with mary magdalene! if u like christian symbolism and figures but don’t like the dogma highly recommend!! mary magdalene is an amazing goddess to work with if u have religious trauma and will allow to understand yeshua’s true teachings that the church distorted! highly recommend the book mary magdalene revealed by meggan watterson! witchcraft n paganism don’t have to be separate from christianity and as anya said christian rituals r highly magical ! there’s some amazing creators like sara ratresen and spiritualitea who make content about this kinda stuff
I appreciate that you made this video, as someone who has been in and out of Christianity and Witchcraft, myself. I do take issue with one point made, however.
Yiu made the distinction between the desire to know what’s out there and the desire for power, and described coming to Witchcraft for power as unhealthy. I disagree. Witchcraft is about taking power and control, that’s why it’s a craft-something one does. This does not have to be a bad thing. You can do money spells to control a bad financial situation for yourself, and you can do spells to heal someone else. Witches of the past took control, they had to. It was survival magic.
In my opinion, saying using Witchcraft as a means to power is a reflection of the Abrahamic religious teaching that we, as humans, do not deserve our own power. It’s the same judgment that the rest of the video speaks against.
With power comes responsibility, of course. If you’re doing a spell for money, you have to consider what could go wrong and take protective measures or tweak your spell. The same goes for healing, hexing, etc. and each Witch will have their own definitions of power and responsibility. It is not wrong to want power in a world where most of us are so powerless. The desire for knowledge and power are what got Adam and Eve kicked out of Eden, and we don’t endorse that as Witches, do we?
Yeah, I see your point. I'm not sure anymore how I phrased it, but I definitely also don't think that going towards witchcraft for power is a bad thing in itself. It just depends what your motivation is and how you use that power. But yeah, at its core witchcraft is also a craft for the marginalized who get no justice unless they do it themselves. Thanks for pointing it out.
@ thank you for your response!
This is a great topic. Thank you for covering it. I think this is very Jungian at its core. We, as humans, NEED that container to hold our experience with the unknown parts of our nature, as Jung would say the "numinous". Witchcraft is essentially stemming out of yoga - not necessarily India but some form of spiritual metaphysics from some part of the ancient world; Druid, Celtic, Aboriginal, etc. It is the idea that you are a co-creator and responsible for your own direct experience of what you call God. Or it seeks to remove any religious container altogether. Any way you look at it, it requires a tremendous amount of self awareness, and personal responsibility to follow. This does not work for everyone. And that's okay! the strong "containing walls" of a religion like Christianity are exactly what an individual like that needs. And those that tried the more free-form approach of witchcraft that were not ready to have those "walls" torn down are, indeed, in danger of losing their minds (as the extreme case) or misusing the power they are given; having psychic entities latch onto them, etc. Thank goodness there are other ways to approach the numinous material in safe (although more restricted) ways. But eventually, the soul cannot stay in these restrictive molds. Eventually the soul reaches a line drawn in the sand they cannot cross unless they let go of the containers. It is setup that way; unavoidable.
I think another point to bring up is that Christianity is a VERY powerful egregore. And it gives tremendous protection to people that turn to it. I don't know what else I want to say about that but thought egregores should be a part of the conversation.
@@wa7pP986nah I don’t think they are any more at risk for entities they become aware of the entities already latched onto them and can’t handle the awareness! People think dabbling will give them demons nope it exposes the entities already in your field.
@@wa7pP986yeah I think she should expand on religious egragores for her next vid 👍
Not me.
They should hopefully be openminded, and check out any of Billy Carsons videos, and they might stick with their roots and real intiition.
I’m finding similarities the more I explore things like the blue rose lineage, where it’s a combination of heart centered deities like Mary Magdalene and Quan Yin.
Hey there. I'm not sure how I got here, but algo gonna algo, I guess! It's no problem. This video sounds like it covers some pretty interesting thoughts. I just woke up and am still waiting for meds to kick in, and you cautioned viewers with religious trauma that it may be unwise to watch, so I've decided to pass on it for now, but into the queue it goes.
However, I had a quick look at the chapter titles, and seeing that it doesn't much look like it talks history, but rather discusses high-profile recent conversions, I wanted to suggest some historical topics that I think you might find interesting, particularly when talking about conversion and harmful beliefs.
I actually initially wrote a ton here, but decided to pare it down. These are complex topics with at least 2000 years of history, but a bullet list does more for the possibility of discussion, and it's easier to read.
