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You Are Mine
The spirit of the age contradicts all that Christ teaches, and many reject or leave the Church to satisfy their longing for the supernatural in esoteric traditions governed by the spirits of the underworld. The occult is now an unashamed feature of modern life, yet discussion of its danger often results in snorts of derision. Like many wounded by life and dissatisfied with the emptiness of modern existence, Sister Anastasia hungered for healing and thirsted for genuine spiritual experience. This propelled her into an intense spiritual search. Abandoning Christianity, she plunged into the depths of ancient, elemental witchcraft. In this raw and unflinching account, which reveals the pain that drives a person to seek release through magic and the suffering that results from worship of demons, Sister Anastasia traces what it means to be healed and transformed by the love of Christ and the blessings available to those who accept His call to be reborn in the kingdom of God.
About the Author: Sister Anastasia grapples with hard truths related to the unseen realm. A member of an Orthodox monastery, she received her MA in Theology from St Vladimir's Seminary. She has long studied ancient praxis and modern addiction in all its varieties, which informs her writing on purification, inner prayer, and the role of the Church in a rapidly changing world.
About the Author: Sister Anastasia grapples with hard truths related to the unseen realm. A member of an Orthodox monastery, she received her MA in Theology from St Vladimir's Seminary. She has long studied ancient praxis and modern addiction in all its varieties, which informs her writing on purification, inner prayer, and the role of the Church in a rapidly changing world.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2024
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147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 12, 2024
A fascinating and important read. I was a little worried that it would be dark and creepy, but I did not find it to be so. It was hard to put down.
June 2, 2025
I was moved to read You Are Mine after listening to an interview with Sister Anastasia in which she spoke eloquently about her journey to Orthodox monasticism. She is clearly intelligent, emotionally sensitive, and deeply devout. I am glad she has found peace in the Church, and I do not believe her conversion was wrong in any way. Her story may well resonate with many readers — especially those already within the Christian fold or those recovering from intense spiritual fragmentation.
That said, I approached the book as someone in the process of converting myself, coming from a Western esoteric background and raised by Anglican parents. I read it in hopes of encountering a narrative that would engage the deep inner work required when moving from one metaphysical paradigm to another. Unfortunately, the book often left me unsettled — not because of disagreement with Orthodox theology, but because of the tone and structure of the narrative itself.
Sister Anastasia attributes nearly every change of heart, emotional release, or internal shift to the direct action of the Holy Spirit. While this may reflect her genuine experience, it bypasses the kind of spiritual discernment taught by the saints and Church Fathers — who warn, again and again, that visions, feelings, and emotional highs are no reliable proof of grace and may even be prelest (spiritual delusion).
Throughout the book, her earlier discomfort with Orthodox teachings on gender roles and homosexuality is reframed not through deep theological engagement, but through a kind of interior surrender she equates with sanctity. At one point, she admits that her life would be “simpler” if she just accepted these teachings, and so she does — not because of intellectual conviction, but because resistance felt spiritually inconvenient. These moments risk reducing profound moral tensions into spiritual compliance.
This is compounded by a subtle but persistent tone of martyrdom: she casts her relinquishment of previous values (feminism, questioning, critique) not as ethical tension to be held, but as victory in spiritual warfare. The conversion arc becomes not one of theological wrestling, but of emotional stabilization. And because of this, the book will likely resonate more with already-convinced Christians than with seekers from other traditions.
It’s also worth noting that while the book frames itself as a conversion from “the occult,” her family background is Evangelical, her brother is religious, and her sister is an Orthodox nun. The worldview she converts into is already, in some sense, native to her — and the Protestant moral imagination (particularly around sin, obedience, and scripture) lingers heavily throughout the text, even as she formally leaves that tradition.
All in all, the book feels as though it was written too early, and too quickly — before the initial fire of conversion had been tempered by the slow, disorienting work of real transformation. Her sincerity is palpable. Her story is real. But You Are Mine is unlikely to convince critical thinkers or spiritually plural readers of Orthodoxy’s beauty. It may comfort those already aligned with the Church, but for those still searching, it risks reinforcing the idea that faith demands not engagement, but silence.
