Ask a Christian Witch: Understanding Hell, Making Guardians, and Figuring Out Modesty
- Sara Raztresen
- Oct 4
- 15 min read
It's Q&A time again already!
We have all three types of planners in stock now—so grab one today!
The planners are all officially here, fam! You gotta grab one. This year's planner has all kinds of fun pages like:
3 card tarot pulls
Monthly tarot pulls
Seasonal and holiday information pages
Tips and explanations of common Christian and pagan practices
Bible readings for each week
And a whole lot more! I'm really excited to use this even though I still have like, 2 months left of the original. But I think I've really outdone myself with the changes this time, and I think this'll be especially helpful for people who need a guiding hand in setting up their ritual structure!
And now, our September questions. Remember: if you have any questions, all you have to do is check out this Google Form right here and fill it out with your question!
Now for all this good conversation!
What is Repentance?
What is repentance to you, and should we pray for repentance every day, even if we do not know what sin we have done? I just wanted your thoughts. —Anonymous
Hey, there!
Repentance, plainly, is an apology. We all sin—as in, we all make mistakes, we all act in ways that are hurtful to ourselves and others, and we all don't act at all sometimes even when we know we should. It's important we set aside some time to acknowledge that here and there and ask God to help us be better.
However, as for repenting every day whether or not you know what you did, well... that defeats the point of an apology, right? No one likes hearing "I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you upset," because that shows that you actually have no idea what you did, and therefore no idea how to avoid doing it again. It doesn't address the functional part of an apology: to right the wrong you did.
Granted, in certain traditions, there are absolutely prayers of absolution you do during the service itself that are more general. Take, for example, this bit from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer:
I confess to Almighty God, to his Church, and to you [priest], that
I have sinned by my own fault in thought, word, and deed, in
things done and left undone; especially __________. For these
and all other sins which I cannot now remember, I am truly
sorry. I pray God to have mercy on me. I firmly intend
amendment of life, and I humbly beg forgiveness of God and
his Church, and ask you for counsel, direction, and absolution.
There is space in there for you to name something specific you did that sucks ("especially _____"), but during Mass, a general flow like this will be for everyone to say together. This more specific and personal form is for confession, which is also in the Catholic church, and it helps you to acknowledge what you did that sucked.
Generally, it's good to do an absolution like this every once and a while as a general refreshment and restoration of the soul, but to do it every day depends on whether you think that's necessary or not. It's just to course correct and get back on track of living in a way that reflects the teachings of Christ: love God, love one another. Don't overthink it now!
The Idea of Threes and the Dread of Research?
I just read your interview with Nayru, and I keep thinking about this phrase "one begets two, two begets three, three begets all"... Maybe there's two questions here: is the idea of threes related to Creation? And how the hell do i deal with dread in relation to (seemingly unconquerable) research topics? I'm thinking of starting small, but how exactly? —Anonymous
Hi!
I will say, you'll find the number three in a lot of faiths and practices, likely because three is a stable number and the number that makes the sides of a triangle, which people also like a lot. Many things also group together in threes, like the concept of past, present, and future. With creation, even, you have earth, sky, and water. It doesn't take much to see that this number is pretty much always following us around.
However, as for research, I've actually done videos on similar topics, like whether or not one needs good witchy books, and I have also written blogs on how to do research. However, when we're doing all this, I find what helps the most is actually breaking down what it is I need to know about regarding a topic. If topics are really big, breaking them down into parts (like their history, or adjacent cultures, or specific figures that championed these practices or things we're looking into), helps a lot!
From there, honestly, you just want to take it one book at a time. You don't have to read every book all at once, but do keep a list of books, articles, and other events or web pages that are relevant to check out here and there when you have time. It doesn't have to all happen at once. Let the journey of learning be a fun thing in itself!
Sources on Russian/Orthodox Witchcraft?
Hey. How are you? I just recently found out about your profile. It's very interesting. Say, do you know any sources that speak of witchcraft and / or esoterica within Eastern Orthodox tradition, i.e., coming from there? I am Russian and would love to find any good sources. God bless. —Anonymous
Hi, there!
