Our battle truly is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.
The church must awaken to the reality of witchcraft and the deceptive practices within the New Age movement, which has infiltrated many areas of modern life. In a recent discussion, with Isaiah Saldivar, former witch Ashley Jones shares her experiences with the dangerous allure of “light work” and “white magic,” which often appear innocent on the surface but are rooted in deception and demonic influence.
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Jones bluntly describes the deceptive nature of black magic versus white magic practices: “There’s absolutely no difference between them at all. It’s just that you think that there is.” She elaborates on how people may be drawn to these practices, believing they are “for good and love,” but ultimately they are not aligned with the truth of the Gospel. “It’s the deceptive message that there can be power outside of Jesus that is good… It’s just demonic, it’s deception, it’s not true,” she warns.
For many, the entry point to these deceptive practices is seemingly harmless activities like astrology, horoscopes and the law of attraction. As Jones reflects on her own journey, she says, “It started more with like astrology, crystals, manifestation… this kind of stuff that, again, quote unquote, if you’re not watching, is more innocent, which is not at all.” She explains how these practices, though appearing innocent, serve as gateways to deeper and darker spiritual dangers.
These false teachings and practices often come disguised as something benign or even good, which is why so many are deceived. Unfortunately, even Christians have found themselves caught up in these practices.
Yet, the church continues to stay silent about the infiltration of New Age practices, and Saldivar points out that this silence is allowing the deception to spread. “Pastors are not willing to talk about this. How are we not discussing this in the church when our church members are walking around saying, ‘I’m Libra, I’m Cancer, I’m Leo’?” he exclaims, urging the church to expose these false beliefs.
Saldivar and Jones explain how even seemingly innocent practices, such as yoga and the Enneagram, have roots in mysticism and can open the door to spiritual oppression. Just because the Enneagram has been so widely accepted does not mean we should see it as something worth engaging in.
Ultimately, seeking spirituality outside of Christ will quickly lead to dangerous territory. Jones shares how her dabbling in New Age practices began with “light work,” but as she sought more power, she eventually found herself engaging with darker forces. This opened the door to demonic oppression, as she began experiencing sleep paralysis, hearing voices and being led to the brink of suicidal thoughts. She recalled a terrifying moment when the voices she had trusted whispered, “If you hit this tree head on full speed you will escape death… You will have reached the highest enlightenment.”
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The church must not remain silent in the face of the growing influence of witchcraft and New Age practices. As believers, it is our responsibility to recognize and confront these deceptive forces that are infiltrating our homes, churches and communities. These practices, often disguised as harmless or even beneficial, present a subtle but real spiritual danger. Whether it’s astrology, crystals or the increasingly popular practices like yoga and horoscopes, the enemy is using these seemingly innocent activities to pull people away from the truth of the Gospel and into bondage.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
