As many of you might have seen in the event section of this group, one of our upcoming ShamanPortal Wisdom Webinars is dedicated to “Financial Wellness”. I’m aware that money & spirituality is always a contentious topic. But I think we have no choice but must embrace it. Otherwise we will leave the field to the Business Shamans. Let me explain…

Most of us live in free-market societies and have to pay our monthly bills – rent, utilities, food etc. Over the years I have come across many aspiring healers & therapists who left (or are thinking of leaving) their day job to start a fulltime healing practice. Sounds great – but while they see themselves as healers, teachers, therapists they miss the point that they will become self-employed – with all the benefits and pitfalls. You can offer very “innovative” healing modalities and give yourself fancy Medicine names – your landlord will still see you as a tenant, your shopkeeper as a customer and your tax officer as a sole trader (or company director). And whether you like it or not – you still have to play by those rules.

Some basic budgeting and cash forecasting can quickly show, if a healing practices is a viable business option or not. For many people, doing some basic budgeting and pricing is a real eye-opener – the numbers often just don’t add up. Realising this early can save a lot of stress. This is important for two reasons:

1. We will either see more “Shamanic Businesses” or more “Business Shamans”. There is a growing need and desire for healing and spirituality in the West, especially in the bigger cities. So the “market” is there and it is growing. That demand will be served – either by authentic healers, Shamanic Practitioners, Therapists etc. who have the right intentions and skills. Or by “Business Shamans” – sales people with a crash course in healing. 2 weekend courses in Reiki, 3 -4 weekends core shamanism and some books read – et voila. These “Business Shamans” might neither have the right intention nor the right healing/spiritual skills – but they understand how to run a marketing business. Unfortunately, that’s often enough to strive. To ensure that the people are served by authentic healers, we must ensure that they understand how to run a viable practice.
2. If healers are under financial stress, their practice will eventually be influenced, and more and more energy will be diverted. “Financial Wellness” therefore means that they can continue to focus on serving their clients.

I know that many have romanticised ideas of “real shamans do not charge…” (I’m yet to meet one of them….) but if you live in a bigger city this attitude is not practical. The cost of living and the cost of doing healing (renting treatment rooms, halls for workshops or ceremonies etc.) are just too high. Quite often there is no community – people come once or twice for healing and ceremony and then move on. So you have to see your service under commercial aspects – or deep pockets and a great heart to cross fund.