Honestly, I don't really know too much about Eastern Orthodox folk magic or Russian witchcraft, but one book that I adore is a compilation and explanation of court cases across Russia and Ukraine from 1000 to 1900 that is really helpful when it comes to gleaning what kinds of things were getting people in trouble in the first place. It's called Witchcraft in Russia and Ukraine from 1000 to 1900 by Valerie A. Kivelson and Christine D. Worobec. Definitely check this one out first as a jumping off point and see what little things you can pull out from here before moving onto other books that are more about the witchy stuff itself!
Aside from that, while this isn't Russian, I know Zuza Zak has a beautiful witchy cookbook that is centered more around Polish magic. This may help at least a little bit, or it may not, as I do think Poland is more Catholic and culturally distinct from Russia, of course—but there could be some things that crossed over here and there given the history between Poland and Russia.
Did I Encounter the Egregore?
Hi. I think I may have encountered the Evangelical Egregore when I was a child. When I was 3 years old, I encountered an entity that was standing in my bathroom door. It was...tall. It's back was on one side of the door what passed for it was on the other side. It's head was at the top top of the door. It had glowing yellow eyes and teeth. I was scared that I couldn’t move. It spoke to me in a weird voice, completely unnerving. I don't remember all it said, but it did say, "Keep following me." I remember that VERY distinctly. After that, I somehow was able to move and I ran. For further context, I was raised Pentecostal. I have since left that cult. Is it possible this entity was the Egregore? I truly appreciate your time. —Meira
Hey, Meira!
Honestly, it sounds like you might've. I can't say, as I've never encountered this thing as a child myself, but it also could've been any other spirit that wanted you think it was Jesus, or it could've been something else trying to get you away from any kind of other spirit.
I wouldn't worry too much about it now since it was so far in the past, though. Thinking about it further is only going to unsettle you and won't really bring you more answers. Just be wary of seeing things like that again, especially around people who are still stuck in situations like that.
Can the Evangelical Egregore Affect a Near Death Experience (NDE)?
Hello, I was wondering: Can the Evangelical Egregore influence Near Death Experiences? I was watching a video about how (apparently evil) Demons can change and influence how humans experience their NDE and then I thought: What if the Evangelical Egregore is responsible for the way some human see hell in this typical almost cliche way in their NDE. Could it be possible and does it have that much power? —Anonymous
Hey!
Now this is one hell of a thing to think about. I never considered this, as I also never heard of demons being able to mess with NDEs like that, but now that I think about it, it would make a lot of sense. Sometimes, I just can't understand why people come back with these stories of hellfire and mess, or why even people who didn't get close to dying claim to have seen all these horrible images of hell that don't match what anyone else who's been there has seen.
It could very well be that if someone has been feeding it (by being part of one of its many cult-churches), then the Egregore would have more access to it in times of trouble and therefore implant some ideas into it that suck. I don't think it would necessarily have the power over those who are aware of it or strong willed enough to see through it; it really doesn't like being seen for what it is.
Can I Call Myself a Christian Mystic instead of Christian Witch?
Can I call myself a Christian mystic if I practice Christian witchcraft? I’m not sure which terms I like more. —Maya
Hi, Maya!
Frankly, I can't see why not! When all is said and done, there's a reason I say that Christian Witchcraft is just Christian mysticism with arts and crafts: because the main thing about the witchcraft we do is that connection and communion with God, those supernatural experiences that stitch us tighter to our God. That's what mysticism is all about, too, though when we read the words of mystics of yore, they seem more to let things happen to them rather than try to create the experience together with God (as witches and magicians and occultists tend to do).
Just know that if you decide to call yourself a mystic over a witch, it will come with that connotation: of someone who just experiences God out of the blue rather than someone who tinkers with the material of the world with God to achieve certain outcomes. But if you're trying to go incognito anyway, that's helpful. Be careful, though: some people are still plenty weird and suspicious about mysticism.
Can I Worship God and Hekate?
Is it okay to worship God and Hekate at the same time? —Anonymous
Hi, there!
