Our First Q&A of 2025 is Here!
Hey, everyone! It's been a minute since we had one of these, hasn't it? (And boy, has a lot happened in the meantime.) But as always, we're back at it with some new questions asked and answered, so enjoy!
Remember: if you have any questions, all you have to do is check out this Google Form right here and fill it out with your question!
Now for all this good conversation!
Were Asherah and Sophia Taken Out of the Bible? If So, Why Did God Allow This?
I heard when Judaism first started, God actually had a wife Ashera and a mother Sophia But they were taken out of the bible, how do you feel about it and do you look at it when it comes to you POV of the Christian religion and your practice? —Sam
I have recently discovered Asherah as the divine feminine in Christianity, and I am curious about a few things. Firstly, I am curious as to why God allowed the Asherah poles and symbolism to be destroyed by Josiah if it is okay to worship her alongside Yahweh? Secondly, I am curious about the first two commandments of the ten and how they affect the polytheism of Christo-paganism? —Anonymous
Hey, friends!
I put these two questions together because they're generally about the same topics of Asherah and polytheism, so let's get into it.
First things first: we gotta clarify who Sophia is, I think. The Hagia Sophia (or Holy Wisdom) is not the "mother" of God, but rather the Wisdom of God. We see her in the Biblical text, Wisdom of Solomon (found in the Catholic Bible, but not the Protestant Bible or in the Jewish Canon; it's instead a part of Jewish apocrypha). We see a mention to the spirit of Wisdom in the first chapter of this book, verse six:
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
but it will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words,
because God is witness of their inmost feelings
and a true observer of their hearts and a hearer of their tongues.
Likewise, if we move over to Proverbs 8, we see Wisdom personified not only as a spirit, but specifically as a creation of God—the very first, in fact!—in verses 22-31:
“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23
I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24
When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25
before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26
before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27
I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28
when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29
when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30
Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31
rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
(This is double interesting because it's often theorized that Jesus is the first of God's creation as the Word/Logos of God—and yet it's presented as the feminine Wisdom here. Isn't that something?)
Still, it's not that Sophia created God; it's that God emanated forth this spirit of Wisdom, this Logos. Just to get that squared away.
As for Asherah, that's a different story, and it requires us going back to before Judaism. What we know about Judaism is that it wasn't made in a vacuum; the same God that appears in it once appeared in the Canaanite religion as a war and storm deity. In this religion, we had the chief god El and his divine consort, Asherah, who actually in that mythos gave birth to Yahweh. Later, as Israelites split off and created their own monolatrist spin-off of these deities, the chief god El seems to have fused with Yahweh to become what we now see as the One True God of the Abrahamic religions. You can even see examples of this when Yahweh is mentioned as other than God in Deuteronomy as "God" gives the Israelites to Yahweh as "His allotment of people" in Deuteronomy 32:7-10 (I'm using the Names of God Bible so that you can see more accurately how this is translated directly from the Hebrew of the interlinear versions):
7
Remember a time long ago.
Think about all the past generations.
Ask your fathers to remind you,
and your leaders to tell you.
8
When Elyon gave nations their land,
when he divided the descendants of Adam,
he set up borders for the tribes
corresponding to the number of the sons of Israel.
9
But Yahweh’s people were his property.
Jacob was his own possession.
10
He found his people in a desert land,
in a barren place where animals howl.
He guarded them, took care of them,
and protected them because they were helpless.
"El Elyon" used to refer to the chief god of the Canaanite pantheon, El. It eventually became yet another word to describe the Abrahamic God. And yet, we see here that El divided the descendents, and Yahweh took a portion of them that became the Israelites. Later, these two figures and names would be merged into the monikers of the one God (Adonai, HaShem, etc.). However, we see, as our other friend here pointed out, that there were still once Asherah poles around the temples of this one God that were being built later on. They're mentioned in various places, actually, and were usually either carved poles or actual trees planted outside the temple to represent the goddess's presence alongside this God (of whom she became the consort of, rather than the mother of, in this developing lore). We see their destruction here in 2 Kings 23:14:
14 Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.
Now, the phrasing of the second question is interesting. Is it so much that God allowed this to happen? Or was it that Man just went and did it? The general theory here is that, as Josiah was centralizing the worship of God to Jerusalem (and thus making all of these smaller, more humble shrines not only obsolete, but outright illegal and profane), he was also really settling in on that One God worship that made them so distinct from other cultures. We can point fingers and say this is because of patriarchy insisting that there should be no goddesses (and surely that might've been at least a little of the influence), but really, this is more about really doubling down on the things that made Israelites so separate from Canaanites and all other neighbors to begin with: that covenant with this one God.
