Witches, Druids, Pagans: “Get to Know Us”

With quotes from Bloomington Websites

By Gary L. Fiscus, 2024

Part I:

          In both the Old and New Testaments people are warned to stay away from sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, etc.

¨     Leviticus 19:31 ESV, “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”

¨     Revelation 21:8 ESV, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

¨     Leviticus 19:26 ESV, “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes.”  Galatians 5:20-21 ESV, “Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

¨     Acts 13:6-11, “And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus; Act 13:7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same called unto him Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. Act 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith. Act 13:9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him, Act 13:10 and said, O full of all guile and all villainy, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Act 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.” 

 

        Satan has many devices. One is to make bad things sound good. 2Co 11:13-15,  “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 2Co 11:15  It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteous-ness, whose end shall be according to their works.”

         

           Here is a sample of such from Druid websites here in Bloomington:

  • “Born of a need for a culturally conscious, empathetic Pagan space in Bloomington, IN, Ars Enodia (Witchcraft store), formed. Through consults, classes, ritual, and products, our objective is to uplift our community and offer services that empower practitioners.  We are a queer-owned operation dedicated to keeping old magical traditions alive and ethically reconstructing magical practice as a means of reconnecting with our Earth, ourselves, and our communities. We believe in the preservation and respect of cultural practices, striving to give back to the communities whose cultures have and continue to be marginalized.”
  • “We are a community of Pagans, hippies, Earth-worshippers, and spiritual seekers that come together to celebrate the seasons and support each other. We invite you to join us for our celebrations or to contact us if you want to learn more.”
  • “We don't require that you have a certain set of beliefs to join us because we feel that what you do is what is important (For what we expect of you at ritual, go here.). To get a feel for what we believe (in general), it is best described by ADF Archdruid Emeritus Robert Lee (Skip) Ellison* in his book The Druid’s Alphabet (2003).

          [*Rev. Robert Lee "Skip" Ellison is a Druid priest and liturgist and an author in the fields of Druidry, Magic and divination. He was initiated into a Celtic Traditional Wiccan coven in 1982. He has been a member of the Druidic organization Ár nDraíocht Féin since 1990, serving on its Mother Grove since 1992.[1] He served as ADF's Archdruid (Now Emeritus), and is Chief of its Magician's Guild.[2] He was the grove Organizer for Muin Mound Grove, ADF (a Druidic group that maintains a camping and ritual facility in Syracuse, NY by the same name), and became its second Senior Druid, a position he held since 1992.[3] He has been a frequent speaker at Neo-Pagan events including the Starwood Festival, Sirius Rising, and the Wellspring Gathering. He has created a magical training system based on the trees of the forest and has authored four books on Druidry and divination. He is also a retired industrial electrician.” (Via Wikipedia)].

  • “We believe that divinity is both within and all around us, immanent and transcendent.
  • We believe that it is most important to pay attention to the divinity within ourselves at this critical juncture for the Earth.
  • We believe in a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses, equal in power and status, as well as in a host of lesser beings, known by many names (Nature Spirits, Fairy Folk, Ancestors, etc.).
  • We believe it is necessary to honor and respect the Earth Mother as the living being she is. We also hold ecological awareness and activism to be sacred duties.
  • We believe that ethics and morality should be based on love, joy, self-esteem, mutual respect, the avoidance of actual harm to others and ourselves, and to the increase of public benefit.
  • We believe that humans were meant to lead lives filled with joy, love, pleasure, beauty, and humor.
  • We believe that with proper training, we are able to perform most of the magic and miracles we are ever likely to need.
  • We believe in the importance of celebrating the solar, lunar, and other cycles in our lives.
  • Most of us believe in reincarnation with a time of resting and learning in between incarnations.
  • We believe that to live in society, you must give back to society through community service.”

          Sorcery, the use of spells, divination, or speaking to spirits, is clearly condemned in the Bible. The word sorcery in Scripture is always used in reference to an evil or deceptive practice. E.G., in 2 Chronicles 33:6, King Manasseh is condemned for his many evil practices, including sorcery: “And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.”

          The apostle Paul lists sorcery as one of many sinful practices that mark the lives of unbelievers: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife . . . and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

          Interestingly, the New Testament Greek word translated “sorcery” is pharmakeia, which is the source of our English word pharmacy. In Paul’s day, the word primarily meant “dealing in poison” or “drug use.” It was applied to divination and spellcasting because sorcerers often used drugs along with their incantations and amulets to activate occult power.

          Sorcerers were common in the culture of ancient Egypt (Exodus 7:11, “Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchant-ments”;  Isaiah 19:3, “And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek unto the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.” ).

          We also see sorcery in the kingdom of Babylon, especially in associa-tion with King Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:9, “But as for you, hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon”:  Daniel 2:2, “Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So, they came in and stood before the king.’)

          Sorcery is an attempt to bypass God’s wisdom and power and give glory to Satan instead. God has no tolerance for sorcery. In Deuteronomy 18:10-12, sorcery is listed among the sinful practices of the nation’s surrounding Israel. God calls it an abomination: “There shall not be found among you . . . anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.”

          Malachi also speaks of God’s judgment on those involved in sorcery: “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers” (Malachi 3:5).

          Apparently, sorcery will still be practiced to the very end of this world. Spiritual Babylon, indicative of Rome in the first century and false religions in our day, will deceive “all nations” with sorcery, (Revelation 18:23, “and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived.) Again, this was true of Rome, i.e., NT Babylon and is true of our time before judgment.

          The book of Revelation says that sorcerers “will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Revelation 22:15, “Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie.”

          Sorcery is clearly sinful and is not to be part of the life of a Christian. There is a wisdom that is “earthly, unspiritual, of the devil” (James 3:15), and this is what sorcery offers. Our wisdom comes from God (James 3:17), not from deceiving spirits. The power of God, therefore, is much greater than the power of sorcery 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” 

Part II:

          If you want to talk about Spirit or Ghost, talk about He who is Holy.

Rom. 5:5, “and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us.”

Rom. 9:1, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.”

Rom. 14:17, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Rom. 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Rom. 15:16, “that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

Rom. 15:19, “in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ”

1Cor. 6:19, “Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own.”

1Cor. 12:3, “Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit”

2Cor. 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”

Eph. 1:13, “in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,--in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”

Eph. 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption.

1Thess. 1:5, “how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.”

1Thess. 1:6, “And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit.”

1Thess. 4:8, “Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you.”

2Tim. 1:14, “That good thing which was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.”

Tit. 3:5, “not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

Heb. 2:4  God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.”

Heb. 6:4, “For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,”

1Pet. 1:12, “To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.”

2 Pet. 1:21, “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Jude 20, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”