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moonvoiceBarter vs. Free vs. Fixed Cost
One of the areas of controversy within shamanism is what to charge for one’s services.
Here’s my thoughts.
It goes without saying that your most damaged clients in need of soul healing are almost guaranteed not to be rolling in dough. It is one of those great ironies in Western culture that the people who tend to need healing most; people like myself, on Disability welfare, with severe disorders that stop me from working in the contemporary Western paradigm, are the ones who are least able to pay high amounts for such services. I firmly believe we live in a culture that is designed to keep the sick people sick, and designed to forget prevention over cure, so the well people get sick too.
At some point, as a shaman / shamanist, you’re going to have to ask yourself if you want to deal with these clients (and you will attract them, if you offer retrievals and depossessions), and what your policies will be here. Especially as they may actually end up making up the bulk of your practice.
There is one school of thought, which is that shamanic healing should be offered freely, and that a true ‘shaman’ doesn’t charge. This is a very ‘nu-age’ theory, which isn’t actually grounded in context of Indigenous paths where people were very aware they were expected to give things, sometimes things of great value, in exchange for healings.
Shamans and shamanists who work casually (i.e. are shamans all the time, but only infrequently serve others) can get away with charging nothing for what they do, or expecting only a small energy exchange. This is because, like any hobby, you generally don’t charge other people for it. Because it’s a hobby, and you will never gain the skills or skillsets necessary for work that will be as effective as that of someone who wants to offer their services on a regular basis, or alternatively has years of experience.
Some shamans and shamanists offer free or greatly reduced services on a case by case basis. I have done this myself in the past, though these days I work on a ‘you pay what you think it’s worth, and I’m open to barter if I need or want, as long as what you give does not damage your life or put your needs in danger.’ In other words, there’s no point having someone who is so giddy with a retrieval they give you a whole bunch of stuff (or money) that compromises their food budget for the next month.
Barter is a good one, because it is firstly very congruent with what many Indigenous cultures in the past had set up. Barter gives people a chance to offer things they can reasonably give, in a world where there’s not often much money.
With barter, I have my ‘you pay what you think it’s worth’ caveat, and let prospective clients know what previous clients have offered if they ask. This is because it’s hard to actually know the value of shamanism in this day and age.
One on one soul retrievals and depossessions (as well as consecrations, getting the spirits to bless a house, a baby, a person, and psychopomping and working on behalf of the dead) were and are a highly valued practice throughout Russia, Mongolia and Australia (I can’t speak for other Indigenous areas, since they’re not my areas of research, but I’m sure this is true elsewhere as well).
Fixed cost is another option. I’m personally don’t use fixed costings, only because it is so very supportive of political health philosophies that are aimed to keep sick people sick, and quite exclusionary. BUT, it is also the only way to make a guaranteed living off the work of shamanism and soul-healing within the Western paradigm. Otherwise, most contemporary shamans need another job, or two other jobs, to support what the spirits Call them to do. Or, they need to work within other areas of shamanism (book writing / courses) to find other revenue.
You have several options with fixed costings. You can charge for the length of time in the journey. A half hour journey = $70, an hour = $100, repeat journeys for repeat clients; $50 / $80 and so on. With lesser amounts negotiated for distance work. This is problematic because a retrieval isn’t guaranteed per journey, and clients may not understand that retrievals may not come straight away; but I have actually seen this charging system work, and with successful shamans / shamanists as well (not just financially successful, but spiritually successful).
Some Core Shamanists go way up with charging, and you can expect to pay at least $350 or more per retrieval. I will say, flat out, that I think this is unreasonable in a fixed costings scenario. You’ll already know why, from what I’ve said above.
I don’t believe shamanism is a career one chooses in order to make money, though some people clearly do it for this reason, I mean we do have to live. But it is a fairly loveless career in the money department. Believe me, some of the spirits who Called you don’t really care about whether you make much money off it, as long as you can afford to live – whether in the shamanism itself, or within something else. And some don’t even care if you can afford to live.
If you want to make money off shamanism, please don’t focus on only doing it through your clients via high fixed costings, I implore you. Write books about the subject, lead courses, offer drumming groups, make artwork and shaman’s tools, things that can have fixed costs, offer royalties, and essentially don’t stop sick clients who need your services from accessing your services. And always, always, ask your spirits what they think as well. Some practices you may end up only able to offer for free, because of spiritual caveats or geas’ (i.e. ‘we will let you access X areas in the otherworlds, if you offer X service for free’). So it’s good to know where you’re at with them too.
One of the areas of controversy within shamanism is what to charge for one’s services.
Here’s my thoughts.
