This is a response to the Spectrum article, Which Craft? Non-Patriarchal Spiritual Practices for the Modern Woman (And Man), from March 18, 2026 and why we are seeing these things in our churches today.
Contributing factors to paganism and witchcraft in the church
When I was deep into spiritual formation classes we were instructed from the start not to judge, criticize, or think oneself better than another. All all people and religions are to be accepted and learned from.
Mind you, I was in class with Christian Scientists, Atheists, New Agers, Catholics, and a few Witches. The term ascribed to this way of thinking is known as Syncretism and is defined by Britannica Encyclopedia, as “the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices”. It also encompasses Interspirituality, a term coined in 1999 by Wayne Teasdale, a Catholic Monk who explains,
“Interspirituality is a uniting of the world’s religions through the common thread of mysticism… the spiritual common ground which exists among the world’s religions.”
Teasdale wrote in his book,
“As matrix [a binding substance], the Church would no longer see members of other traditions as outside her life. She would promote the study of these traditions, seek common ground and parallel insights” (A Monk in the World, p. 64).
As echoed by Ailce A. Bailey,
“This unity of spiritual thought would not be a single one-world denomination but would have a unity-in-diversity, multicultural, interfaith, ecumenical agenda”.
So as good ecumenists we come together on Mysticism and fuse different religious systems to create unity in spiritual thought. There is only one problem; to do this, we must accept and embrace error, while serving God who is Truth. This is impossible for us to do, if we truly want to follow Jesus.
This concept, however, is part of Alice A. Bailey’s 10 Point Plan, the same plan the U.N. adopted when it was formed:
#9 Create an “interfaith movement.”
Promote other faiths to be on par with Christianity, and break this thing about Christianity as being the only way to heaven, so that Christianity will be pulled down and other faiths promoted.
Now, Let’s Get to the Witches and Pagan Practices in Church.
WICCA: defined as, “the religious cult of modern witchcraft.”
“You can be Wiccan and not practice witchcraft. You can be Wiccan and you can be a Christian. It is OK. ... Wicca is a religion of the elements and of the earth herself. We celebrate the earth and her beauty” (theodysseyonline.com).
When we consider their core beliefs, they are the same as the Emergent Church beliefs, which are:
Emergent Church
No heaven
No hell/No judgment
Truth is determined by me
Witches:
No heaven
No hell/No judgment
Truth is determined by me
Wicca also involves nature worship, something that God does not ordain. We are to worship God as the Creator, not the creation itself (Romans 1:25). We are reminded of this in Revelation 14: 7 (with a loud voice I might add), “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
The Witches Creed:
“All good that a person does to another returns three-fold in this life; harm is also returned three-fold.” This is important to us. This reminds us not to cause harm…” theodysseyonline.com.
“Witches generally believe that Heaven and Hell are all around us, all the time, depending on how we live. We create Heaven in the world, and we create Hell in the world, by our actions and choices. Jesus also seemed to believe this: The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, for instance. The kingdom of God is all around you, right here and now, he said” (Link).
As you can see, these lines of beliefs and thinking are consistent with Emergent Church teachings so there is commonality between them. This is why there is sharing of pulpits, interfaith breakfasts, ritual blending between Christians and Muslims, Christians and Atheists, Christians and New Agers and why there can be “Christian Witches”- you no longer have to choose one or the other, you can be both or a culmination of any or all, which also fits nicely with the postmodern mindset that there is no truth, only my truth - truth is relative. It’s a buffet, pick and choose what seems good to YOU.
Syncretism allows for Witches and witchery to be embraced and practiced in the churches. This is how we expand the kingdom here on Earth, by embracing those of different beliefs and expanding the church. These are known as Missional churches. This simply gives context to why we are now reading about, seeing such practices, and Witches among our churches. The road was paved through Vatican II and by the falling away of the teaching of Biblical truths from the Pulpit, and now we are seeing the culmination of the transition from the Emergent Church to the Convergent Church. Emergent ideology undermines and erodes faith in the Bible as a foundation of and for truth, causing you to doubt everything, (think gender confusion), while Convergence now brings people together for an experience, not truth, but an assimilation of errors to be accepted, felt, and celebrated. God cannot be found amid confusion—Satan is the author of confusion.
