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![]() Small world, huh? I've always taken an interest in paranormal stuff. Maybe it's simply because I'm a Scorpio. (Don't laugh - that's supposedly a common personality trait for my sign!) Or maybe it was just a form of rebellion. Or maybe, just maybe, being an intuitive reader is my great calling in life, and my growing fascination over the years was leading me up to the point where I'd finally figure it out. I was baptized Catholic at a young age. And, as with many strict religions, I was taught to believe that anything paranormal was evil. Anything out of the ordinary, that didn't have a cut and dry, logical explanation, had to be the work of the devil. And as I got older, I began to notice tons of television shows and blockbuster movies supporting that claim. In fact, just a few years ago, I was watching one of my very favorite shows, when a new episode came on which revolved around a Tarot reader. The theme was, this woman was supposedly straying from God, performing evil deeds by offering readings to her clients. There was even a demon possession portrayed in this particular episode. Needless to say, that was the last time I sat down to watch that favorite show of mine. It's not that I don't believe such things can happen. My gripe with that episode is how they want us to believe it always happens like that - it's the only thing that can happen. But that's not the case. Not unless you seek (and accept) evil will you find it. I am 110 % Christian. I believe in God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected three days later. And while I'm sure there are probably a few religious organizations out there who might point their fingers at me and call me a hypocrite, I'm also fairly certain that there are others who may feel exactly the way I do, and might even be cheering me on as they read this. I think being a Christian is more a state of mind than anything else. It's all in what you believe. There is so much information in the Bible. Some might even seem contradictory. It seems to me that people generally get whatever they want to out of the Bible, and then they can almost always find a scripture to back their belief. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not knocking the Good Book - not at all! But even the Concordance versions can be difficult to understand. If we get nothing else out of it, we should at least acknowledge and remember a few, key verses. Perhaps the most important things God wants us to understand are actually the simplest. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47) "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7) "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22) Pretty simple, wouldn't you say? Personally, I don't think it matters much what religion a person is. I don't think God will penalize you for not reading your Bible every day. If you believe in Him, love Him, and trust Him with all your heart, then I think you're in His good graces.
If, for example, you talk to a Jehovah Witness, and they swear up and down that only 144,000 of their own people will be the ones to enter into the kingdom of Heaven, God knows that's what they were taught, and what they believe. He knows that they mean well - just as well as everyone else who considers themselves a Christian. They just believe differently than someone who chooses to go by the book of John. No matter what you believe, you don't have to explain yourself to anybody. God already knows. And as long as you believe in His love and His word, you can safely consider yourself a Christian. Consulting Tarot cards, or your own intuition (the voice of God) is in no way anything that could be rightfully considered evil. That is, unless you're looking for ways to cheat, steal, do wrong, cause problems, etc. Be assured that God will not tell you how to quietly eliminate someone you don't like. He won't offer you suggestions on how to get revenge on someone who made you mad on the freeway this morning. Anything that isn't love can only be considered evil. And anything evil is not of God. So maybe playing around with a voodoo doll is a little on the dark side... but asking for Gods advice certainly isn't! Asking Him to guide you and give you direction in your every day life is one of the very best things you can do! And it doesn't matter which method you choose for your communication. The only thing that matters is that you're intentionally consulting God, and that you're true intentions are nothing less than light and love. So use your Tarot cards, your runes, I-ching and bibliomacy. It certainly doesn't mean you're not a Christian. If anything, attempting to hear and appreciate God's word proves that you are! Newage Girl Enlightened Path - http://newagegirlpa.tripod.com - Enlightening your path through spiritual development and counseling. Professional readings also available.
Originally published in Project X Newsletter #86
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