The good news, however, is that this kind of covenant really only applied to the Israelites. Gentiles were never expected to give up their gods or abandon them; they were only meant to observe and recognize God's superiority (as we see with Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, a priest of Midian, in Exodus 18:11-12):
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
The Midianites weren't necessarily monotheists, so for Jethro to pop over and do this (despite himself already being a priest of likely other gods in the area, like Ba'al or Asherah) suggests that this is just good manners and good practice. Jethro wasn't expected to "convert" because the idea of "converting" in the first place was foreign at this time; you didn't stick to one deity at the expense of all others, but rather showed your respect to any gods of the area you were going to, no matter who you, yourself, were attached to. It was the covenant with God that the Israelites had that really shook this up (and it was a covenant that was specifically with the Israelites, not even with Abraham, because it wasn't Abraham that got those stone tablets like Moses did, y'know?). The issue for Gentiles isn't having other gods so much as it is worshipping them as equal to or greater than God, hence Christopaganism can work quite easily if you have deities willing to abide by that hierarchy in your worship.
So when it comes to how I feel about this—and how it impacts Christopaganism or our understanding of the Divine Feminine in this religion—I say eh. I'm not particularly worried about it, though I do think it sucks that there did use to be a major goddess component before it was stamped out in cultural and religious reforms. Me as a Christian, though, I see a lot of Asherah in Mother Mary; the titles Queen of Heaven and Star of the Sea are ones that seem to apply to both of these figures, as if Asherah managed to re-establish her functions and importance, if not her name, in Christianity. So that's cool! But also, with so many people learning about Asherah again, and knowing what we know about the technicalities of "no other gods..." yeah, a lot of Christian Witches actually do incorporate Asherah into their practice.
I don't personally connect with Asherah—I'm more rocking with Mama Mary if I feel I need a feminine touch somewhere—but I appreciate her and do feel bad that she got booted from the religion overall. She's pretty cool!
How Do I Use Holy Oil and Holy Water in Spells?
I bought at the local Greek Orthodox Church shop a holy oil roll on from Jerusalem which smells beautifully and another holy oil from monastery as well as one bottle of water with Holy Water from monastery from Holy Month. How may I use this holy water and oil in my spells? —Anonymous
Hey, there!
Honestly, this is a solid question, because these are some of the most iconic items in any sort of Christian practice, be it witchy or just plain Christian. The thing about them, though, is that they're mainly used to anoint and wash, which means that their function is pretty limited.
Like, you don't want to put holy water in your drinks or holy oil in your food. Nor do they, as water and oil, have a lot of function being burned or anything like other spell ingredients. What they are really good for, however, are spell jars and anointing other items, or even yourself and your home, for protection, a magic boost, or purification.
With holy oil rollers, I like to use them to anoint my forehead before doing big workings or to anoint candles I plan to use. Holy water I sprinkle around the house to purify the area, or sprinkle on the table to wipe it down and clean it of any gunk, be it spiritual or physical. But theoretically, with the Infinite Holy Water Glitch (a bottle of 51% holy water and 49% regular water becomes 100% holy water), you could also make water spell jars infused with certain intents, which I feel would be good for full moon spells of whatever you want to do.
What Exactly is Jesus Bringing to/Changing in the New Testament?
What is the biggest difference or is there any new messages that Jesus brings in the new testament? I often feel like all of the things Jesus says are already parts of the old testament and seem more like re emphasising those passages or putting it in slightly different words. But I may very well be missing something here. —Anonymous
Hey, hello!
Now, I love this question, because the answer is: He really isn't bringing "new" (at least, not in terms of the message; the concept of a God-sacrifice for permanent sin atonement, and the later extrapolation of the Trinity outside the Bible, are otherwise very specifically Christian concepts). In fact, the entire point is that Jesus is just bringing people back to the heart of the Law, because the Law has become a tool for people to gain social status rather than the instructions for people to use to become more compassionate, merciful, and just. It's why Jesus has this whole exchange in Matthew 22:36-40:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This comes into another Gospel as well, which gets extrapolated into the Good Samaritan story: the story of how everyone is one's neighbor, not just who we accept or align with idealogically or who we're connected to ethnically or anything like that. Jesus restores the spirit of what the Law was meant for, which is exemplifying goodness and reflecting God's will in the world.
