On the other hand, there are true wizards and witches who are often disguised as “seers” who practice occultism, spiritism, and Satanism as a true and proper profession. Perhaps they are a minority, but they are extremely effective. Through their rituals and the action of Satan, these people truly obtain what they seek — that is, the misery of their misfortunate victims through sickness, the loss of a job, the breakup of relationships or forced marriages or engagements, the collapse of business affairs, and physical and psychological illnesses. The history of cases is infinite. What is certain is that they turn to the occult forces, seeking their services. They are the idolaters and the worshippers of false gods who consistently try to gain some personal advantage. They are apostates because they favor the action of the devil, who, although he has already been defeated by the Resurrection of Christ and its effects in the Church, is still operative in the world, thanks also to their perfidy.
The dramatic increase in the number of possessed persons and spiritual disturbances makes me say that the malice and superstition of those who resort to them — including those who, even as a joke, practice forms of occultism, such as séances — has grown in correspondence with the generalized decline of the Faith and the spreading of a culture favoring magic. Television series such as Witches and films such as Harry Potter are in my view a devastating means of sowing suspicion in the minds of young people (and the not so young) and of cultivating a magical mentality. What is a magical mentality, if not thinking that reality can be modified with the wave of a wand?
Also relevant to the topic is how one becomes a wizard. There is a type of bona fide initiation, along with courses that introduce a person to this “art.” One does not learn in the blink of an eye how to recite formulas, perform rituals, or use instruments of healing or prediction, such as pendulums, palm reading, divining, and fortune-telling cards. I believe that the paths of initiation are very diverse because they involve occultists, who do not wish to operate in the light of day. There is also the Book of Commands, a very ancient text of black magic that is accessible to those who are entrusted with the transmission of its very powerful formulas.
Wizards work mostly at night. After appeasing Satan with some “appropriate” rites of adoration, they act on photographs, puppets, or other objects belonging to the one who will be struck; then, through the intervention of the spirits the wizards invoke, the spiritually negative effects ritually propitiated on such objects will be transferred to the person himself.
It is necessary to clarify that all the consequences of the occult — possessions, obsessions, the evil eye, strange powers, and similar things — having been caused by the influence of Satan and activated by wizards, cannot, evidently, be reversed by them. On the contrary, their intervention would only worsen things. At times they boast of being exorcists, but what they claim as powers of liberation from evil spells are nothing but a product of Satan. In the end, one is always worse than before, and with the additional weight of a personal tie to a wizard. It is necessary to distrust a wizard who boasts of such powers. A demon is not chased away with a demon, only with prayer. In these cases it is necessary to resort to a priest, an exorcist, or the prayer groups of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
Finally, I am often asked if wizards can go back to the Faith. Wizards — like exorcists, even if obviously on the completely opposite side — touch the invisible world with their hands. When a true wizard sells himself to Satan, his reasoning is no longer his own, and normally he does not have the strength to liberate himself. For this reason, I believe that it is difficult, if not impossible, to convert back to God. God will seek to redeem him, even to the end, as He does with all His children. An exorcist related to me the case of a witch who remained in agony on her deathbed for many hours and who, amid great pains and sufferings, was unable to die. By chance, the exorcist had found himself at the hospital where the witch was languishing and did an exorcism on her, and after a while she expired — reconciled with God, we hope.
Spiritism
Spiritism is the evocation of the dead through a medium.10 The medium is a type of spiritist priest who functions as a channel or means of communication with the spiritual world, in order to learn hidden things or to know the fate of a dearly departed. There are, in fact, many — unilluminated by Christian faith — who, at the death of a dear person or in the unrestrained desire to know the future, turn, out of desperation, to mediums, often with inauspicious effects on their lives.
How does the evocation of the dead occur? It happens through various techniques that come from a very ancient tradition — which, like those involved in other types of magic — have been developed and perfected by spiritist movements that have studied and practiced them in depth since the second half of the 1800s. Since then, spiritism has evolved into a universal religion that, guided by spirits, is expected [by its followers] to overcome the traditional religions and draw all humanity to a new era of brotherhood.11 Culturally and politically, it resembles Freemasonry, to which many members of spiritism belong. Their techniques are easily accessed, and for this reason they constitute an easy entrance for the curious who wish to venture in. The most common is the séance, in which several persons are seated around a table, holding hands or resting them on the surface, with little fingers touching in order to maintain physical contact, as through a chain. If the evocation of the spirit succeeds, the table moves itself and “speaks” by striking some blows, which have a conventional meaning (for example one blow for yes, and two for no). The evoked spirit can also speak through the medium, who, having fallen into a trance, “lends” his voice to the spirit, or through a pendulum, through automatic writing (in which, always during the trance, the medium writes what he says is dictated by the spirit), or through a Ouija board, on which a little plate or a coin is moved, going from one letter of the alphabet to another to form words and concepts that the spirits wish to reveal.
