“I Can’t deal w the marketing emails that are bastardizing blessing circles in the name of “sacred business” lol”
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This was a comment I got from an unsubscriber from my email list after I sent an email about making money from blessings & circles.
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I want to reply to this. I feel it necessary for my own sake because the work I do is vehemently and unapologetically centred around sacred keeping and honouring the sacredness of our life journey and our rites (also, I think i have sent 2 emails).
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But in this day and age, when I am offering a service to hand over the wisdom that I have accumulated over my lifetime (passed down by others through theirs), often through an exchange of some sort, in order for others to do the same, this will always include a discussion around money.
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Here is why…
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Do you know what is worse than charging money for a sacred blessing or circle (or marketing to teach them)?
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Having 5 inquiries in one week (literally last week!) for women and people desperately seeking a facilitator and not having anyone to refer to!
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Having pregnant women and people being traumatised by unethical facilitators who practice out of integrity.
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Having to turn away potential clients and having them without the ceremony or support they had hoped for.
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People remaining disconnected from one another and unable to find a way to connect.
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Discussing your ability to charge for a blessing is not bastardising the sacredness of blessings or circles because it might be the difference between a woman or person actually receiving the space holding they yearn for vs not getting it at all and being alone to find their own way.
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Which would you rather happen?
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Have you ever planned and facilitated a blessing or circle? Were you surprised by how much it took out of you?.
This work also is not something you can have a quick scroll on pinterest and turn up and facilitate a circle in full integrity. It’s just not.
It takes hours of preparation. There is a lot to be considered in terms of upholding ethical practice so to ensure no harm is done. And there is a lot of preparation and after care required to support and replenish your own energy.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Money is not dirty or evil. Money is neutral. It is the driver of that money who determines where it goes.
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Money does NOT taint the sacredness of your work. It is a form of exchange for your sacred energy. If you choose not to charge, that is your prerogative but do not beget those who do because we absolutely cannot do this work from a place of scarcity or survival mode. Scarcity kills creativity.
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The sacredness is upheld, (regardless of charging), by those who are committed to practicing with full integrity, to ethical standards and do their own inner work. Knowing how to evoke the medicine of circle is what makes it sacred. If you don’t do those things (even if you don’t charge) is it sacred then? Committing to sacredness means committing to a certain standard, which means an investment of time and money whether we like to admit it or not.
If you couldn’t do this work without charging (because your family needs to eat) and charging an exchange for your service means that I don’t have 5 people (just this week alone) without a facilitator for their sacred rite, then how on earth is that not contributing to the healing we need in this world right now?
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If it means that you can leave or reduce other work that doesn’t light you up so that you can hold space for others sustainably and with a full cup, then surely you are on the right path.
I launched this course because there are just not enough facilitators and the world needs this work as a matter of urgency. Some will need to charge, some might not. You absolutely do not have to pay to learn from anyone let alone from me. If you can do it in your own way (as I did for many years myself) I applaud you. It might take longer but it isn’t impossible. If money triggers you, that’s ok. You don’t have to focus on it at all. But please, do not tear other sisters down and feed into the sisterhood wounds when we are all trying to do our best in a world trying to keep us against each other. Please do not play into the narrative of the starving creatives and healers as heroic martyrs which continues to keep us small and poor and unable to rise up in a world that doesn’t value our work!
We, the witches, the healers, the shamans, the energy workers, the light and shadow workers, the fringe dwellers, the herbalists and the birthworkers were the revered ones. Once we were the ones everyone came to and exchanged their highest offerings… until we were burned and exiled and forgotten.
Is it really money that taints the sacredness of the work? Or is it this conditioned belief that we need to stay small and hidden and starving so that we can never remember who we once more? So that we can never rise up against the patriarchy and reclaim our power and share our wisdom as far as it is needed.
Just because some people use money to do terrible things and oppress others, doesn’t mean that you (or I) charging is connected to that in any way- in fact we are part of the change we wish to see. We all have our own way and I do honestly believe everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.
The world suffers when you are not following your calling- often (not always) that means you will have to charge something so why can’t we talk about it?