Homily for the Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian and the Holy Martyr Justina (Fr. Daniel Sysoev)

Homily for the Commemoration of the 

Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian and the Holy Martyr Justina 

October 2
 

By Fr. Daniel Sysoev

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

I congratulate you on the feast day of the Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian and the Holy Martyr Justina! The Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian was once a prominent magician and sorcerer. He was personally acquainted with Satan and received from him many demons to serve. But Cyprian proved powerless against the newly converted Christian, who had been baptized only five years earlier. He could do nothing before her prayer and ascetic struggles. The devil fears the sign of the cross and can do nothing to harm Christians. This so astonished Cyprian that he abandoned his demonic arts, declaring that he would serve the God of Justina. He converted to Christ, was baptized, and was later awarded the episcopacy and a martyr's crown alongside Saint Justina.

Saints Lucian and Marcian: Two Former Magicians Who Died for their Faith in Christ

Sts. Lucian and Marcian the Martyrs (Feast Day - October 26)

The Holy Martyrs Lucian and Marcian, living in the darkness of idolatry, applied themselves to the vain study of the black arts; but were converted to the faith of Christ by finding their charms lose their power upon a Christian virgin, and the evil spirits defeated by the sign of the cross. Their eyes being thus opened, they burned their magical books in the middle of the city of Nicomedia and, when they had effaced their crimes by baptism, they distributed their possessions among the poor, and retired together into solitude, that by exercising themselves in mortification and prayer, they might subdue their passions, and strengthen in their souls that grace which they had just received, and which could not safely be exposed to dangers, and occasions of temptations in the world till it was fenced by rooted habits of all virtues, and ascetic exercises.

The Occultist, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assassination on the Feast of Saint Genevieve

By John Sanidopoulos

I spent a week in Paris in October of 2016, taking in the culture and visiting the various shrines and museums of the city, and on the day I visited the Pantheon, where I saw the tombs of Voltaire, Rousseau, Zola, Hugo, Monnet, Dumas and the Curies (just to name a few) as well as an exact replica of Foucault’s pendulum, I also wanted to visit the location of the relics of Saint Genevieve behind the Pantheon, at Saint-Ètienne-du-Mont, which unfortunately was closed for the day. Staying at a hotel in the Latin Quarter, I realized the next time I would be able to visit the church was on the morning of my flight back to America. So having packed my things that morning, I rushed on an eight minute uphill walk to Saint-Ètienne-du-Mont, arriving early waiting for the priest to unlock the door at 9:00 AM, hoping I would have enough time to venerate the relics of the Patron Saint of Paris before I went to catch my flight. My goal there was three-fold: a) to venerate the relics of Saint Genevieve, b) to see the tombs of Pascal and Racine, and C) to see the location of the assassination of the Archbishop of Paris which took place in this church on January 3, 1857, which was the feast of Saint Genevieve.

Marilyn Manson Warns Against Black Magic

Marilyn Manson was featured on "Celebrity Ghost Stories" a few days prior to Halloween in 2010. He tells an interesting story of an occult ritual which he participated in when he was in High School and lived in Canton, Ohio. He concludes his story with a warning to those who venture to do something similar.

Saint Leo of Catania and the Sorcerer Heliodoros

By Agapios the Cretan

On the island of Sicily, a diviner and sorcerer, named Heliodoros, wrought signs and marvels by demonic cooperation. His satanic activities and powers surpassed the wickedness of Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 3:8) and Simon Magus (Acts 8:9), since he had all diabolical energy working in him. Now he was the son of noble Christian parentage; his mother was the patrician Barbara. All assumed Heliodoros was a Christian. But from his childhood he showed himself to be arrogant, insolent, audacious, rash and proud. In time, he aspired to become prefect of the city [of Catania], not that he might be of service to the people, but rather that he might commit with impunity his shameless misdeeds according to his will and pleasure. It was, however, not the will of God that the unworthy Heliodoros, with his overweening pride, should attain to that high dignity. That vile and perverse man, thereafter, turned his steps in the direction of the occult.

