I want to clarify that I have never been the victim of overt or direct negativity regarding this issue. In fact, people have always been receptive to my desire to delve into business issues even if they weren't necessarily business-oriented themselves. I largely come up against a 'live and let live' vibe when it comes to those I actually cross paths with. However, I have seen plenty of sideswipes and passive aggressive comments doing the rounds in videos and blogs over the years, not to mention one or two all out spates of anti-biz videos which included plenty of mutual agreement between people with gripes about those making money from their oils, incenses, readings etcetera.
So, why does the topic of spiritual business provoke unpleasant feelings and negative responses in some quarters? There are many different roots on that particular tree!
First of all, money is a seriously complex topic and people have all kinds of different attitudes towards it. Many of those attitudes stem from conditioning and programming, tough past experiences, limiting beliefs or the awkwardness of trying to navigate through a world of people with opposing views. Sometimes people just butt heads.
Then you've got to look at the fractious relationship between spirituality and money in order to see just how deep the rabbit hole really goes. Some believe that any ability to help or guide others is a gift from Spirit and that taking payment for such a gift sullies it completely. Some just feel that spiritual cyberspace should be the one place that they can go to escape the endless barrage of product promotion and consumerism which seems to plague them everywhere else.
For some, a sincere message is one without any marketing attached to it. In the other words, some people decide who they can trust by looking at who is actually selling something and who isn't. A video filled with useful tips or loving guidance could be immediately thrown into disrepute if the creator of said video proceeds to promote their product or service at the end. But why should that be? After all, can't someone have a genuine desire to be of service and share their ideas whilst at the same time acknowledging that their audience are also likely to be the people most likely to invest in their business?
Of course, there is one other key ingredient in this weird mix, and that's envy. Some people just wish that they could make a living in a similar way or have the courage to put themselves out there and start a spiritual hustle. For whatever reason, they don't, and they thoroughly resent those who do!
It's not my job to decide which reasons factor in to the negative response of any individual. Of course it's always great to know that people are doing that kind of work on an internal level rather than holding on to their resentment of others or lashing out at them for being in business, but it's not my place to encourage anyone to instigate that inner search.
Any resentment which is leveled at those who make their money selling anything remotely spiritual is usually expressed in an indirect way in the online sphere, if it is expressed at all. This can lead to even more yucky stuff - paranoia, insecurity, feelings of alienation and the construction of distinct 'camps' who hold fast to their own ideas on the subject. When someone decides to vocally insist that there are too many people trying to make money from the spiritual community which they inhabit, biz owners are invariably going to feel that they themselves are being 'spoken to' in one way or another. It breeds bad feeling.
It's also unnecessary.
The great thing about blogs and YouTube channels is that no one is being forced to consume any of it. A war cry about the amount of people with spiritual businesses is surely a use of energy which might have been better invested in supporting and encouraging people who do have a pleasing online presence in your eyes, right? I'm not in the 'don't complain about anything because that's totally negative' camp. But I'm also not keen on the idea that we need to air every single grievance under the guise of it being a 'community issue'. Maybe it's not a community issue. Maybe it's just an issue for certain individuals and perhaps those individuals could stand to look closer to home for the root of the problem.
The truth is that it's way more awesome to purchase your Book of Shadows from a fellow witch who makes them from scratch with materials that she purchases from reputable, ethical small sellers in her area. It's way better to get your oil from a crone who's been cooking that shit up for three decades, perfecting it over time. It's thrilling to purchase a reading from someone who raves about Tarot online and offers reviews, recommendations and lessons to their audience for free. It's great to give back to the community who have given so much to you. It's nice to know where your purchased items came from and who made them. It feels good to have that personal connection. It feels good to know whose pockets you are actually lining. The truth is that there is plenty to smile about when it comes to being a buyer in this witchy and spiritual world.
But there's also tonnes to smile about if you're a seller. And sometimes you might just need to be reminded of that.
If you occasionally sense a wave of hostility coming your way as a seller of spiritual goods, take heart. Remember that you are allowed to be joyful about your journey. It's wonderful to be a part of this movement and, when you believe in whatever you're selling and you put your heart into it, you are way more deserving of the money than someone with a conveyor belt mentality who's just trying to appeal to 'whatever the weird witchy folk want'. If you sell from a place of wisdom and understanding, then you are a credit to the people you serve. Sometimes you just have to keep on smiling and shining, even if it occasionally pisses someone off!
Check out my video about heart-centred online business!
