Ensnared: Escaping New Age and Occult Practices Through Biblical Truth and Gospel Hope

by Jac Marino Chen

Astrology, crystals, tarot, and witchcraft promise spiritual power and peace, but behind their appeal is a darkness only Christ can overcome.Jac Marino Chen was a drug-and-alcohol addicted, self-described sorceress practicing ritual magick in a masonic temple. In Ensnared, she shares her story of how childhood trauma, addiction, and the occult pulled her deeper into spiritual deception until Jesus rescued her. With firsthand honesty and Scripture-centered clarity, she exposes the lies behind counterfeit spirituality and shows how Jesus Christ rescues, forgives, and transforms.In Ensnared, you willunderstand the basics of New Age and occult teachings and see what really happens behind closed doorsidentify the demonic elements behind practices involving numerology, alchemy, alien contact, witchcraft, and morecompare popular spiritual claims with the truth of Scripturelearn how to speak with compassion and biblical conviction to loved ones caught in deception
Let Ensnared help you recognize spiritual deception, respond with biblical clarity, and point others to the freedom only Christ can give.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Religion

384 pages, Paperback

Published July 7, 2026

Reviews

[Tristany Corgan]

After hearing parts of Jac’s story and testimony on a few different podcasts, I was very eager to read her book and get a little bit of a deeper look into her experiences with New Age and the occult. What she shares is fascinating, while also at times disturbing. I’m so glad that she has come to know Jesus and found some spiritual healing after everything she has gone through, and I appreciated how many Bible passages and biblical truths she included in this book.

For any sensitive readers, I would recommend approaching this book with caution as it does cover some dark topics. Jac discusses her previous experience of abuse and drug and alcohol addiction, as well as various beliefs and practices of the occult and her own demonic encounters. I didn’t find myself bothered by the content for the most part; however, I could see how others would find the content disturbing. Use your own discretion and discernment when deciding to pick this book up.

Thank you to Harvest House for sending me a free copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

[Jurene]

I could not put this book down. This explains so many things I have seen and heard and experienced in my lifetime. There were so many aha moments.

Jac's life testimony is so beautiful because of what God has done. All glory to Him and for His grace!

This is written with a large audience in mind, I haven't been involved in most of what she describes and yet in her "Heart Checks," I found myself in the same shoes, repenting and praising God for his grace toward me.

If you're in the occult, if you're questioning the occult, if you're flirting with occult practices, if your loved one or when neighbors are involved with the occult, this is a great read for Truth. I recommend it for apologetics in sharing the gospel with ourselves and with others. I've also had great conversations with my kids over these topics, which they encounter in movies and books.

I thank God for Jac's grandpa and his honesty. May we all be honest like him..

JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE, AND NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. John 14:6

[Alisha]

This was so touching and raw and truthful!!! It was very eye opening to learn that those things Jac believed before are the truth to some people. I'm so thankful that she wrote this book, not only so I could read her story (I followed her on YouTube first) but so others can learn more about God through her experiences and trials. I pray that anyone who reads this book, it would be an eye opening experience to them as well!! I love how she ended the book, To God be the Glory!

[Todd Burgett]

Not only an engaging autobiography of one woman’s pursuit of meaning through the occult and her ultimate rescue through Jesus, but a great biblically focused resource addressing a variety of occultism practices. If you were dabbling in the occult, or fully entrenched in a cult, or know someone who is, this is an invaluable resource of Hope.

[Chasity]

The “heart checks” throughout this book are so very important and bring us back to Jesus.

A few of quotes I highlighted:

“As image bearers of God, we find identity in who God made is to be, not in who the world says we are”(Ch. 6, pg. 86).

1John 2:6

“True identity is found in Jesus Christ, the God Man who loves perfectly and knows us perfectly.”(Ch.3,pg.36).

“Sin was introduced into the world through a suspicion of God, a disbelieving of His Word, and a decision to disobey.”(Ch.10, pg.174)

See Genesis 3

[Rachel]

Not only was this an eye-opening examination of occult practices in the light of scripture, but this book also contained multiple beautiful, in-depth presentations of the gospel. I'm not sure I've read another resource, especially not an autobiographical one, that unpacked the message of the Bible in such an accessible but thorough way. I highly recommend this to anyone who needs to be reminded of the truth of Jesus Christ in a fresh way, and especially to anyone who finds themselves confused about the intersection of occult or New Age practices with Christianity.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Amen. Praise God!

[Mary Kate]

Incredible and beautiful testimony of God’s grace. I like how all things are compared and related immediately back to the truth. Jac does a great job of telling her story without engrossing you so much in it that you forget that this is a real life that lived through those lies and has now been redeemed. And you don’t have to be deep in the occult to be convicted by the calls to reflect throughout the book. A good read for many reasons, but mainly because God is so good!

[Panda Incognito]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This unique memoir shares the author's personal story of pursuing New Age ideology and witchcraft, and then converting to Christianity. Jac Marino Chen describes her troubled childhood and shows how occult practices seemed to fill a void for her, before leading her into far greater pain and suffering. She shows how these beliefs and behaviors led to increasing darkness and demonic influence in her life, and she contrasts New Age ideology with what the Bible teaches. Marino Chen discloses information about her past in an honest and forthright way, without sensationalizing the darkness or turning this into a how-to guide. Christian readers will appreciate her discretion, and Marino Chen aimed to give equal page time to biblical truths.

This book endeavors to expose the darkness, and to lead readers to the light of Christ. People who have similar testimonies will appreciate the author's life story, and Christians who want to better understand the dangers of occult practices will appreciate the author's thoughtful explanations. This book can also help convict believers who have gotten involved in culturally acceptable, increasingly mainstream versions of occult practices without recognizing the true dangers. The author also speaks to people who are currently living the life she once lived, but I'm not sure how effective this book would be at reaching them. Although the author writes with respect and care for people who do not share her Christian beliefs, her devout faith emphasis and long, detailed descriptions of biblical teaching will likely deter this audience.

Ensnared gets overwhelming at times. It is lengthy and gets repetitive, especially since the author re-explains tenants of the Christian faith when addressing the core lies of each different occult practice. This book could have benefited from more editing, and juggling multiple audiences isn't always effective here. I personally felt that this would have been more effective as two different books: a guide for Christian to understand the dangers of the occult, and a missions-minded book that tries to reach lost people where they are. As it stands, this book has so many different messages for different groups that it feels unfocused.

This is a heartfelt book that combines memoir elements with the author's detailed breakdowns of the false teachings she once believed, in contrast to biblical truth. This book will resonate the most with Christians who have similar testimonies, or who want to better understand the experiences of people in occult movements. It is heartfelt and eye-opening, and I appreciate the author's vulnerability and honesty about her experiences.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Vonette]

I highly recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike. Jac Marino Chen tells the fascinating and tragic story of her life, how she was drawn step by step from a nominal Christian upbringing further and further into New Age and occult practices. She helps us understand why these things drew her in but also how deeply they harmed her. Though she had achieved power and the respect of her peers within this culture, she explains why she was deeply afraid and unhappy underneath it all. This book is filled with scriptural teaching, but she is not preaching, Rather she pleads with her readers to avoid the darkness and pain she experIenced and turn instead to the truth and the light. For Christians, this book serves as a warning about occult practices (such as manifestation and enneagrams) that are creeping into churches disguised as helpful tools. For non-Christians this serves as a beacon of light clearly defining the choice each person must make and what it means to choose Christ.