In a powerful and sobering conversation between Pastor Mike Signorelli and prophetic voice Darren Canning, the veil was pulled back on a subject many churches remain silent about: the infiltration of occultism and witchcraft, not only in society, but within the walls of the church itself.
Canning, a former government insider turned prophetic minister, didn’t mince words as he recounted his firsthand experiences with the occult in high levels of government. “Half of my class were witches as I was preparing to go into government,” he shared. “I had learned how to use witchcraft to rise to some serious ranks within the government and I would gain knowledge through witchcraft.” These weren’t fringe characters, but individuals embedded in bureaucratic power, many of whom masked their demonic practices under the guise of intellectual or cultural engagement.
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What’s more chilling, Canning explained, is how easily these elements can slip into the church, often unnoticed. “One of the things the enemy has done is rebranded witchcraft as community,” he said. “You’re hanging out, doing mind readings… and you’re not really realizing that you’re being apprenticed into witchcraft.” It’s this normalization, the casual tarot reading, the yoga class promising spiritual awakening, or even the use of new-age healing rituals, that has led many Christians into agreement with the demonic without even realizing it.
Signorelli echoed the concern, recalling a disturbing moment in a bookstore with his daughter: “It was spellcasting for kids. Literally that was the title of the book. This is no longer fiction. This is literally now in the nonfiction section telling people how to do it.” The line between fantasy and real spiritual danger is being erased in plain sight—and the church, at times, remains largely indifferent.
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While many believers scoff at the idea of witchcraft operating in modern times, Canning warns that it’s often not just intentional witchcraft, but spiritual passivity that leads to entanglement. “You don’t get there unless there’s an invitation… you learn how to control, you learn how to manipulate,” he said. These dark spiritual lessons were often taught not in ritualistic ceremonies, but in social gatherings and professional settings, cloaked in secrecy and deception.
Canning shared the moment everything changed: “I heard the Lord say this, ‘What is it if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?’ I actually quit the job that day. Walked out. Never went back.” That decisive moment of obedience cost him friendships, status and a career, but it saved his soul and launched a ministry that would go on to deliver thousands from demonic bondage.
For those in the church who think dabbling in the mystical is harmless, both men sounded a firm warning. “It’s progressively running,” said Signorelli. “They normalize it. Everybody else is doing it. And before you know it, you’re full-blown in witchcraft.” Canning agreed: “I knew what I was doing, but I wasn’t really thinking about the consequences of it all.”
This isn’t a matter of fringe ministries or isolated cases. It’s happening in local communities, churches, and online spaces where New Age spirituality is being dressed up as self-help or empowerment. “There are covens of witches, new age and occult stores in local communities,” Canning said. “And sometimes they have better relationships with each other than we have in the body of Christ.”
The tragic irony is that while the occult forms strong communities built on loyalty and shared practices, the church often lacks true spiritual intimacy and accountability. That vacuum creates an opening for counterfeit spiritual connections to draw people in. “Sometimes you need permission from somebody else to get down on your face,” Signorelli said. “We live in an era where people do not pray. They’re not seeking God’s face.”
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The Bible clearly tells us that witchcraft is real. It’s operating in ways that are more subtle and seductive than most Christians are willing to acknowledge. And unless the body of Christ wakes up to the spiritual war being waged, many will continue to fall prey to the very darkness they were meant to overcome.
“God has a plan for your life,” Canning declared at the end. “Get a vision from God. Begin to live it. This is the day that the Lord has made, and you will rejoice and be glad in it.”
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