Moreover, Jesus bring the expansion of these very Jewish values to all people, Jewish or Gentile. When reading the Jewish Annotated New Testament, we can see just how much of Jesus's teachings are based in Judaism (which makes sense, given He was a Jewish man in life). But it's by opening this up to all people, as we see proven later in Acts, and by getting to the heart and spirit of the Law rather than the technicalities and perfect, public application of it (as many hard hearted people were doing there) that we have Jesus really just reiterating, and reinforcing, the age-old and timeless concepts of love, mercy, and justice. The New Testament is our reminder of what we're really supposed to be focusing on whenever we engage with any commandments from God, which is beautiful, in my opinion.
Can I Work with Demons or Fallen Angels as a Christian Witch?
In Christian Witchcraft can I still work with Demons/Fallen Angels and Angels as a Luciferian trying to balance myself? —Antonio
Hi, Antonio!
Boy, oh boy. Not only can you, but honestly, it's something I recommend for people who are stable enough in their mentality, theology, and philosophy to approach demons with a curious and open mind. While not every Christian Witch works with demons, I will say that it's a little funny when people accuse Christian Witchcraft of being demonic or Christian Witches of working with demons like it's a bad thing—because actually, demons are pretty helpful, and the more we understand about them, the more we understand about ourselves.
Moreover, it's not a new idea, either. In fact, it was Jewish and Christian occultists that actively developed the concept. In Kabbalah, there are 72 angels bearing names of God, and on the flip side, in the demonology world, there are 72 demons that directly correspond with said angels. Many such pairs are determined by both the occult philosophers and source texts like the Testament of Solomon (where, for example, Asmodeus mentions that it's Raphael that vexes him). Fast forward to the development of Solomonic magic, or a method of summoning demons that locks them in and coerces them to help people, and one of the ways to get them to listen better (in this tradition) is to invoke the corresponding angel to essentially brow-beat it into submission. (I think it goes without saying that I don't necessarily recommend this line of action unless you want to run the risk of releasing said demon incorrectly and then being in vicinity of a very pissed off, ancient, and not so gentle spirit).
Still, the fact that there's an even 72 angels and 72 demons tells me that this balance is inherent. It also just reminds me of a dream my dad had, where God was at a judge's bench, the "devil" was the prosecutor, and Jesus was the defense. In God's hand was a single coin, spinning around, and God said: "you see two sides; I see one coin." Devil, Angel, it's all part of the same system, and the more we can learn to bridge that divide and walk that Half Divine Half Infernal level—much like Jesus Himself was/is fully Man and fully God—the more we can come to more readily settle into the realities of religious paradox, the more we can uncover and resolve our darkness, and the more we can embrace and appreciate our light.
What Do Christian Witches Think of Speaking in Tongues?
What is your take on speaking in tongues from a witch's perspective? I don’t mean the people in churches who put on a performance in an attempt to "win souls for the kingdom". I mean really speaking in tongues. I've known some people who have spoken in tongues and I know they weren’t faking. —Andrea
Hey, Andrea!
So, I don't doubt those people weren't faking, but I do doubt the whole "speaking in tongues" thing overall—mostly because that's not what speaking in tongues was originally referring to. When we look at places where the Apostles "speak in tongues," for instance, like in Acts, it's really talking about miraculously knowing other languages. The Apostles are, by God's power, supposed to be able to magically understand other languages so they can easily transmit the Gospel no matter where they go and what nations they speak to.
This whole "speaking the language of angels" thing that speaking in tongues is commonly used to refer to now is, in my opinion, a wash of shit. It reminds me of the "light language" that certain New Age types use to "speak the languages of aliens" or whatever. While these people may be channeling certain feelings and processing them in an auditory way (making the sounds that feel good and express whatever they're feeling in that moment with just pure sound), it's really not... anything Biblical, and it's, from a witchy perspective, really just a way of channeling one's energy and experience in a loose and fluid way. That's all I see it as.
Do You Go to Church as a Christian Witch?
As a Christian witch do you still regularly attend a formal church service (or mass in terms of Catholicism) and do you still have ties to any in-person church community? As someone who has background in Catholicism and evangelicalism I’ve always felt a disconnect to the more traditional & formal church aspect - never felt god there or comfortable in a pew., only felt the divine among nature/meditation or amongst friends and family. —Anonymous
Hi, there!
I hear you. For a long time, I felt the same way: like church was weird and uncomfortable and not for me. But I did find a really cool Episcopal church in my area that has actually made me really love the weekly sermons. The people are nice, the liturgy is soothing, the church itself is gorgeous, and it's really nice to hear the priests give their sermons and teach cool life lessons based on what's going on with the week's scriptures. Most importantly, I can actually feel God in that church. Not all churches have felt like they really existed as a dwelling place for Him; many I've been to have felt sterile and stiff and more like a spiritual bus stop than the House of God.
