I remember the first professional reading I ever received. I was in a transition period in my life, and sort of felt like I was drifting. I was moving into a new apartment, I’d been feeling stagnant at work, and I had just started taking classes on Wicca. I happened to be at a farmers market, and there was a reader, sitting at her table. I remember thinking that she didn’t have a lot of decor around her booth, which made her stand out from the others around her. I thought, “why not?” And sat down. And honestly? The reading wasn’t great. She wasn’t very good at helping me figure out what question I actually needed answered. When I chose a deck, she didn’t seem to know the cards well and constantly had to reference the guidebook. I remember standing up feeling like I could have done as good of a job for myself without ever having seen the deck.
Since then, I’ve had readings from many other people, both professional and amateur. And I’m so glad that I didn’t give up on readings from other people! Some of the most insightful readings that I’ve gotten have come from friends! And sometimes an unbiased professional can bring a view that you never would have seen on your own. But some people don’t see paying for a reading in such a rosy light.
So, you feel like you could use a little advice from your favorite divination system. The big question is, do you pay for a reading, do it yourself, or find someone who will give you one for free? Is reading something you should ever pay for?
In my view, both sides make a good case, but I definitely have my own opinion. So let’s take a look at some of the arguments on both sides and see where we come out in the end.
(If you want a quick primer on how divination works, check out my post about it here!)
On The Pro-Paying Side,
Spiritual services are exactly that; services. They take time and energy, and a lot of people spend a lot of time and/or money to get good at any given divination system. More if they are an expert at reading more than one or a combination of systems! A tarot reader may have spent years perfecting their craft and collecting tarot decks. Like any other developed skills, they need to be compensated when they are using those skills. You wouldn’t expect a trained electrician to fix your wiring for free. You would expect to pay them for learning the things you haven’t and for buying the equipment that you don’t have. The same goes for a reader! They have put in the work to learn how to read for you and spent the money to get or make the tools that they use in the reading!
There’s also the tendency for people to value things that they pay for more than things that they don’t. The thinking goes that if someone pays for a service, they will value it more than if they had gotten it for free. So with a reading, this can affect how the person getting the reading receives it. Some readers worry that a reading that is paid for is more likely to be taken seriously. By paying any money at all, we emphasize to our subconscious that what we’re paying for has value. So we’ll take the reading into more account. Think it through more and be more likely to apply what we learn. Verses a free reading, which is more likely to go in one ear and out the other because our brain doesn’t see it as valuable.
On The Pro-Free Side,
There are some legitimate criticisms of paying for a reading. Some people feel that the ability to read is a spiritual gift and that it’s unethical to charge for a reading. For some people, reading is a sacred spiritual practice. Putting a price on it feels like dragging that sacred thing down to the mundane level. It gives the same ick as medieval Catholics paying for indulgences. Money is so a part of our everyday lives that to pay for a reading is to sully that reading with the banal.
It can also create a relationship between the client and the reader that can be ripe for abuse. It’s no secret that there are conmen who use fortunetelling as a way to scam people. We all have heard stories of people paying a tarot reader thousands and the reader leading them into financial ruin. Or worse, convincing their mark that they’re “cursed” and the conman is the only one who can help. For a price of course. Those bad apples left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Readers who want to help people hope that by offering free readings, they can bypass that stigma.
There are also some legal issues to divination and “fortune telling” in a lot of places. There are places around the world, and even whole states where “fortune telling” is illegal. That’s why you see a lot of fine print on readers’ listings like ” for entertainment purposes only”. Readers can avoid that mess completely if they don’t charge for the reading in the first place.
And of course, there is the option to do the reading yourself. Why would you pay someone when you can read for yourself? A reading that you do for yourself will be more accurate and tailored to you.
My Perspective on Paying for Readings
Learning to be good at a divination system takes time, energy, and expertise. Even if it’s something that comes to a person easily, it’s still a skill that needs to be developed. A reading can also use up a lot of a reader’s energy, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s insulting to say that that is a skill and work that doesn’t deserve compensation. And if someone is offering their services to help people, they deserve to know where their rent is coming from.
There’s definitely an issue with an oversaturation of readers charging big money for subpar services. But the solution isn’t to swear off professional readers, or only seek out free readings. It’s to do some research and make sure that you trust and connect with the reader you choose. And if you’re a repeat customer, watch that relationship to make sure it stays healthy.
And if you don’t want to pay for a reading, or don’t have the funds for it, that’s also fine! Don’t feel compelled to spend tons of money to get a professional reading!
When to Seek Professional Readings
Okay, let’s say that you’ve decided that you’re down for paying for a reading. When should you actually do that? Because paying for a reading isn’t something most people should do all the time. Unless you’ve got more money than you know what to do with and a favorite reader. Then I guess go for it! Pay the witch! But assuming that you’re not in the top 0.1% of earners, when might a professional reading be a good idea?
The best time is when you’ve found yourself in a situation where you feel like your own incite isn’t cutting it. Or your own energies are clouding your perspective and an outside eye can be invaluable. For most of us, this won’t be super often. And even then, it might be better to just walk away and clear your head before coming back to do it yourself.
There will also be times when you feel like a specific kind of reading would be helpful, but don’t have the knowledge or materials to do it yourself. Or to see if a particular divination is one that you’d like to learn without investing the time and money first. I’ve gotten readings because I wanted to get a reading from a specific oracle deck but didn’t have it. I’ve also recently been looking for a palm reader to see if it’s something I’d be interested in learning. If I get a professional reading, I’ll be able to see if it’s a form of divination that I connect with.
And of course, there’s always the reason that you just want to support a witch! Whether it’s a friend, creator, or someone you found and like, it is valid to want to support people you like! In these situations, we need to be reasonable with our support. You can’t burn yourself through to support someone else! If you do want to support a reader, make sure that it’s at a reasonable pace. If it’s a creator that you’re supporting, make sure that you keep the nature of the relationship in mind. Parasocial relationships are fine when everyone understands the nature of that dynamic. But having that person be your reader can complicate that relationship.
And if it’s a reader you know personally, take a few precautions. Make sure you’re comfortable with them learning whatever they’re about to learn. Since readings can dive into places we weren’t expecting, pick someone you can trust. You need to know that your friend isn’t going to go tell everyone about the relationship reading that didn’t go well.
Should You Pay for Professional Readings?
Professional divination readings are a useful tool in our witchy belts. There are arguments for both their pros and cons, and people will weigh those differently. In the end, it’s up to each individual if they do or don’t want to pay for any kind of reading, how often, and in what situations. For me, I say that if you have a question, a little extra money you won’t miss, and a witch you want to support, go right ahead and get that extra incite!
What are your thoughts on paying for a professional reading? Do you have any experience with receiving readings from other people? Do you have any questions about professional readings? Let me know below!
The Weird Witch 