When the people are of “one” mind it is always to make war against God, and during the warfare they worship the created instead of the Creator. Consider Romans 1:25-27,
“They exchanged the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. …For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men”.
Also, the tower of Babel- And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech, Gen 11:1; Lastly, Revelation 17:13-14, These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them…”
We see the dangers of the ecumenical mindset being played out, but we are to have the mind of Christ instead (Philippians 2:5).
“Men act as though they had been given special liberty to cancel the decisions of God. The higher critics put themselves in the place of God, and review the Word of God, revising or endorsing it. In this way, all nations are induced to drink the wine of the fornication of Babylon. These higher critics have fixed things to suit the popular heresies of these last days. If they cannot subvert and misapply the Word of God, if they cannot bend it to human practices, they break it...” (UL 35.5).
We see various examples of these thoughts expressed in the Spectrum, March 26 article:
If God made me in his image, how could I be a girl?’ and ‘Why doesn’t God have a wife?
I felt the appeal of an ancient goddess-worshipping religion with women priests and nature-focused rituals. But I had also absorbed messages in church about the danger of experimenting with spiritualism or “the occult.”
“The more I learned about pagan nature-based religions, specifically those that centred the divine feminine” she said of her younger years, the more I understood how they aligned with my personal beliefs and how I felt about the divine within us all.”
felt like they “didn’t have to fit into a specific box” but could freely explore all aspects of their gender identity
Everyone I spoke to for this article identified the patriarchal nature of Christianity as a spiritual barrier.
These are all rooted in self, not in truth (Isaiah 8:20).
When we cast the Bible aside for other readings, our feelings become the source of truth. The truth is—we are who God says we are. He expresses it in our DNA, in His Word He says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, 2 Cor 5:21 (when we are walking in obedience to Him), “and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Rev 1:6). In the desire to please our flesh we forget what He says.
We don’t have to wonder, doubt, or be confused about who we are in Him. It’s when we step outside of Him by looking to ourselves, or what man says that we experience confusion and doubt. We are to take every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5). So, when Satan whispers lies to us, we can respond with God’s truth to eliminate any spirit of confusion.
“Worldly customs and practices are introduced because the hearts of unconsecrated ministers and church-members still cling to the love of the world” (RH June 20, 1882).
“When Satan has undermined faith in the Bible, he directs men to other sources for light and power, and thus he insinuates himself…Those who turn from the plain teachings of Scripture and the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit are inviting the control of demons” (DA 257-258).
THAT Picture and the Patriarchal System Barrier
The picture is a spin on scripture. Instead of condemning witchcraft and divine femininity, there is a divine-like intervention on behalf of the accused. How ironic that a lightning bolt is depicted as having struck the chains freeing the woman on trial. A lightning bolt is a symbol of Satan, so what we are seeing here, is that Satan is the force behind “liberating” the woman. This is true of the feminist movement as depicted by the god, kali.
Kali, “the dark mother” and the feminine “fullness of time” representing sexuality, creation, death, and destruction. The unruly black hair is a sign of disobedience and defiance of the expectations of men and male gods. Symbolizes liberation and female wrath at any attempt to be tamed by men. Pointy tongue: people with long pointy tongues may be touched by her and consider themselves under her protection. She’s the ultimate icon of feminism and a variation of it was used on the first Ms. Magazine. This is the god they are unknowingly serving and worshiping.
The Theosophical Society Shares the same goals as all other belief systems which aim to combine all humanity into a genderless blob and all existing religions into a one-world, global religion. This is because they are Luciferian in nature. In the first wave, feminists, spiritualists, and Theosophists all united under the idea of Christianity as oppressor of women, which naturally led to the idea of Lucifer being a liberator of women. Theosophy contributed to feminism until 1930’s and some today, but now more through other occult forms such as Wicca.