That said, I approached the book as someone in the process of converting myself, coming from a Western esoteric background and raised by Anglican parents. I read it in hopes of encountering a narrative that would engage the deep inner work required when moving from one metaphysical paradigm to another. Unfortunately, the book often left me unsettled — not because of disagreement with Orthodox theology, but because of the tone and structure of the narrative itself.
Sister Anastasia attributes nearly every change of heart, emotional release, or internal shift to the direct action of the Holy Spirit. While this may reflect her genuine experience, it bypasses the kind of spiritual discernment taught by the saints and Church Fathers — who warn, again and again, that visions, feelings, and emotional highs are no reliable proof of grace and may even be prelest (spiritual delusion).
Throughout the book, her earlier discomfort with Orthodox teachings on gender roles and homosexuality is reframed not through deep theological engagement, but through a kind of interior surrender she equates with sanctity. At one point, she admits that her life would be “simpler” if she just accepted these teachings, and so she does — not because of intellectual conviction, but because resistance felt spiritually inconvenient. These moments risk reducing profound moral tensions into spiritual compliance.
This is compounded by a subtle but persistent tone of martyrdom: she casts her relinquishment of previous values (feminism, questioning, critique) not as ethical tension to be held, but as victory in spiritual warfare. The conversion arc becomes not one of theological wrestling, but of emotional stabilization. And because of this, the book will likely resonate more with already-convinced Christians than with seekers from other traditions.
It’s also worth noting that while the book frames itself as a conversion from “the occult,” her family background is Evangelical, her brother is religious, and her sister is an Orthodox nun. The worldview she converts into is already, in some sense, native to her — and the Protestant moral imagination (particularly around sin, obedience, and scripture) lingers heavily throughout the text, even as she formally leaves that tradition.
All in all, the book feels as though it was written too early, and too quickly — before the initial fire of conversion had been tempered by the slow, disorienting work of real transformation. Her sincerity is palpable. Her story is real. But You Are Mine is unlikely to convince critical thinkers or spiritually plural readers of Orthodoxy’s beauty. It may comfort those already aligned with the Church, but for those still searching, it risks reinforcing the idea that faith demands not engagement, but silence.
May 10, 2024
Beautiful, powerful book. It was hard to put down. Great spiritual insights. Glory to God!
April 21, 2025
Sister Anastasia focuses on comparing her former life as a practitioner of sorcery with life as an Orthodox Christian. She goes into a lot of details about pagan worship (especially Part 1, before baptism) that boggled my mind. I wasn't expecting this, nor did I enjoy learning about it.
July 3, 2024
The name "Christ" and word "Christianity" have become pejoratives of late in the western world. Many younger people who acknowledge a yearning for the spiritual realm have turned to eastern religions, nativism, paganism. and witchcraft. Such a yearning for genuine spiritual experiences to heal childhood trauma, and abuse, eating disorders led Sister Anastasia to abandon her early evangelical upbringing and lead her into a worldwide search which included the practice of the occult. Nothing she met in the spirit underworld fulfilled her hunger until she met Father Theophan, an elderly Eastern Orthodox Christian priest and participated in a retreat with nuns at an Eastern Orthodox Monastery in the western United States.
This is a powerful memoir of her transformation by means of the healing love of the Lord of all spirits, Jesus Christ and the blessings which follow once she encounters his Truth.
This is a powerful memoir of her transformation by means of the healing love of the Lord of all spirits, Jesus Christ and the blessings which follow once she encounters his Truth.
August 22, 2024
One star off for so many sentence fragments. Another star off for lack of narrative structure that made the final part lag. Other than that, an exceptional book from a perspective unlike any I've seen in published works up until now.
January 29, 2025
For someone so new to the faith and from such a radically pagan background, this book should not have been written.
