While driving south with copies of his book, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, (which critiqued modern spiritual deceptions), Saint Seraphim of Platina stopped partway up Mount Shasta—at a site known for neo-pagan festivals—and sang Paschal chants celebrating Christ’s Resurrection and victory over Satan and death. A recurring thought came to him: that an Orthodox priest should bless the mountain with holy water. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1977, he returned. He sang services (including the Typica), sprinkled holy water at multiple spots on the mountain, and effectively reclaimed it for Christ in a form of spiritual warfare against its reputation as a hub for neo-paganism, shamanism, UFO lore, and other occult/New Age activity.
