Talk 07: Sorcery: Fact or Fiction

Re-edited: 25 April 2012 Description: In recent years we have seen a rising interest and even an obsession with the occult, including “communicating“ with the dead, magic, and demonology, to name just a few. This is evident in movies, TV programs, documentaries, books, magazines, and the internet. In addition, there are plenty of sorcerers and mediums who are all too willing to “help” people for a fee. In this talk, Father Kosmas uses the lives of Saints Cyprian and Justina and contemporary examples to explain how sorcery and other occult practices are both real and spiritually harmful. He reveals that the main reason Orthodox Christians involve themselves in the occult is ignorance of the Church’s teachings on the subject. The Church clearly exposes the demons and their evil schemes, yet many clergy fail to teach Christians regarding occult practices, and instead either remain quiet, or deny their existence, or provide misinformation. Some even ridicule people who believe they