Also here, as in magic, there are many braggarts who look to make money at the expense of those who are suffering. But there are also many mediums who are truly able to get in contact with spiritual entities. These presumed spirits of the dead often reveal things that are unknown to the medium himself but are known to the client, who, once conquered by the credibility of the “voice,” does not hesitate to believe all the other revelations in future sessions. Often these voices announce beautiful things or leave edifying messages that are difficult to ignore. In brief, spiritism in these cases seems to work, and it draws many followers.
The fact, then, that they are able to obtain information about events that have truly happened and are unknown to the medium leads us to attribute these communications to an intelligent external cause — that is, to spirits. But of what exactly are we speaking? According to an important trend in spiritism, that of Allan Kardec,12 they are souls in the temporal stage between one reincarnation and another that are in sight of their progressive elevation and are wandering: being disincarnated, they are, therefore, available to speak. Good spirits are distinguished from spirits that are less good, depending on their level of perfection. All of this, of course, is completely contrary to Christian doctrine. There are no good spirits other than angels and no bad spirits other than demons.
Another, more ethnic trend, like that of the traditional Afro-American cults, holds that these souls are of divine nature and that during the rituals, they are appropriated by the medium in order to pronounce oracles or dictate blessings or curses on someone.
In the West, in the 1970s those who practiced so-called channeling, a form of New Age spiritism, claimed to be able to contact, through a channel, all the invisible entities, such as angels, gnomes, goblins, elves, fairies, spirits of nature, spirits of fire, spirits of water, and the great spirit of the earth. Clearly, this phenomenon of neo-paganism that is part of the New Age movement is winning over many lost and disoriented souls right now.
There are some who would simplify this broad phenomenology, which we have just sketched here
in some of its particular forms, preferring to speak of parapsychology, projections of the unconscious, and other phenomena that have a psychological character with no effective correspondence in reality. My idea, however, is that these evoked spirits, if they are not the result of banal tricks, are none other than demons.
But first let us see what the Church says on the topic, beginning with the many passages from the Old Testament in which necromancy — the evocation of the dead — divination, and witchcraft are forbidden to the Israelites as superstitious practices that turn the heart away from faith in Yahweh, the providential God.13 Then, in addition to the many pronouncements of the Magisterium throughout the centuries, there is also the Catechism, which says:
All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil the future.”14 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots; the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone. (CCC, no. 2116)
In light of this and of my long exorcistical practice, I believe that the evoked, presumed souls of the deceased (those that in precedence I called “roaming” or “wandering”) are in reality unclean, awakened spirits, attracted, indeed “forced,” by the evocation to manifest themselves. I also believe that to lead or simply to assist at such practices, even only occasionally, besides being a mortal sin, can provoke concrete and serious harm to the spirit. My agenda is full of appointments given to those who have consulted a medium. These individuals tell me that after such experiences, even long after, their problems increase: they have difficulty sleeping; they perceive some strange presences in their ambiences; they find it difficult to study; they experience a growing desire to commit suicide; they develop an unexplainable hatred toward others, and they become besieged by obsessive thoughts. Unfortunately the list could be lengthened to include the risks of contracting a serious spiritual evil such as a diabolical possession. The correlation between the cause and the diagnosis is so frequent that it is difficult for me to think that spiritism has nothing to do with the demon. The fact is, and I base this on the experience of all my colleagues in this ministry, that these evils are curable only through the medicine of the spirit: exorcism, blessings, prayer, and the sacraments; and this leads to the confirmation of all that I have said.
There are so many young people — I am speaking of twenty-five out of every hundred — who, together with their peers, either for a joke or out of boredom, get involved in these practices or participate at least once in their life at a séance. It is curious that, in a secularized and scientific era like ours, where anything credible must be experimentally demonstrated, so many people dive into these types of experiences that deal so strongly with the invisible world. The response is quite simple: when faith in God declines, idolatry and irrationality increase; man must then look elsewhere for answers to his meaningful questions. But there is another response that seems to me to go even deeper: a highly technical society accustoms individuals to obtain all that they wish by clicking a button, so they avail themselves of this method in order to obtain responses to the more difficult questions.
For clarity, I wish to further speak about two others types, namely sensitives and seers.15 Like mediums or wizards, both can be braggarts or, worse, real witches or wizards. But there are also others [in this category] who are inspired to do good and sense or see spiritual realities. If they have a solid faith, and if they do not seek glory or gain, and if when tested they prove to be trustworthy, they can be very useful. I know some of them, and I employ them when it is helpful.
By going back to a photograph of a person, a letter, or an object, they can, with a certain precision, identify the existence of the spell and its origin, thereby permitting the identification and the destruction of the material cause. Furthermore, they can also assist in the selection of the most adaptable spiritual medicine to apply to a particular situation. In my experience, it has often happened that they can identify which parts of the victim’s body to anoint — that is, where he was directly struck by the spell — or they can discern the time in which the person sustained the results of a rite.
