readings for cash or barter? right or wronge way...

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Hawks_girl_dove	03 Sep 2004
I was taught by a Druid friend long ago, that one should not accept coin (money) for tarot readings or other magical services, or healing. It is best to let the recipient barter, or leave a small gift. Just curious... is it ok to accept money for readings? (I know many who have actually made a profession of this.) Or is barter the best way? I know there is no right or wronge answer to this question, its more a matter of opinion... i just wonder what some of your opinions are, and why. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me!

Alissa	03 Sep 2004
I think everyone has different comfort levels in answering this question for themselves. Some will say "I NEVER take ANYTHING (money or trade) for my readings..." and others, "I don't do this for free... and *sure* you should believe I'm worth that much an hour...." In my eyes, by doing a reading, I am providing a service. A stylist will cut my hair, and I'll pay him/her a good $$ to do it. What have they done? They've provided a service (haircut) by using nothing but the tools they own (scissors), giving me a portion of their time and energy and using the skills they've perfected over time. ( :) And talk... we have that in common with hairdressers too, the therapy thing). So yes, that's what we do too! Service=reading, and scissors=Tarot deck. So if we provide a service, and expend our energy and time and using the skills we've built in doing so, why *shouldn't* we receive compensation for our efforts? Having said this, I will now Libra-out on you and admit I am notorious for under-charging for readings, for those who expect to pay. Friends don't pay me. That's not why I read for them anyhow. Friends are already "invested" in the reading though. Strangers pay me, and here's why I ask for that... by paying at least *something* for a reading, most people feel they've "invested" in it. They have put something forth, and would like to feel they haven't been cheated, and are therefore more likely to Pay Attention to what is said to get their money's worth. My comfort zone lies in reading for strangers, accepting "A bill of your choosing" for their payment, but letting them decide what the reading was worth. It may be the best reading ever, and they are poor poor, and giving you $5 is like giving you the golden goose egg. Or, they may have thought it was a lark, and give you $20 for entertainment, although they took little of the message to heart. Money is weird. Barter is very cool in my book too... I've got all kinds of booty through bartering. I barter for henna, and I barter a lot for readings as well... which is another way of becoming *quite* "rich" and accepting the bounty the Universe can wash to your shores.

blackroseivy	03 Sep 2004
I still have yet to be in the fortunate position of being paid for my service, but I'm working right this minute on a website for that very purpose. If you have a thing that you can do for others, & do it well, in this world nowadays, it's only to be expected that you receive compensation - I certainly won't feel guilty, since it's the *only* source of actual income I'm going to have!!!!!!!!!! BTW, I'm a DRUID!!! :P

contrascarpe	03 Sep 2004
I read for money so obviously I believe it is OK. I have also paid for readings in the past (rarely for me, often for other people). At the shop I read at, my rates are posted at the desk and the seekers know how much they will pay up front. In New Orleans at Jackson Square the readers are not allowed to charge per se - they are supposed to tell the seeker to pay what they thought the reading was worth if anything (there was a thread around here a while back which mentioned that readers were banned here recently - not sure if it is still true). The only time I have a problem with people charging money for readings are the fairs where the reader puts on a "show" for effect. Typically they read for people who never get their cards read and I equate it to a Carnival atmosphere. Luckily, most people I read for are somewhat knowledgeable about tarot and other realms of the magical arts. That makes me feel more legitimate right off the bat. Dan

Logiatrix	04 Sep 2004
Hi, dove! :D The very first time I did a reading in public for a 'stranger', I refused the money she offered me. I still felt like a novice...that my ability was not good enough to take money for it. After repeated attempts to pay me, the lady finally gave me a hug and left the coffee shop. I was certainly very proud that she thought I was of the caliber worthy of payment, but that was enough of a return for me (her reading wasn't even all 'good news' per say, but she still walked away happy...that kind of amazed me, too). Anyway, while my friends chided me for not taking the cash, one of the guys from behind the counter came over to our table and handed me a napkin with $20 folded in it. On the napkin--from that first client whom I will never forget--a message was scrawled: "Always give your gift value." :) And so I do. I take payment for my readings, albeit with much humility (as in, it still feels weird to me), and I also exchange with friends who have their own talents to share. Exchanging stuff for my readings is much more comfy than taking money, and it is the only way I would ever be able to afford the best hair stylist in the world! :laugh: As far as cash goes, I leave the price up to the clients; they have been extremely fair, so I am keeping with that system for as long as it works. I think it gets more natural as we become more confident with our gift. ;) PEACE, Tauni

Teranar	04 Sep 2004
I prefer small gifts over cash - say if they want to pay me $5 I'd rather have that fifty cent bandana they're wearing, or things like that. I'd wear em too. But they usually insist on money, or I insist on nothing. The first exposure to tarot I got was from my Gypsy godmother who gave it to me at the Renfair because I was an adorable 7 year old in a Robin Hood outfit. But usually the warm fuzzy feeling of a reading is good enough for me. But if they offer cash, I honestly don't turn it down. I really need it most of the time.

The readings for cash or barter? right or wronge way... thread was originally posted on 03 Sep 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.