July 31, 2025
As per request: Man, a number of you have asked me about this one, and I finally got ahold of it! All I can say is that it definitely mirrors/validates my own experiences in the occult and absolutely should be read by any Orthodox priest/minister. It's about time these practices and their consequences came to light.
Before Sister Anastasia became an Orthodox nun, she was a devout follower of Buddhism and various tribal religions and practices, primarily "plant medicine" or the usage of various flora to create connections to spirits and the astral realm. Thinking she was using her arts to heal others, she had long since given up the Evangelical faith of her parents and saw the occult as a means of helping her heal from various traumas and addictions. But when a visit to a monastery blows open her worldview, she begins to see another side to the world of the spirits...
I applaud Sister Anastasia for having the courage to write and publish this. It's very bold, raw, and unapologetic. She exposes in great detail the practices and beliefs of the various groups she was a part of and reveals the hidden world of spirits in ways that will definitely make a modern materialist uncomfortable. I know from my own experience that what she says is absolutely true and not induced by mental illness/drugs (as evidenced by the many, many people who also practice these rituals and experience the same thing). I had no idea that what I experienced was so universal among occultists. I thought I was just a kid playing around, but evidently there's entire ancient rites in multiple countries that aim to bring about exactly what I did, and the results aren't ever what they seem. I was deeply encouraged by her testimony and her vulnerability especially as she detailed her struggles leaving the occult and trusting Jesus to bring her true healing. It helped so much to read about someone with the same struggles as me who was also able to validate the paths through those struggles that I'd been sensing. I don't think the influence of the occult and the reality of the spirit world gets talked about enough in Orthodox circles, especially in American culture. We've tried so hard to divorce ourselves from anything but the physically tangible, to our detriment, and I think it's time the Church started to educate us on the unseen world once again, especially since many of its rites are designed to counteract or destroy occultic ones and demonic footholds.
A trusted mentor who also read this told me she thought that perhaps it had been published too soon, that the author needed a bit more time to grow and synthesize her past, and I tend to agree with that observation. I think it doesn't quite explain the comparisons between Orthodoxy and the occult enough or what exactly changed in her and how. There's a bit of that, but it doesn't go quite deep enough, and I think that's just because this is all still so fresh for her. She needs time to mature in her faith and understanding of her past, which I'm confident she'll attain. The writing is great, but the story isn't quite chronological and that could be a little confusing. There were also a number of sentence fragments which was a bit annoying, and she leaves out how she decided to become a nun (though I'm not shocked at that given all she went through, still I'd like to know what finally got her to that point)! Maybe in a few years she could given us a second edition/sequel.
Definitely a trigger warning for anyone who has been in the occult. It's validating but also quite detailed, so if you aren't ready for that, don't read this. Details about rituals, out of body experiences, interactions with spirits, etc. are all present so be forewarned if you're sensitive to those things. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to people outside of Orthodoxy (though maybe to some other Christians) because it assumes a lot of the reader's knowledge of the faith and its practices. But if you're Orthodox and definitely if you're a priest or in any sort of ministering/leadership role, I think you should read this so as to be informed of exactly what the occult is and what it can be like for someone in it/leaving it, because you will definitely encounter those people at least once in your parish!
Before Sister Anastasia became an Orthodox nun, she was a devout follower of Buddhism and various tribal religions and practices, primarily "plant medicine" or the usage of various flora to create connections to spirits and the astral realm. Thinking she was using her arts to heal others, she had long since given up the Evangelical faith of her parents and saw the occult as a means of helping her heal from various traumas and addictions. But when a visit to a monastery blows open her worldview, she begins to see another side to the world of the spirits...
