Short answer: The Bible clearly forbids consulting psychics, mediums, fortune tellers and anyone who claims to speak with the dead or foretell the future. God told Israel not to practice divination, sorcery or spiritism, and the New Testament counts witchcraft among the works of the flesh. God gave us his Word and his Spirit for guidance, so this is where Christians should turn with their questions about the future.
In This Article
People ask this question for reasons that are very human. Someone has lost a parent and wants to hear from them one more time. Someone is afraid of what is coming and wants a glimpse of it. Or a friend booked a reading and it seemed harmless. I take all of these seriously. The Bible does too, and its answer is consistent from one end to the other.
Below I look at what Scripture says, why it takes this stand, how it applies to tarot and horoscopes, and what to do with the longing that sends people to a psychic in the first place.
Is It Against The Bible To See A Psychic?
Yes. Psychics are people who claim extrasensory perception or hidden abilities that let them know the past, present or future, often through clairvoyance, palm reading, tarot or astrology. Divination is the wider practice of seeking knowledge from a supernatural source other than the Lord. The Bible treats both as off limits for his people.
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:31 (NIV)
The fullest list comes in Deuteronomy 18:10-13, which names divination, sorcery, omen reading, witchcraft, casting spells, mediums, spiritists and those who consult the dead. Leviticus 20:27 carries a harsh civil penalty, which belonged to Israel as a nation under the law of Moses and does not apply to the church. What carries over is the moral judgment: God regards the practice as seriously wrong.
The New Testament does not soften this. In Acts 16:16-18 Paul meets a slave girl who earned money for her owners by fortune telling. She followed him shouting true-sounding words, and Paul, troubled, drove the spirit out of her in the name of Jesus. The fortune telling did not come from God. In Acts 19:18-19 new believers in Ephesus brought their scrolls of magic and burned them in public. When people came to Christ, they turned away from this.
The Old Testament also records what it cost. King Saul, who had banned mediums from the land, went in disguise to one at Endor when he was afraid (1 Samuel 28:7-8). The Chronicler later counted his consulting of a medium, rather than the Lord, as part of his unfaithfulness (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Fear drove him to the one door God had closed.
There is also the question of who is on the other end. Scripture says Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). The Bible gives no support to the idea that departed loved ones send messages through a medium. Those who died trusting Christ are with the Lord, and for the rest, the Bible's picture is sober, as in what it says about hell. Either way, they are not available to a reading. If something answers, the Bible warns it may be a deception.
What About Fraud?
Skeptics say many psychics are simply skilled at cold reading, or at gathering ordinary facts about a client from public records, caller ID or social media. I think that explains a good deal. Others point to cases that seem to defy easy explanation. Scripture covers both possibilities. If it is trickery, it deceives people and takes their money. If there is some real spiritual power behind it, the Bible says it does not come from God. So there is no reading in which a psychic is a safe source of guidance.
What About Tarot Cards And Horoscopes?
The same reasoning applies. Tarot is a way of seeking hidden knowledge by drawing cards, and that is divination under another name. Horoscopes ask the stars to tell you how your day or your life will go. Isaiah mocks the astrologers who gaze at the stars and make predictions month by month and says they cannot save themselves (Isaiah 47:13-14).
I know some people treat a newspaper horoscope as a joke. I would still say, as gently as I can, that a Christian does better to leave it alone. Even a "just for fun" habit teaches you to look to something other than God when you want to know what is ahead. I take these topics further in What Does The Bible Say About Tarot Cards?, the page on zodiac signs and astrology and the page on witchcraft. Galatians 5:19-21 lists witchcraft with idolatry among the acts of the flesh.
Is It A Sin To Be Psychic?
This depends on what is meant. The Bible does not condemn a person for being perceptive, intuitive or sensitive to other people. What it condemns is the practice: offering to tell fortunes, speak with the dead or reveal hidden things by a power other than the Lord, and paying to receive that service. A person who has been involved in this should not despair. Like any other sin it can be confessed and forgiven, as I explain on Does God Forgive All Sins?
