Very short and sweet - most of this was ad-lib....
What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
- Wm. Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act 2, scene ii
All religion is mystical. It's all different interpretations of magic. So remember that going forward. Religion EQUALS magic.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (Jn. 14:12-14)
Jesus clearly used magic as a means of showing his power and promised that everone who calls themselves Christians would have the ability to do everything he did and MORE. How? Through a combination of invocation and incantation, both terms having their roots in Paganism, not Christianity.
Too many Pagan parallels to mention – mostly because much of Christianity has been tuned to appeal to a pagan audience.
Witchcraft is prevalent in the NT
Wicca and witchcraft are not one and the same, nor are they mutually exclusive.
https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/miracles/what-miracles-did-jesus-perform.html
Turning water into wine (transubstantiation)
Walking on water
Appearing out of nowhere
https://biblehub.com/matthew/9-20.htm – energy healing
Calming the storm
The four quarters – the powers of the Elements has a prominent place in the chronicling of Christian magic.
Earth – Jesus uses mud to cure blindness
Air – calming the storm, the holy spirit envisioned as a dove
Fire – Tongues of fire at pentecost; the Holy Spirit is imaged in fire
Water – Two miraculous hauls of fish, pool of Siloam (John 9:7)
Psychic abilities – faith healers calling out people in the audience, “God said there are ten of you out there who are going to give us $1000 each)
Spell-casting: every time someone claims they anointed something or prayed over it and infused it with spiritual energy, they are admitting to engaging in spellwork. Prayer cloths, anointing oil, healing blankets, amulets, talismen of all sorts from wearing crosses and other christian symbols use all the same spiritual principles as casting a spell. To the believer, these objects have been infused with power and they skirt the idolatry aspect of it by simply confessing that the power comes from a single source.
Mediumship/Channeling – Words of knowledge, tongues and interpretation, “God spoke to me...”
All manners of divination – I have seen everything from candles to mirrors to water and even things like promise and “prophecy cards” used to guide believers in specific directions and answer questions
Worship Circles: “Carriers of God's presence” http://worshipcircle.com
Casting circles vs. “Hedge of Protection” opening and closing meetings with invocations
Circles often fair prominently in worship settings, too.
https://www.danwilt.com/how-to-start-a-worship-circle/
Cakes and Ale - Communion – Cakes and ale was designed to create fellowship and oneness in the circle and also set protections against things like hunger and poverty. The sharing of cakes and ale usually involves passing the “elements” person to person with well-wishes like, “may you never hunger...”
It was standard practice in many of the prayer groups and faith communities I was part of to observe communion in a circle, passing the elements from one person to the next proclaiming “the body of Christ” or “the blood of christ” or something similar.
Catholics observe transubstantiation. Evangelicals reject the concept but STILL warn against receiving communion if you have “unconfessed sin.” So it's an emblem but it also has “powers.” OK... Paul seemed to think differently:
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Cor. 11:29). It sure looks to me like Paul believed in a more transubstantive property to the communion elements that evangelicals still like to skirt over.
My senor pastor, however, always issued warnings about eating and drinking in an unworthy manner and encouraged confessing sins and settling personal quarrels before taking communion. I quit taking communion for a while because I “harbored anger and hatred in my heart” toward certain people who had wronged me.