Satanic Rock: The Collective Exaltation That Kills the Soul
Without a shadow of a doubt, the most diffuse method of transmitting the principles of Satanism is satanic rock. This makes Satanism live through music, which, in itself, is a common and beautiful form of entertainment. However, the Mephistophelian sound represents a great and actual danger for young people, who are the majority of those who are attracted to it and, in a certain sense, the most defenseless. In the messages that are transmitted through the sounds of satanic rock are the three rules of Satanism: you may do all that you wish, no one has the right to command you, and you are the god of yourself. Between the performances and the collective exaltation, created as entertainment and presented in a stadium, satanic rock very much mirrors the desires of young people.
Satanic rock’s contagious music gives a sense of cheer, self-possession, and unlimited liberty from parents, teachers, and educators. If it is true that it is not necessary to see the devil everywhere, then for some this music is only a passion, although morbid; but it seems to me that the most devoted followers of this particular musical genre belong to satanic sects. So I advise everyone to avoid poisoning their spirits with these sounds.
Does one also risk diabolical possession by listening to this music? I have never had a case in which I was able, with great certainty, to recognize a possession caused by satanic rock. Nevertheless, I was able to ascribe other disturbances to it — none less painful — such as vexations or diabolical obsessions that provoke suicidal or homicidal inclinations. It is also necessary to remember that satanic rock spreads messages that are taken from the manuals of the black masses, spiritism, and occultism — in which Satan is evoked with musical lyrics that are actual hymns to the Prince of Darkness — and when they are projected onto a screen at concerts, they become, in a subliminal way, provocations of violence, suicide, sexual perversion, and acts of destruction against the state, the civic order, and the Church of God.
[Satanic rock] is a conditioning that overwhelms the external senses — sight and hearing — and arriving directly at the subconscious, erodes, over time, its inhibiting brakes. The obsessive repetition of these messages literally changes the way one thinks of and understands life, poisoning the soul and the spirit and, as a result, ruining lives.
Cursing: A Poisoning of the Environment
It is common knowledge that some people, even the young and little children, curse. But can these expressions, which often seem more like interjections than real offenses against God and our Lady, cause collateral damage in terms of evil spells? First of all, let us say that those who curse are in good company: the demoniacs (those possessed by the devil) often curse. Many persons, perhaps the majority, do not have a true awareness of the monstrosity they speak when they are cursing, offending the One who created them and insulting the Mother of the One who saved them. Rudeness, bad habits, and contagion accompany cursing. Furthermore, it is a grave sin that must be confessed.
Certainly, cursing is not at all displeasing to the devil. I personally have direct evidence of a cause-effect relationship between cursing and diabolical possession: I have been involved in cases regarding persons who contracted a diabolical possession or another evil spell caused by cursing. I also recall, without going too far, that it created a climate adaptable for similar phenomena. Certainly, apart from everything else, cursing ruins the climate of a home, which is the center of our lives.
What can we do when we hear someone cursing? I advise, in defense of a place or a family, to repeat in your mind a very short prayer; for example, “Jesus, I love You,” or “Blessed be Jesus.” This type
of reparation is an effective retort against the devil, who, at that point, has more to lose than to gain from a curse.
Horror Films, Piercing, and Tattoos
What type of influence do books and especially horror films have on a spiritual life? A negative one. To read crime stories in the newspapers is to ask: Where does reality end and fantasy begin? At times there is a connection between the two, a reciprocal influence between what happens in life and what is born in the mind of writers and dramatists. I often wonder who inspires whom. I oppose the viewing of [horror] films, and I advise people, particularly the young, not to patronize them. If the demon’s mission is to tempt man, then viewing these films — which tend to normalize brutal situations, particularly, where the demon is the protagonist — can seriously upset fragile minds and stir others to sadistic emulation. Why voluntarily subject oneself to evil temptations? The same regards similar content in animated cartoons and comics for boys and girls.
I must admit, however, based on my knowledge and experience, that the viewing of these films does not directly cause extraordinary spiritual ills. If anything, patronizing such films may influence a person to procure them indirectly or induce him to give himself over to occultism. Nevertheless, whoever contributes to the production and distribution of these films is, in every case, doing a disservice to society.
Tattoos? Piercing? These, as we know, are very common aesthetic practices among the young and the not so young. Tattooing and piercing — like nonsatanic rock — do not necessarily have an evil objective and do not in themselves demonize. Man, from time immemorial, has adorned his body. But I ask myself: Does adorning with indelible images on the skin embellish or disfigure the body, God’s creation and therefore already beautiful in itself? In our view (as exorcists) it is always necessary to look at the intentions. Some of the symbolism and the designs on the body can make explicit or implicit referral to monsters or demons, nearly evoking them. At times one can associate these forms of expressions as signs of belonging to the devil: in this case, they are connected to the satanic rites of initiation. Other times, more simply, it is done to impress friends. Still other times, it can be done with explicit sexual references or to scorn one’s own body. All these examples do nothing good for the soul. In a few cases, sacred images are represented: these are licit.
An Exorcist Explains the Demonic Page 5