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I'm really into horoscopes and zodiac signs. One of my friends says this is the Devil's work. I don't take any of it seriously, but I think it's interesting. Should I leave these things alone altogether?

A. I think your friend is right. You really don't want to flirt with what is called the occult, a word used to describe activities in which humans try to control supernatural or paranormal powers. These things include horoscopes, zodiac signs, Ouija boards and tarot cards. So what's so bad with this supernatural stuff?

First of all, it's extremely important to understand that just like there is a physical world, there's also a spiritual world. This mostly unseen world has two sides: 1) The perfect and beautiful part that comes from God and 2) the dark spiritual world that is in opposition to God. The leader of the dark world is Satan. Satan was an angel who fell away from God and he rules the dark spiritual world in a war against the good. Here's the advice of the Bible: "Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the Devil's deceptions. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world" (Ephesians 6:11-12, CEV).

We might not see the battle, but it is very real. What are they fighting over? Us. And Satan knows how to lure us over to him. Very few people jump right into witchcraft, Satanism or even actual devil worship. Instead, Satan most often traps us by getting us to dabble with things that seem harmless. Even if you don't think you'll become part of those things, why spend time with horoscopes and other occult stuff when you could be focusing on more positive things?

My suggestion: Meet with your youth pastor or a trusted Christian friend and look deeper into your question. Talk about what you enjoy doing and why. The fact that you asked this question shows you might be worried about it. That's the first step. I'm not trying to scare you, but I am worried that you could be flirting with something that is much more dangerous than you could imagine.

Jim is an author, speaker and longtime youth worker. He's also the founder of HomeWord (homeword.com), a group seeking to honor God by building strong families.

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