Divination Weekly Topic ~ Can you charge for readings?

[Hope]

Ok the weekly topics are a great place for everyone to share their thoughts or questions on a certain topic about divination. Hopefully we can learn or share something new for ourselves or others.


This week:

Can a reader charge for their services; why or why not and if so how much is ok, what is too much?

If you have a suggestion for a weekly Divination topic, please PM me.


love
hope
_______

[mtpathy]

ive met dozens of people who read tarot cards
and only 2 i would consider gifted in tarot reading.
neigther one of them ever asked for $.

[brymble]

i've read professionally in the past, and i will read professionally again in the future. i consider it a service, and as it requires my time and energy, i see no wrong in recieving energy in the form of money, bartered goods or services in exchange. i have read in shops, at festivals, and for fundraisers for pagan and student groups. i've read for barter, for friendship, and for fun. i don't always charge a fee (when reading for shops and fundraisers i will charge the going rate) and when i do i usually have a sliding scale. i do make sure my client gets the very best of my talents, whether it is a paid reading or a "freebie" for a friend or relative, and i take my client's needs very seriously. it is not just about making money, far from it, reading is a joy to share but also a responsibility. however, i am currently homeless and staying with relatives, so if i'm being paid, i'm grateful for it. no, you're not going to see me driving a new cadilac with my earnings, but if i can afford insurance and registration for the clunker volvo rusting in the backyard and get transportation to a "real" job or to small business classes i'm not going to feel ashamed. we do what we need to do, within ethical constraints, to make our way in the world, and i see no ethical conflict with charging an affordable rate for my time and energy, whether that energy is spent reading cards or asking people if they want fries with that.

[Amber Wynd]

I feel the same as brymble. Reading tarot cards is my full time job - it takes a lot of my time and energy and I couldn't provide this particular service to my callers if I wasn't getting paid for it. I'm not ashamed to take money from my clients because I don't waste their time and I give them the very best reading I can every time they call me. I've been reading full time for the past five years and also have about 17 years experience as a crisis counselor, and they're getting the benefit of that experience as well. In all honesty there are times when I don't have energy or patience to give my clients an honest exchange for their money or other form of payment. Same with the freebies. It's worse to give the gift of a poor reading than to give none, so I don't work when I don't energy to spare.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to the people who call and allow me to make my living this way. My tarot reading business gave me the income I needed to leave an unhappy marriage. Reading the cards for money is allowing me to live modestly, but comfortably, and help my daughter through college.

[SageofThyme]

I'm kind of sitting on the fence with this. On the one hand I agree completey with the others here about the time and energy etc (So I won't repeat all that they say)
However on the other hand a lot of people who ask for readings are at a low point in there life (as they ask generally about areas they want to see a change in) and I do feel uncomfortable with the fact that often the people who ask for readings cannot afford it and may become dependent on readings. Although that is something I feel about free readings as well as paid readings to some degree (and I do give readings).
Personally I get a lot of messages for people who haven't asked for readings -so I cannot ask for payment if I choose to pass the message on and since I seem to "specialize" (unintentially) in predicting misunfortune and sometimes major incident. I've come to realise that for me personally I cannot put a price on that kind of information.
So personally for me I doubt I'd ever charge but at the same time I won't condemn anybody that does. I feel it has to be an individual choice and I also feel I get my reward in other ways than money.

On a side note with the exception of one the best readings I've had have come from people reading for free to the public

[RoseKitten]

It depends really, for a job, yes, I'd charge. Plain and simple. However, if it was just for fun, then no. Also, I hate the reader in town, she charge $30 for tarot. I'm sorry, but even if it is your job, 10minutes is *not* worth that much money. I plan on doing divination as part of my business, however since I'm learning, it's free ^_^

[brymble]

please keep in mind that if reading is this woman's job, then she is dependent on bookings to get by. $30 may seem like a lot (and it is a bit steep for 10 minutes, i think, but i don't know her situation or the area she's reading in) but how many bookings does she get in a week? don't assume she's working an 8-hour workday, because she probably isn't. she probably has to take the bookings she can get whenever she can get them.

some time ago someone on another pagan forum took me to task for charging the equivalent of $50 in bartered goods for some of my hand-painted altar pentacles. but think about it - i had to pay for supplies and materials out of pockest (just like that reader has to pay for rent, or lisitings, or online/telephone connection fees) it takes me anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days to make one of my pentacles (and yes, the fancier ones are quite pricey.) i have two kids to take care of, and bills to pay. (and right now, i need a home, too, selfish me.) and i sold an altar pentacle, what every month or so? $50 in bartered goods was a steal for whoever bought it. (the ironic thing is that particular barter was one of those deals where we both walked away feeling like we got a bargain, which, if you ask me, is what barter is all about!)

if she were to charge say $5 or $10 for readings and were only to get, say 10 or even 20 readings a week and pay her shop space rent out of that, and her own rent, and bills and expenses...consider, how would she manage?

it's a job, people. when we do this full-time, it's hard work!