It may be that church isn't for you, and this is why you feel the way you do (because there's nothing wrong with finding God in nature, and as Jesus says, where two or more are gathered in His name, there He is with them), but it could also just be that you haven't found a church that'll give you this same feeling. Which of the two is going on here is up to you to find out. But no matter what you discover, I hope that you can keep enjoying the presence of God and those cozy moments in the comfort of Divinity, no matter where you encounter Him!
How Do You Get Started Working with Saints?
How do you get started on working with Saints? —Alanna
Hi, Alanna!
Honestly, when it comes to Saints, you start working with them the same way you start working with any spirit or deity: by researching them, getting to know them, and building a relationship with them before you go asking for all kinds of things. Saints are alive forever in Christ, and so while they've likely been watching you (and everyone else) for a long time, if you haven't personally reached out before, you definitely wanna build that rapport with them. A lot of Saints still retain that very human quality of wanting to have a relationship before being asked to do something, and while they'll always help within the limits of God's will regardless, you gotta consider how you would feel if everyone came up to you just for assistance or to get things and then never talked to you otherwise. That would kind of suck.
There are many Saints of many different things, so think of what you'd like to focus on, find Saints that correspond, and get to know them! Their lives, their histories, and their personalities as you pray their prayers and talk to them directly. At the end of the day, they were (and are) people just like you and I.
What Books Can Show Us More About God's Authentic Character?
Hi, I hope you're doing well! I just wanted to say how much I love your content—it has completely transformed my way of thinking in such a positive way. I have a question: What books would you recommend for learning more about being a Christian witch and understanding God for who He truly is, beyond the traditional ideas presented by the church? I tried looking for something like this on your TikTok but couldn’t find it. If you already have a video on this topic, could you let me know which one it is? —Anonymous
Hello!
Thanks for your kind words; I really appreciate that! This answer is short and sweet because, in fact, I do have some book recommendations on this blog already.
First, we have the Works Cited list for Discovering Christian Witchcraft. This lists all the sources we used to write that book. And second, we have this starter guide I wrote a little while later, as well as why I recommend each book.
Check those lists out, and hopefully you'll find some good books and articles to start with!
What Are the Best and Worst Ways to Approach a Deity? (And How Do We Make Up for Mistakes?)
Seeing as in Where the Gods Left Off, you interacted with many entities in both positive and negative ways, what would you say are the worst and best ways to try and meet a deity ? If it goes wrong, how can we apologize? Is it better to always reach out to a priest/priestess/devotee of that deity before interacting or after we mess up? —Anonymous
Hi!
Boy, this is a good (and important) question. When it comes to talking to entities, the biggest thing I gotta say is that you have to do your due diligence in trying to research them. While you don't have to become a world class scholar on them in a week, looking at more than the very first result in Google is a must. (And specifically, looking at sources of their culture of origin is a must, be it historical resources or official channels like priests/shamans/oracles/etc. of a deity.) Like, I could not have talked to such a specific and culturally distinct goddess like Princess Bari of Korean shamanism without the help of my friend Ji Hae, who is has knowledge of these things as one who learned the art of being a mudang (a Korean shaman) and was willing to share some resources with me/introduce me to this goddess.
So the best way to try and meet a deity is definitely with an official introduction from a pro if possible, and if not possible, then at least with sensitivity to the cultural customs of said deity. (For example, when it comes to offerings, I learned that there's a focus on pure, fresh water and bread for Egyptian gods, a focus on cleanliness and washed hands and offerings of incense for Greek gods, a votive offering poured into water for Celtic gods, etc. But don't take my word for it; I'm still certainly no authority.) You also want to meet them in confident education on their myths and stories, with polite and respectful questions if you're asking them about themselves. If you would be offended for someone to ask you a question, don't ask that question to them.
The worst way to interact with them is definitely interacting with them on your terms instead of theirs. Being defensive, putting up barriers between you and then, hiding behind your own gods or spirits when talking to them, being pushy or rude or shitty, it's all... a great way to have a bad time. While you don't have to fall down and worship as hard as their best priests when they come around, you do gotta respect that actually, they're not in your house when you contact them in the astral; you're in their house, and you gotta be respectful as a guest in their house. Approaching with an antagonistic vibe off the bat, like you're encountering a wild animal instead of a deity or spirit, is a great way to piss them off and make them not want to talk to you. Should you do this, the best way to apologize would be to either make some kind of offering and genuine repentance, or get an official shaman/priest/etc. to help you out and give an offering on your behalf, in my opinion. But this is all just from my experience.
