Rick Burgess, host of “Strange Encounters,” says he wants listeners to understand spiritual warfare without becoming fearful or seeing danger everywhere.
“We’ve tried to be good stewards of this podcast,” he says. The goal, he explains, is to warn people without encouraging paranoia—and to make sure they’re prepared for what he describes as a spiritual battle in a fallen world.
For a recent conversation, Burgess invited Jenn Nizza, a former psychic who spent about 25 years involved in occult and New Age practices before becoming a Christian. Nizza now speaks out about practices such as tarot readings, astrology, crystals, and numerology, which she believes can pose spiritual risks.
Nizza says contemporary occultism often presents itself as something positive and appealing, rather than as the frightening imagery people might expect. Its promises of healing, answers, and wisdom can make it seem harmless, she argues.
She describes these practices as a counterfeit form of light, saying they can resemble the truth closely enough to mislead people, including Christians. She points to the biblical idea that Satan can present himself as an angel of light.
Popular culture, including social media, movies, and music, has also helped make New Age ideas more familiar, Nizza says. She cites films such as “Wicked,” “Tarot,” “Practical Magic,” and “Hocus Pocus” as examples of entertainment that, in her view, makes witchcraft seem glamorous and less concerning.
Nizza argues that Christians should respond by explaining what they believe these practices involve and pointing people toward their faith, rather than avoiding the subject.
She also discusses “Long Island Medium,” the television series featuring psychic medium Theresa Caputo. Nizza says Caputo may appear to be acting with good intentions, but believes that people involved in mediumship can experience spiritual consequences that viewers don’t see.
Christians, she says, should speak openly about these concerns. Otherwise, she warns, popular entertainment may shape how children and churchgoers understand the subject, sometimes in ways she considers misleading.