This is yet another one of those times where I have to say: I'm not the person to ask this question! I've talked a lot about christopaganism and how it's possible to put multiple gods in your practice as a Christian, but whether you can do this or not doesn't depend on what I say; it depends on what God and Hekate say. They may be cool with it, or they may decide it's not for you right now. You have to defer to their wishes above all.
What is the Practical Method of Conducting Spirit Interviews?
Hi Sara! I've really enjoyed your work on the deity/spirit interviews and as my own magical practice has led me into more meditation work, I'm curious about the practical side of your interviews. I know you've talked a bit about how the experiences are internal and pulling tarot confirms the messages, and from the narratives you publish it sounds like you're pulling cards and taking notes while you're 'there' with the spirit. I guess my question is what that process looks like on a practical level? I'm thinking if I tried to do something similar I would lose the vision as soon as I tried to record or interpret anything. Do you have any tips/exercises for developing those skills? —Charley
Hello, Charley!
This is a great question! Frankly, this is why my interviews have stayed the way they are for so long (with the tarot card pulls): because while I am "in the zone," so to speak, those cards are my anchor points for every answer.
They help me know I'm not mistaking or making up what I'm getting in meditation
They give me something to reference if I get distracted writing
They have specific imagery or language I can prod about more in the question space
For me, having that physical space and set up, as well as physical divination tools, are super important for anchoring myself and being able to remember or grasp what's being communicated. Outside of that, though, I also set up my space with relevant items that make me focus on the spirit (elemental correspondences, herbs, colors, etc.), as well as a gift as thanks for the spirits' time in answering me at all. Then, I put on music that drowns out all the other noise that might be going on in my house around me, and I just try to let the scene paint itself in my head: maybe a sitting room, maybe a forest, a field, wherever we go, I need to get myself situated in that space first.
This can take a long time before I ever write a single note down or pull a single card! With Azazel, for instance, it took me a full 30-45min to get him to even agree to speak with me, and he showed me a lot of stuff in between when I started and when we actually got into the public facing interview. I just let it happen because I figured it was important for my own development or understanding, and I wasn't wrong.
I also come with a list of just ten questions, the final three always being the same: how do you see yourself? how do you want to be seen? any final messages? These last three questions keep every interview consistent, in line, and tied together, as well as give me a clear cut-off point for where to end it, because reasonably, I could ask any of these spirits questions forever. By limiting my questions, I have to be a lot more clear with what I want to talk about thematically and what ideas I want to explore.
When I pull cards, I write down the cards themselves, the written meaning of the cards per the deck I'm using, and then what I'm picking up from the spirit with those meanings and the imagery of the cards in mind. I take note of anything relevant that I see, and when I take the break I need to write stuff down, I go back into the meditation scene and reset my grasp of the space. Sometimes, it really feels like my eyelids are curtains, or a movie screen projector: when they go down, I get the meditation space, and when they come back up, I see the real world again. That level of meditation, though, takes a lot of practice to get to, so I do suggest working on that independently on top of in any interviews like this.
Hopefully this is some helpful info for trying yourself, if you choose to do that!
What is Hell? What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
Can you explain what you believe hell is? I'm trying to deconstruct Christianity and hell is my main problem. Also second question: when Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being at hand, what do you interpret that as? I think it might be possible that He's talking about the kingdom of heaven being His followers. I'm probably way off because I'm literally reading the bible for the first time but was interested to hear your thoughts! —Hunter
Hi, Hunter!
I've been to hell more than a few times, and all I can really say is that it's not a place people go when they die, if that's what you're worried about. It's not a place for human souls at all, to be honest! Hell is its own world parallel to this one and to heaven, and it's where the demons and the "refuse" of creation live: the attempted lands that corrupted forces spawned within themselves, and the place where an entirely parallel level of divinity lives. It's like anti-matter vs. matter, really: still a part of this world, but so wild and volatile and counter to what we know matter to be.
That doesn't mean it's ugly or bad to be in, though. Just that things might be radically different than you expect and hard to deal with as a result. There are rivers and forests, and then there are cliffs and castles. All kinds of interesting stuff in there. It's also connected, like a wreath, back to God's domain, which is interesting to discover.