No matter what, talking to these other spirits is always a humbling experience, so be prepared for the wildest things to happen.
When Do You Use Spells vs. Prayers?
I am a Christian learning about witchcraft and related practices. Christians often pray for divine intervention. Can you discuss when or why you might lean more toward praying for something versus spellwork (or similar)? Apologies if you cover this elsewhere, I'm reading through a lot of your stuff but hadn't seen something on that specifically yet. —Anonymous
Hey, there!
We actually answered this question last time, if you want to check that out! Posting this here so other folks with this same question can find the other blog, too.
In short: I see them as the same thing, really; spellwork is prayer and vice versa to me. But spell work is when I really want to make a concentrated effort for something rather than just asking God to help me out with it as I go about my business. Prayer is more informal, where I'm shooting off like "Oh boy God please let there be a parking spot for me at work" or something. Spellwork is when I'm sitting down, ready to both honor/praise God and work with Him to establish something I'm asking for (like financial stability on the first-of-the-month spells); then it's my energy and God's glory mixing and mingling into the stuff that creates miracle and action.
How Do I Communicate Clearly with Jesus and Get Answers?
How do you communicate with Jesus and receive an answer, such as the conversation in your book Where The Gods Left Off, as just a beginner? Although I am still very much a "baby" in this tradition, I am eager to start a genuine dialogue with Jesus (in particular, as a starting point). I had successfully made contact with a couple demons (Belial and Lucifer specifically) during a short period of preference to the Left Hand Path, but when I prayed to Jesus I did not receive as obvious of a response. It makes me wonder if I had somehow done something wrong. My method was to simply address Him directly after clearing my mind in a space where I had privacy, and putting my hands together as I spoke and tried to focus. —Jessica
Hi, Jessica!
So, right away, I noticed that you gave me a method—specifically, a set of actions. Clearing the mind, pressing hands together, speaking out loud. These things are only helpful insofar as they actually help you get in the mindset you need to talk to Jesus. The reality is that when it comes to getting an answer from anything you ask Jesus, the biggest thing that needs to happen is understanding that He will answer you how, and when, He wants to.
You mention having sucessfully contacted demons before, and I will say that I have always noticed demons to be much more straightforward and clear and unmistakable when they speak. Any time a demon wanted my attention, I knew, and any time I asked who it was, I also knew—like immediately. They are not shy when trying to get attention.
But Jesus is not a demon. Jesus also, like His Father, doesn't like being so easily pinned down.
Speaking to any member of the Trinity means you need to let go of expectations. You need to let Them speak Their way. Even when I was pulling cards in Where the Gods Left Off, Jesus barely used them as more than a placeholder before just going off about anything and everything, and it was more than words, too; it was images, feelings, ideas that were too abstract for words. He asks you to take what He's giving you and sit with it like a rich, delicately cooked meal, not scarf it down like fast food.
Learn how He wants to communicate. Let Him speak on His terms. Then you'll get some really interesting results.
How Do You Not Feel Guilty or Worried About Doing Something Wrong?
thank you for writing more about this topic of Christian witchcraft. I strayed away from religion a long time ago and have been exploring other spiritualism and now have found myself back to following Jesus but I still can’t shake the feeling that there is more there. How do you go about not feeling guilty or worried that you’re doing something wrong by searching and questioning? —Amanda
Hi, Amanda!
Honestly? By throwing it into God's hands. So many times I've said to God: "listen, if You really don't want me doing this, or I'm wrong about this, then let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to assume this is what You want and what You're okay with. Let me know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing/searching after."
He hasn't (often) corrected me. And when He has, I've listened.
There's no reason to feel guilty for searching and questioning. That is quite literally what it is to be spiritual and seek God in the first place: the constant seeking and questioning and testing and such. That's a part of spirituality that mainstream Christianity has ripped off itself, and as a result, we have people running around thinking they're serving God when they couldn't spiritually serve their way out of a paper bag. The idea that seeking knowledge, and Truth, could ever be something worth feeling guilty over is a foreign concept to me—because it's seeking that God asks you to do in the first place.
Trust that when you let Him lead your seeking, you'll find exactly what you need.
Ask Your Questions!
Remember, all your questions can go to this Google form, so don't hesitate to reach out! I'm looking forward to seeing what questions people have in the future, and I hope this has been a helpful read! Thank you everyone who participated!
—Sara
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
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