Wicca, Goddess Worship and Female Empowerment
On a deeper level, women who are hurting often pursue avenues of female empowerment. Spiritually speaking that can and often does mean turning to Wicca, which embraces goddess worship. It offers an environment where women are celebrated and is perceived as safe and empowering.
Sadly, churches have not always been the safest environment for women and children due to some corruption in our patriarchal system. Jesus is the good Shepherd, and when he was here, he had to address corruption in the temple, so this is not new and was never meant to be in the ideal patriarchal system. These women seeking to be seen, heard, valued, and empowered, by default of feeling as though they had no power in situations of abuse, are simply trying to find and create a safe place for themselves.
We need to be aware what the culture is saying, in order to speak truth to it. Very few people in our church understand what is happening in culture and how it affects the message of our church. The rise of the neo-pagan sacred feminine in our culture for instance, has helped influence and motivate the clamor for ordaining women in the church.
When the church doesn’t offer that ‘safe place’, they look elsewhere. Once rebellion is allowed to continue, then those involved are really no different than that of a Witch in that we are told, rebellion is as witchcraft. So, when we look at this from a bigger picture, we can have some compassion for why some people choose the direction they do while, also continuing to uplift truth and speaking truth in love. These people need to know that we care and be able to see that we care by words and actions. Broken trust needs to be healed before change can happen if we want to reach those who are engaging in deeds of darkness to find hope and healing. Understanding what it is they are needing is the first step to engaging to try to reach them from going further away from God, and hopefully, then to bring them back to solid Biblical teachings.
A second step would be to then address that corruption and get the “houses” in order so that the sheep will be safe and there will be a welcoming environment for those who have been wounded. When we begin addressing the abuse in the church, we will begin to capture women’s hearts and minds, and patriarchal respect who are still reachable spiritually.
Understanding this does not make participating in such beliefs and practices right or acceptable. It simply gives some insight as to how to possibly reach their hearts and pave a way back into the family of God.
Pagan Practices Mentioned in the Article - are they for Christians too?
Crystals
Opalite: “Associated with feminine energy, the divine, and the subconscious mind helping to embrace your true self” (Link). Who is said to be your true self? This is known as your Higher Self, and the I AM “…it is the culmination of all that a soul has learned and become throughout its existence…from your span of lifetimes”. . (LINK).
Carnelian: associated with life force and protection...linked to the goddess Isis and is used in amulets to ensure safe passage to the afterlife. Wisdomofthespirit.com
Rose Quartz: …compassion, healing, and connection...opens the heart chakra. (LINK).
Crystals are poor counterfeits to what Jesus has to offer us, as well as an unspoken invitation to demonic spirits. Jesus is the Rock, our Healer, and Protector, and is compassionate. His mercies are new every morning because He is love and He loves us as our Creator.
Tarot cards
From tarot.com,
“Tarot is a devination system that uses a specific set of 78 illustrated cards….and used for divinatory purposes”.
Friends, there is no such thing as sabbatarian Tarot cards…paganism cannot be baptized. It cannot be separated from the spirit tending it. We cannot override or cancel God’s wisdom.
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph 5:11).
“… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
“Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” ( John 8:12).
I don’t know about you, but I very much want to have the light of life in me now and for eternity. So, no thank you to the sabbatarian Tarot cards. Sister White has no place on such cards. The spirit operating in her was the Holy Spirit, not that of Satan. This depiction in the article is an abomination and warrants an apology to the readers for what was done to God’s Prophet and the horrific message it sends.
Astrology
From: Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs,
“Astrology is based on the assumption that the stars and planets mysteriously influence people’s lives. It teaches that this influence begins at birth and continues throughout a person’s life. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines astrology as “the art of judging the occult influence of the stars upon human affairs...a large number of occult practices are associated with astrology including cabalism, numerology, magic, and witchcraft”.
