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 to tap into the forces that guide and bring them the answers sought. This requires complete concentration, which is a mental exercise and can be very tiring. Even if the information is received quickly and easily, the energy involved in the process is still very draining physically and mentally for a reader.
Most really good readers are constantly studying and absorbing information to make their readings better and more accurate. Just as a doctor is constantly updating his/her knowledge, so is a reader. Even natural abilities need a little extra boost. Do not take for granted that simply because a reader may be gifted in psychic areas, they are not studying to be better.
Then there is the time factor. When someone sits down to do a reading for you, they are using THEIR TIME to do so. Keep in mind that just because a person has been granted abilities of a psychic nature, they are not obligated to use these gifts in a volunteer capacity. Readers, just like everyone else, must have a means to make money and live. Should they be homeless so they can continue to give away their talents? I think not. Also, there is no reason that a reader should have to hold down a fulltime job they do not enjoy, just so they can do free readings for everyone. Gifted people were not put here to serve you. Just like any professional who works in a helping feild, readers were placed here to counsel and guide. But, just as those other professionals, readers are also meant to be compensated for their help. Now, there are situations that can be evaluated seperately as they occur. At times, there are people who are so desperately in need of psychic help, yet they are unable to afford the help. In these instances, it is perfectly acceptable and right for a reader to offer services for free if it is truly needed. There are also many very talented psychics today who have no real need for money, and help find missing persons, etc for the simple fee of transportation and lodging. Most of these psychics have already made a name for themselves and can afford to be generous. This is not the normal situation for most readers, although they are continuously made to feel guilty for asking compensation for use of their abilities.
The services of a psychic reader provides many things. There is comfort, if needed, as well as hope, or help in the resolution of problems. The psychic listens and is bound by confidentiality. So if you just need to talk to someone who will not betray your confidence and who can offer you advice from other planes, then a psychic is the person to visit. Now, at this moment, you may be thinking, "Oh I can get THAT from a minister or a priest." Yes, you CAN get that from a man of the cloth. However, while you will not be charged MONEY for help from this corner, you WILL pay a price. You will be judged and condemned for most acts that require a visit to the church. A psychic will not judge your actions or your thoughts. You are free to speak your mind openly and honestly with a reader. What you will receive is caring and support as well as solid advice about what your next step should be and how to proceed. This, in itself, is worth the monetary fee of a reading. For the time spent with your reader, you have her/his complete attention and the type of support you are seeking. You will leave your reading with a start on any resolutions that you may need in your life. You will know that SOMEONE cares about you, in spite of yourself.
Of course, there are now, and have always been charlatens. These people do give psychic readers a bad name by charging exorbitant fees for phony readings, spells, etc. The great magician, Harry Houdini, spent a good part of his adult life exposing fake mediums in his search to reconnect with his departed mother. There are a few others who have made a name for themselves in recent years by "debunking" fake psychics. This seems to be the basis on which many people found their belief that a "REAL" psychic would not charge money. This could not be more wrong. Obviously, it depends on the type of service you are seeking as to how much you should expect to reasonably pay. A simple tarot reading may cost anywhere from $15 to $60, depending on the time involved. There are readers who charge more. If the fee seems too high for what you need, do a little research into the reader. Read testimonials or use word of mouth. If you feel that the fee is still too high for the service, then look around some more. You will find someone who is honest and reasonable as well as gifted. Do not necessarily settle on the first reader you encounter. A medium's services will cost much more than a tarot reading. You must understand that contacting the spiritworld is a bit more complex, and therefore will cost more. Astrologists and numerologists sometimes charge very high fees for their services. However, again, do some research. It is very possible to receive a high quality reading of this sort without having to go bankrupt.
In conclusion, I must say that I have moved past any guilt put upon me regarding charging a fee for my services as a reader. If someone tries that with me these days, I wish them all the best, bid them a good day, and send them on their way. I do not allow myself to be manipulated in this way any longer. If you are reading this as a future client, please think very hard before judging a psychic for charging a fee. Could you possibly be just a bit selfish in expecting a gifted person to just GIVE you benefit of their talents? Would you really want someone to not have food in the house because you assume that readers should take time out of their day to GIVE you a reading? In reality, psychic readers are just like everyone else when it comes to needing to make a living. We, too, need a place to live, food on our tables, a way to care for our children, and pay doctor bills. Just because we have a talent, does not mean that money appears from the skies for us. So the next time you are tempted to say to a reader "Why do you charge for your readings?" or you hear someone else proclaiming loudly that a "TRUE psychic" would not charge for readings, think very hard first about what is being asked.
To the claim that only a "fake" would charge money, I must respond, that only a "selfish" person would ask them NOT to charge.