[RoseKitten]

please keep in mind that if reading is this woman's job, then she is dependent on bookings to get by. $30 may seem like a lot (and it is a bit steep for 10 minutes, i think, but i don't know her situation or the area she's reading in) but how many bookings does she get in a week? don't assume she's working an 8-hour workday, because she probably isn't. she probably has to take the bookings she can get whenever she can get them.

some time ago someone on another pagan forum took me to task for charging the equivalent of $50 in bartered goods for some of my hand-painted altar pentacles. but think about it - i had to pay for supplies and materials out of pockest (just like that reader has to pay for rent, or lisitings, or online/telephone connection fees) it takes me anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days to make one of my pentacles (and yes, the fancier ones are quite pricey.) i have two kids to take care of, and bills to pay. (and right now, i need a home, too, selfish me.) and i sold an altar pentacle, what every month or so? $50 in bartered goods was a steal for whoever bought it. (the ironic thing is that particular barter was one of those deals where we both walked away feeling like we got a bargain, which, if you ask me, is what barter is all about!)

if she were to charge say $5 or $10 for readings and were only to get, say 10 or even 20 readings a week and pay her shop space rent out of that, and her own rent, and bills and expenses...consider, how would she manage?

it's a job, people. when we do this full-time, it's hard work!

I'd say she's doing fine, as when I called she had to book me 4 days out.... and she's there 12 hours a day (I think it's where she lives too, but I don't know). Also, she refuses walk-ins 'cause she's just so busy (I suppose, 'cause she keeps the door locked so nobody can come in during her hours unless they've got an appointment).

[mallorean]

In my opinion as a witch im not allowed to charge money for the use of the craft. The book of law strictly prohibits this. However when I do readings whether runestones geomnacy the tarot or other tools I do ask for donations if i need money or something. But this is not conditional meaning if the person is broke i still do the reading for them anyway.

Blessed Be and Merry Part
Mallorean

[Amber Wynd]

In my opinion as a witch im not allowed to charge money for the use of the craft. The book of law strictly prohibits this. However when I do readings whether runestones geomnacy the tarot or other tools I do ask for donations if i need money or something. But this is not conditional meaning if the person is broke i still do the reading for them anyway.

Blessed Be and Merry Part
Mallorean
I'm a witch, but not Wiccan, so I'm not familiar with the book of law. I see no problem with charging for the use of my time and energy, but I respect you for following the ethics of your path. If I read for someone in person, I'm always happy to take donations, too. Or make a trade. I have one in-person client who is best friends with my hairdresser, so she pays for my haircut every month. But I read through an online site and they don't give us that option. They take almost 50% right off the top and I pay taxes on the rest, including all of my own social security taxes. I guess what I'm saying is that yes, $30.00 is a lot of money for a reading, but the reader doesn't always get to keep all of it. This is my only job and I work 7 days a week to support my daughter and myself. I make no apologies for needing to be paid.

Yes, some clients spend way more than they can afford when they are in crisis. If I think a client is becoming addicted to readings, I advise them to slow it down - and I actually refuse to read for some people. But I am curious about what all of you would do in that circumstance. On the one hand, I realize they'll just call another psychic if I don't take their calls, but on the other hand I feel too guilty and don't want to contribute to their financial downfall.

I'd say she's doing fine, as when I called she had to book me 4 days out.... and she's there 12 hours a day (I think it's where she lives too, but I don't know). Also, she refuses walk-ins 'cause she's just so busy (I suppose, 'cause she keeps the door locked so nobody can come in during her hours unless they've got an appointment).I so understand why this woman locks her door to keep people from coming in without an appointment. I quit giving readings from my home because strangers were walking in at all hours of the day and night. I've had people banging on my door as late as 3:00 am - and some of them are drunk or just plain creepy. I don't want their energy in my home. Even now, months after I quit reading in a shop downtown, customers track me down. I forgot to lock my door one day and a woman I barely knew walked in and demanded a reading. I was sick in bed and she wouldn't leave until I got up and read for her. I had to call the police to make her leave.

[tarotgirljess]

I have been reading cards for 10-11 years at this point and I have done both. If a friend or a friend of a friend needs help they come over for a reading. I haven't charged for these but I do take trade occasionally.
However, I had a booth at the towns local fair where i sold various other things including Tarot decks, and I charged for readings.
I charged for several reasons 1)It was my time and energy that went into the readings 2) most people take it more serious if they pay for it.
it wasn't so much about the money although it was needed. I charged 10 USD for a 12 card spread (and any clarifiers they needed) and if at the end of the reading they didn't feel it was up to their standards they were more than welcome to take their money back. The readings ran to be about 30 minutes. If they needed a second reading on the specifics that was no charge. during this same day i also stumbled upon someone who feared that he had a curse placed upon him and that was the reason for his bad luck. He only had a few dollars, not enough for a reading, but he needed. I gave him a reading for no charge and added in some extras.
To me it's about helping, but money is nice. Doctors, lawyers, plumbers, musicians ect all have talent and they are paid for their time and energy why should Tarot be any different?

[Hope]

I had a feeling this would be a lively topic~

I have found that people like to pay for a reading, and complain about payin for one .. laughs

at festivals when there is a wide range of readings avail stone, runes, palms, cards, aura etc

people will walk around looking for
a) someone that is busy, and watch the reactions of those leaving
b) the best deal
c) someone they know or have heard of (and still will often try something else cheaper)

I set appointment times, and am often not readily avail, because I am a single mom of two teens, and a 2 year old primate, run three businesses from my home, have a large house and yard, live in an area not condusive to my health etc. etc. etc.

And I often have people assume well she is..............that is the pretty thing about assumptions, they are based on partial facts (if any) and emotion.

I charge and I dont charge it depends. At festivals I generally do a 10-15 minute reading for $5 that is the market in mormon/republican/conservativeville where I live

I tend to charge for a 30 minute reading for a private session, but there is no timer that says get out times up; I try to use common sense instead.

I wont do readings over and over (even when someone says i WILL PAY MORE!) I say well I am confident there are a LOT of folks that will take your cash, I will not; and here is why and remind them about taking control.


How much do I charge, depends free, to trade, to $5 -$50. The funny part is the people that have paid me the MOST have been people with money, that lecture me on how I need to charge MORE, and realize the value of what I am doing, take care of my self fiscally LOL

so come on... more questions or comments????


love
hope

[Amber Wynd]

I had a feeling this would be a lively topic~

I have found that people like to pay for a reading, and complain about payin for one .. laughs

at festivals when there is a wide range of readings avail stone, runes, palms, cards, aura etc

people will walk around looking for
a) someone that is busy, and watch the reactions of those leaving
b) the best deal
c) someone they know or have heard of (and still will often try something else cheaper)


Yup. Everyone chooses a reader based on their own belief system. Some people tell me they choose me because of the graphics on my listing, others because of the feedback clients leave, or what I said about myself in my listing. Still others choose according to price - but not always are they looking for someone cheaper. Quite a few of my clients brag about calling readers who charge way more than I do. And I know that they sometimes take the advice of the more expensive psychic over that of the cheaper. Which is just ridiculous.

I remember when I was just starting to read professionally. One of my co-workers at the day job I had back then was helping me design my tarot reading listing. She studied a lot of the other reader's pages and looked at their pricing system, etc. Then she picked out someone who was charging what I still consider to be an outrageous price and said, I bet this lady has a lot of people standing in line to read for her. I said "why?" and she said "Look at what she charges. She must be the best reader on the site because she charges the most. No offense, but if I wanted a reading, I'd save my money until I had enough to call her because her advice is obviously valuable."

[brymble]

i think one of the toughest things about reading professionally is when people are seeking out your help in order to avoid the kind of help they really need. you know that they'd just take their money to another reader if you refused it, so you end of feeling like all you can do is give them your best and hope they listen and learn from it. i used to keep the phone numbers of a local mental health help line, legal aid, and a domestic abuse help line with my cards.

