Paying for Services?
I was wanting to ask how people feel about paying for certain services. Not just from learning with a teacher. I could have sworn I saw this topic here somewhere, but couldn't find it. So I apologize if this topic has already been discussed.
I'm kind of torn on this issue myself. Some of you are probably familiar with a very, very popular youtube user by the name of CharmingPixieFlora. She has a website that sells certain services such as:
-Spiritual coaching
-readings
-how to build altars (along with many other how-to wiccan topics)
-meditatations
- finding spirit guides
A lot of these services she corresponds via emails and telephone conversation. Her prices range from 20 bucks, to 335 dollars a month (for her spiritual coaching package).
So I wanted to ask your opinion on buying different services. Do you not believe in selling these services at all? Do you feel that prices should be limited to a certain amount. Do you feel it's effective to pay for readings via email and phone?Add anything else about this topic that you feel like!
Views: 304
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter -
Would you expect a personal trainer to offer their services fro free? If the answer is no, then why would you expect a spiritual coach to do so?
Would you expect a stock broker to give you their time and knowledge for free? If the answer is no, then why should tarot reader?
Would you expect someone to teach you how to upholster a coach from free? If the answer is no, then why expect such of the person that would teach you how to build an altar?
I can go on, but I'm sure you get the idea. And as with anything when it comes to consumerism, it's important for buyers to follow the old adage of "buyer beware."
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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter
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Megan Herrod said:
I don't really think that you should be charged for "spiritual coaching"... Anything along the lines of what a clergy person might do should be free
You know, a week ago my father was telling me how the day before his marriage to my mother, he went to the bank and got a crisp twenty dollar bill, which was carefully put into an envelope which he then put the name of the officiating Anglican priest on. Why? Because it was expected that that husband to be would "gift" the priest whatever the soon to be married man makes in one day. And in 1972, that was twenty dollars.
Frankly the idea of expecting clergy to minster without compensation (either with money or through barter) is just plain naive. Especially in the case of pagan paths where there is no Church to provide for the priest/esses needs and bills need to be paid.
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Permalink Reply by Samiya -
I once had a friend who could do readings, accurate readings, over the phone. It can be done. It just depends on a lot of different things, I guess. I wouldn't know what those 'things' were/are as I am not a reader. *sniff*
I don't mind paying for some services, though I can't see myself paying $335 for one. Sure, I buy a LOT of stuff from online stores like candles, herbs, oils, books, etc, but never a service!
I have a question, Melissa. When you say building an Altar is it actually making an altar itself or what to put on top of it?
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Permalink Reply by Jet Piston -
From the Wiccan point of view (specifically Gardnerian), we do not charge money for the Craft. I have no problem with charging for services like tarot readings, finding spirit guides, house cleansing, handfastings, aura readings, and things like that. However, while these are things that many Wiccans are very good at, none of them are actually part of Wicca.
Instruction on the things that the Wica do, such as how to conduct our rites, approach our Gods, pass our mysteries... these things are never charged for.
Anyone who claims to be teaching Gardnerian Wicca and who asks for money is a fraud.
-Jet
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Permalink Reply by Melissa
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I think she's just charging 20 bucks to teach you what to put on top of an altar.
Samiya said:I once had a friend who could do readings, accurate readings, over the phone. It can be done. It just depends on a lot of different things, I guess. I wouldn't know what those 'things' were/are as I am not a reader. *sniff*
I don't mind paying for some services, though I can't see myself paying $335 for one. Sure, I buy a LOT of stuff from online stores like candles, herbs, oils, books, etc, but never a service!
I have a question, Melissa. When you say building an Altar is it actually making an altar itself or what to put on top of it?
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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter
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Seeing as people pay thousands of dollars to be told what furniture should go in what room, this doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Melissa said:I think she's just charging 20 bucks to teach you what to put on top of an altar.
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Permalink Reply by Jet Piston
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Anyone who wants to message me, I'll tell you what to put on top of your altar for only ten bucks.
Vigdisdotter said:Seeing as people pay thousands of dollars to be told what furniture should go in what room, this doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Melissa said:I think she's just charging 20 bucks to teach you what to put on top of an altar.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa
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Well, I don't have that kind of money to waste. Haha!
