By: Laura Bennett
The idea of praying on TV or seeing a mainstream publication share daily Bible verses to inspire you would seem wholly unusual in Australia.
Switch that to daily horoscopes or updates on the personal implications of planetary alignment and no one bats an eyelid.
We’re culturally immersed in New Age philosophy but former journalist now author Julie Sheehan believes there’s a lack of awareness about the undergirding spiritual realities at play when we embrace such practices.
“’New Age’ covers everything from astrology, magic, witchcraft to healing – things like Reiki, yoga – things that are spiritually based but not of the Kingdom of God,” Julie said.
For 30 years Julie was in the deep end of the New Age movement, accompanying her media profession with work as a psychic and astrologer.
Past childhood abuse led Julie to “a feeling of not being good enough, not being loved, not being able to operate in the world because [she felt] so broken”.
Curious to find a path that would finally stop the feeling of “needing to be fixed” Julie soaked up anything that promised solution and peace.
Instead, she found cycles of turmoil and depression that ultimately led to a “moment of desperation” in a Melbourne Catholic church where she asked Jesus for help and was relieved of demonic possession.
“I’d done everything,” Julie said.
“I’d tried every religion and gone down every self-help path I could think of, [but] Jesus came and showed me that [the answer] was Him.
“I fell on the floor in front of Him and was like, ‘Jesus, help me’.
“As soon as I did that suddenly – I didn’t feel one hundred percent happy – but I no longer had that feeling of being so desperate.”
Now Christian for 9 years, Julie’s memoir LO.V.E.: How Jesus’ Great Love Broke Through and Delivered Me from the Demons of the New Age reflects her mission to help others find a pathway out of similar “darkness” they may be experiencing.
“Where we are now as society, people think demons don’t exist,” Julie said.
“But 30 years of my experience and what my testimony is – I can assure people [they] do, it’s a really dark place.
“I was so lost in it.”
The reason Julie thinks people happily normalise New Age ideologies is because “in the beginning it seems fun”.
“We’re spiritual beings and as humans we want to know the truth, so we do go looking for those spiritual answers,” Julie said.
“But the deeper you go down the rabbit hole the darker it is.
“We don’t know that we have a loving Saviour who is our hope and redeemer.”
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: Promotional Image Used with permission, background image: Canva
About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.