Charging A Fee For Your Gifts & Abilities
By CinnamonMoon
WolfSpirit brought up the issue of charging fees for
the services we provide based on our spiritual gifts
and abilities. He was saying that it did not sit well
with him, that he'd read they were not to be used in
this way. I thought the subject deserved a separate
thread as it is a highly controversial issue. The only
way I can address it is by sharing my perspectives on
the subject based on my own experiences.
This concept of not charging
for services rendered is an old one, and it's one I
struggled with for a long time...for many years actually.
However I was called to lead a spiritual life in the
full context that calling implies. As a Medicine Woman,
a non-denominational minister, and author in the genre
of spirituality, I provide a wide variety of services
to others. I got paid for my book, (work and effort
went into it and I was compensated). I get paid for
performing marriages, baptisms, and funerals based on
whatever the person feels adequate -- and it is up to
them if they pay me, I do not ask a fee there. I also
get paid for the readings I do on a full-time basis.
I do not get paid for maintaining the Lodge, it is open
to the public and all resources are free. Extra benefits,
the seminars and coaching services are fee-based. It’s
a mix of the two and I give a whole lot more than I
take.
At first I struggled hard
with charging for readings, but I learned too that if
you give something for free it is often not valued.
When people pay for services and find those services
to go above and beyond their expectations they are satisfied.
I do my best to exceed their expectations and leave
them feeling as though they have gotten way more than
they anticipated they would. It holds value, they heed
the guidance, and they improve their lives. My pathwork
calls for me to put in 12 hour days/7 days a week. I
deserve compensation for that. When I’m not coaching
or reading I’m responding to the email questions
or working on articles and seminars so others may benefit.
Naturally I'd like to be
wealthy enough not to have to worry about income but
I'm like everyone else in the world, I need to earn
my way and this is how I do it. These incomes are my
livelihood and I do not feel guilty for taking the money.
I have expenses and when looked at from this perspective
I came to see it as valid because there is a balance
in the services I provide at no charge too. Moderation
and balance were the key to understanding for me. I
have shared spiritual teachings for well over 35 years
and in most cases they were free of charge. For the
past 5 years I've been sharing here at Spirit Lodge,
and for 5 years before that on other websites. I have
opened my home to people as needed and inconvenienced
my family to provide needed space to counsel...often
putting family second to serve the needs of others.
I have given of myself to spiritual counseling free
of charge during those 35+ years because this is my
path in life.
*If* someone is living a
mundane lifestyle it is different, it's something you
do on the side and you have the ability to share your
gift freely. For me it is all-consuming and the mundane
world is a luxury when I have time to enjoy it. I work
with those who are terminally ill helping them to find
their way to making peace with death, find their way
to embracing Spirit, and help them see that there is
an afterlife. This often involves counseling their families
and friends as there is an interrelationship within
the process for the most part. I do not charge for those
services. I couldn't
even accept the gifts people offered me at first. I
felt it was wrong. But there was a lesson in that. I
had to learn that sometimes people need to show their
gratitude and by refusing their need to share a gift
and express it you are in essence making them feel guilty
or uncomfortable. So I learned that sometimes it is
a blessing for them and had to accept that fact. I had
come to embrace it. However, it is never expected or
even anticipated. If it happens it happens. If I can't
use the gift I accept it as something I'm to hold onto
for a time and eventually pass onto someone else.
So it is a preponderance
of my services that are not fee based and only a few
*extras* where income is generated. That is moderately
based and without the income would be a service I would
otherwise not be able to provide. I think that a lot
of the fee concepts are based on those who do not lead
a life of full-time spiritual service. In that case
not charging is appropriate. Often this concept of giving
freely does depend on the tradition you come from as
to the attitude taken for the most part. If you look
at those who have mastered their gifts; ministers who
perform weddings, baptisms and funerals; Medicine People
who do ceremonies for healings or other community services
(the list is endless); doctors, dentists, therapists,
drug counselors, specialists in all walks of life, you
will find that there are times fees are attached, or
it is expected that the person/s involved in receiving
the services are, out of respect for the work and blessings
received, to tithe.
I do feel that the individual
has to come to terms with this on their own. I struggled
with it and prayed on it for a long time. Spirit Called
me to serve on a full-time basis. I willingly embraced
that Call but did not have the means to provide those
services without charging a fee somewhere. I was told
by Spirit that I was to serve as a way of life, but
fought hanging up a shingle terribly. It took 6 months
of Spirit nudging me, sending me signs and messages,
blocking my path in any direction I turned to for sustaining
income through conventional means before I was able
to accept the permission to charge a fee in certain
areas.