- Christianity as a part of constructed white identity, and how the connection back to Rome, Rome's collapse, the "dark age" of Europe, and the loss of the library at Alexandria, all together as the origin of the first "lost cause" myth that created and has fueled white supremacy to this day.
- The church, especially when embedded in matters of state, as a further unifying point for white supremacy, and a driving (or even just excusing) force in European colonization and subjugation of the entire world, and homogenization of people within European countries and colonies. Crucial examples: crusades, inquisitions, and the papal "doctrine of discovery" of 1493. Also everything happening in the US since... well, even before its inception, but the backslide into Christian Nationalism, white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia of all kinds (with intent to exterminate), nativism, etc are terrifying.
- How fear is a component of "willing" conversions (from your chapter list, you cover this), but in the context of so much historical (even up to fairly modern times) conversion under threat of genocide (so genocide either way, but one of them is survivable), how willing should we be to believe converts have been truly willing, rather than manipulated, even if they say so? It isn't for us to challenge them on this, but we can question it internally.
- How the colonized peoples of the world survived forcible conversion into people subservient to the white supremacist Christian hegemony through syncretism and disguising cultural practices. Examples of syncretism: Haitian Vodou, Brujeria.
I'm not suggesting an inherent violence to Christianity. The words attributed to Jesus were beautiful, made room for acceptance of others being different, and recognized a universal validity to how different faiths conceive of the divine. It is the wielding of the levers of power that makes Christians become hateful and violent. Jesus has nothing to do with it. I don't blame anyone who was hurt for rejecting it all, though. I have been hurt *badly* and am still being hurt "in the name of Jesus," by people who must not truly understand what they're doing. I have to believe that of them, even though I know that humanity is full of the capacity to do things both great and terrible.
I grew up religious and went to private Christian school, where we studied the Bible as a required course. The biggest issue is that it literally says to change or alter it will mean you are forever cursed, and that it is the living breathing Word of God. I can get behind all of that theoretically but the issue is the political changes that have been made to it - plus the fact that Jesus didn’t write it, a bunch of other people wrote it about him and interpreted him. They said “I was close to him this is what he meant when he did suck and such a thing”.
Essentially what Jesus was trying to get across was that religion can be bad when taken out of context and that sacrifices are no longer necessary to the old gods because when he was killed, he was the perfect sacrifice as he was Gods Son made flesh. Pagan Saints, stories, holidays, goddesses and martyrs who died to further the mission all got blended in somehow and then it became about money. It tracks very well as a cult that had humble beginnings but really took off in a world that was slowly populating and unifying.
It’s not myself as a witch that is offended by any of this - it’s history. The issue is that often people don’t read the book for themselves and rely on others to translate it for them, quote it out of context, or start slapping absolutes on there. The problem is when you have “THE way, THE solution” everyone else is WRONG. And whoever Jesus was (likely a practitioner of witchcraft or sorcery tbh) he became more of a legend and I doubt we will ever really know what all happened because it is lost to time, revisions, wars, persecutions, etc etc.
Christianity is very problematic, being at the very root of it are a lot of people pulling the strings with a lot of money and power, so much so I think they completely lost the point - Jesus was like “you don’t need religion!” After he died everyone was like “hey… let’s make a religion about Jesus” *facepalm I feel like he would not be very impressed tbh 😂
I don't do spells much yet my cuban friend says I am a bruja.
There's a few good channels on RUclips that I would recommend. The Gnostic Informant, and MythVision. Awesome information on the mythos of Christianity. But as always, do as you will and harm none. ❤
Witch isn't a choice; your born that way or not.
I sm extremely open-minded and eclectic - I generally keep the same worldview and understanding of my own spirituality, but I lean in on or towards different paths at different times. I think it’s about your own personal vibration, which can be impacted by the outside world and a whole bunch of other things. It’s true that many magical practitioners are also Christian converts! Currently I am very happy having my focus on a prosperity interpretation of the bible, and also spell casting using the bible. I know this is a far cry from Protestantism… but I can’t believe the results I’m getting. If this leads me all the way to praising lord Jesus and renouncing the so-called enemy by this time next year, so be it!
So, the witches are converting to Christianity? Well, to which version out of 44.000 denominations? In which exact denomination and according to which different set of rules, will god protect me and love me finally? No sarcasm. I'd really like to know.