As for the Kingdom of Heaven, that's an internal state of being, as God is imminent: He lives within us. Reading St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle will also tell you a bit about this: the soul itself is like a grand castle where God dwells, and it's up to us to go inward into this gem-like soul that His radiance shines from and find Him—to retreat into ourselves to be with Him and be protected from a messed up world. Jesus doesn't just say the Kingdom is at hand; He says all of us already have it, and that it isn't in any physical location, but rather is a part of us all. Knowing this, we shouldn't have our eyes focused on the sky or the waters or wherever we think God is, but focused on our role in stewarding the world around us, because all of it is a part of God's grand essence, and all of it holds Him within it, just as we do.
How Do We Create Home Guardians?
How do you feel about the practice of home guardians / have you ever incorporated them into your own protection magick? In many ways they remind me of golems, especially when handmade. (But I am, of course, not Jewish).
I’ve been interested in them lately — especially after watching some creators here on TikTok sculpt their own, because I love molding things out of clay (especially little creatures) — but I think because of my Baptist background I am sort of apprehensive about the notion of instilling anything with a spirit. I recognize that home guardians do not exactly meet the definition of “idolatry,” but I think the surrounding practice of honoring them, giving offerings of gratitude, etc. sort of confuses me. I would love to hear a fellow Christian practioner’s perspective on them. —Corus
Hey, Corus!
So, I have one of these home guardians: a domovik, or Slavic house spirit meant for defense and general wellbeing. I even bought a cute little domovik statue from a Ukrainian artist to represent him, as well as build him a little "house" on top of my ancestor altar, where he also gets a little jar of water and a little plate for food (which, for domoviki, is normally something as simple as a piece of fresh bread).
Here's the thing, though: I know that he is not literally that little statue. That just represents him to me. If you wanted to create an actual servitor or something, that would be rough, because to trap a spirit in a vessel like that would be to limit where it could move or go, and therefore that would, in my understanding, also limit its effect and capacity. I've only ever known these icons to represent the spirit in question, because to carve or make something for the purpose of trapping a spirit in it is the classical definition of idolatry in the Bible, and that's just rude to the spirit, if for nothing else (in my opinion).
However, just because they're spirits, doesn't mean they'll work for free. When you give them an offering of bread or water or anything else, it's the same as giving someone compensation for a task you asked them to do, or even the same as feeding a guard dog or someone that was housesitting for you. Imagine if you asked someone to house sit while you were away and forbade them from eating any food in the fridge while also leaving them no way to order or obtain their own food? Not only would they be gone in a day, but they'd be in serious danger if they did try to stick it out given they'd go hungry very quickly.
These spirits still need to sustain themselves, just as we do. They don't just want, but need, something to absorb or eat to sustain themselves. It usually isn't much, as they're often small spirits, but it is something that signifies that you respect their effort and that you acknowledge what their effort costs them as much as you. If you can't hack that, you can't have a house spirit.
How Far Should We Take Modesty in Dress?
I'm re-entering the faith and I currently live around a lot of conservative type people, and I was wondering how far we should take modesty. of course I'm sure it differs people to people, but things like swearing/cussing are things I'm wondering if I shoild cut out of my life. —Kai
Hi, Kai!
As you said, it differs for people. Anyone who watches my content knows I don't care to stop swearing or anything just because it offends their delicate ears, nor do I care to dress like a nun just because I'm Christian.
For me, modesty is entirely unrelated to something as simple as surface level actions like this. I made a whole TikTok post about modesty already, which I highly suggest you check out, but in short: modesty for a Christian should be about how you signal that you are a safe person to go to for help or for healing of any kind. If you're flaunting your wealth, that makes you antagonistic to those who are hungry. If you're constantly aggressive and brutish, that makes you antagonistic to those who are already beaten and broken. If you are judgemental and overly strict, you are antagonistic to those who are abandoned and condemned.
How are you signaling your understanding of God's love? How are you highlighting not your own self, but the virtues God wants us to embody? Answer that, and you'll know how modest you need to be.
Ask Your Questions!
Remember, all your questions can go to this Google form, so don't hesitate to reach out! I'm looking forward to seeing what questions people have in the future, and I hope this has been a helpful read! Thank you everyone who participated!
—Sara
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.