Astrology

There seems to be no end to the disillusionment we are experiencing with both religious and political leaders. The latest, of course, comes from the revelations concerning the long-time involvement of the Reagans in astrology and the President's sad enslavement to lucky charms and other superstitions. While Mrs. Reagan reportedly "doesn't have a deep faith in God," the President claims to be a born-again Christian. Yet he has for years submitted to occult beliefs which made him the virtual prisoner of an astrologer, who literally confined the President to the White House on the many days it was "astrologically dangerous" for him to go out. It seems incredible that affairs of state at the highest level, including Soviet-American summit meetings, signing of disarmament treaties, etc., could be scheduled only when the zodiac allowed, thus seriously reducing the President's effectiveness. Yet that is the shocking revelation contained in For the Record, the account by former Secretary of the Treasury and White House Chief of Staff DonaldT. Regan of his years in Washington, D.C.

Of course the President had admitted to some such follies more than twenty years ago, but most observers had assumed that, with his open confession of Christianity and bolder stand for biblical principles in recent years, his occultism had been abandoned. We were wrong. Instead, these superstitions, especially astrology, in what Regan calls "probably the most closely guarded domestic secret of the Reagan White House," have gained a stronger hold than ever—much stronger than any outsiders suspected.

To understand the seriousness of the situation, not only for the First Family but for all Americans, we need to consider two factors: (1) that such practices are not confined to the Reagans, but are widespread throughout America; and (2) that God condemns these practices in the strongest terms, has severely judged Israel and many other nations for such abominations, and thus America is in grave danger of suffering similar punishment.

First of all, it is the utmost hypocrisy for the media to criticize the Reagans for what is so widely accepted and practiced by the majority of Americans, including sports heroes, business and political leaders, educators, and media personalities themselves. As we mention in America: The Sorcerer's New Apprentice, this country is in the midst of the greatest occult revival in history. Hundreds of newspapers across America carry daily astrology columns, which are consulted by tens of millions of Americans. Carl Jung had great respect for astrology and used it in his analysis, as do many of today's psychologists and psychiatrists. Top athletes and coaches have certain hats, or socks, or numbers, or days of the week which they are convinced bring "good luck," and no amount of evidence can persuade them otherwise. The superstitious fears still prevailing in the space age dictate that the "unlucky" thirteenth floor of most high-rise hotels and office buildings simply does not exist. Even skeptic Carl Sagan, the pagan high priest of cosmos worship, though a critic of astrology, declares, "If we must worship a power greater than ourselves, does it not make sense to revere the Sun and stars?"

Americans have fallen into numerous occult practices which attempt to utilize and control supernatural powers allegedly innate in the universe. Thus the creation is worshiped instead of the Creator (see Rom 1) and mankind is turned from the true God to substitute powers, i.e., to idols. This idolatry is the essence of the "New Age"—which is simply a continuation under new names of the ancient "doctrines of devils" and accompanying occult practices that have always permeated all cultures. Israel was eventually destroyed by God's judgment because of her continual practice of idolatry in many forms, including astrology, sorcery, divination and other occultism, all of which the Bible repeatedly condemns yet which are rampant in the United States today. Consider this comparison showing the strength of this movement: while The Late Great Planet Earth sold an astonishing 25 million copies, during almost the same period of time two books on astrology by Linda Goodman sold 60 million.

The Bible paints a clear picture of how great an abomination astrology is to God and yet how prevalent it remained among His chosen people in spite of repeated reproof. Jeremiah:19:13And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.
See All... and Zephaniah:1:5And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
See All..., for example, indicate that it was a common practice for the kings and the people to engage in occultic rituals in honor of "the host of heaven...and other gods" upon the roofs of their houses throughout Israel. In Acts:7:42Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
See All..., Stephen reminds the Jewish religious leaders, who were about to stone him, that their ancestors had never ceased to worship idols and "the host of heaven." (New Age occultism is also rampant throughout Israel today.) There are numerous pronouncements against astrology (almost always tying it in with idolatry, occultism, sorcery) in the Bible, such as Exodus:20:4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
See All...; Deuteronomy:4:19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
See All...; 17:3; 2 Kings:17:16And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
See All...; 21:3-5; 23:4-5; 2 Chronicles:33:3-5 [3] For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. [4] Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. [5] And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
See All...; Jeremiah:8:2And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
See All.... So evil are these abominations in God's eyes that anyone in Israel practicing astrology or any other form of idolatry/sorcery was to be put to death (Deut 17:2-7).

It is bad enough when the president of the most powerful nation in the world, a nation which has put men on the moon and boasts of its science and wisdom, is enslaved by superstitious practices, including astrology, which, as we demonstrate in America, science has disproved long ago. It is far worse, however, when a president who has openly professed faith in Christ, has called for national prayer and spoken out for biblical standards of morality (and from whom America so desperately needs sound spiritual leadership) sinks to the level of secretly seeking help and protection from astrology and lucky charms! It calls into question not only his leadership qualifications but also the Christian faith he has publicly declared and in secret denied.

We dare not view lightly what God has denounced and severely judged. Thousands of letters should go from Christians to the President, pointing out what the Bible has to say about astrology and lucky charms and other superstitious/occult practices that he has engaged in, and calling upon him to repent. Those Christian leaders who have access to Reagan must personally call upon him to repent. Their organization of and participation in prayer breakfasts, Washington for Jesus rallies and other similar events will be exposed as empty rhetoric if they do not now explain to the President his error and call upon him to make full, sincere and public confession, and to lead our nation to do likewise.

What God had to say to Israel is no less apropos for America today: "O pleasure-mad kingdom, living at ease, bragging as the greatest in the world—listen to the sentence of my court upon your sins...disaster shall overtake you suddenly....your astrologers and stargazers, who try to tell you what the future holds...are as useless as dried grass burning in the fire. They cannot even deliver themselves. You'll get no help from them at all!" (Is 47:8,11-14, Living Bible.)

I doubt that any of us, including myself, have even begun to realize the full implications of the occult revival and apostasy that is engulfing our generation and today's church. May the Lord open our eyes, show us our sin, and enable us to live and proclaim His truth with convicting power so that many will be rescued before it is too late. And may His joy be your strength as you realize that in so doing you are hastening the day of His return.    TBC