Under a Spell?

Bringing a spiritual perspective to daily life

Not long ago the front page of The Wall Street Journal told about two people who were feuding. The weapon involved, however, was not something you'd probably think of or give much heed to: an evil spell.

These people were competitors in the restaurant business, and the hex consisted of rice, pennies, and cooking oil. Now, this may seem foolish. After all, what could such items, placed on a doorstep, do to thwart a competitor? (The goal was to cause bad business.)

While evil spells are common in certain parts of the world, this particular incident occurred in the United States, in Oregon. And other states are seeing more and more interest in curses, voodoo, hexes, and so on.

This isn't new. The belief in dark or hidden powers has confronted each generation anew. Mystical spells, necromancy, hypnotism, occultism, horoscopy, astrology, witchcraft, reincarnation, spiritualism, and theosophy all involve ancient arts and beliefs. Perhaps the question we should ask is not so much "how?" or "why?" but "what?" What perpetuates these practices? And can we keep ourselves from being harmed by them?

Yes, by calling on the power of God. The power of God is good, and it is infinite. This renders any other so-called power null and void.

Here's one example. While in college, I had a music instructor who was a spiritualist. She also believed in the power of the devil. She believed, and through fear made others believe, that she could control people. It became rumored that when she walked into a recital hall while you were performing, her very presence would make you begin making mistakes that you'd never made before. Often, after the lights were turned down low and someone had begun a performance, this professor would arrive late. Almost immediately, the individual on stage would begin making mistakes. The other students would fill with fear and watch this professor until she finally sat down. The performer would then stop making mistakes and carry on.

Frankly, I hadn't noticed any of this until others began telling me about it. Then I became afraid. I certainly didn't want to be on stage with her in the room! And I began to turn to God for help.

I had learned through my study of Christian Science that God is the only power and that all His children reflect Him. I reasoned that this particular professor couldn't be left out of God's control. That all people are created by God to express goodness and can only bring goodness upon themselves and others. Christian Science, discovered by Mary Baker Eddy, is an explanation of the laws of God, which Christ Jesus demonstrated as having healing power. He disproved the power of evil in any form.

Not long after this prayerful reasoning, my fear for myself and others subsided. And the recitals stopped being interrupted, even though the professor was still late to them.

I had seen more clearly that what perpetuates the power of spiritualism is the false belief in a power opposed to God. We can free ourselves from the influence of any curse or spell by understanding that no one can harm us, control our thoughts or actions, since God, divine Spirit, controls all.

Actually, no son or daughter of God is created capable of the desire to harm or control another through dark thoughts, threats, or curses. In God's good creation no one is outside His control.

The belief that evil thoughts or actions have the power to overthrow the omnipotence of God is all that would make anything appear threatening or harmful. But true spirituality (as opposed to spiritualism) does have power. This is why it's helpful to understand, acknowledge, worship, the one, all-powerful, ever-present God - the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob, and the God of Christ Jesus. This God is the governor of everyone.

The Christian Science textbook says, "Mankind must learn that evil is not power" (Mary Baker Eddy, "Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures," Pg. 102). Understanding the truth of God is our sure power. It frees us from any other supposed power. It frees us from the entanglements of all wrong acting and thinking.

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