I belong to a group where many who adhere to similar based magio-religious practices and do spiritual work in the community. Recently, when I was making a point regarding a possible opportunity, one of the other readers in the group make a slightly off comment regarding my reading prices in comparison to other’s in the group. I have never met this person personally, and have only the knowledge of this person through this group. This at first made me wonder as to why she was pointing me out to this magio-religious community, but then I realized that perhaps this person felt that I poised a threat to her income process, but in reality I may have been giving her insight to her own ‘worth’ in the practices she practiced.
This raises a question for the psychic or spiritual worker “shopper” – why does one charge different prices for almost the same services? First, let’s visit the reasoning for charging a fee for these services at all.
Consider yourself a person who wants to go into any higher respected profession – medicine, law, counseling, etc. These professions require many years of studying and the costs affiliated with it – books, supplies, computers and maybe even traveling to do internship in the chosen field. The investment is not only financial but the investment of a person’s time and energy. Now, if you made these sacrifices to become a professional in these fields, would you not want to make a comfortable living from the many hours of study and the many dollars invested in your profession? Of course you would and you would be considered quite odd or even mad if you did not expect a financial blessing for your investment. So why would it be any different for someone who paid for rituals, initiations, books, supplies, and more? Go to your doctor or dentist and tell them that they are a “money-oriented healer” and get escorted to the door! What do you think pays for him to have that office open and the staff available to take your call when you need an appointment? Your co-payments and fees.
Why charge for a reading? The argument that many readers hear is ‘”Well, this is a gift from God, therefore you should give it free”‘ does not set well with professional spiritual practitioners and readers because when we do a reading for you, it is not our opinion – say like if you and I were talking like two girlfriends – but it is information imparted from Spirit with insight and clarity. The reading is not about me; it is about the querent, the person seeking knowledge. Because of this distinction, it is a service I impart for people who are a crossroads in their lives and need an outside objective view. Service fees, in the form of the charges for a reading, compensates the reader for their years of study. I have over 100 books in subjects that I utilize daily. I have three computers for the three websites I run. I take courses and trainings, participate in rituals, travel to seminars, continue my growth by going through initiations, phone lines, website costs – the list can go on and on. The costs of investment can also determine the pricing of services between two readers or spiritual practitioners.
Many may have the view of “only the best for me/my family/my…”. This is not a bad view or a goal for yourself or your loved ones. But, you might want to consider the thought that the higher prices that someone charges may not necessarily mean better quality. You have to go with your feeling that they give you when you speak with them or read about their accomplishments. You get what you pay for might be a thought going through your mind now, but what if for some unfortunate reason, you are at a financial loss and need? Does the fact that you may have just lost your job and are now pinching pennies to make it mean that you are not “worthy” to get a reading because you do not have enough to pay for one? No. You are in a time of NEED and need a reading maybe when you need it more than ever to make wise decisions for advancement. The cost of the reading, despite whether it is expensive or not, is your outward expression of gratitude for the person being available to aid and assist you through a difficult time. As someone said to me, “Some can only afford to eat at Popeye’s chicken. Some can afford to eat at Popeye’s chicken or Chevy’s restaurant and some can afford to eat at Popeye’s chicken, Chevy’s and the Tavern on the Green. All are hungry, all can have their hunger satisfied, but each has a different menu to choose from.” The payment to the person giving you the reading has yet another meaning within the workings of the Universe.
There is a Universal Law that all things need validation for their reception. Meaning, “You can’t get it for free”. This is a TRUTH. For you to advance forward in life means that you need to make some sort of sacrifice to validate that information or energy expressed for you and on your behalf, and in this modern day, the form is in the greenback dollar. In past times, it might have been a rooster, some eggs, a cake, a bag of corn, fresh vegetables or something else that was brought to Ms. Ellie’s home when you needed help on a situation, but now we use credit cards, Internet money processing systems and cash to make that offering. The argument that ‘readings should be free’ cannot ever be farther from the truth as it is in your sacrifice that blessings come. If you delve deeper into the true meanings of tithing, you would understand. The act of giving for something shows respect for the other – and in that symbolism of showing respect – then respect is returned to you.