I applaud Sister Anastasia for having the courage to write and publish this. It's very bold, raw, and unapologetic. She exposes in great detail the practices and beliefs of the various groups she was a part of and reveals the hidden world of spirits in ways that will definitely make a modern materialist uncomfortable. I know from my own experience that what she says is absolutely true and not induced by mental illness/drugs (as evidenced by the many, many people who also practice these rituals and experience the same thing). I had no idea that what I experienced was so universal among occultists. I thought I was just a kid playing around, but evidently there's entire ancient rites in multiple countries that aim to bring about exactly what I did, and the results aren't ever what they seem. I was deeply encouraged by her testimony and her vulnerability especially as she detailed her struggles leaving the occult and trusting Jesus to bring her true healing. It helped so much to read about someone with the same struggles as me who was also able to validate the paths through those struggles that I'd been sensing. I don't think the influence of the occult and the reality of the spirit world gets talked about enough in Orthodox circles, especially in American culture. We've tried so hard to divorce ourselves from anything but the physically tangible, to our detriment, and I think it's time the Church started to educate us on the unseen world once again, especially since many of its rites are designed to counteract or destroy occultic ones and demonic footholds.
A trusted mentor who also read this told me she thought that perhaps it had been published too soon, that the author needed a bit more time to grow and synthesize her past, and I tend to agree with that observation. I think it doesn't quite explain the comparisons between Orthodoxy and the occult enough or what exactly changed in her and how. There's a bit of that, but it doesn't go quite deep enough, and I think that's just because this is all still so fresh for her. She needs time to mature in her faith and understanding of her past, which I'm confident she'll attain. The writing is great, but the story isn't quite chronological and that could be a little confusing. There were also a number of sentence fragments which was a bit annoying, and she leaves out how she decided to become a nun (though I'm not shocked at that given all she went through, still I'd like to know what finally got her to that point)! Maybe in a few years she could given us a second edition/sequel.
Definitely a trigger warning for anyone who has been in the occult. It's validating but also quite detailed, so if you aren't ready for that, don't read this. Details about rituals, out of body experiences, interactions with spirits, etc. are all present so be forewarned if you're sensitive to those things. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to people outside of Orthodoxy (though maybe to some other Christians) because it assumes a lot of the reader's knowledge of the faith and its practices. But if you're Orthodox and definitely if you're a priest or in any sort of ministering/leadership role, I think you should read this so as to be informed of exactly what the occult is and what it can be like for someone in it/leaving it, because you will definitely encounter those people at least once in your parish!
May 10, 2024
Here's a blessed feminine counterpart to our overly rational masculine conversion narratives. The interpersonally and emotionally therapeutic encounter with Christ in his Church is one from which love thrives; the studied and reasoned encounter being a tougher soil. Yet both are to be wed to one another in the Spirit and grow into real repentance. It's odd to sometimes hear Orthodox clergy dismiss Fr. Seraphim Rose's work as an outdated project unique to his paganized time and place, as if the schizophrenic egoist spirituality of his time isn't alive and well and eating away at our generation. Sister Anastasia throws a line to those steeped in (possessed by) the new age subcultural mire – thank God. The workings of the aerial powers have only become more illuminated, and there is only the one beacon and bulwark to stand within. Christ is Risen!
August 8, 2025
I’m a catechumen in the Orthodox Church and my priest recommended that I read this book what feels like months ago. I did not think I’d relate as much as I did, not necessarily because of Sister Anastasia’s background in the occult, but because of the emotional journey that she took.
It’s a good read for those who need even more convincing of how broken and sinful and desperately in need of God that we all are.
It is an easy and engaging read.
That being said, I think the deep descriptions of her occult practices may seem tempting for some readers, sometimes I’d find myself wondering what it would feel like to do what she did before becoming a Christian, and those temptations worried me. As someone still very new to orthodoxy, I warn those who may think they’d fall into a similar curiosity that I did.
It’s a good read for those who need even more convincing of how broken and sinful and desperately in need of God that we all are.
It is an easy and engaging read.
That being said, I think the deep descriptions of her occult practices may seem tempting for some readers, sometimes I’d find myself wondering what it would feel like to do what she did before becoming a Christian, and those temptations worried me. As someone still very new to orthodoxy, I warn those who may think they’d fall into a similar curiosity that I did.
