FOUR MISTAKES METAPHYSICAL WORKERS MAKE ON THE INTERNET

Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!

 We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. Look for our forthcoming book, “Walking The Tarot Path” in late 2016.
 We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

Something you were once keenly interested in- Tarot, Reiki, witchcraft, palm reading, or whatever- has morphed from a hobby into a part-time or new full time job. You’ve been taking on clients and a few of them have become return customers. That’s fabulous! But now you want to take you’re your business to the next level.

 Keeping up a healthy metaphysical business is a lot of work…it’s not all just playing with potions and throwing cards.  As spiritual or occult professionals, we are usually on our own, with no support staff.

That means you’ll be doing everything by yourself. You’re your own PR person, secretary, personal assistant, and travel agent. You do the negotiations; you book the gigs and travel. Most of us don’t have “management” to rely on; we’re our own bosses… that means we also wind up doing all of the work!  For many, this part of their career is something they don’t bargain for when they were dreaming of becoming professional.  But doing this often-tedious work is really what enables us to be successful at what we really want to do…making a living off the practices we’ve diligently studied and become good at.

Here are some common mistakes that many metaphysical and spiritual practitioners make on the internet…and how to fix them:

1) YOU DON’T HAVE A WEBSITE

You need a professional website.

 It’s important for many reasons- it allows people to connect with you and to read your bio, access your schedule for appearances, book live or Skype readings, attend classes or workshops that you’re teaching, buy your products and services, and to get a general feel for what you do. 

 The people who visit your site will be able to “see” you, to contact you, and to take you seriously, realizing that you truly are a professional, and a trustworthy businessperson, not just a dabbler. It doesn’t need to have all the latest bells and whistles, but it does need to impart the who, what, where and why of your career.

“But I have a Facebook page!”  We can hear you cry, “Isn’t that good enough?” No, it’s not.  Not if you’re serious about your career.

Ok, a Facebook page is better than nothing, but you still need a website!  Your website and your Facebook page should be linked.  If for some insane reason you don’t have a Facebook account, this brings us to:

2) YOU DON’T HAVE A PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is awesome in general, but it’s especially great for connecting with your fans, potential clients, and/or sponsors or for events. It’s great for engaging in spirited  (and spiritual!) discussions, shop talk and conversations about occult history, as well as for joining groups that will inform you even more about your area of interest.  These interactions are extremely important for our careers!

If you aren’t actively involved in social media, you’re doing yourself and career a serious disservice.

Social medial equals free marketing!

  Facebook, Twitter and Instagram really are where it’s happening, they’re terrific promotional tools that can link you to others who share your interests.  We  know it sounds trite, but it’s true.  If you don’t have accounts on these top sites, take the time to set one up and learn how to use them. They’re fun, yes, but they’re also extremely important to you as a professional.    You can get hired, get professional advice, learn about conferences, acquire new clients and buy the tools of your trade via social media.

If you’ve been holding off on this, now’s the time to explore it…which brings us to:

3) NOT USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Many metaphysicians literally shoot themselves in the foot while using social media.

One common mistake is to set up a page on  (any) social media site, and then let it die a long, slow death by not doing anything with it.  Ok, so you set up a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page…and   you can’t see the big deal about it.  You’re not so happy with it because you have like, four followers…. You can’t see what’s so great about having an occult-oriented professional page, cause nothing is happening.

 But did you think to yourself  “If I Build It They Will Come?”

Nice fantasy, but that isn’t how it works! If you’re using social media for marketing, you need to put the necessary time into your page, or it’s going to go belly up really quickly.

 “But I don’t have the time!”

This is a common complaint, but it means you need to make the time- remember, social medial equals free marketing!

  Do some posts and interactions with your morning coffee…  you can even set an alarm so you don’t go over ten or fifteen minutes and get sucked into a rabbit hole. “Like” a few pages or make some comments while you’re waiting for your first client… log on from the dentist’s office, while the baby’s asleep, at a dog park, a show, the airport or in line at the grocery store.

 In order to get an audience, you have to engage an audience. Like courtship, you have to woo people to your page.  Invite people to your page(s) and make sure there is something interesting and fun for them to enjoy…so they will be sure to check back for more updates. 

 Don’t blast out promotions non-stop, it will be off-putting to your followers…though you do need to be consistent with announcing a gig, a reading special, a new book or a new magickal product, cause posting just one time isn’t going to cut the mustard.  People visit many different pages, and their newsfeed is getting updated by the second by all of their friends, as well as all the pages they like. 

That means your post will come and go in the blink of an eye, so you definitely have to post multiple times. Just don’t over-do it, and please, for the love of god, don’t tag people who wouldn’t be interested.

  Engage with others by  “liking” and commenting on their status posts, be personal and personable!  Make sure your social media interactions find a balance between the fun stuff and hard-core promo or people will start tuning out.  