It goes without saying that your most damaged clients in need of soul healing are almost guaranteed not to be rolling in dough. It is one of those great ironies in Western culture that the people who tend to need healing most; people like myself, on Disability welfare, with severe disorders that stop me from working in the contemporary Western paradigm, are the ones who are least able to pay high amounts for such services. I firmly believe we live in a culture that is designed to keep the sick people sick, and designed to forget prevention over cure, so the well people get sick too.
At some point, as a shaman / shamanist, you’re going to have to ask yourself if you want to deal with these clients (and you will attract them, if you offer retrievals and depossessions), and what your policies will be here. Especially as they may actually end up making up the bulk of your practice.
There is one school of thought, which is that shamanic healing should be offered freely, and that a true ‘shaman’ doesn’t charge. This is a very ‘nu-age’ theory, which isn’t actually grounded in context of Indigenous paths where people were very aware they were expected to give things, sometimes things of great value, in exchange for healings.
Shamans and shamanists who work casually (i.e. are shamans all the time, but only infrequently serve others) can get away with charging nothing for what they do, or expecting only a small energy exchange. This is because, like any hobby, you generally don’t charge other people for it. Because it’s a hobby, and you will never gain the skills or skillsets necessary for work that will be as effective as that of someone who wants to offer their services on a regular basis, or alternatively has years of experience.
Some shamans and shamanists offer free or greatly reduced services on a case by case basis. I have done this myself in the past, though these days I work on a ‘you pay what you think it’s worth, and I’m open to barter if I need or want, as long as what you give does not damage your life or put your needs in danger.’ In other words, there’s no point having someone who is so giddy with a retrieval they give you a whole bunch of stuff (or money) that compromises their food budget for the next month.
Barter is a good one, because it is firstly very congruent with what many Indigenous cultures in the past had set up. Barter gives people a chance to offer things they can reasonably give, in a world where there’s not often much money.
With barter, I have my ‘you pay what you think it’s worth’ caveat, and let prospective clients know what previous clients have offered if they ask. This is because it’s hard to actually know the value of shamanism in this day and age.
One on one soul retrievals and depossessions (as well as consecrations, getting the spirits to bless a house, a baby, a person, and psychopomping and working on behalf of the dead) were and are a highly valued practice throughout Russia, Mongolia and Australia (I can’t speak for other Indigenous areas, since they’re not my areas of research, but I’m sure this is true elsewhere as well).
Fixed cost is another option. I’m personally don’t use fixed costings, only because it is so very supportive of political health philosophies that are aimed to keep sick people sick, and quite exclusionary. BUT, it is also the only way to make a guaranteed living off the work of shamanism and soul-healing within the Western paradigm. Otherwise, most contemporary shamans need another job, or two other jobs, to support what the spirits Call them to do. Or, they need to work within other areas of shamanism (book writing / courses) to find other revenue.
You have several options with fixed costings. You can charge for the length of time in the journey. A half hour journey = $70, an hour = $100, repeat journeys for repeat clients; $50 / $80 and so on. With lesser amounts negotiated for distance work. This is problematic because a retrieval isn’t guaranteed per journey, and clients may not understand that retrievals may not come straight away; but I have actually seen this charging system work, and with successful shamans / shamanists as well (not just financially successful, but spiritually successful).
Some Core Shamanists go way up with charging, and you can expect to pay at least $350 or more per retrieval. I will say, flat out, that I think this is unreasonable in a fixed costings scenario. You’ll already know why, from what I’ve said above.
I don’t believe shamanism is a career one chooses in order to make money, though some people clearly do it for this reason, I mean we do have to live. But it is a fairly loveless career in the money department. Believe me, some of the spirits who Called you don’t really care about whether you make much money off it, as long as you can afford to live – whether in the shamanism itself, or within something else. And some don’t even care if you can afford to live.
If you want to make money off shamanism, please don’t focus on only doing it through your clients via high fixed costings, I implore you. Write books about the subject, lead courses, offer drumming groups, make artwork and shaman’s tools, things that can have fixed costs, offer royalties, and essentially don’t stop sick clients who need your services from accessing your services. And always, always, ask your spirits what they think as well. Some practices you may end up only able to offer for free, because of spiritual caveats or geas’ (i.e. ‘we will let you access X areas in the otherworlds, if you offer X service for free’). So it’s good to know where you’re at with them too.
You'll Pay for That
Date: 2011-07-25 02:13 am (UTC)It's problematic when you separate the spiritual practitioner from the wider sense of 'community' and place them in a modern urban/suburban setting. In a bartering society, usually the people involved are from within the same community. A shaman or medicine man or what-have-you could live in a community without needing or wanting for anything because their specialty had a set value for goods & services, much as a hunter's or crafter's expertise. A hunter or craftperson may face problems as they get older and are no longer able to perform to their earlier standards - but then they trade their ability to teach for what they need to survive. A spiritual practitioner actually gains value as they get older & more experienced, and they're also able to take on students.
