Ethics and Money

Sunfire over at Pagan Blog Prompts has posted another interesting question for us to ponder.  Now normally I post on the prompts over on my personal blog at My Pagan Path and the Crossroads but I decided that this would be a good topic for the business blog.


Here is the text of the prompt.  

How do you feel about being paid for certain services of a pagan nature? Like Tarot/Palm/Astrology readings? Often these services are seen as personal, due to the nature of the readings. Some people find it unethical to charge for these services.

Where I live in Denver, Colorado there are many "Psychic readers" who have their sign out advertising readings.  Of course these people charge for the service.  It is unclear if they are pagan or not as I have not visited any of them, I get my readings from friends.  Most of them are run out of their residences with only a few around here actually being in a business atmosphere.  


Here is my thought on this.  


If a person is doing the readings and they are relying on the income from said readings to supplement the household that is fine.  
If a person is doing the readings and they rely on the income solely then for sure that is fine.
If a person is doing the readings as a hobby, or to just pass the time, then they should not be charging for it.


This is just for those individuals that offer readings.  The charging for spells is something completely different and in my opinion a very unethical thing to do.


There are tons of websites around that offer spells for a fee.  The 'witch' even cast the spell for you on some sites.  When I first began to explore my path I found these sites and instinctively knew that this was wrong.  I thought about trying to find links to some sites to give examples but then decided, "why give these sites more traffic?".  People that charge for spells and rituals also open themselves up to legal recrimination if the receiver of the spell doesn't feel they got 'their moneys worth'.  There have been a few stories posted around of just such a thing happening, unfortunately a quick search turned up empty.


So that is my thought on this particular prompt.


Thanks to Sunfire for supplying us with great topics for when we hit the wall.


Blessings,