For each of us this is something
that must be worked through, balanced with moderation,
and I do feel that it should be based on the demands
for your time. If you have the income from mundane sources
then it's a different matter, but when it is all that
you do and the demand for your time is high, then there
must be some source of sustenance. When Spirit Calls
us to service and there is no means by which that service
can be achieved, Spirit also provides that means and
it is usually in direct relation to a gift that is valued
enough that people are willing to pay for that service.
Between client calls, counseling,
working on articles or posts for Spirit Lodge, and helping
people through email. my days are consumed fully. Often
when working with those who are crossing over I'm called
away from my income generating work and I never question
those calls. I serve their needs with a full heart and
great joy. For me there is a balance and I'm very comfortable
with it today but it was a struggle at first to see
the justification and Spirit worked very hard on me
to spell it out clearly. The moment I embraced that
point of balance my own life began to take order and
foundation to sustain itself.
Some people are gifted with
creative talents to paint, invent, write, heal or do
any number of other things that the public consumes
as a service in one form or another. They charge for
their time, knowledge,
talent, supplies, and finished products. Their fees
are willingly paid. Hard work went into mastering those
abilities, into study, and when anyone takes from another
there needs to be an exchange of some sort. Money is
a form of energy, it moves things, I do not see it as
something to be worshipped, or feared, it is nothing
more than a tool in my eyes, something created by man
as a form of exchange for services rendered. Spiritual
or mundane, price tags exist. IMHO money is one of the
options.
If I need a reading for myself
and go to someone who is skilled in that ability, there
is always an exchange of some sort. I will do fair-trade,
exchanging a reading for them for the one they give
me. If I go seeking someone I don't know who has been
recommended I pay their fee willingly. If you charge
it is always the option of the client to decide if they
want your service and want to pay the fee or not. If
not they can go elsewhere. You should not IMHO feel
guilty for that exchange, and it really did take me
a long time to come to that conclusion.
WolfSpirit
UK:
“*If* someone is living a mundane lifestyle it
is different, it's something you do on the side and
you have the ability to share your gift freely. For
me it is all-consuming and the mundane world is a luxury
when I have time to enjoy it.”
This is the perspective I
am coming from right now - I push paper all day - and
it bores me to tears! I feel that this is not were I
should be. I can understand what you say about moderation
and the following really makes sense to me as this is
where I would like to be:
“So it is a preponderance
of my services that are not fee based and only a few
*extras* where income is generated. That is moderately
based and without the income would be a service I would
otherwise not be able to provide. I think that a lot
of the fee concepts are based on those who do not lead
a life of full-time spiritual service. In that case
not charging is appropriate.”
I do not feel that I should
be in mundanity! I feel that there are many strings
to my bow - I have a cousin who, despite an atheist
upbringing is now an Anglican vicar and have even thought
about a more conventional calling. Earlier this year
I was involved in a project for the Franciscan arm of
the catholic church and learnt that some areas of church
teachings overlap with my spiritual path.
I feel that all these synchronistic
events are linking me to a path, but how I get off my
current path and onto the path I want to take is regulated
by finances, and now, not only my own, as Ii have made
promises to help others less fortunate financially than
myself.
I can truly understand the
points about the value people put on a reading and seekers
feeling they want to pay for the wisdom gained, as I
have been there! Maybe this is something I need to think
about. but above all this rang true with me
“[Spirit]...blocking
my path in any direction I turned to for sustaining
income through conventional means.”
Some nights I have messages
coming through so strong that I have to get up and sit
in the silence to figure out what or who the message
is for/about! Being self-employed, I find my mundane
career going down the pan and if I don't work I don't
earn! My plans to start my own business that would give
me the time to give my Gift freely - scuppered before
it even started - fell at the first hurdle!
“Some people are gifted
with creative talents to paint, invent, write, heal
or do any number of other things that the public consumes
as a service in one form or another. They charge for
their time, knowledge, talent, supplies, and finished
products. Their fees are willingly paid. Hard work went
into mastering those abilities, into study, and when
anyone takes from another there needs to be an exchange
of some sort”
When looked at from this perspective,
spiritual skills are probably harder earnt/honed - and
with much more sweat and tears - so yes, I can see why
charging is not a bad thing!