In an urban/suburban setting, you have the 'greedy bastard' factor. With no real community in which to work, nothing stops the spiritual practitioner from being a greedy bastard. They have no community to filter their riches back into.
I know in Vodou and Santeria (and other African Diasporic religions), it is perfectly acceptable to charge real money to do things for other people. Except in cases where the adherent is actually a greedy bastard, most of that money filters back into the community. The money given to a mambo or houngan is basically money given to the spirits - the ritual drummers are paid with it, the offertory animals are purchased with it, ritual clothing is bought or the material to make it is purchased with it, initiates are cared for - and those things are purchased from people who are usually within the community itself, or the wider global community if things are being imported from Africa or wherever.
Technically, tithing in Christian/Catholic churches should be used for the same thing - care of the church & the ministry, but unfortunately most of that money ends up going to some greedy bastard, which is part of why Pagan people fight so hard against that image.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 02:38 am (UTC)As for spiritwork for strangers in the future, when I have more years under my belt? Unless they're poor, I'm gonna want compensation. (Money, food, animal parts, scuba diving gear, art supplies, etc) People that my spirits toss me my way want me to help? Most likely for free.
"The money given to a mambo or houngan is basically money given to the spirits..." Agreed, since the money will help feed the spiritual practioner.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 03:39 am (UTC)I was raised in a household that was a mix of Christianity and Native American shamanism. I started to present my gifts when I was between eleven and thirteen, and it was accepted. My parents talked openly about people who had various abilities. And one of the things that was stressed was that you don't charge money for it. Trade is fair, but you don't go into it looking to make money off the people you're supposed to be helping. Books, courses, art, the like, is fine, but they considered people that would charge extremely high prices to be despicable and often frauds.
Myself, I'm... ehh. It does take time/effort/energy to do the work of any practitioner, but I'm incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of charging significant amounts of money too. Barter does not bother me, neither does doing other things that aren't directly asking someone who needs help, and may need it badly, for money.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 09:04 am (UTC)One of my concerns are that illnesses like depression, PTSD etc become more common and I assume that it's condicions like this which most of the people who come to you suffer from. Conventional medicine doesn't seem to know what to do with people who suffer from these things - they don't seem to get that it's not just a physical disorder that can be treated with medication but a spritual one as well (the reason why I think that conventional medicene fails is because they dimiss the spritual side or try to pretend that it doesn't exist) and unless the spritual side is treated, people tend to stay sick or have relapses. I used to be a bit of a sceptic but when I went into a pagan shop recently (a proper one, not just one selling what I consider to be "fashion paganism") I was amazed at how peaceful and relaxed I felt there.
As for offering free services, the way I look at it is that it would be great to do that, but the problem is is that everyone else wants money (by that I mean local authories, governments, big companies etc) and until they change their ways, then you'll have to charge and I have no problem with it as long as it's reasonable. (I mean, no one expects you to offer your art for free, either for originals or prints, so why should this be free?)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 11:07 am (UTC)Hope you are doing well!
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 02:34 pm (UTC)Sometimes depending on which spirit guide/deity contributed to the work, I've also had the client contribute to a charity connected to the guide or deity's aspects.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 06:44 pm (UTC)Following my family heritage, I've been doing reading for people on occasion, and I typically find that they are asking questions that they already know the answer to, they just want it confirmed by an outside source. The spirits know this, and the cards tell them so. It's very frustrating to me to do these kinds of reading, because there really isn't anything I can do to help, and there is very little that I can do to make things better, because they won't remember they asked for this guidance in the first place.
Which makes it worse when they realize I told them that it was going to go the way it did anyway...
In anycase, I am not above need, and I will take gifts in exchange for readings. I'm always am in need of new paper and paints, and incense to offer as offerings. Or Food. Food is good. It's just that I don't advertise anymore. It's not rewarding, and there is no community for me to help, and the community I do have doesn't really feel comfortable with my tools, anyway.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-25 07:18 pm (UTC)This is compounded by the fact that there's no barometer for how much one should pay for a psychic reading. I've paid as much as $65 for a psychic reading. I like going to spiritual helpers if I have a question or need advice, since it feels more objective. But how do I know what the value of their advice is?
There are mediums like Sonia Choquette who charges $400 for 30min and $800 for an hour reading with her. She is very famous and has written many books.
There's no real gauge, which can make choosing the right person to seek help from frustrating and overwhelming. And it's kinda made worse by the fact that you have to pay upfront, versus after to determine the quality of the reading. And things are complicated when you talk about things which may not have results the first go around, or even the second time.
So I think it is complicated on both ends of the equation.