Dear Jay:

People misuse the word "supernatural" all the time. Technically, the supernatural refers to "exceeding the powers of the created universe and gratuitously produced by God for the purpose of raising the rational creature above its native sphere to a God-like life and destiny" (1917 Catholic Encyclopedia). The supernatural is beyond the natural world in a realm where only God exists (Etym. Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature"). God is the only person who lives outside and above nature.

Contrasted with the Supernatural Order is the Natural order -- where all things and creatures created by God exist, including angels, demons, and any human ghosts.

By the way, it is common for people to see paranormal things and "ghosts", but we have to be careful in our definition of "ghosts". Most ghosts are demons even those that may look like a dead loved-one. You might be interested in the essay, Seven Kinds of Ghosts.

Various abilities and effects that are often called supernatural, such as curses, spells, witchcraft, psychic abilities, and the like are not supernatural as they are part of the created world, albeit it preternatural.

Preternatural (Etym. Latin praeter, beyond + natura "nature" or natural) is "That which is beyond the natural but is not strictly supernatural. It is preternatural either because natural forces are used by God to produce effects beyond ... native capacity [of man or angels], or because above-human forces, angelic or demonic, are active in the world of space and time" (Fr. Hardon's Catholic Dictionary).

Any real effects (effects that are not slight of hand, tricks, or psychogenic) produced by witches, such as in spells and curses, are produced preternaturally by demons, since God does not do such things and condemns witchcraft as a violation of the First Commandment (thou shall have no other gods before me). Witchcraft is an attempt to manipulate the created world through means that bypasses God, thus, it necessarily appeals to the devil, regardless of whether the witch knows it or not, or believes it or not.

As mentioned in the definition of preternatural, God may make means of the preternatural to produce effects with people to whom He has given some gift that uses it. There are people who are sensitives. Be we must be very careful. Most, perhaps 99.999999% of people, who claim to be sensitives are either fakes, or their abilities are coming from another preternatural source -- the devil.

As for the future, no one can see the future except God. Angels, demons, man, even preternatural abilities of man, cannot see the future. That is solely in the realm of the supernatural, which is the realm of God alone.

Those who think they see the future do so by unconscious analysis of trends and events and surmise a future. These can sometimes be accurate, but that accuracy (which is always very low) comes from being an acute observer (consciously or unconsciously) of events that suggest a certain future.

Information about the future can also come from demons. Demons do not actually know the future either, but they know a lot more than we do about the trends and events as to be able to make more accurate predictions.

Either from personal discernment, subconscious discernment, or demonic information, the future is not known, but only surmised by predictions based upon available knowledge of the past and present.

Concerning your father, I am afraid he is wrong. The primary purpose of attending Church is to worship God, not to show off one's faith. In fact, to not come to meet God in His house shows a lack of faith and a lack of respect. God invites us to His house for a meal (Communion). It is rude to refuse Him. The Bible tells us to not avoid the assembly with other Christians in worship. In addition, the community helps us to nurture our faith. We are a family. If a family member refuses to come to Thanksgiving Dinner saying, I can be thankful by myself without the family around, then he is a jerk and insults the family. When we refuse to come to worship in God's house, we offend Him.

More specifically, God has given us the Sacraments to help us live our lives as Christ would have us live and to bring salvation to our souls that we may live in friendship with God forever. The Sacraments cannot be done by oneself. One must come to Church for the Sacraments.

Concerning the sigil of the Archangel Michael: For our reader's information, a sigil is a symbol or seal created for some specific magical purpose.

A sigil (Etym. Latin sigillum, meaning "seal", or Hebrew סגולה (segulah meaning "word, action or item of spiritual effect") is a symbol created for a specific magical purpose to create a spiritual effect. A sigil is usually made up of a complex combination of several specific symbols or geometric figures, each with a specific meaning or intent.

There is a sigil for St. Michael and other angels. These are used for occult magic and as such are a blasphemy to God. I will not give you the sigil for St. Michael as I will not assist you to blaspheme our Lord.

You identified yourself as an "unchurched Christian." If you are a Christian, then you must abandon totally and completely all witchcraft and everything remotely associated with it, including dowsing. These things are condemned by God. Take heed of the warning from God:

Deuteronomy 18:10-13  "There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD; and because of these abominable practices the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God."

To help in defining the words there, here is the list from the NIV: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead."

Other translations use the phrase "observer of times" or "observer of clouds" in relation to divination, which is seeking knowledge of the future.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

Divination and magic

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

No one claiming to be Christian can practice witchcraft, divination (which not only seeks the future, but other hidden knowledge; e.g. Astrology, I-ching, Ouija board, etc) or any other type of occult practices. This is a grave sin.

Concerning other matters: I do not know your relationship with this "boyfriend", but since you have a male name and you refer to a "boyfriend" I need to mention God's view on homosexuality. Now perhaps this does not apply to you. Perhaps you are female with a male name, or perhaps you are using "boyfriend" to mean a platonic friend. But, just in case, and for other readers, this needs to be mentioned.

Anyone who is a homosexual is called by God to permanent chastity and celibacy as long as they remain homosexual (some homosexuals are healed of their homosexuality and go on to led successful heterosexual lives and get married properly). Chastity means "no sex at all" and celibacy means "no marriage."

All sex outside of the marriage bed of a man and woman married to each other is grave sin. Homosexual sex is also a violation of natural law. One can be a Christian and be homosexual, but such a person must be chaste, just as any other unmarried person (and same-sex marriages are not real or valid and are an abomination to God and thus does not fulfill this moral mandate).

The Catechism mentions this issue:

Chastity and homosexuality

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

We will be in prayer for you.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary