Crystal balls at dawn!
Rival psychics – who claim they can help you reach heavenly creatures – in court over right to teach ‘Archangel Alchemy’
WHEN psychic Claire Stone invoked the power of angels to help her business, it didn’t need a crystal ball to see what would happen next.
And sure enough, another spiritual seer took a rather dim view of Miss Stone’s efforts to trademark her heavenly help under the name Archangel Alchemy.
Now seer to the famous Miss Stone, 38, has claimed in the High Court that Alexandra Wenman has infringed her business title by using it for her courses.
But Miss Wenman – who describes herself as ‘the go-to voice for the cosmically curious’ – argues the trademark is invalid as the phrase is part of the common language in the psychic field.
She accuses Miss Stone – who appeared on ITV’s The Real Housewives of Cheshire – of feigning a link with her courses in order to benefit from her reputation as a long-standing ‘Archangel Alchemist’.
In a preliminary hearing ahead of a trial at the High Court in London, Judge Richard Hacon said the face-off would come down to ‘who got there first’.
According to court filings, Miss Stone is a ‘well-known spiritual author and holistic therapist’ who wrote best-seller The Female Archangels. She claims she was born able to see and hear spirits. Miss Stone has given readings for celeb--
‘Born to hear spirits’
rities including Dani Dyer and Coronation Street’s Faye Brookes.
Her barrister, Charlotte Blythe, says she began offering her online ‘metaphysical education’ course under the brand Archangel Alchemy in July.
It aims to ‘develop a connection to each individual’s guardian angel’.
Miss Stone, of St Helens, Merseyside, registered the trademark in October.
But soon afterwards Miss Wenman began marketing and offering her own ‘Archangel Alchemy’ course online, according to Miss Blythe. She said Miss Wenman provides an identical service under the same name.
‘Because of such identity and similarity, there exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public,’ court documents say.
‘The average consumer is likely to be confused into believing that Miss Wenman’s course is a course offered by Miss Stone, or alternatively that there is an economic or commercial l i nk between the respective courses.’ Miss Stone is asking for the court to stop Miss Wenman from trading under the brand and wants damages. But Miss Wenman – a former magazine journalist from London – denies doing anything wrong. Her barrister Chris Hall claimed she had described herself as an ‘Archangel Alchemist’ for years and it was Miss Stone who was capitalising on her reputation. He said: ‘Miss Stone has only recently begun trading under this name, but Miss Wenman has been trading under this name for ten years. It represents a hugely significant part of her career.’
He added she has offered spiritual training since 2010 under ‘Archangel Alchemy’ or ‘The Archangel Alchemist’. She has also written articles with the phrase and hosted workshops using it.
In 2018, Miss Wenman hired a brand consultant to help get exposure for her work and in 2019 found an agent to help publish a book called Archangel Alchemy.
Mr Hall said the courses she has been running under the brand were simply a continuation of what she had been doing. He claimed Miss Stone’s trademark was ‘invalid’ and it is her course which should be stopped under the Archangel Alchemy name as she has passed herself off as being linked to Miss Wenman.
He added: ‘Miss Wenman has sustained loss and damage.’
The case reached court for a brief pre-trial hearing last week and will return at a later date.