Should people make a career out of their gift?

[Angel lite plus]

Originally Posted by Guillaume

Because if one relies on such services to survive, one will attract (create, manifest) problems in order to get money. That's not good.

I don't think it's that bad to earn something. Going into the ether (television) along with earning is much worse. It is like evolving from the periphery into the center.
... like becoming "the sun". Take Edgar Cayce for example. He seemed to have done a good job, handling all that attentive energy. But i don't know if he considered himself a medium.

On the other hand yeah, i get the point. Asking for a candle or some incense should be enough. More important is the feeling of indifference regarding money. You can have a few hundred-thousands of dollars. As long as you don't go crazy spending it.

You can use it or distribute it among the needy (deaf people for example). The only thing you have to watch out for is that the ones whom you give it to, redistribute it correctly instead of stealing some of all of it, The best way to do this is to look up a deaf person, and impress the hell out of her or him by giving 10k (most of them are very nice people). If you can do that, then hats off.

There are a few thing written on this forum which I am strongly against. In fact there are a few beliefs written on various threads throughout this forum which I know not to be true, but I hold my tongue for the sake of the general flow of this forum.
I am against any sort of argument and do my upmost to avoid any arguments, hence I will not read or reply to any further posts on this thread.

many thanks.

[Angel lite plus]

*Angel Lite Plus gives 10k to the deaf"

[bobjob]

There are a few thing written on this forum which I am strongly against. In fact there are a few beliefs written on various threads throughout this forum which I know not to be true, but I hold my tongue for the sake of the general flow of this forum.
I am against any sort of argument and do my upmost to avoid any arguments, hence I will not read or reply to any further posts on this thread.

In discussion forums there are bound to be differences in viewpoint and approach to subjects. Being strongly against someone else's opinion doesn't make yours right and theirs wrong - it's similar for beliefs and points-of-view.

In my view it's never wrong to point out anything you can show to be a weakness in a presentation. It's not acceptable, though, to attack the individual presenting it. Arguments are undesirable and anyway not allowed per this website's rules.

If members can't function within those simple parameters then forum-based websites are perhaps not the best place for them to be.

[Spirited]

I personally do not have any issue with people choosing to charge for their services. Firstly I would say I don't like the term "Gift" when referring to a persons mediumistic ability as that is very exclusive and implies that it is something unique or special about them that others may not have when in reality every single person is a medium, although some have honed their ability to better level than most. With this in mind, I acknowledge that to be a good medium many years of practice and effort is needed. The more you practice, the better and more experienced you become.

If we compare the skill of mediumship against the skill of anything else in life - for instance a professional footballer. What makes them the best at what they do (compared to the likes of every day folk who work "normal" jobs) is that they do it full time, living and breathing the sport, constantly improving using and focusing all their efforts.... for someone to be able to do this they can't possibly be using all their energy and focus elsewhere on other jobs without negatively impacting their standards on the first task.

With this in mind therefore, unless someone is rich and has no need of money for the rest of their lives then it stands to reason that they will need to earn money doing what they are doing, in order to allow them to keep doing what they are doing...after all, bills don't stop when one decides they have a calling for a life of service to Spirit. Time is precious, if I want someone to give me their time then whether that be for cutting my grass, checking my eyesight or giving me a reading then I am more than happy to pay them to do so. I acknowledge that it allows them to serve more people by allowing it to be their "full time" thing.

One final note is that many mediums I am sure do freebies here and there as and when they feel called to do so, even if they charge for the majority. How many dentists do you know who do a % of their clients for free? How many plumbers or electricians would be expected to fix up a faulty house for free every now and then? Even within faith groups, you wouldn't expect a vicar of a church in Christianity to lead the church full time and not be paid for it? Why is it when it comes to those who do mediumship full time we suddenly expect them to be free?

[hazada guess]

How many people pay to go to church?

How many people get scammed?

It is a gift that many discard at an early age.(A God given gift).

To me,Spiritualism/Mediumship is sacred and not a thing to be commercialized, twisted and a tool to make profit for your own gains.

Charge a small fee by all means, but don't make a career out of it.

That is all I will say on the matter.

[Native spirit]

I happen to agree with that sentiment Hazada


Namaste

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Spirited

I personally do not have any issue with people choosing to charge for their services.

Even within faith groups, you wouldn't expect a vicar of a church in Christianity to lead the church full time and not be paid for it?
Why is it when it comes to those who do mediumship full time we suddenly expect them to be free?

I'm with you.
Notning wrong with asking for a fee for time, travel, gas, imo, gee.

[hazada guess]

Well,that's the difference between you and me Miss Hepburn.

[Spirited]

Originally Posted by hazada guess

How many people pay to go to church?
How many people get scammed?
It is a gift that many discard at an early age.(A God given

I hear you. I accept that it is likely a disproportionate amount of people who get scammed in this field more than most others. I agree that Mediumship is a sacred thing that comes with enormous responsibility. I think where our disagreement comes by the sounds of it is on the intent behind why people want to involve money.

In a lot of cases, such as doing Mediumship as a sort of "side" thing to their full time life, then yes I don't see why Mediums would charge. An example of this is someone who does churches one evening a week. For these, perhaps a small fee to cover their fuel would suffice - but in my experience 90% of Mediums donate any takings back to the church in which they have served in any case and don't take anything for themselves.

In other cases whereby maybe a person is already financially sound and has no need of any regular income - then I feel any genuine person would not be charging and would question their intent for doing so.

Our disagreement is in the situations where a person is called to a life of serving Spirit as their main and sole job. I.e... they do not do anything else to earn any sort of income. There are plenty of people who feel a calling to do this and many are very good, honest people.

I guess my question to you, Hazada Guess is this:

1) How do you suppose persons in that situation afford to keep a roof over their head / pay their bills and feed themselves if they do not charge an amount that is reasonably equative of that which others would earn in other careers?

2) Or is it that on a fundamental level, you feel that a person should not be permitted to serve Spirit full time in this way unless they are mega-rich and in no need to make money? (in other terms, full time Mediumship is for the rich only)

* if it's the latter, why do you think Spirit might condone this behaviour and work with these people every day if it were morally wrong to do so?

No right or wrong answers (and you don't have to answer either!). I'm also not claiming to be correct. Just in the nature and spirit of a forum-based website I am curious and interested to understand your position better. Peace