What is the Christian view of the Occult?

Answer 1

The word 'occult' literally means: 'secret', 'conceal', 'to hide'. The Bible says, "Nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him." (Luke 8:17)

Answer 2

Magic, as in magicians who perform at a birthday party is harmless slight of hand. Divination and magic proper is covered in the Catechism paragraphs 2115-2117. A Christian should put oneself confidently in the hands of God's providence as regards the future and give up all unhealthy curiosity about it. All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. They all contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we all owe to God alone.

Finally all practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers - even for the sake of restoring one's health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion, most especially if they have the intention of harming another, or when they have recourse to demons. Wearing charms is "reprehensible. Spiritism implies divination or magical practices . . . recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

That is basically what the Catechism has to say, might I had that Fr. Amorth in his books on Exorcism warns people most explicitly to have nothing to do with anything even as "harmless" as ouiji boards, horoscopes, Astrology, and the like, many, many people have come to dreadful harm with these practices, and there are even "games" circulating where one asks questions - also very harmful - please stay away from it all, there are demons behind all of it.

Answer 3

That it is a product of Satan and a deception.

Answer 4

Stage magic is a performance not unlike any other form of acting.

Occult magic (sometimes spelled magik) is demonic.