by Lillith

Created on: May 27, 2007

TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY:
The Ongoing Debate of Paying for Readings

"Do you mean you CHARGE to use your abilities? How can you do that?" "Your gifts are meant to be SHARED, not PAID for!" And on and on it goes.

Early in my professional reading career, those comments used to really disturb me. Could I be selfish in charging for the benefits of my talents? Is it true that I should be giving of my abilities for free? As a result of my dilemma, I did quite a few readings for free. However, at some point, I started to think it all through and this article is the result of my conclusions on the debate of whether or not it is "right" to charge or have to pay for readings.

Let's begin with the more obvious comparisons. How often do we see a doctor, who has been granted a "gift" of sorts and who has supplemented that gift with years of education, GIVE away his services? Yet no one questions the fact that it is expected and proper for a doctor to charge to heal someone. What about an artist? To be able to paint a moving picture in technicolor is a "gift" indeed. However, a true artist who is offered money for his paintings does not turn it down. Should the musician simply GIVE away his talent for playing an instrument, writing or singing a song? In fact, if you really think about it, nearly everyone who is gifted in some area uses that talent to make a living.

Exploring this a bit further, I will break it down even more. A reader, whether it be through tarot, runes, astrology, dream interpretations, mediumship, or the more "psychic" areas of clairvoyance, etc, is most definitely blessed with an ability. When doing a reading for someone, the reader puts a huge part of her/himself into that reading. It can be a very draining or tiring experience for some. The reader uses her/his energy to bring forth the information they are receiving and presenting to the querent. In cases of difficult readings, the experience can be unpleasant for the reader. It can be emotionally and/or mentally devastating, depending on the situation. Contrary to the belief of the novice querent, there is much more involved in giving a reading beyond just sitting down and shuffling cards. Most readers have a routine of sorts they practice. Some do a grounding exerise, light candles and incense, or do a full blown meditation prior to reading. Each reader does things differently. The point to this is that there is TIME involved in this preparation.

Moving on into the reading itself, a reader uses personal energy

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>