August 7, 2025
This book was absolutely amazing and deeply insightful. As an Orthodox catechumen, I was gifted this book by my priest, and it ended up being exactly what I needed. The author’s journey mirrored many of the same struggles I’ve faced, and reading her story helped me to better understand and reflect on my own spiritual walk.
It opened my eyes to things I hadn’t fully realized about myself—things I needed to acknowledge, repent of, and grow from. It wasn’t just informative; it was transformative. The writing is beautiful and honest, and it truly encourages you to set your pride and life aside and begin seeking God more fully.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to Orthodoxy or Christianity in general. It’s not only a helpful guide—it’s a testimony that can really speak to the heart.
It opened my eyes to things I hadn’t fully realized about myself—things I needed to acknowledge, repent of, and grow from. It wasn’t just informative; it was transformative. The writing is beautiful and honest, and it truly encourages you to set your pride and life aside and begin seeking God more fully.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to Orthodoxy or Christianity in general. It’s not only a helpful guide—it’s a testimony that can really speak to the heart.
June 7, 2024
Glory to God
There is so very much to say about this book, but I will limit it to what I believe is necessary.
Sister Anastasia has the gift of writing. This helps a great deal.
In this books she uses this gift to glorify Jesus Christ. His light shines through her gift and helps readers like me and, God willing, those who decide to read it is well.
I find her writing to be VERY important to our time. She’s walked a road that she wants many to avoid, and gives personal testimony as to why it should be avoided. And also points to the road Christ has prepared for us who choose to follow Him.
I pray many will read her book. I believe it will be helpful to Christ’s Church.
There is so very much to say about this book, but I will limit it to what I believe is necessary.
Sister Anastasia has the gift of writing. This helps a great deal.
In this books she uses this gift to glorify Jesus Christ. His light shines through her gift and helps readers like me and, God willing, those who decide to read it is well.
I find her writing to be VERY important to our time. She’s walked a road that she wants many to avoid, and gives personal testimony as to why it should be avoided. And also points to the road Christ has prepared for us who choose to follow Him.
I pray many will read her book. I believe it will be helpful to Christ’s Church.
June 26, 2024
Life affirming, Life Changing, Life is Christ our God
I am His, He is mine. I have both been quietened and quickened by beautiful waves of truth, joyful and painful through this gift from Sister Anastasia. And loved carefully and fully by my Father, my Jesus and my Holy Spirit to deeply desire humility and the reality of being crucified with Christ for the rest of my life. At 82, could be brief. I had decided I was living to age 157 and then reassessing but now … as He knows, as He wills. 🙏❤️☦️
I am His, He is mine. I have both been quietened and quickened by beautiful waves of truth, joyful and painful through this gift from Sister Anastasia. And loved carefully and fully by my Father, my Jesus and my Holy Spirit to deeply desire humility and the reality of being crucified with Christ for the rest of my life. At 82, could be brief. I had decided I was living to age 157 and then reassessing but now … as He knows, as He wills. 🙏❤️☦️
November 13, 2024
This book reminds me of the journey Fr. Seraphim Rose took on his path to the Faith. A good book to remind us of the fact that the journey to Christ is ever ongoing, and along the way, there will be challenges, joys, sorrows, etc. This is normal. This work is also a good reminder of how involvement in new-age movements can be more than we bargained for.
Note: this review is for the Audible version (not Kindle).
Note: this review is for the Audible version (not Kindle).
August 9, 2024
If I could rate this 10 out of 5 stars I would. An absolutely moving autobiography of a now Orthodox nun who spent much time immersed in the occult, and new age and how the love of Jesus Christ pulled her out of this abyss.
March 12, 2025
TB had also shared this with me - and God bless Sister Anastasia. There is power in testimony. Much of what she has written resonated with me in a way that just makes me sit and ponder at the revelations God gives.
March 2, 2025
Great story of transformation!
April 16, 2025
This book inspired in me a deeper desire for Christ. Beautiful story. Quite fascinating too! Hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews