Perhaps contrary to the Vatican's hopes, the Casper balefill did not fill up with crystals, feng shui accessories or spiritual aromatherapy candles after the Catholic Church announced Monday that New Age practices are spiritually suspect.

The church presented a document called, "A Christian Reflection on the 'New Age'" that described some New Age spiritual practices as "occult," including feng shui, an ancient Chinese art of organizing spaces to create good energy flow.

Casper "occultists" were not surprised the Vatican does not like "New Age" religion.

Lisa Hansen, an employee at the Casper store Herbal Remedies and a feng shui practitioner, responded that New Age religion "is more accepting of other beliefs than other beliefs are accepting of it."

Hansen keeps a feng shui quartz crystal over her computer to redirect some of the energy coming out of her computer screen. It helps her combat migraines from looking at the screen, she said.

The church document said crystals, along with other so-called New Age items, are more about marketing "a religious phenomenon" than real spirituality.

Within the Herbal Remedies store, where the owner has feng shui-ed by placing mirrors to direct energy flow, there are $2.99 Herbal Scents "for clearing homes and sacred spaces." There are also $9.99 magnetic bracelets offering, the packaging claims, a "continuous supply of magnetic energy to the body."

The Catholic Church, however, has pretty extensive marketing itself, said the owner of Pan's Grove, which bills itself as a Casper natural science store dealing with witchcraft and other alternative religions.

Nella Forest said the Catholic Church is in the business of turning people into "subjects" and fears practices that empower them to open their minds.

As for yoga, also grouped as a New Age practice in the document, the owner of the Wyoming Sunrise Yoga Studio said the activity is strictly a physical exercise, at least at her studio.

Carol Jo Vlastos said she and one of her classes discussed the church document when they read about it in the newspaper. Vlastos said her brand of Hatha yoga relaxes people without any accompanying ideology.

Even some Catholics questioned the document. Jacqueline Smithson, 73, said she does not do yoga, or practice feng shui, "but it's not because I think that there's anything wrong with it," she said.

"There are a lot of things in this world that are more important," said Smithson of the Vatican's concern with New Age practices. "I just don't think the Lord would mind if somebody does yoga."

Still, Rev. Bob Cook from Our Lady of Fatima Church said he agreed with the substance of the document, though he had not read it.

"Often, I think, the New Age stuff is superficial and misleading," Cook said. "I really believe that if they would turn to trying to understand the Biblical tradition and understand the real nature of a prayerful relationship with God, that would be vastly more satisfactory spiritually then any New Age practice."