Thursday, May 7, 2015

To Charge or not To Charge... that´s the big question

Have you ever wondered why charging for services in a spiritual realm has such a bad reputation? Where does that come from? If I look at Catholic Priests, they live fairly well and their congregation helps them every time they can without questioning why. When it comes to Pagan Priestesses and  Priest, there is a certain belief that training should be given for free. I have nothing against those who feel they could provide trainings without charging a fee but I also think there is nothing wrong with charging a fee. A Priestess or a Priest is performing a sacred service to her or his community and should receive something in exchange. This is an energetic transaction. Besides this person has studied a great deal and practiced a path of devotion. It is a spiritual leader and paying a small fee to support her or his work should not be such a big deal.

I´ve had teachers who have done training for free and some who have charged a fee. In the end, it is a personal choice. I can´t say the free training was less meaningful than the paid training but one thing I could say is that I had no issues paying for training because I was supporting that person in her or his path of sustainable priestessing. 

When we look at corporations or other legal entities, there are no issues paying a salary for a person to lead them or to come up with the vision for them. There is also no issue paying people who have a profession so the question becomes why Priestessing is not a recognized profession. Who decided that the work of a Priestess/Priest should be done for free? Why do people feel it is ok not to contribute of their energy/mana?  I´ve been pondering on this a lot and there is no right answer but I do believe that a Priestess should be able to live by being a Priestess and not need to have a second job to be able to sustain herself. If you are a Priestess, do you charge for your services? How do you feel about your Priestessing? Can this be sustainable?

I look forward to your comments. 

Many blessings,

Carolina A. Amor

 
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 8, 2015 at 12:02 AM

    I've earned much of my living as a healer and still have issues around this theme. I'd rather earn from other activities and give the healing. That feels right. Not sure if this is social conditioning or correct.

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  2. AnonymousMay 23, 2015 at 8:16 PM

    You ask a question that never seems to get old! :-)

    I think it depends on the service being rendered. If the service is a rite of passage like a wedding or funeral where I hold a legal credential in the state I live to act as officiant (the exact same as a minister, since I am 'ordained' by my community and recognized in an oath bound way) then yes I always charge a fee in keeping with other clergy. That fee may vary depending on who is seeking services.

    I don't read tarot at fairs anymore, but when I did I think charging is fine. It's expected. I don't think tarot card readings at fairs are $65 readings... And probably aren't meant to be hour long plus detailed tree of life readings, you know?

    These days for me, things like Tarot, Energy work, teaching/training might be a cash payment, but often time it's a barter. I prefer the way a barter feels over money. Case in point I read tarot and do energy work on someone who in turn does body work on me. We both probably couldn't otherwise afford the service as often. They need clarity and healing energetically, and I need to literally loosen up the knots.

    A few years back I earned all my reiki certifications in exchange for building a website for the teacher. I had a service and she had a skill I wanted to learn. So I think there is room for fluidity. That is the blessing of our pagan community.

    Just some thoughts.

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