BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Tarot Ethics of Reading

I wanted to put this on the table and see what everyone's opinions are. For many of us who read, there is inevitably an opportunity to be seen as a "professional" reader, and to read with compensation. I have read at events, for strangers who've found me at my Mom's store, and even for a group of women as the "entertainment" for a bachelorette party. I read on a donation basis only at events, and for free in most one-on-one cases.

What are your ethics when it comes to reading? Would you consider reading at an event disrespectful? Do you think that "professional" readers deserve to be paid a set amount for their time? I think that these are important questions that we all must answer for ourselves, and that hearing others' opinions may help form those answers.

Anda

Hi Anda,

Excellent questions - I look forward to reading people's views and answers on these important considerations.

Personally, I would not read at a party or event - I like to give readings 1 to 1 in a quiet, "sacred" environment. But that is me.

I do not think it is wrong to charge a fee for a reading, but there are some who think it is VERY unethical. Again, it is up to each reader to make that decision.

My husband and I have been discussing this topic of late. I read for my first event in the area a few weeks ago. I met many interesting people, distributed some business cards, and overstayed my scheduled time by an hour and a half. But I didn't even make back half of my costs in donations. Many people for whom I read simply did not offer, and I did not feel it right to bring up the issue. (My donation box was clearly visible, so it was not a matter of misunderstanding.)

My husband's opinion is that I should have charged a set fee for my time, and done the reading for free. I'm wary of this, because I feel that set fees are exclusionary. (I would never want a person to not be read when they need it, simply because of the price.) I am also concerned that, as a spiritual gift, my ability to read could be diminished by the element of money.

I have several private readings scheduled. However, this is a new area for me, and I'm not reading for familiar faces anymore. Most people seem put off by the idea of a donations-only policy. Perhaps they think they will accidentally over- or under-pay. I am considering how to make my situation feasible. I want to continue to read, but I must factor gas and time into each reading....

Any other opinions and viewpoints would be greatly appreciated.

Anda

For those of us who do this, it is a true and real, yet very special job. Yet, nobody needs to work for free. We have all put a lot of hard work into learning what skills and abilities we have attained through living with a gift, and it is good to get paid for what work we do. We are exchanging the gift of our hard work and time for the gift of money, therefore keeping the energies balanced, and karmic return out of the equation.

I have done literally thousands of charitable healings throughout my 42 years on this earth, however, these must be done as a gift and let go of in order to avoid karma, so one must not let someone pressure you into doing something. Once you have blessed someone's life with your own time, knowledge, and energy, without your getting paid, they can end up in a karmic relationship with you, unless it was given as a gift to the universe and then let go of. This way you will more likely see what you've put out there returning in dharma, though this can take time.

Also, without the return of the gift of money, or an equal substitute (which is just generally difficult to attain), one's energy can be depleted, and you may find yourself drained. The return of a gift brings the energies into balance. You must receive something back in return for what energies you've put out there.

There is also the ancient way of allowing the community to support the healer, in which case the healer does her work in exchange for enough support to live on from the community she is healing, however, in this modern day and age, I have found that these things do not always necessarily work out for the greater good of all.

In my opinion, once one reaches the point of being able to do these things professionally, it can be detrimental to do such work for free. At least, this is what I have experienced. I no longer feel the need to sacrifice for what others might be needing.

Getting paid for and doing it professionally is a protection and a gift from the universe for all of us.

An easy solution is to write a notice to put near the donation box that says something like "Readings by donation: suggested donation $X.xx" - that way people will know what you're expecting and not feel anxious that they are giving the wrong amount. Most people don't like to make a decision about how much, so if you take the guesswork away, they are free to just make the decision about whether or not they want the reading.

I, personally, don't like reading at parties because my readings are very personal, not predictive, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I don't think there's anything wrong with getting paid.

We have a talent that we have honed, studied and perfected over time, just like a musician or an acupuncturist or anything else.

I believe our ethical line rests with how we treat the querent. We need to be honest and not represent the craft as something more than it is. It's a profession and a useful tool, not what Hollywood makes it out to be.

JMO.

A friend who does strictly "psychic" readings (without cards) and I were just discussing this today. I certainly *don't* feel just because the work is spiritual, that you shouldn't charge for your work. Psychics, tarot readers, etc have real bills to pay just like anyone else and should be compensated for their readings, in my opinion.

Take care!

I'm learning too much here.Thanks