4) OVER-SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  Ok, so we’ve just told you to post a lot of stuff…pictures, event announcements, videos, etc.   But if you have a fan page or group set up just for   your spiritual practice, please keep it “on topic”.    A really common mistake- and one that makes many people actually feel embarrassed for you- is to “overshare” or post TMI, the abbreviation for  “too much information”.

 If you’re running a metaphysically oriented page, people don’t need  (or want!) to know that you’re having your period, fighting with your significant other, having a rough day emotionally, fell off the wagon, or that a relative died…or you broke a nail.

  Your professional page should reflect your professional career.

  It isn’t a tell-all site, or a place to get virtual hugs.  Use your personal page for that kind of post…if, indeed you really and truly want to post all your dirty laundry on the Internet!

  Presumably the reason you made  your page on any social media site is because you want to grow your career.  It’s doubtful that you would walk into your day job and complain about any of this stuff, right?  If you want your spell crafting or Tarot reading to be your day job, then you need to behave professionally when you’re online.

 There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, if something went horrendously wrong at a gig, but it turned out to be a funny story- something that many can relate to- then go ahead and post away! Similarly, if your addiction is Lenormand decks, buying state of the art ghost hunting equipment, or   something like that- as opposed to some sort of illegal controlled substance- go ahead and post about it…cause many will relate to it.  Also, if something not so good happened to you- maybe you got into a fender-bender on your way to a psychic fair or your cold turned into bronchitis- please feel free to post about it, but be brief. It will be a way of letting everyone know  (all at once) why you aren’t showing up or have to cancel some sessions.  And in a tough situation like this, which everyone can relate to, you will probably be pleasantly surprised at how supportive and generous your clients, students, fans and the worldwide metaphysical community can be!

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We’d LOVE to connect with you!
Visit our website to book metaphysical and occult workshops, Tarot readings and healings, or to have us come out for a paranormal investigation: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts
Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html
 For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com

Pleasant and Crystal: Photo by E. Kohan

MONEY AND THE METAPHYSICAL

 

Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!

 We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide, and would love for it to be relevant for metaphysically-inclined peeps at every stage of development from  beginners to professionals. Our posts will range from basic concepts and info that many of you are undoubtedly familiar with, to interviews, how-to’s and reviews on events and products.

We hope this blog is as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

 The relationship many metaphysical practitioners have with money is often somewhat ambiguous. Many of us are not comfortable taking money for our services, and there are several reasons for this.

To begin with, though several spiritually minded individuals dream of becoming a professional card reader-or astrologer, energy healer or palmist- they have little to no idea  of what to charge, and/ or feel extremely tentative getting paid at all, let alone getting  fairly compensated for  what their services are worth.  There are even professionals  who don’t charge what they’re worth.  Often, this is because many of the spiritual skills we posses- even if it’s “just” being intuitive- are usually something we have a gift for and are extremely passionate about. We love what we do. We love it so damn much that we’d do it for free.  And it goes without saying that when we love something that hard, we want to do it as often as possible!

 Also, though fortunetelling, crystal healing or having the chakras realigned is intriguing to the general public, many our clients typically come to us when they are at a low phase in their lives.  They’ve reached a significant turning point, they’re in pain. It doesn’t matter if  it’s physical or emotional, they’re hurting. Perhaps they suspect a spouse is cheating, they’ve gotten a worrisome medical diagnosis or they’ve just lost a job. They come to us because they want clarification on an important matter or because they need healing; they want a tiny shred of hope to hold on to. Because we are human and because we are compassionate, seeing that sort of pain is painful to us. Our first instinct is to soothe, to make it better to give advice… and it goes against our moral compass to take money for doing that.

Last, most of us metaphysical peeps  have become absolutely conditioned to the fact that society marginalizes what we do. While maybe seven out of ten “average” people will admit that they’ve played with a Ouija Board, experienced synchronicity or have watched every episode of Ghost Adventures, those are the same folks who poo-pooh the idea that there is any such thing as the spirit realm or that a medium can communicate with the dead! In fact, many esoteric folks are so self-conscious about being seen as “weird”, that we valiantly try to masquerade our true selves by being as normal as possible.

 In fact, we've had plenty of conversations with our colleagues - at Pagan Pride events, at Tarot conventions, at energy healing circles- where  the typical disclaimer at the beginning of  a story someone’s telling goes something like this:

  “ Not to sound all woo-woo, but….”

 Hello? Look where we’re having this conversation! We’ve all become so used to being “other”, that we feel as though somehow we’re not allowed to make money by having a professional career in  the  “woo-woo” field at which we excel.

