I recently got an email from someone who had seen an advertisement online for a Real Practicing Witch who offered to cast spells on behalf of those willing to pay. The charge was, depending on the service, anywhere between $25 and $250. The reader who contacted me wanted to know if that was "too much" to pay for. My immediate response was, "It doesn't matter if this person is any good at spellwork, what matters is whether she is an honest business person." If you're considering spending money on spellwork with someone you don't know personally, be sure to read Should I Pay for Spellcasting Services?
That said, this whole thing got me thinking about a discussion I'd once had with someone who was troubled by the fact that she had to pay to attend a Tarot class. The cost of the class was -- in my opinion -- reasonable, and I pointed out that the instructor was entitled to be compensated for her time, experience and knowledge. The student felt that the woman leading the class should be doing so out of love, and a willingness to share with the community.
Certainly, love is nice, but try offering it to your bank when it's time to make your mortgage payment. On the flip side, how much is too much?
Is it Okay to Charge for Services?
What do you all think? Is it okay to charge for services such as divination, classes, and so forth? Is it unacceptable? Or does it depend on the amount and what you're getting for your investment?
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook!
That said, this whole thing got me thinking about a discussion I'd once had with someone who was troubled by the fact that she had to pay to attend a Tarot class. The cost of the class was -- in my opinion -- reasonable, and I pointed out that the instructor was entitled to be compensated for her time, experience and knowledge. The student felt that the woman leading the class should be doing so out of love, and a willingness to share with the community.
Certainly, love is nice, but try offering it to your bank when it's time to make your mortgage payment. On the flip side, how much is too much?
Is it Okay to Charge for Services?
What do you all think? Is it okay to charge for services such as divination, classes, and so forth? Is it unacceptable? Or does it depend on the amount and what you're getting for your investment?
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook!
yes I charge for some of my classes. Some are free. most are 20.00 and under. Why? 10% percent goest to the shop for electricity, insurence and rents (some charge up to 75%!)
the rest goes to copies for handouts (20-50 pages), supplies (candles, incense, fabric, stones, charms, oils, herbs, etc) whatever is used during demos and the class project that everyone goes home with.
if someone is truly unable to pay I try to work with them by having them come in and help me get supplies ready or such for a discount.
I have also traded massage, food, other classes and more for classes.
If i have alot of students i may make 10-20.00. I make a donation to the pet shelter and then buy myself dinner
I think time, supplies and such is ok to pay for but if the teacher is getting rich off it- i might think twice before taking a class.
As a psychic who has been berated in the past for charging less than I deserve by those who think that since I have “a gift” I should give my time and energy as “a gift” to them for nothing, I am on my last nerve with this subject. (I’m better now, but I was on my last nerve working in a public pitch in London.)
If I was gifted with great beauty, athletic prowess, an incredible singing voice, technological genius, etc, I would be paid above and beyond any real benefit I gave to society. The excuse would be that in some cases, age will take this gift away — but age can take any gift away, as can burn out as can being worn out with people and their attitudes.
I regret that I have not charged enough in my life for the massive life improvements I have facilitated for people especially with my healing work. I am changing lives and I still have to struggle? Does that make sense? Is that fair? My “gift” has been enhanced through years of study, courses I have taken and paid for, long experience and some hardships that would not have been if I had not been involved in spiritual work.
As for this sweat lodge fiasco — yes people can throw their money away on a pseudo shaman if they want to. But was he even qualified to run a sweat lodge? Obviously not.
If he had not been motivated by sheer greed, he would have broken that mob into groups of ten and had ten separate sweat lodges even if he had to have assistants running them. I read one of his books and was not the least impressed with his spiritual dabbling. I wouldn’t have given Ray a tobacco offering to sit in sweat with him.
The fact that whole thing became a disaster doesn’t surprise me in the least.
Sorry if I sound ____ed off, but this just blows my mind to that degree. I know the real deal and they are living below the poverty line just because they can’t get on Oprah.
I just read through more of the comments and I want to say one more thing.