An Orthodox Look At Nostradamus

By Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)

The word of God gives us very precise warnings about self-proclaimed prophets and spiritual deceivers. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Mt. 7:15). We have to follow the Lord’s injunction: "Take heed that no man deceive you" (Mt. 24:4). In order to do this one must be guided closely by Scripture and the teachings of the Holy Fathers. These words of the Apostle Paul are very applicable to our times: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:3–4). That is what the writings of M. Nostradamus and other false prophets are — fables.

Saint Paisios the Athonite on Sorcery

Having spoken to you many times about Paradise, the Angels and the Saints so that you may be helped, I shall now also say a few words about Hell and the demons, so that you can be aware of who we're fighting against: again, so that you may be helped.

A young sorcerer from Tibet once visited me at my cell and told me a lot of things about his life. This child, no sooner was he weaned from his mother than his father dedicated it - at the age of three - to a group of thirty, high-ranking sorcerers in Tibet, in order to initiate it in their art. He reached the eleventh degree of sorcery - the twelfth being the highest. At the age of sixteen he left Tibet and went to Sweden, to see his father. While there, he happened to meet an Orthodox priest - a very devout one - and invited him to a conversation. In the room where they had sat down to talk, he began to do some of his magic, in order to show the priest his powers. He invoked an initial(1) demon, Menas, and said to it: "I want water". A glass rose up from the kitchen, it went to the tap on its own, the tap came on, it filled the glass with water, then it passed through the glass screen and entered the room they were in. He took the glass and drank the water. Then he "showed" the priest all the universe: the skies, the stars, etc. He used magic of the fourth degree and intended to continue, up to the eleventh degree. He asked the priest what he thought of all those things.

Christopher Lee Discusses Black Magic in 1975 (video)

In 1975 noted horror actor Christopher Lee (1922-2015) was filming To the Devil, A Daughter at the (EMI) Elstree Studios, which are North of London. The interviewer here is Mark Caldwell and it was shot (originally) on 16mm film, in black and white. In it, among other things, Christopher Lee discusses the reality of the occult and black magic, and portraying the blasphemous and the profane in film.

See also: What Christopher Lee Said About the Occult

A Cinema of Evil: Hollywood’s Love Affair with Witchcraft & the Occult

"The Witch"

It's not often Christians read a pagan perspective of topics like this, which I think is important, so with the recent and simultaneous release of The Witch (my review here) and Risen (my review here) I thought this article was informative and interesting to get another perspective on how a pagan views Hollywood's love affair with witchcraft and the occult. This was written a few days before the release of The Witch.

Peg Aloi

February 17, 2016

Patheos: The Witching Hour

There can be no denying that contemporary culture is fascinated by horror. This popular genre of literature, film and TV has many sub-categories: supernatural, paranormal, monsters, ghosts, the undead, serial killers, and, of course, the occult. Witches and witchcraft are a common topic: but do they fall into the category of the occult? The supernatural? Monsters? I find myself asking this question often, as I witness the ebb and flow of witchy storylines in movies and TV.

Elijah Bond, the Original Patentee of the Ouija Board

Elijah Bond

Elijah Jefferson Bond (January 23, 1847 - April 14, 1921) was an American lawyer and inventor from Maryland. Although he invented and patented items, including a steam boiler, he is best remembered for patenting what became known as the Ouija Board in 1891.

David Bowie and the Occult

By John Sanidopoulos

When we speak of the occult we should not equate it with Satanism, as we often see in Hollywood, although Satanism can certainly be part of the occult. The occult is about esoteric and alternative teachings, whether they be through Christianity (Gnosticism, Manicheism), Judaism (Kabbalism), Buddhism (Zen, Tibetan), Hinduism (Yoga, Meditation), Tribal Religions (Shamanism) or even more modern movements like Spiritualism, Theosophy, the New Age Movement and the ritual magick of groups like the O.T.O. Most often it is about the elevation of one's being beyond what is ordinary through some sort of process and manipulation, or to communicate with something that is beyond who you are. This is why traditional Christians often view occult practices as sinister and evil, because it may involve communication with spirits in a way that drives one's success and ego, which is often associated with the demonic.

David Bowie's Encounter With the Devil

David, ex-wife Angie and son Zowie in the 1970's

The following story comes from Angela Bowie's (David Bowie's ex-wife) biography of him titled Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side with David Bowie. David Bowie himself, in interviews, also refers to this strange experience that he had.

During the mid-seventies, David Bowie entered a low period when he experimented with cocaine and the occult. It was the mid-seventies and he had moved to Los Angeles. Several years had passed since the horrific Manson Murders that Los Angeles was still recovering from. It was during this tumultuous period when David Bowie decided to perform an exorcism in his pool at his house in L.A. Perhaps fueled by a cocaine addled paranoia, Bowie believed that satanists and evil spirits were trying to capture him. He would try his best, using the occult, to stop them. The following is an excerpt from the book as told by Angela (Angie) Bowie:

Saint Paisios the Athonite and the Demonized Woman

The Second Journey of Saint Paisios to Pomakochoria

In May of 1989 he made a second - this time bigger - journey to Pomakochoria in Thrace. He was brought by car by a young man he knew and, when they arrived, they took with them two Pomaks who had become Christians and would frequently visit the Elder.

After asking for the blessing of the Metropolitan, they began their journey. The goodness of Father Paisios "spoke" to the hearts of those simple people. And, because they heard his godfather was a Saint and that in his homeland, in Farasa, he performed many miracles even for Muslims, everyone wanted to see him and invite him to their homes. Those who were from other villages also begged him to visit theirs. In each house he entered all the neighbors gathered - thirty Muslims in one place, fifty Muslims in another - to hear something from his lips. He said something like: "God loves us all. You also are children of God. A Muslim who becomes a Christian can be saved much easier than one who has been a Christian since a child, because the Muslim who does not know anything enters Orthodoxy and learns everything from the beginning, and becomes better. You, if you confess Christ, will be in a better position than us, because we know everything and unfortunately do not apply them." As he walked through the streets of the villages, the people gathered around him, and he looked at them with visceral eyes, handing out sweets to the children and conversing with everyone.

Weapons Against Satanic Influence

By Archimandrite Vasilios Bakoyiannis

The Cross, Relics, Prayer and Fasting

The Cross

In Thrace, Greece, Christians and Muslims live together in harmony.

There was once a good, well-intentioned shepherd who was a Muslim, and, on comparing the religion of Muhammad with Christianity, came to the conclusion that Christianity was much better than Islam. His interest in Christ increased all the time. He began to talk, to study, to ask about Christianity. Then he decided to renounce Islam and become a Christian. His father learned about it and did his best to change the young man’s mind. He was unable to do so, though, because his son was convinced. In the end, the father had recourse to an occultist. “I want you to stop my son from thinking about Christ,” he told him. The sorcerer, certain of his success, set to work.

The first time he failed, so he tried again. He failed again. Third attempt, third failure. Then he realized what was wrong. He called the father and told him directly, “If you want the magic to work, tell your son to get rid of those bits of wood he wears round his neck!”

What was it? The young Muslim had seen that Christians wear a cross round their necks, and so he did the same. He took two bits of wood, made them into the form of a cross and wore them around his neck. And thanks to the cross, which the devil fears, the magic didn’t work. Remember, when the demons heard Arthur the missionary talking about Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified, they became furious and told him to stop.

The Occult and Saints Cyprian and Justina

Sts. Cyprian and Justina (Feast Day - October 2)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

On October 2nd the Church celebrates the memory of the Hieromartyr Cyprian and the Virgin-martyr Justina. Cyprian was a magician, a persecutor of Christians and a servant of demons. "A healer by means of demons and a most bitter persecutor of Christ" (St. Gregory the Theologian). However he did not do this work consciously, but out of ignorance, because he thought there was no higher power than that of the devil. When he later realized, due to an incident we will narrate below, that Christ is more powerful and has defeated and shamed the devil, then he burned his books of magic, was baptized, and then ordained from Deacon to Priest and finally a Bishop. Furthermore, he was made worthy to spill his blood for Christ and be called a Hieromartyr. From a servant of darkness and falsehood he became a preacher of the Light and "a great struggler for the truth".