And this makes a lot of sense:
“If you charge it is
always the option of the client to decide if they want
your service and want to pay the fee or not. If not
they can go elsewhere”
I seem to be on a steep learning
curve at the moment! Thank you Cinnamon - this has helped
me get some perspective on this issue!
Cinnamon:
You're very welcome. I'm sure you'll find your way.
Spirit does move us into place. First things first and
you need to find your foundational path. If the Call
comes for you to serve full-time you'll be put in place.
It's not something we go seeking, it's something born
within us that has to grow. You're coming to understand
yourself first which is the way of things. Until we
understand our abilities, the spiritual nature of our
path and how to communicate with those that guide us
through it how can we help others? It's not possible.
So just be yourself, share what you can, ask questions
and be a dry sponge to soak up all the information you
can. When the time is right Spirit does move us and
it happens very fast.
Lune, one of our community
members here, was Called by her homeland to return home
and serve. She was without funds to make the journey
and told Spirit/her Guides that if they wanted her there
they would have to see she was given the means. Within
a month she was home, the work was done, and she had
grown from that experience in many ways. Trust, that's
part of the secret...learning to trust in the guidance
we receive, and in ourselves. *Smiles* You're doing
great!
Wolf Spirit UK:
Cinnamon, Thanks for your advice
- I know I have a lot to still to learn – but I
have been a little slow on the uptake! I feel that now
is a good time to be learning and in small ways things
have started moving again! I just need to build up the
momentum!:
lo I think I know that this
is for the future - but maybe feel that I should be
working now towards the path I feel is calling me -
maybe this is why I get a little impatient - can hear
a call - but can't answer just yet!
Cinnamon:
Hi WolfSpirit, We *all*
still have a lot to learn. LOL. It's a lifetime we're
given to do it in though and it's always the right time.
Whether we know it or not, we start walking our path
from the day we're born and we continue that path to
the end. That's why you so often hear it's the journey
that matters most, how you handle the tests along the
way and the lessons that come to you. So you *are* in
the right place at the right time.
Don't be hard on yourself
for being slow. It just wasn't the right time for you
until now. We all have our own pace and need to allow
for that. It's silly to compare yourself to others,
we all learn as we go and we have our lessons when we
need them most. No one's the same other than where the
basics are concerned and we're each going to need to
find our unique ways to the truths.
It's very common to step
on and off our path along the way initially too. I've
had times where I just had to take a breather from things
and would stop cold for months at a time. It was early
in my development but once I found the road led to things
I could really sink my teeth into I never let go. You've
got to explore the world a bit, we all do. Stars, I
studied so many different philosophies and world religions
it would make your head spin only to turn around and
find the path I'd been looking for was in my own back
yard to begin with. Go figure!
If you're feeling that it's
time for you to be studying then you need to follow
that impression. That's your inner voice nudging you.
It's quiet at first but the more you listen the louder
it becomes. So if you're starting to see movement hang
onto your hat and ride the winds that blow you forward.
It's a good thing. As for building up the momentum,
Spirit will see you do! And on a more serious note,
if you are meant to lead a path of spiritual service
in the future that sense of it will continue to grow
stronger. We're all a bit impatient but in hindsight
we learn that everything comes in its own time and while
we wait for it there's plenty of things that will keep
us busy. Just follow your heart, it knows the way. If
you're feeling now that you should start working towards
that goal then do so. Nothing is wasted when it comes
to knowledge gained and the experience to back it up.
"- can hear a call
- but can't answer just yet!"
I know what you mean. I heard
my call for years and couldn't answer...well, let's
say I didn't think I could. In hindsight I saw that
I had answered long, long ago. It's not a logical decision,
but one that comes from deep within us. It's who we
are. I started out as a Lutheran, explored Catholicism,
then the Methodist church, the Pentecostal church, and
eventually a Spiritualist church. All left something
amiss for me. From there I went to study world religions
and philosophy and spent years at that.
My step-father was a Catholic
and a Bohemian Gypsy, my mother was into Occultism and
Metaphysics, my father an Elder in the Lutheran church
and I was studying witchcraft with all those influences
to boot. In the end, a friend from junior high school
and I reconnected after about 5-6 years of going our
own ways. She was Native American (Lakota Sioux) and
she is the one that
opened the door for me.
I'd come home through her
generous spirit and then she left this world for another.
Her touch is with me always and it's a good one. You
just never know how it will unfold, but you can trust
that it will. Even if we don't know it, we're being
molded the whole time.
