By Bruce Sabalaskey
Copyright 1998 by Our Lady's Warriors
Below is the text of the "Prayer of Directions" by Dianne Neu (which prayer appears in the Renew 2000 leader manual called Called to Lead Manual 2, by Suzanne Golas). The Catholic faithful who participate in Renew 2000 are required to say these exact prayers as part of the Renew 2000 program. They require Catholic faithful to pray to "Spirits of Directions," to pray for the "wings of spirit travel," to pray for a blessing from a sunset, and to look down into the earth and pray to the Great Spirit of All that is Below, in the "memory of all that goes down" saying that when people die, they go down to share life with this "Spirit of all that is Below." As will be shown in detail, this is totally occult and pagan.
The following is from the Renew 2000 text in Called to Lead, Book 2 on page 148.
The Prayer of Directions
Leader: Let us face the north with arms outstretched and palms opened to receive the blessings of the Spirit.
Reader 1: Oh Great Spirit of the North, we come to you and ask for the strength and the power to bear what is cold and harsh in life. We come like the buffalo ready to receive the winds that truly can be overwhelming at times. Whatever is cold and uncertain in our life, we ask you to give us the strength to bear it. Do not let the winter blow us away. Oh Spirit of Life, and Spirit of the North, we ask you for strength and for warmth.
Leader: Let us face the east with arms outstretched and palms opened.
Reader 2: Oh Great Spirit of the East, we turn to you where the sun comes up, from where the power of light and refreshment come. Everything that is born comes up in this direction -- the birth of the babies, the birth of the puppies, the birth of ideas and the birth of friendship. Let there be the light. Oh Spirit of the East, let the color of fresh rising in our life be glory to you.
Leader: Let us face the south with arms outstretched.
Reader 3: Oh Great Spirit of the South, spirit of all that is warm and gentle and refreshing, we ask you to give us this spirit of growth, of fertility, of gentleness. Caress us with a cool breeze when the days are hot. Give us seeds that the flowers, trees and fruits of the earth may grow. Give us the warmth of good friendships. Oh Spirit of the South, send the warmth and the growth of your blessings.
Leader: Let us face the West with arms outstretched.
Reader 4: Oh Great Spirit of the West, where the sun goes down each day to come up the next, we turn to you in praise of sunsets and in thanksgiving for changes. You are the great colored sunset of the red, which illuminates us. You are the powerful cycle which pulls us to transformation. We ask for the blessings of the sunset. Keep us open to life's changes. Oh Spirit of the West, when it is time for us to go into the earth, do not desert us, but receive us in the arms of our loved ones.
Leader: Let us look up and raise our arms toward the heavens.
Reader 5: Oh Great Spirit of all that is Above, of everything that soars, of all that flies, of all high visions, all that is above the earth, we honor you and glorify you for the power that you are. Lift our minds and our hearts above the earth so that they may never be afraid of great heights and of looking like the eagle high across the land. Oh Spirit of All that is Above, put us on the wings of spirit travel so that we may know this world.
Leader: Let us place our arms at our sides and look down at the earth.
Reader 6: Oh, Great Spirit of All that is Below, of all that pulls us to deeper places, to the depths of ourselves, we turn to you in the memory of all that goes down. We ask you to give us the strength and the courage to face death. When people leave us in this life to share life with you, let there not be a grief that is untrue. When we experience losses and changes in our lives, let us see them as your revelation. Oh, Spirit of All that is Below, purify us.
Analysis of this So-called Prayer
Firstly, where in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC) can you find "Spirits of Directions?" In the index under the entry Spirit one finds the request to look under Holy Spirit. The only other Spirit entry listed is "Spiritism; Forbidden 2117." There is only one Holy Spirit, yet these words invoke six spirits, one from each of four directions as well as one above and below. Since there cannot be more than one Holy Spirit, Who is God, the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, then this so-called prayer invokes unholy spirits and is therefore blatant idolatry. As further proof, there is no mention of the Holy Spirit, just "Spirit." Capitalizing the "Spirit" in the so-called prayer indicates its name. From the CCC:
#2113, page 513 - Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists of divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, "You cannot serve both God and Mammon." (Matthew 6:24) Many martyrs died for not adoring "the Beast" (Rev 13-14) refusing to even simulate such worship. Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God. (Galatians 5:20, Ephesians 5:5)
The most interesting spirit is the "Spirit of the Below" involved with "all that goes down." Since Hell is in the center of the earth, that spirit's description matches satan, the devil, quite well. Satan, the fallen angel, is always trying to pull us down into Hell. When has God ever been described as a "spirit that "pulls us down to deeper places?" In fact, God has always been described as high up in Heaven, as we raise our eyes upward to Heaven in prayer to God. The CCC confirms:
#631, page 164 - Jesus "descended in the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens." (Ephesians 4:9-10) …
Before getting into further details, it will be helpful to understand the modern version of paganism as described in their very own words. This information was obtained from the "Church of the Great Spirit," run by Rev. H. Heinz and Atma Jyoti.
Nature Spirituality, Shamanism, and the Old Religion (Wicca)
The Old Religion is known by many names: Nature Spirituality, Shamanism, Wicca are all forms of Nature Spirituality which goes back to Neolithic Times. There are many artifacts that symbolize this ancient earth religion. We have ancient stone circles and Goddess and Earth Mother images carved in caves. Peoples throughout the world continue to practice it, from Native Americans, to Goddess Worshipers, to Tibetan Buddhism. The term Wicca merely means "wise woman". In Wicca, the tribal or village shaman would be a wise woman who gave spiritual advice and healing to those that sought her assistance. It wasn't until the Great Inquisitions that the term was given a negative connotation and associated with evil. Wicca and Satanism are two separate, exclusive paths. Wicca IS NOT Satanism. Wicca brings you close to the Divine whereas Satanism would separate you from the Divine!
In Nature Spirituality, followers seek a feeling of oneness with other living things, with animals, trees, the ocean, sun, moon, and earth. They recognize forces of nature created our physical bodies and that it's creative abilities and powers are within us. They recognize all nature, including human beings, combine as one collective sub-conscience that is life affirming. They recognize the earth to be alive and conscious as she is "Mother". We can connect, pray and communicate with her directly using trees, plants, animals, birds, crystals, streams, water, etc. They recognize beings of nature have wisdom that is differently and perhaps even more ancient and wise than human knowledge. They recognize that other life forms are earlier, evolutionary prototypes of the human being. They recognize that this deep eternal wisdom must be learned by all to preserve our planetary environment, Earth Mother.
We need to live on our Earth Mother in balance and with reverence towards all life. We need to tap into her creative abilities and power by aligning with her, loving her, and revering her. We must ensure that she can give us life, strength, and energy to grow and change as well as sustain future life. Mother can grant us serenity, balance and nurturance through creative and dynamic rituals that touch our personal visions and subconscious minds. We can use circle rituals, chants, visualizations, meditations, and speaking to her where she resides, in our own hearts.
It is clear from the Wicca description that Nature Spirituality is pure idolatry as defined by the Catholic Church. Again, capitalized names like "Earth Mother" imply a living being for a non-living creation. Instead of revering "Mother Earth" or any other created thing (i.e. a tree), man must revere God and God alone (see #2113 above). Rather than seek a "feeling of oneness with created things," the Catholic Church teaches that man must achieve unity via worship of our one God (from the CCC):
#2114, page 513 - Human life finds its unity [oneness] in adoration of the one God. The commandment to worship the Lord alone integrates man and saves him from endless disintegration. Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate religious sense. An idolater is someone who "transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God."
1 Cor 10:19-20 - What then ? Do I say, that what is offered in sacrifice to idols, is any thing ? Or, that the idol is any thing ? But the things which the heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God. And I would not that you should be made partakers with devils.
Rather than "recognize the forces of nature created our physical bodies" or that "[nature's] creative powers and abilities are within us," the Catholic Church teaches quite clearly that God alone created us (from the CCC):
#355, page 91 - "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27) Man occupies a unique place in creation: 9I) he is "in the image of God;" (II) in his own nature he unites the spiritual and material worlds; (III) he is created "male and female;" (IV) God established him in his friendship.
The Catholic Church teaches us to pray to God, not to created things as in "pray and communicate with [Mother Earth] directly using trees, plants, animals, birds, crystals, streams, water, etc." In the CCC:
#2559, page 613 - "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." ...
Yet more could be said as to proof of idolatry, but the above should be more than sufficient. Another observation is that the Renew 2000 participants are required to stand in a circle and say this so-called prayer of directions. What Catholic devotion requires participants to stand in a circle? Answer: none. Can one find such prayer circles in the CCC (part Four - Christian Prayer)? Absolutely not. Of course, these "sacred circles" are all part of Wicca or Nature Spirituality. The Wicca religion on circles states in summary:
Common elements to all Sacred Circles include the following:
- cleansing and purification
- shielding from unwanted energies
- grounding
- creating the circle
- calling positive spirits and the four directions (east, south, west, and north)
- raising and sending energy or medicine power
- closing the circle
Circle recommendations include:
- create an atmosphere of reverence, using a quiet place either inside our outside
- use candles, incense or fire in the center of the circle
- place a sacred object or crystal in the center of the circle
- place symbolic representations of the four elements in or around the circle
A feather symbolizes air and the direction East. A candle symbolizes fire and the direction South. A bowel of water or a sea shell symbolizes water and the direction West. A container of earth or a stone symbolizes the earth or the direction North. The five points of a pentacle symbolize the 4 elements (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) and Spirit.
Notice again the reference to a "Spirit" having a capital 'S'. Further notice the common element to all Wicca sacred circles - calling on the spirits of four directions!
Lastly, this so-called prayer was written by Diann Neu, who is well connected to A Call to Action (see the article about the linkage of the Renew 2000 program to a Call to Action). She is a self-avowed lesbian feminist who, in her support of "reproductive rights," pens "abortion liturgies" to "empower" women as they proceed to abort their babies. She is also co-founder and co-director of WATER, The Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual.
To participate in such idolatrous rituals of a "prayer of directions" is actually a grave sin against Faith, against the First Commandment. Even worse, any Church who runs a Renew 2000 program that uses the Leader's Manuals sponsors this serious sin. How the devil must be howling with laughter that our innocent faithful will be praying Neu's evil prayers. Anyone who calls himself Catholic must not participate in this nonsense.
By now the reader is probably asking how Wicca (witchcraft) based material is contained in a (purportedly) Catholic program, a program having an Imprimatur. Sadly, this illustrates the degradation of the Faith being taught today due to the influence of the modernist movement, so clearly warned against by Popes starting around 100 years ago.