Recently, while driving through a familiar intersection, I noticed a new business opening on one of the corners. This “business” was advertising psychic readings.

In recent years such interests seem to have become more popular and prevalent. Therefore, it is not uncommon for priests to be asked about the Church’s teaching regarding visits to psychics or related things like horoscopes, tarot cards, or even Ouija boards.

While such practices have been around for a good part of human history, the Church’s historic teaching has always been consistent. Drawing upon Sacred Scripture (Dt 18:10, Jer 29:8, Gal 5:20, et al), the

Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this teaching in sections 2115-2117. There we read that all such practices are clear violations of the First Commandment.

Each in its own way represents an attempt to tap into supposed celestial or occult powers, thereby circumventing God. It might be done to determine a course of action in life or to gain knowledge or to attempt to know the future. In some cases, it might even be motivated by a desire to harm someone.

But regardless of motivation, each one, at the very least, shows a lack of trust in God’s providence, if not an outright rejection of God’s sovereignty. It is a perennial desire for human beings to want to know what they don’t know, like what the future holds, so that we can plan and act accordingly. Such a desire is normal.

But if that desire leads us to dabble in any of the different types of divination or sorcery, it can also lead us to serious moral problems. Practicing any form of these means attempting to seek out spiritual knowledge, insight, guidance or power from a source other than God. Doing so directly violates the First Commandment.

As clear as this teaching may be, there are some common questions that get raised about these practices. A frequent one is often framed like this: “Is it sinful to read a horoscope if I don’t have any intention to let it influence me? To read it just for entertainment, or as a joke?”

Part of the core moral issue with reading a horoscope is that someone is trusting that it will give some direction or insight. Reading it as a joke or as a form of entertainment doesn’t share that same motivation, and therefore would not be sinful in that particular way.

However, that does not mean that therefore a Christian should engage in such behavior, even as a joke or as entertainment. The reasons for this might not be immediately obvious. Here are two to consider briefly.

First, I’m choosing to expose myself to (and/or be entertained by) something that ultimately is in opposition to God’s sovereignty.

Secondly, even though I may claim to not be influenced by it, I still can be. Even if I choose to do the opposite of what it seems to suggest, my choice is still being influenced by what it says.

Therefore, though it may not be done for serious reasons, the virtue of prudence says it really should be avoided altogether. After all, as a Christian it has nothing good to offer me without exposing me to something which by its nature is directly opposed to God’s First Commandment. Avoiding it completely is the best, most morally sound course of action.

This is true of the other related practices too. Granted, while some of those practices might only be accessible if someone sought them out intentionally (thus involving far more serious moral and spiritual danger, even if only done for entertainment), others, like horoscopes might easily be encountered without any foreknowledge or effort on our part.

Naturally, moral guilt might be increased by factors such as the degree of involvement or the actual practice in question.

In each case however, no such practice ever offers us any true benefit or growth in our trust of God.