COMMERCIALIZATION OF ASTROLOGY - MONEY MATTERS
Journalist – “Why is it important, or why is it necessary, to sell bliss – why can’t you give it away”?
Osho Rajneesh – “No, because anything that is just given away is never taken by anybody. The higher the cost, the better people will keep it, save it in their treasuries. Give it free and it has no value –because people don’t understand value unless it has a price. They understand price, they don’t understand value”.
Disclaimer – This article is not for those Occultists who provide free services. Let me begin with paying the highest respect for those Astrologers and Occultists who provide free services. I know a few of them and nothing in this Article applies on them. They are far ahead than me on Spiritual Plane and God’s Love & Service to Mankind motivates them to provide free services. Most of us are yet to reach at that level.
I knew that sooner or later I would have to respond to this important topic of Commercialisation of Astrology & Astrological Services but I was not sure when? So first of all, special thanks to the person who posted a review for my Astrology App as “Money Seekers Only”. It is not that I am writing this article because of that comment only but we can say, in legal language, that this comment became Cause of Action. In recent times, I was either receiving some consultation requests where people wanted to take free consultation or few people observed that I am too Professional in giving consultation. I think that now is the right time to deal with this sensitive subject where I would need to strike a balance between both the parties involved here, i.e. Counsellor and Counselee. I hope that I will be able to do that.
As always, let’s break this important analysis in following points –
Opinion of Other Astrologers.
My Opinion.
Most Important Things in Life.
Free Information and Questions.
Free Services.
Validity for Free Services.
Conclusion.
Let’s cover all points one after the other –
Opinion of Other Astrologers – As the words posted were “Money Seekers Only”, I would infer that this comment was not only for me but for other Astrologers or may be for other Occultists too. This is quite understandable as all Astrologers had to face this question at one fine day. I can’t be spokesperson for all other Astrologers but I can write the views I heard from them on this matter. Many Astrologers say they also have a Family to support and expenses to meet, so they have to charge fee. Some Astrologers are of the view that they invest much in their work like Books, making Videos, keeping a good Website or giving Consultations on urgent requests etc. So, they say that they are well within their right to charge fee for it. But the response which most impressed me came from Alyssa Sharpe when she said in a video in words like these – Guys, if I start providing free services then you have to understand one thing that I won’t be able to provide it for a long time as I won’t be able to survive in this world without Money. So, if you want to take my services for a long time, then you need to pay me my due fee.
It was a common-sense response which is not very common these days.
My opinion – Now, my opinion can be lengthy but have patience to read through –
Is it wrong to seek Money? – What is so wrong with Seeking Money? Why is it a negative thing? I mean if I am not doing anything illegal or immoral then why I should not seek money? Treating Money itself as a negative thing is an ancient trait in India. For centuries, we have condemned richness or money by saying that it is all illusive & won’t stay with you, and the end result is that country with biggest Human Resource in the World is a Poor Country. It is result of praising poverty and consoling poor so that he should remain poor. We are not a rich country because we think Money as a negative concept. Unless and until we change our basic concept for Money and start treating it positively, we can’t become rich.
Moral Issues – “Ohhh but you know what, one should not make money out of Religious/Spiritual/God related matters and Astrology falls in it.” Well, then what your Pundits, Clerics & Priests are doing since ages in Temples, Mosques & Churches respectively? Are they not making money from the same so-called prohibited means? I am sure that everyone knows that all these people get appointed at their respective places and they get proper salary from their appointing authority (either Govt or Trust, whichever is applicable). Any thought?
Most Important for Life – If I ask people what is most important for them to live a meaningful life, then I will get lots of responses. From Family to Career to Relation to Children etc. Well, I feel Oxygen is most important to live our life. But very rarely someone will say that. You know why? Because it is freely available. We don’t have to pay for it. And once we don’t have to pay for something, it keeps no value in our life. We are not even bothered to know if it is there or not. If we have to pay weekly for our Oxygen, first reply will certainly be Oxygen. You see all those things which are most necessary for our lives are given freely by Nature but we don’t care. That’s why we are adamant to destroy nature. I guess that’s what I want to say here. Paying for consultation makes that consultation important for you.
Initial Free Services – In my early days as an Astrologer, I used to give consultation free of cost to my friends and relatives. Then guess what? I also had to follow-up with some of them asking if they got the report? Answer was, “Ohh I didn’t get time to check email, I will tell you”. Don’t mind but I am waiting for feedback from at least 5 friends/relatives of mine since 2014. One bright soul met me last month and said that he was unaware that I sent any report to him. I hope they read this article but I am sure that they won’t have time even today. You know the reason why such attitude? Because Money didn’t go out of their pocket. If they had paid for the report then they would have waited for report to come in email.
Guaranty – “But it is not sure that Astrological predictions will come true, then why we should pay? There is no guaranty you see.” Yah, it is just like that there is no guaranty that a medicine will re-mediate your illness but still you pay for it, it is just like that there is no guaranty that the food you are eating will get digested, but still you eat it, and it is just like that you know nothing about what next moment will bring in your life, but still you plan even for your child’s marriage who is yet to take birth.
Seriousness & Motive – And this is what Money brings into picture. Not only Counsellor but Counselee also gets involved in the work with Motive and all Seriousness. So, if you want something done seriously by another person then never take services for free. Money paid or to be paid becomes the motive to do that work seriously. At least it goes this way with mere mortals like me. Another thing is that when I started taking fee for consultations then I started researching more. I learnt far more as a paid Astrologer rather than a part-time Astrologer.
Last but not the least; I would always want everyone to seek money if he is providing any service under law and morality. I will never be a part of system which condemns Money. I would love to live in a Society where everyone is super rich and he doesn’t have to think about money before buying any product or service he likes. Money should circulate freely. It is very important for richness of Humanity itself. Think about this, suppose I have 1000 Rs. I saw a service but thought about Money and didn’t buy it. Those 1000 Rs remained with me only at value of 1000 Rs only. But if I buy that service, then money would start circulating. It will go through 100s of hands and same 1000 Rs will now buy products/services of over 1 Lac Rs for so many people. That’s why, it is better if we accept the importance of money and start praising it.
Free Information and Questions – At the same time, it is not that Astrologers ask money for every little reason. Every Astrologer provides free information through his Articles or Videos. Myself, and I am sure that all other Astrologers too, reply to all random questions of people throughout day. We never expect any fee for sharing such information for the simple reason that it is Universal Information. You will get that information freely available anywhere in the world through different means. So, there is no point in expecting money for sharing information. But when we go to someone for a specific consultation then we are utilizing his personal abilities. His skills, intuition, knowledge and experience. Then we are supposed to pay him just like the way we pay any Doctor, Engineer or any other service provider.
Free Services – Also, I am not totally against providing Free Services. When there is a sufficient reason, I am sure that every Occultist has done that. Here, I am proud to share 2 stories from my clients where I offered free consultation due to their circumstances but clients refused to take it for free. 1st was a Student asking for a Career Consultation but concerned about 1500/- as fee as she had no earning of her own. I said that I will send report and she can deposit as she likes. She refused on that offer and said she will contact me later. After 3 months, she took consultations and paid out of her savings from these 3 months. Then there was a lady who lost her parents very early in life due to some horrible incidents and was somehow moving with life since then. She also refused to take free services when I offered and said though life has been tough but it is not so tough that I can’t pay your fee. So, this World, Life and People are grey, they are not black or white. You will find all types of counsellors and counselees.
Validity for Free Services – As I said, I am fine with providing free services but there has to be some valid reasons for that. So, if you are living at USA & going to meet your Girl Friend at Dubai on New Year Day and you are saying that you can’t pay 500 Rs for Horoscope Matching then it is not done. If your FB profile shows Selfies with your latest iPhones & Cars and you want free consultation, then it is not done. Here I share the biggest valid reason for asking a free consultation. Daughter of an Army Officer of Pakistan asked me for couple of consultations but she was unable to pay fee as their transactions get tracked daily and any trace of transaction to India can be troublesome for them. Now, this is valid reason. I did her consultations happily.
Conclusion – This existence works on the principle of mutual existence. We say that plants are very necessary for us as they provide Oxygen. Well, then we are also very necessary for plants as we provide them Carbon-dioxide. Both can’t live without each other. Our existence depends on each other. Likewise, Counsellor and Counselee both are important to each other. We can’t think of separate existence and as we are supposed to be with each other, we are also supposed to co-operate with each other. With this article, I am not saying that every Occultist is a Holy Cow but I am saying that if someone is putting his effort and time to help people then there is nothing wrong in him being a “Money Seeker”.
As I started with Osho, I will also end with Osho only.
Money is very important for person to become Spiritual. I will never condemn richness and praise poverty. I want humanity to live in such luxury that people get bored out of wealth. Then only they can realize the futility of money and their spiritual progress is possible. I am Rich Man's Guru.
Osho
PS - After writing this article, I made Health Consultations free and same experience was repeated where 80% people never called on the time given for health consultations. Some called late and some didn't call at all. Many a times, I made the call after waiting enough and the response was "ohhh I just got busy with some work, so I didn't call. Anyways, tell me what you have to tell"
So, Money is very important to bring seriousness in our actions.
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1 comments on this post Comments
Stella Ismael
2023-10-21 10:26:49In our days, we see the truimph of the bestial order which tried for centuries to impose itself on humanity and Nature making them pay for each breath, taxing any move of life body, reducing the dignitous possibilities to survive and earn the living. Life becomes a sacrifies. And people with parasitic attitude still ask free services.