As it is sad that people like Ray take and bowlderize something like a seat lodge to make money, it is also unfortunate that things like Tarot that easy availability of Tarot and information about it has spawned a whole segment of the population who just hangs out a shingle and starts recruiting for classes they aren’t qualified to teach.
Its even worse in healing. Some people are quick studies and can go through a healing process once and remember the “formula”. I heard a story about this guy who did this and thought that all he had to know was the outward formula. He had no training, no qualifications and went to work on somebody anyway. That person went crazy and had to go to the original practitioner to get sorted out. Thank the gods he was.
I have long had a conflict with the democraticization of occult secrets and methods after seeing stuff like this going on. As for the woman who thought she could charge for a Tarot class and not even know her material, I would like to know how she managed to get anyone to to go to her class?
I hope you got your money back. There ARE legitimate teachers in the world who will give you more than any amount of money can measure, But you have to check them out these days.
I don’t see anything wrong with charging for services, even extremely high prices. It’s not a govt. mandate to have those services nor are they basic necessities unavailable elsewhere– nobody is being forced to buy your services.
Mind you– I don’t think you should expect to get many clients/students/etc. if your charges are higher than warrented. However, there’s nothing wrong with setting a high price, as long as you’re honest about what you are providing for that price, and follow through with providing what you promise.
People who provide services should charge. You pay plumbers, so pay your psychics. HOWEVER, there is another side to this coin you are forgetting about, and that is the people who want the services. People are coming to tarot readers, Reiki practitioners, etc. because they (hopefully) are looking to improve their lives and make positive changes, and need someone to help them do it. As a poor college student, I cannot afford the help I need, or would like to get. Overcharging deprives people of healing. Someone who feels that their life should be better because of all the positive things they’ve done to other people needs to step back. Healing is NOT ABOUT THE HEALER. Spiritual services are all about what the receiver does with them, not the giver. The god complex that some practitioners get is disgusting. They are doing nothing except enabling others to help themselves. I’m studying to be a therapist. When I go into a session with someone, I am doing nothing except giving them the tools to make positive change in their lives. Yes, payment will garner more respect for the help given. Yes, people should absolutely be compensated somehow. But I dislike the system that we have now, and find that people who would charge way too much for the services rendered personally disgusting. I don’t feel that tarot or reiki or something like that is something to make a living off of, because then the true meaning of it is lost in the struggle to get enough money to live. Any spiritual services must be done from a place of love and the divine, not only for the sake of money.
he had no right to charge when he apparently didnt know what the hell he was doing, and besides respectfully one must first earn the right to pour the mini wic’oni (water of life) upon the inyan oyate (the stone people) in creating Inikag’a – by going on the vision quest for four years and four years Sundance. Then you are put through a ceremony to be painted – to recognize that you have now earned that right to take care of someone’s life through purification. They should also be able to understand our sacred language, to be able to understand the messages from the Grandfathers, because they are ancient, they are our spirit ancestors. They walk and teach the values of our culture; in being humble, wise, caring and compassionate. What has happened in the news with the make shift sauna called the sweat lodge is not our ceremonial way of life! in a true sweat their is not usually any fee but gifts of food are sometimes offered to the head as a show of thankfullness and respect in which the food is usually shared at the end of the sweat by the participants.
Instruction in a skill, not in a a state of spirituality, especially if said instruction comes with a text or deck etc, should have a reasonable rate. The service rendered by the practice of that skill, on the other hand, is another issue entirely: Teh old saying was “cross my palms with silver that I may read your fate” is specific; two dimes. that’s it. Enough to indicate an interest and a willingness to sacrifice to gain the knowledge, but not enough to compromise the reader’s focus.
A doctor does charge for services, and can waive that fee based on need, so might another healer. On the other hand, the MD is also trying to pay off a $600k student loan.
I have lived in Sedona for twenty years. There are a lot of people who come here thinking they have the answers and are healers, psychics, wanna be’s, etc.
I don’t think the problem here is about money. James Arthur Ray did not have enough knowledge or wisdom to have a sweat lodge. The people who were in attendance did so of their own free will and literally gave their power away to this man.
