Dangerous or not?

[Ganga]

I have heard a lot about dangers of selling your magic. Well, I've been selling some bathing salts and herbal teas (magically charged and named "Anti-Stress Tea", "Relaxation Bath", etc.) This may sound like a small thing, but I'd like to know if there is any "danger" in it? I personally know an Ayurvedic doctor in India who never used to charge anything from his patients (many of them gave him donations, though). He was considered very skilled, but unfortunately he became greedy, started charging high fees, and finally lost his Shakti. He is not considered very reliable/skilled anymore.

Another thing that I have been warned about is past-life regression. Someone once guided me through one, and it was quite helpful. I learned to do past-life regression to myself, and never had had any problems. So, wherein lies the danger?

[Lavender]

There's a discussion in the Tarot forum that is similar to this question. It was discussing charging people for tarot readings. Good comments.

I think you should charge a fair rate for your products. Normally, I don't charge people for when I do things for them. But sometimes, they offer to pay. Depending on what I'm doing & what it costs me, I usually ask them to donate it to a charity. Oh the other hand, if I'm doing a table at a craft fair, I would charge a fair price for my teas & herb bags.

One question, do you specify the magical uses for your salts & teas? I would say charge a fair price for the teas & salts but no extra for the magical energies. That's just my opinion.

[Myst]

Personally I feel your time, effort, and materials are worth paying for. I really think it's ok that you help support yourself and share your work as well. You could charge a fair fee, and in fact probably sell your work for a lot less then people would pay in the stores, and still cover your costs.

[Ganga]

Well, yes, you are right. The ingredients do cost something. I think I don't charge too much, usually Can$4-$5 (that's about US$3) for a small jar of tea, or Can$5 for a bottle of bathing salts. It's a small "business"; I just sell to my friends. I define the magical use, but not excactly. I might say, "This is for relaxation", for example. Many of my friends don't practise any magic consciously, so they consider the teas sort of herbal medicine. I generally say that I have put positive energies in the tea, or that they are blessed. The reason I do charge them magically is that I wish to help and see the teas really work. Since it's my friends I'm selling to, I'm often asked to make a tea for stress or menopausal tension, for example, rather than making a tea and then trying to sell it.

So as long as I only charge for the tea, not adding extra price for the magical energies, I should be OK?

[manstranger]

Well, i think that often enough, the herbal teas don't contain any magick, other than that of Mother Nature. Most of them are helpful, medicine and magick wise.

I don't think theres a danger in selling them, unless you live in the kind of town where you would be putting yourself in danger by being openly pagan/newagey. After all, as Wildchild and Myst said, your effort, product, and expensise to make, for instance, herbal tea need to be compensated. I don't think it says much about you or your product if you give away things you've worked on for hours to strangers for free.

[Lavender]

Originally posted by Ganga

So as long as I only charge for the tea, not adding extra price for the magical energies, I should be OK?

Would you be comfortable with that? I think the man in the example you gave had gotten greedy & lost his focus. In the end, it sounds like he replaced his spirituality with money.

I believe a fair price for your work. Having said that, I've given things I've worked hours on, away to complete strangers just because I felt they needed it.

I believe that the teas & salts & what-nots that I make have the magic inside them already. What I'm doing is more like awakening the magic - to enhance the natural attributes of the herbs & oils. I don't feel right charging more just because of that.

[Sequoia]

I agree with much of what's been said. I think, though, it would also be relevent of what your monetary situation is, and how you make the items.

no matter what your income, if you grow those plants yourself, and you didn't *just* plant the garden (like last year or something, aka, you're not still paying for the seedlings), rather, maybe the herbs have been growing a while or something. . . I think that you'd have to charge a lot less than if you say went out and bought each ingrediant for the teas and such, and I'd adjust it based on how much each cost to buy (in bulk?), the cumalative cost of the ingredients. If you feel bad about the money, just charge for how much the ingredients cost, from nill to whatever you paid. They bought the stuff, you took the time and tlc to make it for them.

If you're "poor" or have a low income, I don't see a problem with charging low, reasonable prices for things. I mean, you put time and effort (and probably money) into them.

If you are "wealthy" or high income, and don't have a problem with giving it away, then by all means! ^_~