Beginning at 3AM, and lasting for one hour: the Devil’s Hour, known also as the Witching Hour.

According to pious folklore, these sixty minutes are prime for ‘supernatural’ activity. Witches, demons, and ghosts appear at that most powerful and practitioners of ‘black magic’ are at their utmost peak ability. Above all, Satan himself is at his strongest – where the Devil’s Hour owes its namesake.

The phrase Witching Hour was first used in 1793 in Mary Robinson’s poem entitled “A Fragment. Supposed to be written near the Temple on the Night before the Murder of Louis XVI.” During pagan witchhunts, women caught outside during the Witching Hour without an adequate reason were often executed on suspicion of witchcraft.

But why is the Devil’s hour from 3AM to 4AM?

The answer lies in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Some believe the absence of prayer between Matins, traditionally starting around 1AM, and Lauds, traditionally starting around dawn, is responsible for the supposed increase in demonic activity.

While the Church has never ruled definitively on the matter, it can be said for sure that prayer is an effective spiritual weapon against Satan.

“When the soul is clothed in faith the devil is ignorant of how to hinder it, neither is he successful in his efforts, for faith gives the soul strong protection against the devil, who is the mightiest and most astute enemy.” – Saint John of the Cross

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5 COMMENTS

  1. I thought it might have something to do with 3pm being the moment of death for the crucified Christ on Good Friday. The polar opposite timeframe would be 3am, thus a ‘moment of opportunity’ for the evil one to stir up mischief. Paranoia and doubt can be as damaging as overt evil, and when our defenses are down due to fatigue from insomnia or nightmares, we are at our most vulnerable to subtle inference.
    Saint Dymphna, pray for us, and protect us from all nightmares and mental agitation. Let us rest in the sanctity and humility of the Holy Family by way of praising the Lord God Almighty. Blind the demonic through prayer with penance, sacramentals, Plenary/Partial Indulgences offered for the souls in Purgatory, etc. Amen.

  2. Anyone ever watch THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE? 3am is a telling hour for the devil. So if you wake at that time, please pray: either the rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet!

  3. The prayers from my rosary protect me
    My sister is to be by my Lord’s side.
    And my obligations are to obey my Lord for he is my guide.
    If I’m waking up at 3am than let it be an opportunity to pray the rosary and read the Bible. These are the best moments to talk to Jesus because unlike Satan Jesus’s power and his intelligence can never be matched by any satanic demons including Satan . Jesus is Almighty his power always increases even at 3 am.

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