Fortune telling with Holy books and objects is the fourth type of witchcraft. These fortune tellers mix their invocations with prayers, psalms and other Holy words addressed to the Mother of God, the Saints in order to deceive the weaker in faith.
This is what St. John Chrysostom says:
“You say that the old lady Is a Christian, that the man is a Christian fortune teller, and that when they open a book or cast a spell, they don’t utter nor write any other name, that the name of Christ, Theotokos, or Saints. So what kind of evil they do? Here I will reply that it’s fitting to abhor that evil women, and that evil fortune teller, because they abuse the name of God in order to this honor and ridicule it.
Although they are Christians, they act like pagans. Because even the devils, though pronouncing the name of God, are still devils. Some in order to vindicate themselves, say that the Christian women who tells fortune says nothing but the name of God. But I abhor even more because she uses the name of God for disgrace. Taking pride in herself she reveals her action as pagan”.
Those who tell fortune by opening “The Book of Psalms”, or other Holy books are forbidden communion for seven years because “The Book of Psalms” is a Holy book with many prophecies inside, inspired by the Holy Spirit and used for prayer, not for fortune telling and collecting money. The same sin is performed by some priests who “open a book” as the common people would say, and therefor fall under a heavy conviction, together with the once who ask for the opening of the Holy Gospel.
Sorcerers also utilize various “holy items”
-Elder, what are “charmers”?
-They are sorcerers. They use the Psalms of David, the names of Saints etc., and they combine them with invocations to demons. In other words, whereas we invoke God’s help and accept Divine Grace when we read the Book of Psalms, in the way that they use it, they insult God, they reject Divine Grace, and thus the demons respond to their demands. They told me of a youth who had been to a sorcerer because he wanted to succeed in something. He read a passage from the Book of Psalms and the youth got what he wanted. But after a while, the young man began to wither away… the poor child began to melt away… What had the sorcerer done? He had taken a handful of dried nuts and began to read the 50th Psalm. When he reached the verse that said “sacrifice to God”(3), he tossed down the dried nuts, thus symbolically making an offering to the demons so that they would do him the favour. In that way, he was abusing God through his use of the Book of Psalms.
Elder, there are some who dabble in sorcery and even use the Cross, icons etc…
-Yes, I know… you can tell from that alone, just how much fraud is hiding behind what they do! That’s how they fool poor unsuspecting people, who see candles, icons etc. being used, and they trust those frauds! Ah, a person once told me about this Turkish woman in the town that he lived…. she had placed an icon of the Holy Mother on top of a rock and would proclaim: “This is the rock that helps people”! She didn’t say “the Holy Mother”, but “the rock” that helps them! Christians became confused, because they would see the icon of the Holy Mother and when there are cases of people with a health problem, they rush over there, thinking that they will actually receive help, but the devil then wreaks havoc on them… Because, when the Turkish woman claims that the rock – not the Holy Mother – helps people, well, from then on, the devil takes over, because the Holy Mother is clearly being disrespected. The Grace of God withdraws, and demon-possession takes its place. And so, Christians run to be cured by a rock – a rock AND a demon (!!) – and in the end they become debilitated, because…. well, what kind of help would you really expect from the devil? If they had even a speck of sense, they would have thought to themselves: “This is a Turk, a Muslim; what is she doing with the Holy Mother’s icon?” Even though claiming that the Holy Mother helps, the fact alone that she is a Muslim is enough to make one wonder what her connection to the Holy Mother is… let alone to claim that a rock will help them!
I mentioned all these things to someone, to alert the local Metropolis accordingly so that it will take the necessary measures to protect the people.
Elder, people ask us for talismans (charms)
-It’s better if you give them miniature crosses when they ask you for talismans. Don’t make talismans, because even sorcerers make talismans nowadays, but inside them, they place all sorts of spells. People see an icon or a cross and become confused. See, just a few days ago, they brought me a talisman that was made by a Turk named Ibrahim and yet, it had a cross embroidered on it. I have been told of an ungodly individual, who takes various little icons and wraps them around items such as hairs, twigs, pins, beads (4) etc.. When the Church questioned him, he simply said “I am a medium”, because mediums are allowed to act freely and so he is free to do whatever he wants. I advised someone who had suffered damage because of that medium: “Go and confess, because you are subjected to demonic influences”. He went to confession. Then he came back to me and said “I still can’t feel any difference.” “Hmm… do you by any chance have something on your person that was given to you by that deluded one?” I asked him. “Yes” he said, I have a tiny little hollow box, something like a miniature Gospel.” I took it, opened it, and found inside it a number of little icons, all folded. I unwrapped them, one by one, and inside them were beads, hairs, and something else that looked like wood splinters. I got rid of them all, and the man was released…. Do you see how crafty the devil is?
Poor souls – they wear talismans of that sort, supposedly to be helped, but instead they end up tormented. Those items should be burnt and the ashes buried, or be thrown into the sea, and then they should go to confess.
One other time, a young man came to my Hut, who had numerous problems and was being oppressed in body and soul for more than four years. He had lived a life of sin, and lately, he had shut himself inside his house, not wishing to see another human being. Two friends of his – who regularly came to the Holy Mountain – convinced him after many attempts to go along with them to the Holy Mountain, in the hope of bringing him to my Hut. On the trip from the port of Ouranoupolis and until they reached the main port of Dafni, every time the ferry boat came alongside a Monastery mooring, the young man would collapse. His friends, together with the fathers who were also on the boat, strove to revive him by saying the Prayer. It was with great difficulty that they managed to reach the Hut inland. That poor soul opened up his heart to me and told me all about his life. I could see he was being plagued by some kind of demonic influence. I advised him to go to a spiritual father confessor nearby, and do whatever he advises him to do, so he would recover afterwards. He did actually go and confess. When they boarded the ferry boat for the return trip, he told his friends that the spiritual father instructed him to throw away the talisman that he wore (which an acquaintance of his had given him), into the sea. But it was impossible for him to remove it. No matter how much his friends begged him to get up and throw it away, he remained frozen like a statue, unable to get up from his seat. So they grabbed him and with a lot of struggling they led him outside, onto the deck. With the help of his friends, the young man finally managed to remove the talisman and allowed it to drop into the sea – he didn’t have the strength to actually toss it overboard. However, he immediately felt his arms had been freed and that his poor tormented body had regained its strength… he began to jump for joy, running up and down the deck, full of life, and testing the strength of his hands on the railings and the sides of the ferry boat….
Those who dabble in sorcery also tell many lies
Having spoken to you many times about Paradise, the Angels and the Saints so that you may be helped, I shall now also say a few words about Hell and the demons, so that you can be aware of who we’re fighting against: again, so that you may be helped.
A young sorcerer from Tibet once visited me at my cell and told me a lot of things about his life. This child, no sooner was he weaned from his mother than his father dedicated it – at the age of three – to a group of thirty, high-ranking sorcerers in Tibet, in order to initiate it in their art. He reached the eleventh degree of sorcery – the twelfth being the highest. At the age of sixteen he left Tibet and went to Sweden, to see his father. While there, he happened to meet an Orthodox priest – a very devout one – and invited him to a conversation. In the room where they had sat down to talk, he began to do some of his magic, in order to show the priest his powers. He invoked an initial(1). demon, Menas, and said to it: “I want water”. A glass rose up from the kitchen, it went to the tap on its own, the tap came on, it filled the glass with water, then it passed through the glass screen and entered the room they were in. He took the glass and drank the water. Then he “showed” the priest all the universe: the skies, the stars… He used magic of the fourth degree and intended to continue, up to the eleventh degree. He asked the priest what he thought of all those things.
“I was ready” he said, “to kill him if he dared to insult my Satan”.
But the priest said nothing to him. Then the young man said to the priest:
“Why don’t you conjure up some signs also?”
“Because my God is humble”, the priest replied, and took out a crucifix which he had with him and asked the young man to hold it in his hand.
“Now try your magic again,” he said.
The young man invoked Menas the initial demon once more, but Menas stood trembling, not daring to approach. He then invoked Satan, but the same thing happened: he could see the Crucifix and he wouldn’t come near; he only told the young man to get up and leave for Tibet. The young man then broke out and cursed him: “I just realized” he said, “that your vast power is a pathetic weakness!”
He was afterwards catechized a little by the good priest, who spoke to him about the Holy Lands, the Holy Mountain etc.. So he left Sweden and went to Jerusalem where he witnessed the Holy Light. From there, he went on to America to give the Satanists there a piece of his mind and tell them to change their ways…. God had turned him into the best kind of preacher… From there, he came to the Holy Mountain.
The good Lord helped him scandalously, because he had been unjustly treated from a very young age. But you too should also say a prayer for him, because the sorcerers with all their demons are waging war against him. If they attack me whenever he comes for my help, just imagine how much more they are attacking him. Priests would read exorcisms over him, and his hands would split open and bleed profusely… The poor child… he is being horribly tormented by the demons, whereas initially, when he was friends with them, they didn’t harass him, but only helped him and served him. Pray for him. However, he too needs to be extremely cautious, because the Gospel says that “when an unclean spirit departs from a man, it goes through dry places, seeking rest and finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first…”
Testimonies of Demonic Influences on Humans – St. Paisios of Mount Athos
St. Paisios of Mount Athos, one of the most revered spiritual figures of the 20th century, offers profound insights into the ways demons can influence humans. His teachings emphasize the importance of spiritual vigilance and the power of faith in overcoming such influences.
Recognizing Demonic Influences
St. Paisios teaches that demonic influences often manifest subtly, taking advantage of human weaknesses such as pride, anger, and despair. He explains that demons are cunning and will use any opportunity to lead a person away from God. These influences can appear as negative thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, or even as deceptive visions that seem holy but are meant to mislead.
The Power of Faith and Prayer
One of the key teachings of St. Paisios is the importance of faith and prayer in resisting demonic influences. He emphasizes that demons have no power over a person who is steadfast in their faith and who regularly engages in sincere prayer. The Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) is particularly powerful in this spiritual warfare.
The Role of Humility
St. Paisios also highlights humility as a crucial defense against demonic attacks. Demons thrive on pride and arrogance, but they are repelled by humility. By acknowledging our own weaknesses and relying on God’s strength, we can protect ourselves from demonic deception.
Spiritual Discernment
Spiritual discernment is another critical aspect of St. Paisios’s teachings. He advises that not all spiritual experiences are from God and that one must discern the source of such experiences carefully. Consulting with a spiritual father or guide is essential in this process, as they can provide wisdom and guidance in distinguishing between divine inspiration and demonic deception.
Examples from the Life of St. Paisios
Throughout his life, St. Paisios encountered many individuals who suffered from demonic influences. He provided them with spiritual guidance, emphasizing the need for repentance, regular confession, and participation in the Holy Mysteries of the Church. His deep understanding of the spiritual realm, combined with his profound compassion, made him a source of comfort and strength for those struggling with demonic oppression.
Conclusion
St. Paisios of Mount Athos offers invaluable teachings on the nature of demonic influences and the means by which they can be overcome. His emphasis on faith, humility, prayer, and spiritual discernment provides a clear path for Christians seeking to protect themselves from the wiles of the devil and to live a life in communion with God.
