Expert: Padraig Caughey - 8/11/2008

Question
QUESTION: i asked this question already but the answer wasnt what i was lookin for.
i asked if i could use tarot cards to pray and he said no becouse they were evil, and i realy wanted to know if i could make them something good that i could use to praise the lord. plus the catholic church has incorperated tons of pagan beliefs into its own beleifs already, why not incorperate another? and just becouse it is used for evil dosnt mean they are evil. after jesus' fast in the desert the devil used scripture for his own gain, but that dosnt make the word of god evil...


ANSWER: Hi Graham,

Round all things magical is a thing that the ancients called a 'Glamour'. A Glamour points to the fact that magic and magical tools have their own inner and outward attraction to the unwary.

Two examples to show what I mean. No one who ever takes drugs believes that they are going to end up with a monkey on their back. Everyone who takes drugs believes that while everyone else in the world may end up enslaved to the habit that themselves will only try it out the once or for a short while and then abandon it. But once having opened the door they find out something else entirely.

The same with Eve when she was tempted by the apple in the garden. Satan did not tempt Eve with outright evil . He explained taking the apple as a good thing. For Satan the great liar knows well that there are always very good reasons to do evil things , just as there are evil reasons to do good things.

Of all the great safeguards against evil , perhaps the greatest is humility and the greatest child of humility is obedience. For in obedience we imitate Jesus, 'Who was obedient unto death death on the Cross.' The Church has said a resounding 'No' to magical practices and we as obedient and humble children should obey. Not to obey puts us, in these matters in great danger.

I tell you frankly you have fallen under a Glamour in these matters and are under the temptation of a demon who is leading you into magical practices that will endanger your very soul.

Leave them alone and beware.

Praying away for you .

God Bless

Padraig



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I understand wholeheartedly what you are saying, but what if i go into it knowing it is used for bad, but i am only going to use it for good?
And its not like it would be the first occult tradition absorbed into the catholic faith, i beleive it is the catholic church's duity to turn evil into good...

Answer
Matthew 7:18
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot produce good fruit.

You cannot use something evil to do something good. This is very basic Catholic moral teaching.

You are being tempted by the devil.

Turn away from this ; it is evil.