When I moved here I spent a great deal of time just walking this sacred land. This is where the depth of knowledge comes from. Another person does not have the answers. I did go to various drumming groups, healers, psychics, etc. but then stopped doing so.
Sedona needed an awakening.
I think it is perfectly ok to charge for your services. People often class tarot readers, healers and the like as having a special gift given by the Infinite or Creator which should be given to others without charge but if these gifted people have to work mundane jobs to survive and live from day to day it is impossible to share their gifts to the public on a large scale. Painters, writers and musicians have gifts from the Creator and they charge. They place a monetary value on their gifts and there is no stigma attached to their choice. Whats the difference – Luna
I charge for energy work and for the shamanic practitioner work that I do. I did pay to learn the energy work. The shamanic work I paid a small amount for an apprenticeship and that started me on my journey of learning in another realm, where my accepted offering is time, commitment, respect, love. I think the payment validates the services. Years ago our services were validated by a culture that provided our shelter, hunted and gathered our food, made out clothes, etc. In that same spirit, I will happily barter for services when I can — I love farm fresh eggs or someone cutting my grass!
There MUST be an exchange of energy. Therefore, services must be paid for–an amount to be agreed upon, of course. My experience with those who could not pay, whenever I gifted my services they were taken for granted. If there is no energy exchange, the gift is not valued or even appreciated. This has happened every time.Yet those who pay are delighted with, enlightened, and healed by my services.
If someone needs my services and they cannot pay, they can gift me with food they have grown in their garden, or exchange their services whatever they may be, but it’s got to be something or the services are not valued. No value=no value.
I keep saying I will never turn anyone away, but perhaps turning someone away who expects everything for free because they’ve always received whatever they wanted for free, would be a good lesson for them. While I do not wish to turn anyone away, for my services to be constructive, they must provide something in return. If they can’t, they will need to figure out how to take responsibility for themselves.
I have paid for every class, course or reading I have received in one way or another. At festivals, I pay the festival fee so that I may attend the “free” classes. When a friend reads for me, I exchange a future reading of my own with them or we barter services or products. I actually have been doing quite a bit of bartering lately, which is very rewarding for both sides. We both get services or products we like and we are helping each other out.
I don’t believe someone’s time and energy should be free for anyone who wants it. If you want to donate your time and energy that is your business, but you shouldn’t feel obligated to do so.
Also, as a Virgo, I love paper, lists, notebooks and handouts. Organized class material gets me excited. I understand that these things cost time and money to put together so I have no problem at all paying for a class or for materials.
I find it so strange that people actually believe you should get someone’s knowledge, skill or energy for free.
A gift for a gift. This is the principle of reciprocity that relationships are based on. Some sort of exchange has to take place, whether it is that of money, materials, work, or something else. If one expects to get everything for free, without offering something in return, then one will earn a reputation as a freeloader and then no one will want to do business with them.
For example, let’s say I offered a friend some tips on spellcasting. Since I am friends with this person, I won’t charge them money. However, there is a built-in expectation that my friend will offer me pointers on singing at a later date, since that is what reciprocity is.
If nothing is given, nothing can be expected in return. However, costs should be reasonable and not exorbitant so that more people have a chance to be changed and change their lives (in a good way, not by going broke).
Blessings,
Victoria
As an artist I experience similar issues, with people wanting artwork for free. I find it amazing that they’ll happily pay hundreds for a mass-produced pair of shoes made by underpaid factory workers with huge profits going to a giant corporation, but for a hand-made, unique artwork that is the product of years of study and practice? Well that should be done out of love!
As another poster mentioned, love doesn’t pay the bills, and if I’m working full-time to pay those bills, do you think I have much energy left for artwork? Or that I can truly hone my skills when I’m fitting it in to what’s left of a long day?
It’s the same with spiritual services. I want the expertise that comes of deep immersion, not a hobby squeezed into spare time. Let the buyer beware, as always – sure, there are charlatans everywhere. If you don’t trust the person enough to pay for their services, don’t use them at all.