Astrology is often categorized as an occult practice in Christian theology, especially in Protestant and evangelical circles. I’m trying to understand the theological basis for this. Why is astrology — the practice of interpreting celestial bodies for guidance or insight — considered spiritually dangerous or forbidden? Is it primarily because it involves divination or seeking knowledge apart from God? I'm also curious how this view is reconciled with the story of the Magi in Matthew 2:1–12, who followed a star to find the newborn Jesus. The Magi are often described as astrologers or wise men from the East who interpreted celestial signs. If astrology is inherently occult, why would God use something resembling it (a star as a sign) to guide them? Are there biblical or doctrinal distinctions made between the Magi's actions and the kind of astrology that is condemned in Scripture (e.g., Isaiah 47, Deuteronomy 18)? I’m looking for a response grounded in Christian theology, not just personal opinions.

I have this symbol over the entrance of my apartment. I have been told it is a Catholic symbol, and the owner of the flat is probably Catholic since it is the dominant faith here. Searching on Google has not brought much information. Any idea what it means? It is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and the diameter is 6 cm. It's made of some metal but not sure which one, I assume nothing precious otherwise anybody could take it.

I just read this apparent quote from Pope Francis on faithreel.com *(accessed October, 2014)*: > Most churches agree with what Pope Francis has expressed in this > opinion, *“Many think Halloween is a simple carnival like celebration, > it is not innocent. It is a small room leading to a much more > dangerous one. There is always more evil rituals, sacrifices, > defilements of cemeteries and stealing of sacred bones on Halloween. > **Taking part in Halloween is like being ritually initiated into the > occult.**”* Pretty strong words coming from the pope. Is this quote genuine? and if so, do all catholics agree with this? Is there an official stance taken by the catholic church against Halloween?

Do Christians believe that people can tap into supernatural powers through the practice of [witchcraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchcraft) and [the occult](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occult) ? I'm aware that there are passages in the Bible that prohibit messing around with the dark arts, but I'm not sure if these practices are prohibited because they would be a waste of time (i.e. they don't work) or because they are dangerous (i.e. they do work). Do Christians believe in witchcraft and the occult? Yes? No? Why? Does the answer depend on the denomination? Are there denominations that believe in their existence and other denominations that don't?

I live in China, and there is a kind of person called Xianpo here. The Xianpo can talk to the dead soul, and the soul can tell the Xainpo what he saw. One day, I told the Xianpo that I met a woman, so the Xianpo said to me the following things: The Xianpo said: - She has neither promised nor refused to fall in love with me now. - She is my classmate. - She is a little shorter than me. - She is a outsider. - She has a good figure, an oval face, and her face is white and beautiful. - I miss her so I can't sleep at night. - She has long hair. I met this woman recently. The Xianpo hasn't seen her, but she can describe her figure and appearance very accurately. The Xianpo also said that some people have mental disorders because their souls have entered hell and married female souls. How does Christianity view such Xianpo? What is the biblical basis of this phenomenon? My respond： 1. Even if all Jesus encountered were evil souls, it cannot be said that all those with this ability are evil souls. It is unreasonable to say that others are evil just because of this ability. 2. I live in a place where I don't know what Jesus is, and I am more curious about Jesus.

The title should explain it all. Many (perhaps most) Christians view Tarot cards as evil, or at least something to be avoided. Why?

Having spent some time cuddling and playing with goats, which are delightful creatures, I have to ask: What is the biblical basis of the association, common even among Christians, of goats with Satan and the occult? Examples: Baphomet - Wikipedia The Witch: A New-England Folktale - 2015 horror film

The Bible mentions a number of supernatural beings, starting with the most commonly known ones - God, angels, spirits, but there are also ones that appear less often, like witches (Witch of Endor), or giants (Nephilim). Is there a comprehensive list of supernatural beings that appear in the Bible along with descriptions of what they are? EDIT: As for defining supernatural, lets assume anything that is not part of the natural world, that is, grounded in reality outside of religion. Humans are natural, animals are natural, people worshipping other gods (like wiccans or baalists) are natural, people performing miracles (like Witch of Endor) are supernatural, just like angels, half angels, spirits, etc. In the end, anything not conforming to natural laws is supernatural.

Occultism, both in subtle and patent forms, is everywhere in our modern societies. A workmate tells you about a ouija seance she attended (and what she saw there, to her surprise), another tells you about a reiki treatment she's receiving, a close relative becomes a yoga fan... These are real examples I've known. I am a Christian believer (Catholic, to be precise) and I know the basic things about this issue: they are deviations from the virtue of religion, because they turn to "false gods" (demons, "energies", esoteric entities, ...) and forsake the True God; and they're also an exercise of pride, in which you try to obtain certain powers that belong only to God. Sadly, I find that these reasons are not enough to convince most occultism-practicing people, even those from a Christian background. So, specially for these cases, I feel I need more arguments in my arsenal and a deeper knowledge of the subject (apart from praying harder). Therefore, here it goes: why are Christianity and occultism irreconcilable? Thank you. Note 1: all denominations are welcome. Let's make it ecumenic. Note 2: bonus attention for charismatic approaches :) . EDIT I'll keep the question as it is, with all that it entails. To be useful to me, it requires a full scope, so denominational scoping would not make sense. But before making any decision, please read this Meta post of mine .