Charging for the Craft

[r2squared]

I'm curious as to what one describes as charging people for The Craft. Most witches and pagans that I have met have come to look down upon anyone casting a spell or doing anything magickal for a fee, but I also know that many of us live near metaphysical and occult stores that will also sell psychic reading and other services for a fee.

In the case of charging people for the Craft, would you count psychic, tarot readers, mediums, and that sort as falling into this category, and how do you personally feel towards it?



I just remember going to a "New Earth" festive a couple months back, and the room was filled to the brim with all sorts of psychic healers, mediums, fortunes tellers, and the works. I was honestly a little put back by it. After all, as witches and pagans, we should be able to do all of that for ourselves. I feel like those people are preying on the people going into festivals or stores like that and not really understanding that they have the power themselves to do what they're doing...either that or maybe their customers simply can't be bothered to learn what it takes to know in order to become more psychically aware.
In my personal opinion, I think it's a shame to want to use something as pure and sacred as our Craft for monetary gain.

[r2squared]

I'm curious as to what one describes as charging people for The Craft. Most witches and pagans that I have met have come to look down upon anyone casting a spell or doing anything magickal for a fee, but I also know that many of us live near metaphysical and occult stores that will also sell psychic reading and other services for a fee.

In the case of charging people for the Craft, would you count psychic, tarot readers, mediums, and that sort as falling into this category, and how do you personally feel towards it?

I just remember going to a "New Earth" festive a couple months back, and the room was filled to the brim with all sorts of psychic healers, mediums, fortunes tellers, and the works. I was honestly a little put back by it. After all, as witches and pagans, we should be able to do all of that for ourselves. I feel like those people are preying on the people going into festivals or stores like that and not really understanding that they have the power themselves to do what they're doing...either that or maybe their customers simply can't be bothered to learn what it takes to know in order to become more psychically aware.
In my personal opinion, I think it's a shame to want to use something as pure and sacred as our Craft for monetary gain.

And with that being said, I don't see a problem with the metaphysical and occult stores SUPPLYING said Craft supplies. After all, the consumer will be the one to use those tools for their own purposes, not the retailers.

[RedHawk]

And with that being said, I don't see a problem with the metaphysical and occult stores SUPPLYING said Craft supplies. After all, the consumer will be the one to use those tools for their own purposes, not the retailers.

I watched a video about some women in Hong Kong that did rituals and asked for payment. One of them, had to be in her seventies, seem to get the first customer. Of course she could of been there for a couple of hours. You would never see anything like that being down out in the open. The Christians would be on them like nobodies business.

[Mama Fortuna]

I watched a video about some women in Hong Kong that did rituals and asked for payment. One of them, had to be in her seventies, seem to get the first customer. Of course she could of been there for a couple of hours. You would never see anything like that being down out in the open. The Christians would be on them like nobodies business.

Uh, what?

[RedHawk]

Uh, what?

What I was meaning was that you would never see what was in that video happening in America. Your extreme form of Christianity would be denouncing it and stuff. Here's the link, so that you can be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-79FcyZP_g

I really like seeing other cultures out there and what their doing.

[Jack]

What I was meaning was that you would never see what was in that video happening in America. Your extreme form of Christianity would be denouncing it and stuff. Here's the link, so that you can be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-79FcyZP_g

I really like seeing other cultures out there and what their doing.

Yep, in America they would likely be working out of a storefront or home because a lot of cities have really detailed laws about setting up on sidewalks and the like. Someone with a smaller set-up, like a tarot reader, is more likely to be able to manage on the sidewalk.

[Neteruhemta RaShuSet]

What I was meaning was that you would never see what was in that video happening in America. Your extreme form of Christianity would be denouncing it and stuff. Here's the link, so that you can be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-79FcyZP_g

I really like seeing other cultures out there and what their doing.

For the record, I don't have an extreme form of Christianity, and as Jack just said above, there are rules for places at times, especially sidewalks.

[Mama Fortuna]

What I was meaning was that you would never see what was in that video happening in America. Your extreme form of Christianity would be denouncing it and stuff. Here's the link, so that you can be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-79FcyZP_g

I really like seeing other cultures out there and what their doing.

I agree that it's cool to see what the norm is in other countries, but you can't take something out of context and say, "that would never happen here." Because, well, no, of course not - different culture and history.

Religious fundamentalists denounce everything, so I can't say I'd be much bothered by them screaming about a little street ritual common in another country. And you know... yeah, some of them scream and protest, but it's not like they actually get to shut down stuff all the time. I can't speak for where you're from, but I grew up in a city that was both the middle of the Bible Belt and also a place with a huge Sikh population. You didn't see the two trying to slam one another in public. Where I live now, we have a large Chinese population, and there are most certainly some public religious or magical rituals done during the New Year. I've seen palm and tarot readers working on the street countless times.

So. I'm not saying the link isn't cool - it is, and thanks for sharing it! - just that I don't think I understand why it seems to make you think of Big Bad Christians out to get people.

[Darkhawk]

I think it appropriate to pay people for doing work for me. I think it appropriate to charge people when I do work for them.

Doing work for free makes one poor, hungry, and exhausted.

[SatSekhem]

I think it appropriate to pay people for doing work for me. I think it appropriate to charge people when I do work for them.

Doing work for free makes one poor, hungry, and exhausted.

This.

When it comes to Tarot work, I don't consider it an aspect of my pagan lifestyle. In fact, I found Tarot long before I came stumbling upon this religious path of mine. The two are not mutually exclusive in my mind's eye since, for me, doing Tarot work is about something that needs to be fed within me and not something that needs to be done for my spirituality. Does that make sense?

I also have no problem with anyone charging for any sort of services rendered, whether it be of a magical persuasion or otherwise. I don't feel that it sullies anything.