Money and Spirituality in the New Paradigm
By Jenny Griffin
So, ‘The Shift’ has come and gone, right? And yet money still exists and the world hasn’t come to an end. So what exactly has happened, and how do we make sense of working with old, existing structures in the new paradigm?
Too often lately I’ve heard people lament that they have to pay for services that they believe should be free – such as spiritual guidance from those who have chosen that as a career. There’s some huge anger and resistance around the idea of paying when you feel as if your world is falling apart around you, and you ‘just want help, NOW!’ The other side of this equation is that too many people who’ve taken personal and financial risks to provide services and value that just cannot be found elsewhere are uncertain about charging for their work. This is very much tied into old paradigm thinking.
Money is not going to disappear, not in the way that some may have hoped or imagined. The energetic imprint of money, however, is changing constantly so that the old ideas of money as a means to freedom, success or power are being replaced with new understandings. The old structures were based on the distorted Masculine energy that stresses power over, competition and exploitation of those less powerful than yourself. The new energy is rooted in the Feminine, which stresses collaboration, receptivity and abundance for all. These energies were, under the old regime, disdained and made to be seen as weaknesses or failures.
(This is not to suggest that one is preferable to another, just that there are two opposing energies at play. Masculine energy in its right power is the perfect complement to Feminine energy. The distortion that has taken place over millennia has caused us to stray far from the original and beautiful energy behind the Masculine.)
The shift is not only a transition into new physical structures, but also into new thought patterns, new belief systems. So the resistance and anger that arises around the idea of charging for spiritual services comes from the discordance between money as tied to the old structures and money as connected to a divine exchange of energy. Money in and of itself is inert – it has no energetic connection to good, bad or anything in between.
If you remain tied to the understanding of it as something that controls your destiny, or your energy (as in, ‘the bank owns me, my house and everything in it, so I have to work 700 hours a week to make sure I don’t lose my stuff’), you will find that it keeps you tied to the old distorted Masculine (something outside of yourself has authority). If, on the other hand you see money as a way to maintain your own energy flow – it comes in and it supports the creative work you do to provide more value to those you serve, and then it goes out – you are working in a more Feminine energy.
The original intent behind money was to serve as a common understanding of exchange – if I took three sheep to the market, I could be more or less guaranteed the same exchange my neighbour received yesterday. Before money was the medium of exchange, horses, pigs, pebbles, or turnips may have been the currency of choice. So if we return to that concept, the one that existed before the distortion of the Masculine set in, we can see that it is simply a tool in the process of exchange – I have something you’re seeking, you give me something I can use in exchange.
So why is spiritual work so often viewed as something outside of this means of exchange? It may be that it’s often relegated to the ‘last resort’ category, when people are hurting so badly that they see it as their only option, perhaps depleted (energetically or otherwise) by their long journey to where they are. It’s a need for soul guidance, for emotional nurturing, both of which have fallen under the realm of the (weak) Feminine for so long that they have become de-valued. Characteristics that are viewed as inherently Feminine in nature (intuition, creativity, nurturing, healing, compassion, emotions) have been deemed value-less in terms of monetary exchange for so long that people have shifted their views of the world to incorporate that as the truth.
It is also related to old structures connected to those who took vows of poverty in order to follow a path that led to God. Somewhere along the line God/Spirit/Source became disconnected from the pursuit of wealth, which accordingly, was seen as the ‘opposite’ path. In the case of religious orders whose members gave up their livelihoods to serve, they were taken care of in every other way – food, shelter, medical care, education. In the case of modern spiritual practitioners, that is not the case. It is not possible to divorce the ideas of money and spirit unless you are willing to be destitute or live off the charity of others forever.
The Shift we’ve all been waiting for, in terms of monetary system changes, lies within each of us. If someone has something that you seek out, something you value, then you must be willing to offer an exchange for that. If the person is willing to exchange something other than money, that’s between you and them, but be upfront about it and be very clear before you begin.
If you’re not willing to offer an exchange, examine your motives – are you looking for a quick fix but not really prepared to do the work you need to do to heal? Do you want someone else to do the hard work for you (i.e. does being a victim serve you in some way)? Do you not believe you are worth making a commitment to (financially or otherwise), to advance your own life in some way? Would you, for instance, walk into a restaurant and expect food for free, knowing that their business runs on the production and delivery of food?
Many healers and spiritual people have been through the depths of their darkness to get to where they are today, which makes them embodied experts in their fields. You have sought them out for the unique gifts and value that they provide, and in order to honour that gift, an exchange is required. If they were to continue giving until they were depleted, they would not be available for you or others who come seeking their guidance. If you were to receive their assistance for nothing, the energetic value you assign to that help is also nothing. With that in your energetic memory banks, you proceed into the exchange with less impetus to honour and respect what you are receiving than if you had paid for it.
If you stand firmly in the knowledge that your life is priceless, you will understand that to make whatever exchange is necessary to protect and nurture that life is a gift to you. Recognize also that the person whose guidance you seek holds their life in the same esteem, knowing that their gift is to be honoured and valued as they deserve for their own protection and nurturing.
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Jenny Griffin Also known as ‘The Catharsis Coach,’ Jenny loves exploring life’s twists and turns through the lens of transformation. Her own journey through catharsis, a deep, deep letting go of ingrained patterns and beliefs, resulted in a feeling of connectedness, with the world around her and with that wise and wonderful voice within. Jenny has learned to engage with her life and experiences in a way that allows her to use the knowledge gained through them to serve others. When she’s not writing, she’s coming up with new ways to help people move through change with grace and ease.
You can find her at: The Power of Change on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and on Twitter
Well said, Jenny. Thank you.
Thank you, LJ! You’re very welcome 🙂
The last three (maybe four) lines say it all…
I can’t say I’m on board with this. I see money as related to extrinsic thinking, after all, it’s a way to keep score. Giving and intrinsic rewards have such a satisfaction that I believe anybody who had the choice, and was interested in their spiritual capacity, would see the benefits to themselves and the whole and the choice would be self evident.