What Christopher Lee Said About the Occult

It was sadly announced today that Sir Christopher Lee, perhaps my favorite actor of all time, died on June 7th shortly after his 93rd birthday.

To dispel a popular rumor, Lee did not have a vast library of occult books. When giving a speech at the University College Dublin on 8 November 2011, he said: "Somebody wrote I have 20,000 books. I'd have to live in a bath! I have maybe four or five [occult books]." He further admonished the students against baneful occult practices, warning them that he had met "people who claimed to be Satanists. Who claimed to be involved with black magic. Who claimed that they not only knew a lot about it," however he himself had certainly never been involved: "I warn all of you: never, never, never. You will not only lose your mind, you'll lose your soul."

Saint Glykeria and the Pagan Magician Paulinus

St. Glykeria the Great Martyr (Feast Day - May 13)

Dositheos in his Dodekavivlos records that the holy relics of Saint Glykeria were interred at Heraclea in Thrace. At Heraclea, a copper pot was used to collect divinely-flowing myrrh which gushed from the Saint's tomb. By means of this streaming myrrh, many received miracles, as also attested by Saint Theophylact of Ochrid. The Metropolitan of Heraclea, while in Constantinople, found an impressive gold pot. He bought it with the intention of substituting it for the copper vessel that received that sanctified outflow from the Saint's tomb. However, when the exchange was made, the miracles also ceased.

The Law of Thelema...Christianized Once More

Aleister Crowley, the famous occult magician and author, compiled a book in 1904 titled The Book of the Law, which was said to have been dictated to him by a spirit named Aiwass. This book was meant to usher in the Age of Horus, in which a new ethical code would be followed. The central message of this new ethical code, known as the Law of Thelema (the Greek word θελημα or thelema is translated as "will"), was: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law".

Holy New Martyr Anastasios of Nafplion (+ 1655)

St. Anastasios of Nafplion (Feast Day - February 1 and June 4)

By St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite

Verse

The limbs of your flesh were cut Anastasios,

Like bread you will rise in the eschaton.

Anastasios, the holy neomartyr, was born and reared in Nafplion of the Peloponnese. He was a painter by trade. In his homeland, he was betrothed to the daughter of a a certain Christian. However, a few days later, he heard of some faults of his fiancee, and he dissolved the engagement. The parents of his former betrothed (not being firmly grounded in Christianity) took recourse in the magic arts to inveigle him into loving her and joining her in wedlock. Consequently, within a short period of time, the charm began to take effect and the young man went completely mad, roaming about aimlessly. The Hagarenes noticed this behavior and took advantage of his insanity, making him a Muslim by circumcision. Despite this, God pitied Anastasios, and, in a matter of days, He granted him complete restoration of his mental faculties. When Anastasios regained his senses and saw that he was wearing a white turban on his head like the Muslims, he shouted without hesitation into a crowd of Turks: "I was a Christian, I am a Christian, and a Christian I will always be!"

Ten Things I Won't Do On Halloween

By John Sanidopoulos

Last year (2009) I wrote a controversial piece about Halloween titled "Orthodoxy and Halloween: Separating Fact From Fiction". I want to make it clear that I am not out to defend Halloween or promote its celebration by Christians, though I do find it important to separate fact from the numerous fictions regarding this holiday promoted by Christians, and leave each individual to observe the day as their conscience and taste determines. Personally I see no contradiction between Halloween and Christianity and it is perfectly coherent in my heart the way I celebrate it. The fictional fundamentalist folklore and mythology surrounding Halloween is in my opinion the darkest aspect of the holiday, and it is the truth that I seek to bring to light lest Christianity be undermined, as it so often irresponsibly is in society. However, I also understand it is not within everyone's taste to celebrate Halloween, so mutual respect plays a large role in how I present the topic to Christians.