In modern society, various ways have been adopted to find out their fate or acquire any earthly goods. Fortune-telling is one of the most popular mystical activities. The Orthodox Church cannot but pay attention to this practice. Christianity has its own position regarding such actions.
The Orthodox Church has never recognized fortune-telling as a useful way to gain certain knowledge or achieve any earthly blessings. Usually fortune-telling, there is also the practice of fortune-telling in order to find out the name of the spouse or to obtain any other information. In folk tradition, there are many different forms of divination. For example, on cards, by hand, using a photograph or other objects. The people even have a tradition of fortune telling on Christmastide (days dedicated to the feast of the Nativity of Christ). All these practices cause negative attitudes from the Church.
Orthodoxy refers fortune-telling to the area of the mysterious and mystical. Christianity claims that in fortune-telling, a person expresses his free will in addressing demonic powers. According to the teachings of Christianity, this cannot have a beneficial effect on the human soul, therefore the practice of fortune-telling is prohibited by the Church.
Christianity teaches that it is not entirely useful for a person to know his future, as this can harm the desire for moral improvement of the individual. An appeal to the dark forces of the world’s existence cannot evoke positive responses from the Church. Even comic divination, according to the recommendations of the Church, should not take place in the life of a Christian.
Sometimes the names of God or saints are mentioned in the oracular ritual aspects. The Church considers this blasphemous, because light has nothing to do with darkness. Expressions in spells and fortune-telling that raise a person's mind to Christian personalities, in fact, have nothing to do with the Orthodox practice of prayerfully addressing saints.
The Church attributes all fortune-telling to witchcraft and a certain form of magic, so a Christian should try to be selective in those actions that are offered in various literature or are advised by people.
