Friday, January 24, 2014

PBP- Week 4: Business and Bragging

There seems to be a split in the Pagan community when it comes to the concept of accepting money for Pagan related services. Some people are of the opinion that it isn't right to accept money for any type of service, be it healing, teaching, or spellcasting. Others think that accepting a fair wage is just fine. There are some that come in the middle, either finding it acceptable to take enough payment to cover costs or finding it acceptable to receive gifts or trade but not to formally set a price on skills.

Personally, I think that it is all a mater of degree. I have no problem with anyone charging for their services. I guess in my mind it comes down to the reasons why you charge. If I charge for anything it is not because I want to milk the most out of someone that I can, or take advantage of them (as many very public psychics and 'curse lifters' are accused of), but rather because I value my own skills. I feel that my time is worth something.

Now this isn't to say that I wouldn't help someone who was in true need just because they couldn't pay...although in my mind everyone can 'pay' in some way, even if their payment is an invitation to dinner, or a truly heartfelt hug and thanks.

But I don't feel that it is unreasonable to even make a small profit off of providing services. We have only a certain amount of time in each day. If we choose to spend our time using our skills, whatever they may be, then that time can not be spent doing some kind of mundane job. I don't think it cheapens my practice or beliefs in any way to accept or require payment for the things I do.

Actually, I find it kind of ridiculous that some find it acceptable to take trades but not money. If I do a reading for someone and they give me a chicken in return, or if they give me money and I go and buy a chicken, the result is the same: I provided a service and ended up with a chicken. Money itself isn't evil or corrupt, and accepting money instead of goods doesn't somehow make the transaction dirty.

I think a lot of where people start crossing the line is when they start trying for recognition. When you feel you are worth more because of who you are, and it becomes less about the service and more about your (perceived) name and station. I do feel that paying more for a more experienced practitioner is one thing. In a way, you are paying for the benefit of the years they have put into their practice, into training the very skills you are seeking. It is like paying more to have a plumber with ten years experience come to fix your pipes instead of your neighbor who watched a video on how to fix pipes....I would definitely pay the plumber more (although for something simple, I might hire my neighbor).

This is also where I feel that bragging becomes a problem in the Pagan world. I have been solitary for the bulk of my practice, so I understand how it feels to have walked a lonely path and to crave that peer recognition for what you have done. I feel very strongly that feedback (both for success and failure) is important, and sometimes that outside perspective is hard to come by when walking alone. Also, when something wonderful or new and shiny happens in my practice, sometimes I just want to share it...and share it with people who understand where I am coming from.

But I think we have all met someone (especially online) who is constantly talking about the things they have done and how it makes them better than the 'average' (whatever that is). The way I look at it, the minute I start comparing my stuff to someone else's stuff in any sort of judgmental way, I am loosing the focus of my path. It is one thing to recognize that you may be better or worse at a skill than someone else, but that doesn't make you a better or worse person.

Sometimes I feel that the argument about money for services all comes down to bragging. The people who charge excessive amounts do it either from greed or desire to be known. The people who I have talked to that are against charging anything always feel like they are putting their nose up in the air (like they are better because they only do things out of the goodness of their heart). And often they seem to fall into the braggart category as well, talking about all the ways they donate their service and what not.

I still maintain that a person who is truly acting from the heart and offering their services, won't spend a lot of time talking about it. If they charge, they won't go about bragging about how much they made that month, if they don't charge, they might not mention they did anything at all. It's like donating money to a cause and then feeling the need to tell every stranger you meet on the street how much you donated.

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