How Occultism and New Age Belief Terrorized This Evangelist
By Movieguide® Contributor
Tailah Scroggins is on a mission to save others from occultism, witchcraft, and other New Age beliefs, all of which she fell victim to as a teen and early adult.
Having grown up in the church, Tailah was first exposed to New Age in high school when a trusted member of her family told her about astrology.
“They had this big… textbook of everything astrology, and they were like, ‘This describes my personality so perfectly – look what is says about you,’” Scroggins explained on Billy Hallowell’s Playing With Fire Podcast. “I was caught off-guard, and I remember… I was like, ‘But how can this be true? If God created all of us and He made our personalities, how can a planet dictate my future or dictate my personality?’”
Her family member told her that astrology was a system that “[God] put in order,” sowing the first “seed of deception” in Scroggins’ life and starting her down a dangerous path.
“They provided me some explanation that was totally false, but I didn’t know the Word of God enough,” Scroggins said. “I knew a lot about God, but I didn’t know… what the Bible said about the occult – about the darkness, about the battle. I just knew the good things, and so I became an astrologer.”
While Scroggins still attended church after this experience, and throughout high school, her faith was marred by her astrological beliefs and she lived as a “lukewarm Christian.”
As she entered college, Scroggins began to stray away from the faith. She was mad at God for not answering her prayers and so she fell into the party lifestyle.
“It [was] spiritual immaturity,” she said. “We don’t trust God’s timing, and so I’m young, I’m 18 at this time, and I’m mad – I’m mad that God didn’t open the door that I wanted him to open, and that’s just kind of part of being a baby Christian.”
“The more I rebelled and lived in this party lifestyle, the more I craved astrology, witchcraft, the divination, and all of that,” Scroggins continued. “It was like this hunger exploded… it was like this black hole… I needed to be consuming it.”
It was at this point that occultist beliefs took full hold over Scroggins’ life.
Movieguide® defines occultism as the belief that supernatural forces exist that they can bring under their human control, typically through occult rituals or witchcraft. These practices are especially dangerous because they expose humans to demonic forces and influences. Furthermore, New Age beliefs fall into occultism. New Age is defined as a combination of spiritual beliefs that range from the belief in spiritualism and reincarnation to advocating for holistic approaches to medicine and the environment.
The Bible is undeniably clear that occultism is against the will of the Lord. Leviticus 20:6 says, “I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritualists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.”
Having opened herself up to these beliefs, Scroggins was quickly overcome by depression and suicidal thoughts. She would find herself crying multiple hours every day as she faced the emptiness that occultism left her with.
“It was like I had no reason to live,” Scroggins said.
At Scroggins’ lowest moment, the Lord saved her and brought her back to him. A family friend who knew about Scroggins’ emptiness showed up at her house one day to bring her healing.
“She just looked at me and she said, ‘Today is the day of your freedom,’ and I said, ‘Ok, I don’t know what that means, but I have no will to live,’” Scroggins recalled. “I hadn’t attempted to do anything or take my life, but I was dead inside. And so I was like, ‘You can pray and do whatever you want to me because there’s nowhere else for me to go. I’m already at rock bottom,’ and so she prayed for me.”
That day changed Scroggins’ life as the “deliverance prayers” gave her freedom. She described the feeling of “huge weights being lifted off” as “every spirit of death and depression” was cast out.
“The depression never came back, the suicidal thoughts never came back – ever,” she said. “It’s been over six years. I was delivered.”
“God completely healed me, set me free,” she added.
God also restored her faith in Him, bringing her into an intimate relationship with Jesus as she abandoned her occult practices. Around that time, she began to notice how popular occultism was becoming on social media. During the pandemic, interest in witchcraft, Tarot cards, crystals, and other occult beliefs exploded.
“It grieved me, because that we my story,” Scroggins said. “I was into New Age. I was into the false spirituality in witchcraft.”
Scroggins decided she was going to use her experience to protect others from falling down this dangerous path.
“I was like, ‘I’m gonna share my testimony, and I’m going to expose astrology. I’m going to expose the New Age, I’m going to expose all of it,” she said. “And I just started telling people what I went through and what God saved me from. And what came into my life when I started doing those practices – and it was all evil.”
Scroggins’ story is an amazing example of the way that God uses our experiences for good. Although He never desired for Scroggins to turn away from her faith in Him, her story is redeemed. Scroggins’ work to expose the evils of occultism has been seen by millions and points people to Jesus rather than empty religion.
Movieguide® has previously reported on the dangers of occult themes in children’s media, with research from Movieguide® Publisher and Founder Dr. Ted Baehr:
In Deut. 18:10-13, for example, Moses clearly says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.” Also, in Rev. 21:8, Jesus Himself says, “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Furthermore, in Galatians 5:19-21, the Apostle Paul says, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
All of these biblical passages – and more besides – show us, beyond all reasonable doubt, that God wants us to avoid completely witchcraft and sorcery.
And:
The Bible warns Christians about this subtle deception.
In Ephesians, Paul urges believes to put on the armor of God to fend off the devil and his schemes.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” the text reads. Paul goes on in verse 12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12 KJV)
We must ask, are the movies and content we consume during the Halloween season truly standing “against the rulers of the darkness of the world?”
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +2