The Sovereign Path - Part 2: Beyond the Glamour - Naming the Other Faces of Energetic Manipulation

Seeing the Unseen and Naming What Tried To Own You

There comes a moment on the path of spiritual manipulation discovery when something inside of you whispers:

This isn’t truth anymore.

At first, it may be quiet.

A low hum of uneasiness. A tug in your gut. A tension in your throat or chest. A flicker of dissonance you can’t quite name.

A sense that something just…doesn’t feel clean.

You try to override it.

You tell yourself you’re being too sensitive.

Too reactive. Too paranoid. Too ungrateful.

Too….much.

You silence your own knowing in the name of spiritual maturity. Or perhaps, just simply, to fit in or accept and “go with the flow”.

But your body knows. Your dreams know. Your soul knows.

And your body remembers what your mind has learned to rationalize.

And eventually - if you’re brave enough to listen - you can’t unknow it.

That moment?

It’s sacred.

Because its the beginning of your return.

When the Teacher Becomes the Test

We don’t talk enough about what happens when the very people or spaces that we go to heal or learn from - who perhaps helped to awaken us… become the very thing we must awaken from.

There’s a particular kind of grief that comes with realizing that someone you once trusted with your soul growth has been distorting your truth.

When the veil is finally torn and what once felt confusing, distorted, or “off” comes sharply into focus.

And what you thought was love, healing, or leadership…is suddenly revealed as something else entirely.

There are some wounds we don’t realize we carry until someone touches them.

There are also moments when the illusion shatters.

When the spell breaks.

When the truth pierces through the fog.

And in that moment, the betrayal hits.

The shock lands.

The grief arrives.

And, if you’re anything like me, you didn’t want to see it.

Because seeing it meant everything had to change.

But as painful as it is - the truth is also the medicine.

What Pluto in Aquarius Is Demanding of Us

This isn’t just personal. And it isn’t just my story.

Pluto in Aquarius is pulling back the curtain on every illusion baked into our collective systems - especially those that cloak control as community and ego as enlightenment.

As he begins his long journey through Aquarius, we are all entering a collective spiritual detox.

We’re being asked to shed the spiritual hierarchies that teach us to give our power away.

To name where we’ve outsourced our clarity in the name of harmony.

To stop confusing loyalty with silence.

The age of false teachers, polished personas, performative stature, and blind devotion is crumbling.

As the planet of death and rebirth moves through the sign of collective systems, higher vision, and future truth, it is burning through the glamour of spiritual elitism. It’s unraveling the teacher-student dynamic where power was hoarded, not shared. Where charisma was mistaken for wisdom. Where obedience was rewarded, and sovereignty was diminished. Where the spiritual gurus instead of community are celebrated.

Because Pluto could care less about appearances.

He’s asking us to learn to listen for truth not in the voice of a polished guide, but in the resonance within our own body.

He wants to help us unearth the real, gritty truth. To drop the mask and align with our most authentic self. And he will always find it, and strip us - bare to the root - to help get us there.

And while not always pleasant, he does so with the sole intention of helping to align us with our highest purpose and path.

Pluto in Aquarius is burning through:

• Toxic teacher-student dynamics

• Hierarchies disguised as healing

• Communities that spiritualize silence and shame

• Top-down hierarchal leadership and approach (as it builds on, and transitions us, from Capricorn)

• Practices that police your truth instead of holding it

• Spiritual containers where performance is valued over presence

And what’s rising in its place is embodied, reciprocal connection.

Not rejection of the sacred.

But, a reclamation of the real thing.

We are being invited to step into greater authenticity and learn to trust and lead ourselves.

To unlearn the pattern to bowing to those who only bless us when we obey or elevate them.

Energetic Manipulation Doesn’t Always Look Like You Think

When we think of spiritual manipulation, we tend to imagine dramatic cults or overtly abusive leaders.

But in reality?

It’s often far more subtle.

More seductive.

More confusing.

And in spiritual spaces, manipulation tends to wear a prettier face.

It can look like:

• Being love-bombed with affirmations right after expressing discomfort or doubt.

• Being told your resistance is a sign you’re not “in alignment”

• Watching a leader subtly pit followers against one another to maintain control

• Hearing that leaving the group means you’re abandoning your “highest path”

• Feeling your clarity eroded by feedback disguised as “mirroring” or “mentoring”

These aren’t just red flags.

They’re energetic bindings.

And if you’ve walked through them - especially if you’re only now unraveling from them - I want you to hear me.

You are not crazy. You are not broken.

You are not wrong.

You are waking up.

What I Didn’t Know To Name Until I Lived It

I was forced to face and deal with a kind of manipulation that I wasn’t even aware existed - because it wasn’t loud. It was subtle. Spiritual. Polished. It didn’t scream or demand. It came softly. Wrapped in praise. Dressed as “sisterhood”. Hidden in healing circles, Reiki containers, private DMs, mentoring sessions, or those seemingly innocent “check-ins” that left me questioning myself instead of feeling genuinely empowered and supported.

This post is for those of you who - like me - might not have had language for this. Who brushed off your intuition. Who dismissed or explained away the pings in your gut as insecurity, coincidence, fear, or confusion. Who kept giving the benefit of the doubt while your soul quietly begged you to pay attention.

It’s for those of you who have had their light seen - but not honored.

Their voice praised - but only when it served someone else’s narrative.

Their gifts used - but never truly received.

This is not a post to blame. It is a post to name.

Because if we can’t name what happened, we can’t reclaim our own power.

This is about healing what has been hidden in plain sight - so that we can walk forward in truth.

So let’s talk about the different energetic manipulation tactics that I mentioned in my last post. These are a few that I discovered were being used in a community I was once a part of.

Glamour Magick - The Mask of “Perfection”

What it is: Glamour magic is a technique that has been used for centuries to enhance beauty. It is a spell of perception - used consciously or unconsciously to cast an illusion. It alters how others see the caster. But, in its shadow form, it becomes a mask of perfection, power, or mirror of other idealism, that hides the true motives that lie underneath. It is the deliberate manipulation of perception to create an image so potent it draws people in like a moth to flame. The danger is that you don’t see the casting person clearly. You see the projection. The illusion. The mask that they want you to see.

How it was used: I watched a spiritual teacher present themselves as the exact embodiment of what other’s desired - a truth-speaker, a radiant muse of idealized love, a healer, a spiritual “authority”. But that image was carefully crafted and did not match the shadow behind the scenes. They used glamour to appear as a devoted spiritual authority, while behaving manipulatively. They masked envy, insecurity, greed, and competition behind performative support. And, they were able to maintain admiration and loyalty, even while intentionally harming and weakening others in the group.

Glamour doesn’t steal your energy directly - it seduces it. It makes you question your instincts. You know that something is off, but it appears so alluring on the surface that you dismiss your gut instincts and gaslight yourself into ignoring the deeper, not-quite-so-pleasant truth. And so ultimately, your discernment - the clearest expression of your intuitive voice - becomes foggy and silenced. Please see Part 1 where we go into more detail about how this cycle works.

Signs that might indicate you are under someone’s glamour:

• You feel confused around them and find yourself doubting your gut instincts and intuition

• You place them on a pedestal - they may appear like they can do no wrong or are the greatest X,Y,Z - without really knowing why

• You excuse behaviors in them that you would not tolerate in others

• Others around them appear overly loyal without solid reason

Energy Manipulation through Healing Arts, Such as Reiki

What it is: Energy healing is sacred. But, like any tool or practice, it can be misused. Duality is always present in life; just as there is light, there is dark, just as there is a highest potential of sign, placement, or healing art, there is a low potential or shadow that can equally exist if chosen. When someone connects to your energy field without consent, attaches to your aura during sessions or meditations, or decides to embed their own thought forms, programming, or energetic agenda while you are open and vulnerable during a healing session, it becomes invasive and misused. Energy healing without clear boundaries is, more accurately, psychic invasion. And lets be very clear, this is spiritual abuse.

How It was used: I trusted someone who worked with Reiki and spiritual energy. But I realized they were accessing my field (and others) without permission, trying to pull cords and influence my thoughts, destiny, timelines, and actions, and monitoring my inner world strategically. This wasn’t support. It was a way to stay tethered to my field and attempt to manipulate me. It was used to try to silence me and make me energetically disoriented. Others, had thought forms embedded which altered their energetic perceptions, reactions, and internal reality.

Signs that you might be experiencing energetic manipulation through Reiki or another healing art:

• You feel watched or emotionally influenced even when you are alone; you may feel this energetically, emotionally, or even somatically, but are unable to prove it

• You may feel confused, like your intuition is “off”

• You find yourself feeling drained after a conversation or session

• You notice sudden anxiety, grief, or other emotions that aren’t your own; you may feel emotionally confused or scrambled

• Your dreams change perhaps feeling hijacked or you notice your thought patterns subtly change

• You notice an atypical energetic shift - perhaps you become suddenly agitated or angry with someone or you find yourself looking at someone in a totally new way, out of the blue

• You may feel restless or ungrounded

• You doubt yourself

Triangulation - The Silent Divide

What it is: Triangulation is the subtle art of splitting. A psychological and energetic tactic where someone pits people against each other or positions themselves as the “chosen” one in the middle. It intentionally keeps people divided, mistrusting, and dependent on a central figure or intended narrative. It is designed to create confusion, loyalty tests, and often targets your voice, preventing you and others involved from speaking directly. In spiritual communities, it can look like someone who appears to “hold the group together” but is actually controlling the flow of truth by manipulating communication. Triangulation isolates you from your authentic expression. You become afraid to speak openly. You begin “checking” yourself. You stop trusting others, and ultimately even yourself. Your voice dims because you no longer know clearly who is safe. You were praised for silence and punished passively for honesty. You are afraid of being misquoted or gossiped about. It is akin to an energetic muzzle.

How it was used: I was encouraged to confide in private sessions, then subtly isolated from others in the group. Some of my, and other’s, most vulnerable shares, wounds, and trauma were used and exploited. Compliments were used as currency. Secrets and gossip were weaponized. In other cases they may have shared what others had said about a person - sometimes to flatter, sometimes to “warn” - but ultimately to manipulate loyalties and a sense of intimate, or “special” connection. In at least one conversation she simply made up past life stories to build a sense of connection that was never there organically, but when “glamoured” was an easier sell than it would have been normally. Very tactical things were said and done to keep each person orbiting the creator, and ultimately out of connection with each other. Severing or altering connections strategically to achieve a set agenda but meanwhile sacrificing connections that I valued. I noticed shifts in my friendships and unexplained tensions out of the blue. But to others, she always knew just the right thing to say to everyone to keep things under control. But here is the key, everyone thought she was only loyal to them.

Signs that you might be experiencing triangulation:

• You’re constantly “checking” what’s safe to say, or you find yourself afraid or uncertain of sharing your truth

• You feel closer to the manipulator than to others in the group; even if you hadn’t been that close to them previously and interpersonal dynamics with others you had been close to, and connected with, seem to subtly shift

• You find tension in relationships with others that used to feel easy

• You may learn others were told very different versions of events*

• Private information may be freely shared even if your relationship with the manipulator doesn’t support that level of intimate exchange or casual dynamic

• Your relationship with the manipulator, if in a position of authority, may change and become more casual or extend outside the lines of the professional rapport and exchange you once held

*This is a core tool often used. It keeps people disconnected from each other and makes it difficult to know who to trust. It is intended to confuse and create dependency. The manipulator controls the narrative and appears like a victim to one person and a hero to another, painting a target as“the problem” in a subtle, deniable way. When you realize someone else was told a different version of the same event it creates a cycle of self-doubt seeding confusion, shame, and silence and making the target easier to gaslight, discredit, and alienate. Ultimately, making it easier for the manipulator to appear “innocent” and control the narrative as you are encouraged to seek approval from them rather than tuning into your own truth. It discourages note checking, blocks healthy communication, and prevents unity between those who might otherwise see through the manipulator.

Energetic Vampirism - The Hidden Hunger Beneath

What it is: Energetic vampirism is when someone feeds on your light, love, ideas, presence, or attention to fuel themselves - without giving back in equal measure. It is one of the most misunderstood forms of manipulation in spiritual communities. Often they flatter or praise you to gain access to your energy, then slowly drain you. It can be conscious or unconscious. But the end result is the same: you feel emptied. They take your energy to maintain their own power, image, or sense of identity.

How it was used: In my experience, this kind of energetic entanglement didn’t look like overt manipulation at first - it was the most tricky to distinguish. It showed up as mirroring - my insights reflected back to me as if they had originated elsewhere. My content and ideas began showing up in other places, uncredited but unmistakably familiar. I saw this happen with others also. Certain people’s energy seemed to be used as a kind of energetic anchor - I saw this both in her energetically mimicking and also sometimes in the group dynamic, where it helped attract or hold attention. And, when I quietly left (for reasons I’ve shared elsewhere), there were very clear, unnecessary energetic manipulations and lies woven into a made-up narrative. It was disorienting and confusing at first - because the relationship had been framed as supportive and even sisterly. But the deeper I tuned in, the more I could feel: this wasn’t collaboration. It was extraction. Personal energy wasn’t being honored - it was being harvested for her personal benefit. If someone consistently takes more than they give, probes your field without permission, or relies on your gifts while subtly diminishing your voice - that is not mentorship. That is not healing. Even if it’s wrapped in spiritual language or cloaked in care. True support empowers your sovereignty. It doesn’t siphon your energy.

Signs you may be being siphoned energetically:

• You feel tired, heavy, or “off” - without a known cause- after interactions

• Your ideas are repackaged or claimed (subtle energy harvesting; offered as collaboration but feels like depletion)

• You may sense someone “needs” you energetically in a way that feels sticky or unclear

• You leave a conversation and feel empty, not seen

• You begin to second guess the worth of your gifts

• You begin to feel gaslit into thinking the other person “made you” or “helped you”

• You may feel dependent upon them in a way you can’t directly explain

• Conversely, you may be told something privately, like “the group felt weird after you spoke”, intended to make you feel “psychically punished” for speaking; this is vampirism through emotional suppression and psychic control of group energy

• Trauma bond hooking; you are positioned as the only one who can help or “get them” and they siphon off your empathy. This may make you feel guilty or disloyal for pulling away or needing space

Community & Ritual Should be Safe. Not Silencing.

True sacred space doesn’t censor you.

It holds you.

It honors your unique voice.

It invites your full, embodied presence - even when that presence is trembling or messy.

Community should never demand your silence. Nor your conformity.

It should never require your self-erasure in the name of spiritual decorum.

We are in a collective reckoning.

A sacred breaking-open.

A rising tide of truth and reclamation.

And the false teacher archetype is being exposed - not only in my group, but elsewhere.

Many are awakening to how distorted systems of power-especially spiritual ones have manipulated doctrine, ritual, and truth for control.

But we are being invited to change. To break the silence and call out the distortions and abuse. And, to honor sacred leadership.

And, when you do so you are helping to midwife that change.

It’s okay to question what you were taught.

It’s okay to outgrow a “spiritual leader”.

You are allowed to listen to your inner oracle above all else.

Because a true spiritual leader doesn’t chain you to tradition - they help you open the sacred door within.

True spiritual connection never demands your silence, obedience, or sacrifice of self.

It recognizes you. Meets you. And liberates you.

If it asks you to shrink, it is not your mirror.

If You’re In The Rubble, You’re Not Alone

If you’re still untangling…

If your heart is broken and your voice is shaky…

If you’re afraid to speak because you still care for the people you are walking away from…

That is sacred, too.

This isn’t a call to burn it all down.

It’s a call to get honest about what is no longer true. To call out the distortions. And, most importantly to find and align with your inner truth - and honor it.

To stop gaslighting yourself for noticing what your body has been trying to say.

To reclaim your clarity - and begin again.

Because when you reclaim your voice,

You’re not just healing your story -

You’re helping someone else find the courage to start theirs.

Reclaiming Your Sovereignty - This Is The Work

I didn’t want to believe any of this was happening at first. I had ignored warning pings for months, and gaslit and dismissed my deeper intuition. This was my friend, I had invited this person and their family to my home for vacation. I told myself there was no way this could be true. But, my body and my intuition would not let go. And, finally I sat with it and realized there were deeper layers than met the eye. And this was the quiet, brutal moment when I realized I could either keep pretending I didn’t see….or walk away from a group I had grown to care for and risk being exiled for naming what was real.

The choice cracked me open. And I chose to walk away and speak my truth in my own way.

And while that hasn’t been easy, what I found on the other side of the silence was a deeper connection to myself.

Not a version molded, controlled, or limited by someone else’s system.

Not a seeker defined by someone else’s light.

But the wild, honest, messy, sovereign truth of my own becoming.

I’ve learned many valuable lessons in this experience. One of them, is the reminder that real healing includes the Sword of Truth. Radical honesty with yourself and the facts. The Swords (in Tarot) cut illusion - allowing us to more readily see the truth and bring back home all of the pieces. One important part of spiritual maturity is not bypassing the shadow - it’s naming it with love. And then choosing to step out of its grip. Even, when that choice is hard. Because choosing ourselves, choosing authenticity - it will always lead you to more wholeness.

If you are navigating a similar path, let this truth be your torch.

You were never meant to stay silent in a system that survives by your silence.

You were always meant to rise.

And you do this by stepping into alignment with yourself - your discernment and your own internal truth.

And as you do so, you are reclaiming yourself - piece by piece, truth by truth.

This journey isn’t about perfection. It’s about seeing clearly, choosing consciously, and rising with your integrity intact. You will emerge stronger, more confident, humbler, and more empowered than ever before.

Because you were never meant to stay asleep in someone else’s dream.

Your soul came here to remember, to rise, and to reclaim what was always yours.
Keep going - your truth is your liberation.

In Part 3 of the Sovereign Path, we’ll explore the red flags of false teachers - because naming the energy is only the beginning - next we learn to spot the ones who wield it so we never fall prey to this again.

Until next time.

With so much love and compassion as you continue on your journey,

Seraphina