DO asks: "What is a witch ball? Is it an object of the occult? Can it cause harm if used as a decoration innocently? Is it related to the glass yard ornaments called 'gazing balls'?"
Anonymous writes: “Someone I know recently told me that loved ones of hers passed away. The family had their ashes split up and placed in jewelry. How can I explain the Catholic view on this for future reference? How can I explain it particularly when it comes to our Catholic faith and relics.”
Courtesy of Wikicommons Images (CC BY-SA 2.0)KJ writes: “What’s so bad about the I Ching? Isn’t it the same thing as casting lots?”
JK asks: “Is Feng Shui compatible with Christianity? Isn’t it just about locating furniture and using wall colors that create the right vibe in a room?”
It’s Advent, and while the faithful are pondering the mysteries of the First and Second Coming of the Lord, there’s a noticeable uptick in the number of alleged seers who claim to have an inside track on the Apocalypse. Here’s why Church approval of any private revelation is so critical in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from believing in falsehood.
A Hamsa Hand charm with an evil eye.During her recent visit to the U.S., Meghan Markle was seen sporting an amulet known as a Hamsa Hand, a good luck charm that allegedly conveys protection and good luck on the wearer.
GM writes: "My mother and I got into a discussion about idolatry a few weeks ago. She seems to think that having pagan artwork in the home isn't idolatry, and I can't help but feel like it is, although the extent of it is a rendering of a buddha by my sister, and a couple buddha statues in opposite alcoves in our entryway. What is Church teaching regarding this?"
AK wrote about being given a crystal by a friend who said she should use it to find "clarity, atonement, and peace." Certain that the object was given to her out of love and kindness, she now asks what she should do with it. "Do I just look at it as a pretty geode? Do I return it? I'm not interested in giving my friends the impression that I promote or believe in the power of crystals.”
LR writes: "I heard that burying a statue of St. Joseph upside down in yard to sell a house is superstitious. What about putting St. Benedict medals in corners of a home for protection and blessing. Is this superstitious?"
Anonymous writes: “I heard that wearing a cimaruta symbol wards off evil. Is it okay to wear one? If it wards off evil, isn’t that a good thing?”