Very true, it also sounds a lot like propaganda put out by mega churches and religious organizations to influence teens. Basically an ad campaign.
Excellent question!
Wow, I've noticed this happening
Great video topic!💖 I just did a blog post discussing some of this.
Ooh, nice 🔥
I like Doreen’s books, I haven’t read many, I would like to collect them all (🎵Pokémon!) since they are outta print, but I have a book problem…I have too many already 🤣 hopefully I’ll be able to still find them on eBay when I’m ready 🤞🏻
The ultimate musical genius MIA converted to... super wild
The photo of Doreen virtue you shared, she looks soooo different now. Her sparkle is gone.
It seems to me, that what you a saying 14:29 is that these folks had a fundamentalist personality type. That they lived in a concrete (binary) world. Their esoterism was not rooted in direct experience with God or spirit world. Rather their experience was exoteric in nature. Interesting.
I really recommend True to the Earth: Pagan Political Theology. It describes how religious teachings composed orally are fundamentally different than those composed in writing. Oral composition has an “and, and, and” format, so a poem describing a god might list twenty names of the god, or twenty attributes of the god. Written composition makes us deduce that god is one thing. The book argues that the advent of writing caused the change in human thought that led us to monotheism. It’s fascinating.
@Sahalielove I believe it. printed words ha e led to fundamentalism as it is expressed today.
The path towards monotheism began with Zoroastrianism about 4000 years ago or so.
Technically, Christianity is polytheistic. The doctrine of the Trinity is mental gymnastics to weave three gods into one god. The Eastern and the Western Church with honoring the saints, asking them for prayers, and whatnot resembles polytheism too. An outside observer would be hard pressed to tell the difference.
Have you read the book, "God," by Reza Aslan. It is about how people reinterpret the concept God through time. It is a fascinating read.
Regarding believing in "something greater,"... for me, it's the difference between alief and belief.
Alief is a very recently coined term from psychology, which is both a counter and a companion to belief. The classic example of the difference is, when standing on a stable but transparent balcony, one may have the rational belief that they are safe but a physiological response from the alief that they are not.
I don't have a belief in anything greater. I am a skeptic, and at my core, an atheist. I think we are little more than very self-aware bundles of stardust, which itself is its own miracle of nature and physics, but my self-awareness and evolution-enforced desire not to die does not necessitate immortality in either myself or some greater consciousness. From darkness we came, and to darkness we return.
But I have an alief in a greater protector because it is a comfort that is almost necessary to my mental health. I have an alief in the persistence of those I love after death because my heart might otherwise not heal.
The world is chaotic, nature is indifferent, and the social contract can dissolve in a moment's notice. If we lived our lives truly aware of these very real Lovecraftian horrors, they would duly break us. The sense of control and predictability we have instead allows us to feel safe in this unsafe world and allows us to live more fulfilling lives with lower stress. The difference between what I "believe" now as a witch and what I was told to believe as a Christian growing up in the Bible Belt is that now I can select which (witch!) practices are better for me, my community, and the planet rather than being forced to swallow bigoted dogma dictated by those in power whose primary goal is to stay in that power.
Sorry, rambled a bit into another topic, but... yeah. I both do and don't believe in something greater, which is a freedom of ambiguity that isn't permissible in most organized religions, especially Christianity and its related groups.
Gosh I love your earrings .. Wonder where I can purchase a pair ?☺️
Amen sister
I don’t think this is a widespread as you think. People say anything on the Tok and the Tube for views.
My awakening back in June was weird
How can we be certain these "Witches"are such, or just dabbled and didnt like the consequences? Spoilers m.mwe can. It's far more likely they are women craving a place in Churches whereas most do not allow for women to play an equal role. I have yet to meet a fellow once witch....meanwhile I just tell the ones who try to reconvert me...I'm an rabid apostate...that sends them scurrying for, oftimes, a dictionary or a talk to their spiritual leader. Those in the know just go away..
It's literally just time. I've seen this trend coming for about 8 years now. We're due for a full cultural shift towards Christianity at least through 2033. It's that point in the cycle. Witchcraft was part of the trend cycle, too. After Christianity (and the socialism revival that's due in about a year or two), we'll go back to a kind of agnostic secular individualism (think the Bush Admin) and nationalism until about 2045, at which point we can expect a new age revival.
