It seems plausible, though there's an age discrepancy there. One popular fan theory is that Stanton is Regina's estranged daughter Athena. So, was she too a part of the Paragon? And does she have a connection to Regina Ballard? We don't know for certain, but the tattoo certainly suggests so. We also, in the final scene, discover that she wears a wig and bares an hourglass tattoo, just like Shasta's. She's very aware of the building's chequered history and of Shasta's attempts to break back in. She doesn't just tolerate the Midnight Club's existence – she actively encourages it, restocking the library with firewood each night.
There are plenty of hints, however, that things aren't that clear-cut with her. For almost all of the series, she is presented as an arch-rationalist and a direct contrast to Shasta's more wooly, faith-based approach to life. Stanton remains a very ambiguous character. We don't know what happened to the former cult leader but there's clearly more to come from her. Her contact with Ballard, however, remains a secret. She concocts a scheme with Julia that allows her to sneak back into the building and conduct the healing ritual – seemingly successfully. Ballard – also known as Aceso – seems to genuinely believe that "old gods and goddesses" are at work in Brightcliffe and hopes to harness their power. We learn in ‘Midnight’ that Shasta didn’t simply vanish – she tracked down Regina Ballard, founder of the Paragon cult, and lived with her for a while. She was indeed cured, but there's more to her story than she's letting on. Now, if you've been paying attention you'll probably have clocked fairly early on that Shasta and Julia Jayne are the same person. She was also, interestingly, the original founder of the Midnight Club. Julia disappeared for a few days in 1968 and, when she returned, appeared to be completely cured of her ailments, thanks to the Five Sisters ritual. Over the course of the series, Ilonka becomes aware of Julia Jayne, a girl who, like Ilonka, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and found herself in the hospice.
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