Lord of the Rings — The Witchcraft of Lord of the Rings Exposed (and The Hobbit)

Lord of the Rings — The Witchcraft of Lord of the Rings Exposed (and The Hobbit)

What is the reason that so many Christians like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? Why do so many Christians take their children to watch Lord of the Rings movies, and let their older children read the books? 

They might say it is fantasy or pretend. But, is the magic portrayed in these books (and films) just pretend? This article will take you into some scenes from The Hobbit to explore these questions and to reveal truth about these subjects you may not be aware of.

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Popular since the time they were written, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit have drawn millions of fans across the globe. They tell the story of Bilbo and Frodo, two hobbits that both set out on magical adventures in the world of Middle Earth. Both had at one time carried a magic ring of power. Both used it to disappear, and hide from danger.

A wizard named Gandalf helped and befriended them. His friendship and influence make these stories what they are. They would not exist without this character. Parents, I write to you, since you have the responsibility to teach your children what is right and true. Children for several decades have been taught ideas and concepts through The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

We need to address these ideas and concepts, removing personal bias and beliefs to see them from the standpoint of truth vs. opinion. We will ask and try to answer the questions: ‘Are The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit occultic? If so, how?’

In 1937, It All Began

In 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and its companion The Hobbit, introduced us to a wizard character named Gandalf in his first book featuring Gandalf — The Hobbit. Tolkien introduces us to this benevolent wizard in this way:

“All that the unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black

Boots.” [1]

When Galdalf meets Bilbo Baggins, we read:

“Yes, yes, my dear sir—and I do know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, .... I am Gandalf, …. ”

“Gandalf, Gandalf! … Not the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered? Not the fellow who used to tell such

wonderful tales at parties, about dragons and goblins ...?” [1]

We to look at something deeper. In this short portion of the book, we learn that magic was used to fasten diamond studs. They were only unfastened by speaking a word, a command. That spoken word is a magic spell. This story was originally written for children. What kind of messages does J.R.R. Tolkien’s books bring to children? Are Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit innocent fantasy, or do they teach harmful ideas? We will address these questions in this article.

The Number of Times Certain Words Appear in The Hobbit

In The Hobbit (according to a word search box), the word “wizard” appears 69 times. The word “magic” appears 34 times. “Wand” or “staff” (i.e. magic wand / staff) together appear 10 times. “Spell” (as in a magic spell) can be found in 6 different places. The phrases “magic ring,” “the ring,” “a ring of power,” “his ring,” and “a ring” (i.e. in the context of the magic ring) together appear about 37 times (in the text of Tolkien’s book).

Bilbo Baggins Finds the Ring.

The Occult in Narnia, Part 6 - The Magician's Nephew Promotes the Occult

The Occult in Narnia, Part 6 - The Magician's Nephew Promotes the Occult

The story called The Magician's Nephew was set by C.S. Lewis to be the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia, even though he wrote it some years after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This story has a boy named Digory and a girl named Polly travelling to alternate universes by way of magic rings -- rings that his uncle Andrew obtained. Andrew Ketterley, a sorcerer (magician), offered a yellow, magic ring to Polly, Digory's neighbor girl. She vanished into thin air and arrived at another world, in an alternate universe. 

Seeing a greedy look flash on his uncle's face, Digory had warned Polly not to touch the yellow rings, which were in a tray. C.S. Lewis wrote:

"Polly! Don't be a fool!" he shouted. "Don't touch them."


It was too late. Exactly as he spoke, Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. And immediately, without a flash or a noise or a warning of any sort, there was no Polly. Digory and his Uncle were alone in the room." [1]

Let's stop here and address something that should be concerning to every parent. Magic rings that cause people to disappear are fictional. But, magic rings that can "control" an occult "force" are real. 

The Force and Witchcraft

The late David J. Meyer, a former witch, who left witchcraft and became a born-again Christian, wrote some articles exposing the occult in some popular books and films. Meyer explained what magic rings were used for by real witches:

"The first thing a neophyte or beginner witch is taught is that there is a “force.” The “force” has two sides and can be controlled by magic spells, words, potions, incantations, rope magic, rings, amulets, and so on. Witches believe that there is good witchcraft and bad witchcraft, and the good always triumphs over evil! Witches also teach that battles are fought in the Middle Earth and in the astral plane causing upheavals both above and below. Thus, witches emphasize that good must triumph over evil, but it is all witchcraft." [2] (emphasis added) 

Witches control the "force" by way of many items, including rings. Many movies and books, including Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, are very occultic. Using a ring to work magic is what witches do today. This is not a fictional concept. It is reality. The Bible forbids magic and the occult in Deuteronomy 18 and elsewhere.

The Magic Ring

Moving on, we will now look at how young Digory treated his uncle after Polly magically vanished from touching a ring. Keep in mind that Narnia was written by a man who claimed to be a Christian. Digory confronts his uncle about sending Polly to an alternate universe. C.S. Lewis writes:

[Andrew said:] "...The whole point of sending anyone into the Other Place is that I want to find out what it's like."

"Well why didn't you go yourself then?"

"Digory had hardly ever seen anyone look so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. "Me? Me?" he exclaimed. "The boy must be mad! A man at my time of life, and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe? ... Do you realise what you're saying? Think what Another World means—you might meet anything—anything."

"And I suppose you've sent Polly into it then," said Digory. His cheeks were flaming with anger now. "And all I can say," he added, "even if you are my Uncle—is that you've behaved like a coward, sending a girl to a place you're afraid to go to yourself."

"Silence, Sir!" said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. "I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don't understand. I am the great scholar, the magician, the adept, who is doing the experiment. Of course I need subjects to do it on. ... No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. But the idea of my going myself is ridiculous. It's like asking a general to fight as a common soldier. Supposing I got killed, what would become of my life's work?"


"Oh, do stop jawing," said Digory. "Are you going to bring Polly back?" [End quote] [1]

Notice how Digory treats his uncle. Is this book teaching children to respect others, especially their elders? Besides having this boy character not showing respect to adults, and giving him a bad attitude toward his uncle, C.S. Lewis is doing something else with this character. Digory represents children that do not like the idea of magic. In the story, Digory actually didn't believe magic existed, until he saw it with his own eyes. After he saw Polly vanish, and after some heated dialogue with his uncle, Digory said:

".... I didn't believe in Magic till to-day. I see now it's real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. ..." [1]

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Digory is the professor that Lucy and her siblings are staying with. He has a magic wardrobe that sends Lucy and her friends to Narnia. He went from being a skeptical child to believer in magic.

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Eustace Clarence was presented to the reader as unlikable and stuck-up. He scoffed at the idea of magic being real. After his magical adventures in Narnia, Eustace was said to have "improved." C.S. Lewis writes: "...back in our own world everyone soon started saying how Eustace had improved, and how "You'd never know him for the same boy..."

Lewis makes the boy characters that are skeptical or uninterested in magic look unhappy and unlikable. Children that don't believe in magic are being slowly shaped by the Narnia books to believe that magic is actually real, or something that could be real. An appetite for a magical realm is what draws children into more and more overtly occultic fantasy. 

The Astral Plane

In witchcraft, the 'astral plane' is a hypothetical realm where spirits live and where other worlds are thought to exist. There are many views about what exists in this occultic concept of the supernatural world. Some believe there are planets populated by 'astral' beings. People that practice witchcraft and eastern meditation have said they travel to such worlds frequently. This practice is forbidden in the Bible, in Deuteronomy 18. 

It is a type of divination. Merriam-Webster defines divination as: "the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers" [4]. Discovering "hidden knowledge" happens as a sorcerer supposedly 'travels on the astral plane.' When Lucy goes to Narnia, or Digory and Polly travel to the land of Charn, children are being taught that astral travel is 'good.' For, indeed, what they are really doing is astral travel. 

Deuteronomy 18:10-11 says: "[10] There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, [11] Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."

Aslan Promotes Magic

Aslan, the lion, who Lewis called a "supposal" of Christ [3], is also reinforcing in children's minds that magic is "neutral," and can be used for either "good" or "bad." C.S. Lewis writes: