Published by Harvest House Publishers on July 7, 2026
Genres: Non-Fiction, Apologetics, Christian Life, Memoir
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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 will
understand the basics of New Age and occult teachings and see what really happens behind closed doors
identify the demonic elements behind practices involving numerology, alchemy, alien contact, witchcraft, and more
compare popular spiritual claims with the truth of Scripture
learn how to speak with compassion and biblical conviction to loved ones caught in deceptionLet Ensnared help you recognize spiritual deception, respond with biblical clarity, and point others to the freedom only Christ can give.
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.
Ensnared: Escaping New Age and Occult Practices Through Biblical Truth and Gospel Hope 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.