RealPagan- Paganism for the Real World

I would like to share an experience with everyone regarding an encounter with a fraud many years ago. Other than the pseudonym by which he used, the names have been changed, but the story is 100% as I tell it. My hopes is that by sharing this experience, it might help prevent it from being replicated among anyone here.

In the Autumn of 2001, we used to enjoy staying over at Luna's house, situated in the quaint rural surroundings of Lincoln County, NC. Luna was a member in our circle, a pleasant and level-headed lady (or, so I thought) who shared many common interests of my girlfriend Jenna and I.

Occasionally, we would have special guests and speakers visit the region, coming through our sister circle and over to us, or vice-versa, so picking up new ideas or perspectives was an occasional treat throughout the warmer seasons of the Wheel. It was through this network that I met both the houngan that would introduce me the Vodou, and the gentleman that would be my first experience with Reiki. It was also where I bumped into a man that identified himself simply as "Cherokee".

To me, it immediately seemed a bit pretentious that a First Nations man would go by that name. Unfortunately, his story was far more brow-raising than his choice of names. Ney, his story was rather fantastic.

According to him, a member of the "Western Band" of the Cherokee Nation. This did not raise a flag immediately. I have ancestry to the Eastern Band, so I assumed the Western people were those that settled in the northwest following the depressive "Trail of Tears"...it seemed logical enough, so I did not research further until his stories improved. And, not very long thereafter, he mentioned that he was their "stone-carrier".

Wait...stone-carrier? The guy entrusted with going from place to place to gather knowledge of the lands and the people? Traveling amongst pagan circles utterly irrelevant of his spirituality?

Hmmm... Well, I am supposed to be honored by his presence, I suppose. That staff he carried everywhere and the plethora of dreamcatchers he sold out of his truck TOTALLY verified his first nationness...

Luna became immeditely attached to this fella. She even moved him in for a couple of weeks into her house to learn of his ways, I suppose. Immeditely, I began warning her about him. His stories seemed very incredible and the scent of bovinefeces permeated his very name. I asked her, in likely less friendly words: "Seriously, you are going to let guy move in, knowing nothing more than a pseudonym and some incredible story?"

"He promised me he would teach me and, before he leaves, initiate me as a medicine woman."

IN TWO WEEKS, people. I flipped. We had an exchange of words and, upon calming down, invited me to a circle he was hosting at her home. I accepted. I would not miss this for the world.

Saturday night arrived. I was with Jenna and we trampled back to the clearing behind her house, where a large fire was roaring. There he was, holding his staff, that she previously mentioned was too heavy to lift except by the "true stone-carrier", in some outfit that looked as if it had been an extra costume left over from Dancing with Wolves, although closer inspection would have likely included a tag that read "Made in China".

He began with a prayer spoken in simple Tsalagi, of which good memory graced me with the recollection to type into Google (probably his learning aid) to verify, and then an invocation to the Goddess. Sigh. From that point forward, he shared the cliche peace-pipe after offering it to the four directions. I was enjoying this. And, it got better. He started the "laying on of the hands" routine reminiscent of a Jim Baker prayer/deliverance convention. Oh yes, to include the spontaneous seizures upon being touched. I had not seen this since my early teens in the pentecostal church. Luna was touched. Luna convulsed to the ground. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, although I assure you that it was a voluntary reaction. Jenna succeeded in maintaining consciousness, too.

The circle came to a close. We went back inside. He laid his staff in the corner and went to the restroom. I went over, picked it up, glared at her with the sentiments of "enough said", took Jenna by the arm and left.

The following day, I was able to make contact with some people working from the office of the Eastern Band chief on the reservation in Western NC, verified the obvious and took names and numbers. I tried to talk more pose into her, and she said she had been warned by him that I would try to talk her out of further contact with him. How cult. After a few more moments, I severed our friendship. In a nasty email days later, I was told that my ceremonial sword was ritually burned by him in a fire, in order to remove my influence from there and, I suppose, an attack against me. A week later, I heard through a neighbor of mutual friendship, they were doing a ritual to invoke the "hounds of hell", and the ritual attire was black roads. Oh, so traditional.

Another two weeks passed and she emailed me saying she had been misled. You think? I ignored it. I was done.


Seriously, you would think that the details of this story would raise flags to any person. Think again. When offered the irresistable, even some of the brightest will believe the most heinous nonsense. This is why educatiion is important. This is one reason we push for truth here.

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ƒunεrεlla Comment by ƒunεrεlla 1 day ago
Ive come across far too many of these sorts of people, even within my own religion, however always outside of Russia. I'm sure they are there, but so many were raised around it or had a family member, it's not as uncommon a religion as Paganism to run in a family. So the amount of people who want to be rebellious and unique and be something special are lower. I dont understand what makes people act like this, beliefs are nothing to play with... but I figure, they will get theirs eventually. if not by an anger, then by the Gods themselves for making a joke out of them.
Thom Comment by Thom 1 day ago

I ran into one of these in Cali in 1989. I got taken in, along with others, and the ride was short. He took alot from the people he was trying to "lead". I got out after a week, when i found out the name he was using was assumed and not real. He had his story down perfectly, including using conversations of others to make it look like he knew us, and people in our past, intimately. He used the people up, distroyed a few lives, and left. He was great at building a persons self-esteem up to the point of manuplination, and then getting what he wanted out of them. At the time i was going through a divorce, and a spiritual crisis, and was very vulnerable, but i was at least smart enough to ask questions of this guys past to realize he was a fake.

