#imposter spirits

**DISCLAIMER** What follows in this post is absolutely not meant to discredit, demean, or invalidate. By no means do I wish do diminish anyone’s experiences. I am offering an opinion and a perspective.

I’ll admit, I had heard of imposters before, but the term was something I shoved to the back of my brain for later because I didn’t imagine it would ever really become an issue. The term seems to have gained popularity within the last year, at least in my peripherals, and there’s a trend that worries me.

I’ve seen -- several times now -- various people in different avenues assert that interactions with gods that don’t meet their own perceived criteria implies the god must be an imposter. It’s often met with panic or anger, and results in an argument more times than I care to admit. The uglier end of positing such a statement borders on gatekeeping how others believe or worship, which is absolutely not good or okay.

Being suspicious is one thing. Assuming that behavior that falls outside of your perceived guidelines is an automatic red flag is another thing entirely, and there’s a nuance to this that needs to be addressed.

First off, every single person in the entire known universe is going to have a unique and highly personal relationship with their gods. Myth aside (but certainly not disregarded), UPG and SPG exist for a reason, and in a lot of cases (my own included), we wouldn’t have a lot to go by if it weren’t for UPG and SPG.

But therein lies the issue. These experiences are still personal. They’re still heavily dependent on the worshiper’s perception, which in turn is shaped by their own experiences and understanding.

I’ll use Dionysus as an example. Many people see him as a laid back party guy, here to vibe and have a drink or two. Is this inherently wrong? Certainly not. It’s a common and shared perspective that many people enjoy. However, in my own personal experience, he’s been very intense at times and even downright frightening, for reasons that held major significance in my own path.

A quick look at his epithets tells you he’s not always wine and sunshine, either. Omadios is one of my favorites; it roughly translates to flesh-eater, referencing the consumption of raw flesh (Omophagia) or a few rare cases of human sacrifice. Cannibalism? In ancient Bacchic revelry? More likely than you think. He even shares an epithet with Ares; Enyalius, or Warlike. Let’s not forget the story of Pentheus, either.

I say this, not to paint Dionysus in a bad or frightening light, but to lead into my point: my experiences with him differ from many on several planes, but that doesn’t mean that I’m dealing with an imposter, or that anyone else is dealing with one, either. I’ve confronted uncomfortable themes with him that were extremely nuanced and special to me. Outside of my own perspective, I could see how it could seem scary or out of character, and how someone might misconstrue that as an imposter. Looking at his historical record, I feel safe that what I have experienced with him isn’t out of bounds or out of character, and he has never expressed any ill intent or overstepped my internal boundaries. Dark subjects are just dark subjects, and will eventually have to be handled in some capacity. He happened to be who I needed, and who could present it to me in a fashion that I could understand and make use of.

An important distinction here is that this behavior or activity can be somehow verified, either backed with historical context or another anecdotal account.

Aside from that, I’ll point out here that an imposter will often posit situations to you in ultimatums or absolutes; the goal is to make you agree to something with no loose terms and no frayed ends. Challenging these ultimatums can result in backlash, which brings me to my next point.

Telling a god no, respectfully, should not result in petty backlash or an outright attack. I know that’s a bit of a blanket statement, but let’s look at it this way:  would you let someone you don’t know tell you that you need to leave your husband of 20 years to move in with them and start a new life out of the blue? Would it seem incredibly suspect if they offered you everything you ever wanted, anything you could imagine, all the riches and wonders of the world? If you denied them and they lashed out at you for doing so, would that not seem hideously suspicious?

Ask yourself a few basic questions. Is the entity in question asking you to do things that are, in essence, harmful or dangerous to your well-being? Are they making tall promises with no proof of purchase? What exactly is it that you’re being asked to do or why? Gods don’t mind answering your questions most of the time. An imposter will likely not have answers to give in the first place.

Can you find instances in myth of parallel behavior? This doesn’t always work, but for the most part, it can be extremely useful in comparing and contrasting.

The most important thing I want to hammer home is that building a healthy relationship with discernment is a must. Skepticism is a part of discernment. Learning how to be critical of a situation, learning how to observe and compare to others and trusting your intuition is vital. Learning how to build and maintain boundaries is vital.

While the morality and whims of our gods are often beyond our comprehension, it’s extremely important to understand that they aren’t unreasonable and shouldn’t be demanding of things that simply aren’t feasible. Boundary-making and establishing guidelines also help define what you can and can’t do for them; an imposter doesn’t care and likely won’t.

I can’t speak for the odds of encountering such a thing. You might never come across one. You may find yourself opening the door to a spiritual clown car. Arm yourself with knowledge and discernment, and venture forth with the understanding that everyone is different and has different experiences. Inciting panic in newcomers drives people away from our gods; slightly differing behavior, as compared to your own notes, is not a cause for immediate alarm unless it seems parasitic or harmful.

This is actually very concerning because there are evil entities out there who pretend to be gods so they can seduce unsuspecting women and make them breed in the spirit world. Many people claim to be married to Lucifer, but they sadly are all victims of the same things. 

This is why I constantly point out that everyone needs to question spirits, use wards, and be cunning when they meet entities. If a god tries to get you to marry them, they very likely aren’t actually a god. I’ve had to try and help people with these disgusting imposters many times, and it’s always horrible.

Hopefully your friend was just mistaken and basically imagining things, but it’s likely that she’s in danger as well.

2) but when i warned him, he literally just brushed it off. i explained the dangers of not really knowing who or what you're speaking to, and his only response was "okay then" and then continued to talk about how he spoke to aphrodite even though she claims it wasn't her. i'm not sure if i should specifically tell him that aphrodite herself was the one who told me to warn him, or what. i don't know. he's incredibly frustrating though.

That sounds like a very difficult situation Anon. You really care about your friend, and you want to make sure that they are safe.

Sometimes when we tell people something they may not want to hear, or are not ready to hear, they may feel the need push back. Which sounds like the opposite of helpful to what you are trying to do.

Being careful sounds like very good advice. I’m sure your friend has listened to you in the past. What were those situations like? What skills did you use? Have there been times where this didn’t go so well? What happened?

You may also be able to change the target of the guidance from them to you. Instead of saying “You need to be careful” maybe express a time where you wished you had been more careful. Have you been fooled by another spirit before? What was that like? What were some signs? Have you ever convinced yourself of something that wasn’t true? How were you able to break the illusion you created?

There are definitely times when we could all be more careful.

Stay safe friends!