one woman came to me for a reading, and she insisted in booking me for a full hour and paying quite a high price, the shop really needed the money, so the store-owner was ecstatic. but i think we both felt a little uncomfortable with it when she told us her story. she was being psychologically abused and manipulated by her personal trainer at a health club, who had her convinced that her internet relationship would fail once they met in person if she wasn't addicted to steroids with a ridiculously unnaturally sculpted body. that was a difficult one to handle. i ended up giving her the number for a local crisis hotline, that i knew would be able to provide phone numbers for medical and legal help and be able to provide better advice than me. and as for the relationship, i reminded her that this man had already decided he was falling in love with her before he'd even seen her, so i doubted that having a perfectly sculpted body was as important to him as her just being herself. i didn't want to charge her, but she insisted on paying because she felt she'd needed my help to see how she'd been surrendering her power - or at least for "permission" to take back her power. i still felt like she over-paid, so i ended up taking my payment in barter from the shop instead of cash. she had been under the thumb of her trainer and feeling powerless for a long time, even though she felt really uncomfortable taking the steroids. i think about her often, and i hope she made out ok, and that she took the rest of her money to a lawyer and/or a doctor instead of to another psychic.

[Xeen]

I think it's perfectly fine for somebody to charge for doing readings. I have a very good friend that charges for her readings. She's really good and before she started charging she was just getting bombarded by people all over asking for her guidance. When she started charging the people kept bombarding her but it did taper off after awhile.

Being able to do readings may or may not be considered a gift, but that doesn't mean you can't charge for it. You're giving your precious time to help others. Also, I strongly believe that people won't have the same respect for you if you're doing it for free.

I rarely do Tarot for anybody, but when I do, I don't ask for money because I don't feel I'm good enough yet. Same for helping people interpret their dreams or doing a little reading online. I enjoy doing it, but it does tire me out, so I don't do it often.

If somebody wanted to make a donation, I wouldn't turn it down :)

[Hope]

So what about when the person is charging 350$ an hour

say Sylvia Brown?


love
hope

[Xeen]

Fuck.

Nobody should be charging that much unless she's actually doing it for all the rich and famous people where $350 is like pocket change. I've seen her do her thing, she's no differete, better or worse than my friend who charges like $10 or something like that.

She's set herself up as a supply & demand thing, though. She made herself uber popular and I'm sure tons of people come to her wanting readings. Charging that much might be her way of not getting bombarded, but she probably still does.

Yeesh.

So what about when the person is charging 350$ an hour

say Sylvia Brown?


love
hope

[Amber Wynd]

That's a very lot of money, indeed. I've heard Ms Brown say that one reason she charges that much is that people listen to her when they otherwise might not. That she sometimes has a message from someone on the other side and the client doesn't want to hear it because they had something else in mind.

I think she also does it for the same reason I raised my prices not long ago. It takes a lot out of me to do one reading after another. It costs me even more in energy when the client stays on the phone for a long time - even if they just want to chat. Most people have several questions in mind when they call, but 10 - 15 minutes is usually more than adequate time to give them their answers. After that it's either a matter of them asking the same question several different ways in the hope of getting the desired answer instead of the one they got the first time, or they want to argue with me, or they're lonely and/or in crisis and just want to talk. When the price is high, people don't waste their money asking the same thing over and over. They don't waste my time and energy arguing with me, or stay on the phone to chat. I don't make any more money than I used to because the clients get off the phone sooner, but it's a more efficient use of my time. And theirs. Plus, they pay more attention and treat me with more respect now.

My loyal, long-time clients get a special rate and also get free minutes to offset the expense of calling and maybe Silvia does the same.

[Hope]

It costs me even more in energy when the client stays on the phone for a long time - even if they just want to chat. Most people have several questions in mind when they call, but 10 - 15 minutes is usually more than adequate time to give them their answers. After that it's either a matter of them asking the same question several different ways in the hope of getting the desired answer instead of the one they got the first time, or they want to argue with me, or they're lonely and/or in crisis and just want to talk. When the price is high, people don't waste their money asking the same thing over and over. They don't waste my time and energy arguing with me, or stay on the phone to chat. I don't make any more money than I used to because the clients get off the phone sooner, but it's a more efficient use of my time. And theirs. Plus, they pay more attention and treat me with more respect now.




that is really well said


you have all had lots of great comments !

anyone else... new topic tomorrow (and of course you can come back to any of the older ones any time you want)


((hugs)) and love
hope

[Xeen]

I think she also does it for the same reason I raised my prices not long ago. .....

You raised some very good points here I failed to point out. Like I said, people will take you more seriously when they have to pay. They will also respect you more. But I know some people will try to argue about their answers or try to get the answer they want to hear... you are very correct there.

[Hope]

it is funny because people seem to put more value in what they pay for, and yet try to devalue divination and a simple way to do that is to say it is not worth "wasting your money on"


nice points ladies

love
t