Apollo and Greek Mythology Guidance Seeking:
Seeking guidance from Mythological gods, such as Apollo: From Greek Mythology, “If behind the gods were principalities, then we would expect that those who especially worshipped and communed with them would be especially vulnerable to possession. And that too is exactly what we find. In fact, in the pagan world the phenomenon of possession was often linked to the gods. The ancient Sumerians experienced possession of the goddess Inanna. The ancient Greeks experienced the possession of the god Dionysus. The closer one was to the deity, the more in danger one was to possession.
The most famous seer of the pagan world was high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Oracle of Delphi. ...known as the Pythia after the mythic giant python that was said to have guarded the sacred site at Delphi. The python gave revelation and prophecy from the gods. According to Greek mythology, the god Apollo slew the python and established his own temple and his own prophetic oracle on the site. Thus the god took the name of the serpent and became Pythian Apollo and, as such, would take possession of the oracle and speak through her. For the Greco- Roman world, the Oracle of Delphi was the epitome of divine revelation. Kings and emperors came to Delphi to inquire of her and to receive revelation from the gods. In the pagan world the serpent was often as a source of divine wisdom. But in the Bible the serpent is a symbol of darkness, of the satanic demonic realm. …the oracle claimed to be possessed by a spirit, the spirit of the god.…so the highest realm of revelation in the ancient pagan world was occupied by a woman possessed by a spirit (The Return of the Gods, 15,16).
We know this spirit to be Satan and here we have Witches seeking guidance and wisdom from Satan through Apollo or any god they choose as their god.
God’s word promises us in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye”.
For God to guide us, we must be looking to Him. How do we do that?—through Biblical prayer, reading God’s Words, promises and counsel. Sometimes it calls for fasting and praying while we wait in faith on His good and perfect timing for an answer. If we aren’t looking to Him for answers, we WILL receive answers from another.
“As the followers of Christ gradually united with them, the Christian religion became corrupted and the church lost its purity and power” (Early Writings, p. 211).
“Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your deviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish” (Jeremiah 27: 9,10).
“Little children…let no man deceive you: he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. And if ye know that He is righteous, then ye know…that every one that doeth righteousness is born of God…” (1 John 3:7, 2:29).
There is Hope for the Repentant
We are promised,
“God does not leave His erring children who are weak in faith, and who make many mistakes. The Lord hearkens and hears their prayer and their testimony. Those who look unto Jesus day by day an hour by hour, who watch unto prayer, are drawing night to Jesus. Angels with wings outspread wit to bear their contrite prayers to God, and to register them in the books of heaven” (Letter 90, 1895).
Christ will be represented in the person of those who accept the truth, and who identify their interest with that of their Lord” (RH April 14, 1896).
“And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” (Zech 8:8).
God is calling us out of error and deception and is seeking our hearts. We are to worship in Spirit and in truth, but we need to be following the right Spirit and embracing the real truth.
Conclusion
I was deceived in Spiritual Formation and its occult. Witchy practices of having a Sacred Space, Labyrinth walking, and worst of all, Contemplative Prayer, which produces alpha waves and how Lorie Cabot, a Witch, says that “Alpha is the springboard for all psychic and magical workings, it is the heart of witchcraft” all lead to depression and dectruction. God delivered me. He can do the same for anyone who chooses to follow Him and rids themselves of such pagan practices.
He created us, He loves us. He died for you and for me and He wants to spend eternity with each one of us. He is the Way—the only way, but He will not force Himself upon us. He waits…just for you. Will you surrender your heart to Him today and learn to walk in His ways?
He’s waiting for you.
****
Stephanie Bowers Griffin MSN, RN, PHN, was thriving as an Emergency Room nurse when she came under the influence of the Spiritual Formation movement. Under the guidance of a Spiritual Director, Stephanie became heavily involved in its teachings for nearly nine years, and was well on her way to becoming a Spiritual Director, herself.
However, after nearly three years of training and enrolling in a Master’s in Spiritual Formation Degree, God intervened! After being delivered from the depths of this false revival and its mystical practices, Stephanie now reveals a deep understanding of its dangers and false teachings in Silence No More.