Horoscopes and magic

An anonymous blogger asked, "Isn't horoscopes just a game? Not to be taken seriously? I mean its in the Washington Post". Another blogger answered, "Horoscopes are often used to predict the future, advise people, among other things. Many people see them as 'authority' from the supernatural realm. So this would be breaking the commandment 'Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God. And have no other Gods before Him'. Even if people see it as a harmless game, it is playing with fire. THe Holy Spirit lets us know when and what we need to know. Horoscopes make me laugh -:)".

People who live by faith and reason will see horoscopes as foolishness. If it's a game, it's a dangerous game to play. But, many, many people don't see it as a game. How many define themselves according to their "sign"? The makers of horoscopes know that the majority of their followers do not see them as games only. They know that many people take them very seriously. No matter how people view horoscopes, palm readings, tarot cards, ouija boards, etc., getting involved in any of them is DANGEROUS stuff!

This is from the Catechism:

“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. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and re-course to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (CCC, # 2116).

Also, I thought it would be interesting to show the next paragraph of the Catechism which addresses magic:

"All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity" (#2117).