Do you Charge $$$???

I don't do many readings for others, mainly family or friends, but right from the start my friends have done a kind of exchange with me. Much the same as with Reiki. If I do Reiki on someone I usually get a free meal or nice bottle of wine, flowers etc. and this is just fine with me.

I wouldn't expect to have a free massage or haircut, even if from friends so an exchange suits me well.

Obviously I can see it would be different if reading for complete strangers.

Ilithiya said:

Yup. You get what you pay for.

I don't charge money, since it hasn't cost me anything to do a reading for someone. (Not for decks, gas, internet access, etc; those are all things I'd have/spent money on anyway, just for myself.) I do ask an equal exchange though. If I spend an hour doing an intensive reading, I'll happily accept just about anything - a friend of mine and I do cakes for readings with each other, or somesuch along those lines.

It's kind of difficult to barter in a lot of professional outlets, such as reading in a shop and the like, but there's always some way you can barter in most cases.

There are, especially lately, a lot of cases in which I'll read for free. No charge of any kind. The reason? I want practice. *shrugs*

Illy

Click to expand...

I read in a shop, and have to pay fees, etc. But when given the chance? I'll happily do a barter! One of the other girls in the shop is a massage therapist and I did a reading in exchange for a massage. I've also done readings for cookies, for jewelry, for decks, and lots of other stuff.

But again, that's an exchange, not just a free reading. Like I said, I do a lot of free readings, but they tend to get blown off, because they haven't had to work for them.

Hey, that's a good idea. I'm still far too new to want to charge money for my readings, but trading could certainly work. I'm keeping that in my brain for future reference.

Thanks for the idea, you nice people on the thread!

~Fairawen~

Tarot readers are professional therapist, counselars, psychiatrist all in one package. It takes alot of our own Energy to read for others. No one should feel guilty about it. I everyone did charge it just MIGHT help the image a bit but the again who can say for sure. Either way paying clients take it much more seriously and it helps them when they do.

Cat

heard that tiring phrase "You should not charge, for a gift" what a load of bollocks. That was just a rumor, that was passed around, either by a person who wanted a free reading, or a reader, who didn't want other readers to make more money than themselves.

If readings are all you do for a living, well you sure aint going to pay the bills, doing them for free! Best not to get into any other persons rules or superstitions, when doing tarot, just enjoy it, you make you own rules!!!!

This is all really great advice. Very interesting to read.
Thanks for the help, guys. You rock!

Rogan.

I charge about the same as Tarotbear. I think this is reasonable. I don't see why we shouldn't charge - although if someone came to me with a problem and had no money, I would of course read for free.

Sue

A sidenote here,
I only read for friends and on this site and the readings are free of charge or for returning a reading by tarot or runes.
Why? just because I wouldn't ask my boyfriend or best friends for money.
In my circle of friends not everyone has a lot of money to spend and can't effort to pay for readings.
And I only do readings if I think the person asking for it is seriouse about it.
If their not, well just look thruw the deck and pick one card and you'll hear a story about the card, do with it what you like and if it's seriouse you'll be interested and think things through, if not you've been well intertained but don't ever ask for a reading.

I have no problem with proffessional readers making a living helping other people out.
But in my experiance people do think the readings over I did for them and aply it in their lifes.
And I don't charge.
Maybe if I was a professional reading for strangers I would do too but in my opinion if someone asks for a free live-reading just for the fun of it and leaves it like it's not important there could be two things.

1. You doing free live-readings for the wrong kind of people who like to try anything just to have fun and being entertaned.
2. You've forced it on them or made it look like a reading isn't something to be taken seriousely.

Love and light

Snowy25

I think the phrase about how you shouldn't charge because it's a gift...is really odd.
can't use your gift for personal gain?
What about all the other people in the world who's talents and skill are gifts...like actors, musicians, authors, artists....should they do things for free too?

If you are reading for friends (and I consider other readers in that catagory) then maybe you don't want to charge them.I do a lot of readings for free.

however...my time is worth something...and If someone I have never met wants a reading...most of the time I am gonna charge them for it...simply for the hour or two I have spent. (although...again, I have done readings for trade as well.)

All comes down to how you value yourself. Is your skill and talent worth it? How about all the time you spent studying the cards, or practicing readings?

Your gift is to give someone a great reading that offers them insight...then absolutely, that gift is worth some thing.

I have never charged for a reading. But then I have only ever read for close friends and family and only on 2 occasions strangers. On neither of the stranger readings I charged once cause I felt sorry for the girl getting the reading and the 2nd one I was pressured into doing the reading and didn't want to do it and so I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible (and my partner got a lovely talk about offering me to do readings to people he meets in bars)