In global our society, money is a requirement. In order to survive, we need cash for the basics: food, shelter clothing. We also need it for healthcare, power and water, phone service and transportation.  We gotta  have the Benjamins on hand for our kid’s braces, for their education…and to continue ours. All those hours spent in workshops and classes learning various forms of divination add up! Maybe you took them because you enjoyed the subject matter, but they weren’t free, right?  Ok, so maybe we don’t exactly need money for luxuries (that Tarot deck you simply must have, even though you’ve got nine on your shelf already or that gigantic amethyst cluster that costs more than your phone’s monthly data plan) but we still want them… and the only way we can get them is by paying for them.

 Doctors charge, mechanics charge; dieticians, housemaids, tutors, arborists, rock-climbing instructors, yoga teachers and acupuncturists charge for their services… so why don’t you? Because you are doing something spiritual? Priests, ministers and rabbis charge for officiating weddings; according to the Bridal Association Of America, in January 2015, the median price for this service was $263.00!

 What is your time worth?  How many hours have you put in studying your craft?  It doesn’t matter if you're a pharmacist or a Lenormand reader,  a copywriter or a Reiki master, your time equals money. While giving back to the community is commendable and often extremely fulfilling, realistically speaking, there comes a time when you do need to be compensated for your services. If you’re spending most of your precious time putting your natural abilities to use and practicing the traditions you studied to make herbal tinctures, cast enchantments or  douse for water, then how the heck are you going to have time  to make the  cash you need to live?  By flipping burgers part time? No, you need be compensated for your skills and time practicing the modalities you trained long and hard for.

If you are unsure of what the “going rate” for your services is in your area, by all means ask a  local professional.  Far from being offended, they will undoubtedly level with you…because the people who make a living this way don’t want to be undercut by someone who is giving the service away!
 If there’s no one in your area to ask, spend some time looking up your chosen profession on line, and seeing what others charge.  While it will vary from place to place, choose a point somewhere in the middle, not too high and not ridiculously low. For example, there are full Tarot readings touted on various sites for as little as five bucks, but there are also seasoned professionals or  very well-known, in-demand readers who charge upwards of $200.00 an hour…and are booked up for weeks if not months.  Consider your skill set and expertise as well as where you are working before deciding on a price that you- and your clients - will feel comfortable with.  If you still feel “funny” about getting money in exchange for your services, using a sliding scale with clients is a good way to take payment and not feel bad about charging.

 The exchange for your service doesn’t necessarily need to be cash; barter is always good.  One Tarot reader we know has a regular client who’s paid with produce and fresh eggs…for years!  While that might seem odd, that reader’s kids literally grew up on organic food straight from the farm. 

  And here’s one last point: not to sound all woo-woo but…when you come right down to it, money is an exchange of energy. Make sure you don’t have any underlying issues with this energy. If you do- and it’s likely if you’re stressing over getting paid for your metaphysical work-examine those issues, write them down, reason them out, or banish them completely, and heal your relationship. The issues could come from your childhood, could be cultural, or might even be that you’re feeling guilty at the prospect of doing something you love (and, as we said before, would do for free) to make a living.  Know that if you are thinking with abundance- as opposed to coming from a place of scarcity, you won’t see money as “dirty” or something that goes against your spiritual beliefs. 
 
Welcome cash into your life as opposed to pushing it away… and watch your life change.

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We wanna connect with you!
Visit our website: www.thedivinationnation.com
 
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts
 
Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
 
To find out more about Pleasant click here: http://www.pleasantgehman.com/
 
For more on Crystal’s background, click here; http://crystalravenwolf.com

THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STAR: TIPS FOR READING TAROT IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

 Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!

 We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas,  and practice many other forms of divination and metaphysical disciplines, including Reiki and energy healing, pendulum divining, dousing, crystal work, mediumship, house cleansings, and more. We read for clients, write, lecture and teach together as well as working solo. For years, we’ve worked as professional belly dancers, and since 2009, we’ve been doing paranormal investigations, exploring public and private sites that are reputed to be haunted.  Currently, we’re working on our book, “ Walking The Tarot Path”.
We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical community. We hope  it’ll be relevant for metaphysically-inclined peeps at every stage of development  so our posts will range from basic concepts and info that many of you are undoubtedly familiar with, to interviews, how-to’s and reviews on events and products.
We hope this blog is as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!

 With the Fourth of July just passed, we’re at the very height of summer…. and that means many of us will be doing Tarot readings outdoors. Whether you’re reading at a festival, a neighborhood event, a Ren Faire, on a beachfront boardwalk or at a private party, there are lots of things you need to take into consideration to work to the best of your ability- and to stay comfortable!

First of all, if you are doing any private parties or public events regularly, you should have a Tarot Gig Bag packed and ready to go at all times. Aside from the obvious- a deck or two of your favorite cards- pack it with the following essentials: table cloth or spread cloth; a clipboard  (with attached pen) with a reading signup sheet, and an email list signup; your business cards, plus a couple of travel packs of Kleenex…in case your clients get emotional…and you know at least one will! You’ll also want hand sanitizer or wet-wipes  to prevent your hands-or your client’s hands from soiling your cards.

 You’ll need an envelope or strongbox containing at least thirty dollars in ones and fives for making change. If you have Paypal, get the mobile app for your phone, so you can accept payments that way, and/or get a Square Reader or a similar device so you can also accept credit cards. For outdoor gigs, you might also want to include a few crystals or smaller, pretty rocks- not just for decoration, but to weigh down your cards so they don’t scatter if it gets windy!  If there’s a chance you’ll be reading at twilight  or after it gets dark,  think ahead and bring an LED or battery-powered  lantern with you.  Reading by the light of a flash light or cell phone isn’t optimal…and candles won’t stay lit very well outside in even a slight wind.

Pleasant at the Ojai Pirate Faire

 Speaking of the wind, weather is a huge consideration.  For festivals, fairs, street readings or any place you’ll be out in the elements for more than an hour or two, make sure you wear (or bring) layers. In many locations, summer weather can change from balmy and sun-drenched to wet and windy quicker than you can shuffle a deck! Definitely check the weather report, but also be prepared- bring a light-weight windbreaker, and tuck a few waterproof Ziploc bags in different sizes into your gig bag to protect your cards…as well as your reading cloth, crystals, business cards and signage!

 Sunblock is an absolute necessity for summer readings outdoors, no matter where in the world you are. Even just a few minutes of daytime sun exposure can result in sunburn, so make sure you’ve packed some high SPF protection and slather it on at least every couple of hours.

 For any outdoor gig, consider your comfort as well, especially if you will be out in the elements for hours.  If you happen to be reading in costume- like you might do for a pirate event or Ren Faire, it’s better to leave   your brocade, velvet and heavy vintage fancies at home.  Dress in the spirit of the event, but in light, airy, natural fabrics to stay cool. There’s also a fairly good chance you’ll get dusty and/or or sweaty, or that some “lord” or “buccaneer” might be a few sails to the wind and inadvertently spill his mead you. Not to mention the fact that hoop skirts, bustles and armor are absolute hell to try to negotiate in a Port-A-Potty!

Crystal Ravenwolf  at a Ren Faire

 Make sure to stay amply hydrated- bring a small cooler with couple of water bottles and some snacks, especially if you are vegan or veggie. Water is hugely important, not just to quench your thirst, but because…hello…you’re going to be speaking non-stop as you do multiple readings! Some mints would totally be a good idea, too.  If you think that you might be so busy with clients that you don’t get a chance to grab a meal, or the food at the event might not match your dietary preference, bring a small meal, napkins and utensils in an insulated lunch bag as well.

  If you read outside regularly, perhaps you’ve already invested in a pop-up canopy or shelter.  But if you’re at the stage of just thinking about doing more readings in the great outdoors, you should also seriously consider purchasing one. These canopies are quite portable and assemble easily. The more deluxe models are made of nice, durable material, and many come with a few folding camp chairs. These shelters are relatively inexpensive, starting at about fifty to seventy bucks for the most basic versions and going up from there…but they are well worth the comfort. An added plus is that they can be decorated fairly easily with colorful fabric and scarves, making them look inviting and exotic, setting the atmosphere for your clients. They’re always available at places like Target, Walmart or Home Depot.  Also, be sure to check with the event coordinators or production staff about whether or not you need to bring your own folding table and chairs; sometimes they’re provided, other times, you’ll need to bring your own. Again, you can get serviceable-and quite affordable-folding tables and chairs from almost any big box store.  We can vouch from experience that you-and your clients- will much prefer chairs than sitting on the ground!

One last thing to consider is your location at the event. Since readings -even when done in public- are considered a private type of exchange with a lot of conversation involved, the last place you want to be is near live music, especially if it’s amplified.  Other problem locations are near children’s activities, like a face-painting booth, play area or rides; or near   any sort of noisy show, a bar area or the rest rooms!  As soon as you confirm your appearance, make arrangements with the event producer or person who hired you, explaining that you need a space that is as quiet as possible, yet still trafficked enough for you to get business.   If you do this well in advance, your needs will most likely be accommodated and you're your location shouldn’t be a problem at all.   Of course, you can always have this written into your contract and appearance rider…but contracts for Tarot gigs are a whole other issue… which we’ll tackle in another blog post soon!

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We’d love to connect with you!
Visit our website: www.thedivinationnation.com
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDivinationNation?fref=ts
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
To find out more about Pleasant click here: http://www.pleasantgehman.com/
For more on Crystal, click here http://www.crystalravenwolf.com  
Send an email here: divinationnation@yahoo.com    

 LEARN TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS.... AND COME ON A GHOST HUNT WITH US!
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