I don't mind paying for services, but I'm always on guard. I think there are unfortunately people who take advantage of another person's belief system to get money out of them.
This particular person in question puts a lot of time to teach others, so obviously she charges. However, being on guard, it arises some concerns.
Firstly, a lot of her services are simply recordings. Her how to build an altar guide is a 20 dollar recording, she has another 30 dollar recording going through five meditations,etc. The main thing I have to ask myself is whether charging this amount is reasonable for a recording. Also, what can she teach us about altars for 20 bucks that you can't find in any beginners book? This is a question, and I'm not trying to sound conceited there,lol.
My second point of concern was doing readings over the phone. That has been clarified through you lovely people's help!
Third thing that made me skeptical about this individual, is her year and a day course. Obviously labeling something "year and a day" implies something neo-wiccan,right? However, in her description it says it's "your basic pagan 101 course". It then goes to describe the content of her lessons as neo-wicca. Someone using the terms Pagan and "Wicca" interchangeably always puts me on alert.
There's a lot of positive reviews of her services, but all the negative reviews get deleted. Even if they were polite honest reviews. Though, putting a review on her youtube probably isn't the best place for putting a review, it kind of bothers me that people's bad experiences with her are not being shared somewhere. I always look at both positive and negative reviews to make an informed purchase.
Vigdisdotter said:
Seeing as people pay thousands of dollars to be told what furniture should go in what room, this doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Melissa said:I think she's just charging 20 bucks to teach you what to put on top of an altar.
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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter
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Melissa said:Also, what can she teach us about altars for 20 bucks that you can't find in any beginners book?
There are plenty of people that don't want read books and would much rather have something like a recording that just told them.
A BTW friend of mine used to run her own witch store. She'd make her own oils, everything was legit and she worked hard to make her items. But she'd have people come in asking her to make "extra strong" luck oils. She'd take their money, but it would be the same it always was. She refereed to the jacked up price for the "extra strong" oils as a stupidity tax.
Melissa said:Someone using the terms Pagan and "Wicca" interchangeably always puts me on alert.
While I can see that, I really wouldn't read to much into it seeing as for over twenty years Llewellyn books and their ilk have been using the terms inter changeably. It's simply become (an unfortunate) part of the culture.
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Permalink Reply by Megan Herrod -
There is a difference between what IS done and what should be done... The person who officiated my wedding cost $0... But, she was given a free meal, and if I was asked I would have gladly compensated her for her time and energy. If I were at a church and asked for a word of advice from the minister, I would be a little offended if he said, sure- but first, my hourly rate is $50.
But really, I, MYSELF wouldn't charge for those services... I just wouldn't... But morality is judged on a personal level, and if I don't think that 100's of dollars of service are provided by her spiritual coaching... I won't buy it. That doesn't hurt her, or I. I don't think asking for payment is "immoral"- but I wouldn't do it myself. I don't pay for a lot of information I acquire, because it is given freely... so I don't think it is Naive to think that a person would share knowledge and services with others for free. I also wouldn't pay thousands of dollars to have someone "feng shui" my living room That doesn't mean that I think it is immoral to be a feng shui consultant.
-Megan
Vigdisdotter said:"You know, a week ago my father was telling me how the day before his marriage to my mother, he went to the bank and got a crisp twenty dollar bill, which was carefully put into an envelope which he then put the name of the officiating Anglican priest on. Why? Because it was expected that that husband to be would "gift" the priest whatever the soon to be married man makes in one day. And in 1972, that was twenty dollars. "
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Permalink Reply by Vigdisdotter
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Ask yourself why. Ask yourself what your expectations are here and what they are based on. Then ask yourself how that fits with the reality of paying one's bills.
Megan Herrod said:
I would be a little offended if he said, sure- but first, my hourly rate is $50.
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Permalink Reply by Samiya
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OK--I don't think charging money to show people what to put on an altar is at all ethical. Then again, I suppose I should be looking at the people who are willing to be parted with their money to be TOLD what to put on an altar. Knowing what to put on an altar isn't an art! It's just something you learn to do on your own by feel, by putting things on there that makes you happy, that you will use. That's my opinion anyway!
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