The Bible does teach that God gives prophecy as a spiritual gift to the church (1 Corinthians 12:10). But it also tells us to test what we hear.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 (NIV)
A Christian prophecy is tested against Scripture and weighed by the church. A psychic reading is not tested by anyone and answers to no one. That difference matters a great deal.
Why Does God Forbid Divination?
I do not think God forbids it to keep us in the dark. There are at least three reasons the Bible gives or implies.
- It replaces trust with control. Divination tries to grab the future, and the future belongs to God. He asks us to trust him with tomorrow.
- It opens a door to deception. The Bible says there are spiritual powers that lie, so a person who seeks spirit contact has no way to be sure who they are meeting.
- It already has a better answer in place. God has spoken. He has given us his Word, and in Jesus he has told us what we most need to know. Why go looking elsewhere? Romans 1:20 says creation shows his eternal power and divine nature, and Scripture is the place where he explains himself.
The Bible is the one source of God's revelation we can rely on. Psychics, clairvoyants and occult practitioners have no part in delivering it, and what they offer is an imitation. Some people ask whether Jesus himself practiced "mysticism." He prayed, fasted, withdrew to quiet places and lived in union with the Father, but he never used divination or spirit contact. He drew on the Scriptures, and he taught his followers to do the same.
Where Should Christians Seek Guidance?
The need behind the visit to a psychic is real. People want comfort, direction and certainty. The Bible points to better places for each.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5 (NIV)
- Pray. Tell God your fear and ask for wisdom. He is not offended by hard questions.
- Read Scripture. Most of the choices we face are addressed by principles in the Bible. Not sure where to begin? See How To Read The Bible.
- Ask wise believers. The Proverbs say there is safety in many advisers.
- Get practical help. If you are grieving, a pastor or a Christian counselor can walk with you. If you have been anxious, see Is Worry A Sin?
If you have visited psychics or dabbled in tarot, you do not need to carry shame. Turn from it, tell God, and if you own cards or occult objects, remove them as the Ephesian believers did. Then ask him to fill the space that was empty. He is both willing and able. The Holy Spirit guides every believer, and what he says will always agree with the Word he inspired.
Key Bible Verses About Psychics
- Deuteronomy 18:10-13: God lists divination, sorcery, mediums and spiritists as practices his people must not copy.
- Leviticus 19:31: do not turn to mediums, because you will be defiled.
- Isaiah 8:19-20: should a people not inquire of their God rather than consult the dead?
- Acts 16:16-18: Paul frees a fortune teller from a spirit in Jesus' name.
- Acts 19:18-19: new believers burn their magic scrolls.
- Galatians 5:19-21: witchcraft appears among the acts of the flesh.
- 1 John 4:1: test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
- James 1:5: ask God for wisdom, and he gives generously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Against The Bible To See A Psychic?
Yes. Scripture forbids consulting mediums, spiritists and those who practice divination, and it says this in both the Old and New Testaments. A visit made out of curiosity or for fun still places your trust in a source other than God. Take your questions to him in prayer.
What Does The Bible Say About Witchcraft And Tarot Cards?
Tarot is a form of divination, which the Bible lists among practices God's people must avoid, and witchcraft appears among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5. I cover each in more detail on the pages about tarot cards and witchcraft.
Do Psychics Believe In God?
Many psychics speak of God, angels or spirit guides, so belief in something is common. But the Bible's test is not whether someone is spiritual. It is whether what they say comes from the true God and agrees with his Word, and Scripture warns that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.
Is It A Sin To Be Psychic?
Claiming and using supernatural insight outside of God, such as reading palms, talking to the dead or telling fortunes, is what the Bible condemns. Having a sensitive nature or good intuition is not a sin. The line falls at seeking a hidden power apart from the Lord.
Does The Bible Warn Against Mysticism?
It warns against seeking spiritual knowledge from sources other than God, and against being led by every spirit. Prayer, meditating on Scripture and walking with the Holy Spirit are biblical. Reaching for secret powers, spirit contact or visions that contradict the Bible is not.