I am psychic, but also, if you study generational astrology, world history, sociology, and trend cycles you can piece this together yourself.
*The part I edited was the year. I typed 2055, but 2045 is more accurate. The further we get into the future, the more the exact timeline wavers, but the cycle is the same.
My two guesses.
They are discovering that Jesus was on fact a real person.
They discovered that wicca was created by a catholic and uses catholic rituals.
I got baptized as christian orthodox after birth, but I grew up in atheistic family.
At age of 16 I felt a need for spiritual connection, any kind, just a proof that there's also a spiritual realm, not just material.
I was being very skeptical, so I decided to study myself the occult, check if divination works, if tarot is accurate, if it's accurate how it works, so on.
For the next 20 years I studied the angelology, demonology, world's religions, spiritism, tarot, astrology, numerology, voodoo, witchcraft.
A year ago before Halloween I was preparing to casts spells with other witches around the world), but God had other plans for me.
I kept it going, even if my life was being destroyed on so many levels, I mean for a witch pacted to demons I shouldn't have had so many issues.
The night before Halloween something felt off inside of me. I kinda had to admit to myself that maybe I was wrong. What if demons really can't be friends with humans? What if they deceived me? What if everything I know is wrong?!
I stopped listening to demonic Enn chants, as every night before going to sleep.They didn't deserve praise anymore.
I was wondering:"What kind of music would be the opposite of the Enn chants?". I checked the internet, the answer was:"Gregorian chants".
I searched for Gregorian chants on YT, I pressed play on the first suggestion, I've put my headphones on and listened to it.
And it changed everything. I've never been the same after this.
I was listening to St. Benedict's chant:"Crux sacra sit mihi lux/33 repetitions".
Little did I know it was a powerful exorcism chant. It paralyzed me in pain, and God the Father spoke to me. He's real. So is the holy spirit and Jesus Christ.
For the next 3 months I went through deliverances, on January 16, 2024 I became free of demons.
I live an amazing life since then, everything I lost, Jesus Christ returned it back to me and restored me.
Witchcraft doesn't save anyone, and the new age practices are modern witchcraft.
What Jesus Christ gave to me in 3 months, spirits and deities couldn't give me in 20 years.
Because there's only one savior, and his name is Jesus Christ, nothing else matters.
God bless us all.
❤
Born and raised Christianity (evangelical) and have converted to paganism. I have found more God and more Jesus in the spiritually than I ever found in the church. The church talks about unconditional love but doesn't live it... The pagans/wiccans/witches preach it and live the way of unconditional life and unity with God.
Most of these "witches" no matter how long they were practicing the occult had any idea what they were doing 🤷🏼♀️
As an occultist You're going to work alongside spirits of all types. If that spooks you or you see something that gets you paranoid then the work isn't for you.
I do believe there are similarities (Christianity and Witchcraft/spirituality) and they both intertwined… I don’t mean that pagan witchcraft is similar… I mean spirituality and rituals… utilizing nature and earthy signs to predict and interpret ARE intertwined.
I consider myself to be a Christian but I also have witchy/spiritual practices and beliefs. Most Christians do struggle with deciphering whether tarot and astrology is acceptable in the faith or not but Christianity DOES have elements of spirituality and it was apart of the Jewish culture and the wise men who met Jesus were magicians.
Of course you’ll have ppl condemning them and saying God can use them too… but I truly believe that humans just simply lack the understanding needed to know whether or not it is accepted… and I believe the TRUTH lies somewhere in the middle. I do believe there is a truth and there is a God who knows and sees everything and who loves us..I also believe there was a savior named Jesus who was sent to save humanity… what I don’t believe is human’s interpretation of the Bible and the “truth” 🤷🏽♀️
I'm trying to understand Christianity through the subject of Gnosticism but I still remain on the Left Hand Path! But not going back to mainstream christianity because I know what it's all about! I have no interest going back to the herd! Its all about the God within than looking for Divinity outside oneself! But I can say more but won't go any further! But I'm neither Christian or New Age!
I personally think it's great that if witches want to bring God into their practice I feel like that would be great that would be okay, like I said before I've been doing this for 6 years and if I want to bring him back into my practice I feel like that's my choice and I'm okay with that, I see so many practitioners working with God, but also working with with other gods and goddess
Could the same thing be said about Christianity ?
No, the Sam Harris era with Dawkins came and went.