Lea Comment by Lea on January 10, 2011 at 11:12pm
It would seem so obvious wouldnt it?....My words of thought, besides Im so sorry this has happen to others, besides myself, and boy did it happen to me.....vet and vet and vet again. And most important...LISTEN to your gut,..and question any and all things. Even a rattlesnake can be convincing....until its to late. Lea
Sutra Comment by Sutra on January 10, 2011 at 11:10pm
Bs-Meters are handy of course, but for us stay at home moms, the ability to know the veggies are under the napkin on the left side of your 3rd oldest's plate in the dining room, while answering the door in the parlor is priceless. If only that worked for people other than our kids......ah the power.
Sangraal Comment by Sangraal on January 10, 2011 at 11:02pm
The most valuable "sixth-sense", I believe, is a BS meter. :)
Dark Dru (EVIL Version) Comment by Dark Dru (EVIL Version) on January 10, 2011 at 10:51pm
I remember a few years back there was a female that came into the store that I worked at. She noticed my pentagram ring and all of the sudden she opens up the floodgates of her stories of magic and mystery and fairy circles etc. She invited me to a gathering, to witness her coven apparently. I acted like I was going to go but never did. Something didnt sit right with me. I guess I just have that "sixth sense" she liked to talk about so much.  Her stories were fantastic for graphic novels and the like.  Anyway, after declining her for the third or fourth time, I find out from another friend who actually went to one of her gatherings. It was an orgy. no thanks! haha. Lucky me, my lack of trust in people truly came through for me then. I haven't seen her since.
Arimesis Comment by Arimesis on January 10, 2011 at 12:00pm

Frauds and charlatans play to the ego; they pander to a blind need for difference and the quest for knowledge. A rift can be created between the closest friends by a stranger of questionable intent...

 

Were you queued simply through the bogus information he was passing out, by your covener's reaction, or did his energy feel, 'greasy'? Was it your intellect or your intuition that rang the first warning bells?

 

A good tale to help others learn what many of us have experienced, hopefully without their having to repeat our mistakes or trials. Thanks Sang. 

Dog Comment by Dog on January 10, 2011 at 9:54am

A prime example of

He who speaks much, knows little.

He who speaks little knows much.

 

this definately teaches me to be more wary... thankfully i haven't come into contact with anyone likely to lead me astray, but i guess there is a first time for eveything.

 

Thank you for sharing, you are very knowledgeable, and i admire your wisdom :)

Things you say always make some impact on me in one way or another.

 

Daniel O'Neill (Cat wrangler) Comment by Daniel O'Neill (Cat wrangler) on January 10, 2011 at 9:18am

"Cherokee"  I wonder if this fellow is the same "Cherokee" that made his "round"in Florida an Georgia from about 1995 to 2003 . He move on the outer fringes of the RainBow people, I hate to say it they are(the rainbow folk) are pretty gullible. This Kat   was "Stone Carrier" A cherokee medacine man and also a Lakota Shaman(yes I know oh come on please how dumb are we) he would pray on women mostly but if he could con you an you were male he would . the sad thing is the number of saps that line up  to buy his bovine plater.

 The two things that make me wonder if this could be the same clown, one the stone carrier thing an what you said about him selling dream catcher out of his truck. pluse he sold peace pipe and medicine bags.  One think that was odd I thought was he didn't seem to hipp on getting togather with other FN folk "there was a Hit "on him for sharing his knowledge with the white man.this play a long way with the dumb "white bread" kids who he pray on in there thinking they were helping him pass on his knowledge to save the white man. he was a big one for "helping you with your spirit guide" for a fee of course. but it was never straight up cash, gas ,weed or ass. pulse if you bad spirits that live in your lodge(house) you know like in your new tv or a chain saw your fishing gear,you name it could be home to many bad things. An being he want to help an save his white brothers and sister (an the sisters boy did he work hard there no pon intended) he would take away the bad spirit along with what it was living in.That way it had no home to come back to.I do know also he could get very nasty if he didn't get his way.

I know he about got his butt killed down in the Glades by the Seminoles an Miccosukee for selling Indian artifacts on trible land(peace pipe an war club and medicine bag) an for impersonating a human being(i'm sure some of you knows what that means). I think the only reason he was turn over to the tribal police an they let him go was because he had the daughter of a state senator with him(her dad vote in there favor a few times), they were at a regional gathering(rainbow) 

 Now it may not be the same Cherokee at all. I do know he had been up in that part of the world(the Carolin's)The weekend tie dyed RainBow warriors set that I knew that brought him to the Sarasota area met him out in Seattle then went to Ashville NC with him. the thing is sadly there will always be "Cherokees" like this sham artist we have them in all walk of life. I myself find him an folk like him no different then then o'l Bernie Madoff  when you con you con.There a lesson in this but sadly most folk see what they"want" to see an "hear"what they want to hear. An it not until it is to late and cold hard fact of the light of day slap them up side there pointy little heads, do they get fact that no matter how hard they try you just can't get that mule to climb a tree. No matter how much you pay for your tree climbing mule that also sings old Suzanna,as it turn out it just a mule imagine that.

 We need more folk like you sang that use your noodle for thinking not just a place to put pretty hats.

 On a bit of a foot note I wonder just what all your friend lost beside a true friend,at the hand of the Stone Carrier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Renee Comment by Jennifer Renee on January 9, 2011 at 10:59pm
Makoons...what a tragic story that is! It is so easy for one to give up there power to another. That is why I never say never. This can happen to anyone, especially when the one with the power is very charismatic in nature and popular. Obviously this man was. I admit that I have yet to get involved with a pagan meet up group in my area for fear of being taken advantage of.
CURRENT MOON

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