tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post1959605369440218042..comments2023-07-29T09:37:11.145-05:00Comments on Root and Rock: What to do When Trouble Comes Knocking.Scyllahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822031765851992717noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-83047899734831663282011-01-25T00:49:12.302-06:002011-01-25T00:49:12.302-06:00Thank you for illuminating us with this great info...Thank you for illuminating us with this great information. I too am a "witch-for-hire" and I was just discussing with my partner the other day how difficult or deranged people should be dealt with if that time comes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-30559619932687140042010-08-05T16:21:28.274-05:002010-08-05T16:21:28.274-05:00I'm surprised how big Norman is. I'm also ...I'm surprised how big Norman is. I'm also surprised there are actual lakes and forests in OK, lol! I always picture it as flat, hot, and dusty. <br /><br />Meth labs are big here too, although not so much in my county. Because of NASCAR up in Watkins Glen, the golf classic over in Corning (now discontinued), and the wineries up in the Fingerlakes, there's a little more money here. Still, this town has lost literally half its population since 1970. The jobs have left. Lots of unhappy people. But it's cheap and beautiful, which sounds like the Thunderbird area as well.Harold Rothhttp://herbalwitchcraft.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-90483479061556841732010-08-05T15:24:42.315-05:002010-08-05T15:24:42.315-05:00I have no idea as to the geography of Oklahoma as ...I have no idea as to the geography of Oklahoma as most of my knowledge of the place comes from musical theatre.<br /><br />But I must definitely agree with RO. You're absolutely undercharging. Maybe look to get some online clients?<br /><br />anyway, don't meth cooks make good money? :)Gordonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16189203446024144578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-32282044874521092010-08-05T05:21:18.119-05:002010-08-05T05:21:18.119-05:00I think a post on Pagans and money would be a good...I think a post on Pagans and money would be a good idea. I can say that you've inspired me to finally put up a spellwork page instead of just waiting for folks to bring it up on the phone, which is what I've been doing all this time. <br /><br />I chose a different path than the one I was on (ghostwriting, which is pretty lucrative, esp. after academia), so I could put all my focus on things I enjoy (magic, the garden)--and basically *live* my interests instead of having to relegate them to time off. I make a lot less running the shop than I did ghostwriting, but that does not mean I don't think I should be paid for my work. Pricing has remained a problem, as I had to "create" my customers--people who want more than a $5.99 oil made of fragrance oils, dyes, and mineral oil, which has been the norm for magic oils, for instance. They're out there, but the WalMart/DollarStore effect persists just because people are used to wanting more stuff insead of quality stuff. That's a whole 'nother ball of wax.Harold Rothhttp://herbalwitchcraft.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-86837795072560321692010-08-04T18:07:26.345-05:002010-08-04T18:07:26.345-05:00@RO - No, it smells like Meth labs. I'd put an...@RO - No, it smells like Meth labs. I'd put an "LOL!" but... it's sort of... true...<br /><br />I live out near Thunderbird, if that gives you an indication of the "sticks"-ness.Scyllahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03822031765851992717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-30405845959102518832010-08-04T16:27:00.479-05:002010-08-04T16:27:00.479-05:00I used to live in Hennessey, Oklahoma in Kingfishe...I used to live in Hennessey, Oklahoma in Kingfisher County! Does the waving wheat still smell sweet when the wind comes right before the rain?Rufus Opushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10806987441760167537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-63383332940197597402010-08-04T16:05:29.506-05:002010-08-04T16:05:29.506-05:00@ Rufus Opus - I said "Let's say". $...@ Rufus Opus - I said "Let's say". $25 was a "round number" that I used as an example. It depends on what I'm up to as to how much I charge. A candle-burning ritual will be different than a conjuration or necromantic work. Making a Nation sack would be different than crafting a Sword. <br /><br />But, in general - yeah, I undercharge. It's something I've been trying to work on, especially when it comes to my hand-crafts.<br /><br />I live in a rural area of Oklahoma, folks here don't have much money, and I have to work with that or I get -no- money. <br /><br />Incidentally, Tarot readers here, depending upon skill level, charge about the same.Scyllahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03822031765851992717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-17747017617001193842010-08-04T15:28:42.648-05:002010-08-04T15:28:42.648-05:00You're undercharging like a mofo. Niche specia...You're undercharging like a mofo. Niche specialists make about $135 an hour in the tech industry, and what we do is pretty high tech. I wouldn't charge less than $45 an hour if I were you. Hell, tarot card readers in Denver made $60 an hour.<br /><br />Clients are also paying for your years of experience and training, as well as renting your initiations for the duration of the rite.Rufus Opushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10806987441760167537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-43026145593914574392010-08-04T14:43:11.897-05:002010-08-04T14:43:11.897-05:00@Harold - I think the hatred, the down-looking, an...@Harold - I think the hatred, the down-looking, and the utter -FEAR- of Money that some Pagans have is laughable. Downwardly mobile folks can be rich, sure, but more often than not they've become so wrapped up in Pious Pagan Poverty that they lack the essentials of life and have to go begging to friends. <br /><br />Money isn't dirty, it's energy. It's energy given a tangible, accountable, form. It takes a lot of time and energy to do spellwork, and the only persons capible of paying that back EXACTLY as spent, are witches. And Witches do not often go to other witches for what they can do themselves. <br /><br />So, I take money. Money is time, energy, effort, all given a nice little shape that can be handed over, clean as a whistle.<br /><br />As Kinaz Filan just posted : "Money is the bread you eat and the bread you share. Money is the warm clothes you buy for your baby."<br /><br />And with that, I think it may be time for me to have a long, spicy, rant about poor time/money/business management in the Pagan Community.Scyllahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03822031765851992717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1208084550257016582.post-87672750788026653002010-08-04T05:39:25.424-05:002010-08-04T05:39:25.424-05:00I know that some people are very opposed to taking...I know that some people are very opposed to taking money for magical work and believe it somehow negates the work (and the validity of the magic worker), but IMO, it is no different than paying for any other service. I don't see physicians or plumbers or mechanics arguing with each other about whether they should charge or not, and although plenty of practitioners in the magic world have spent little time preparing themselves for their work and are more bullshit than craft, many more have spent years preparing. I know I have. <br /><br />I also think it's important to be rational about how to charge, as you recommend. Retail prices are typically at least three times wholesale, and I would consider that the cost of items used in spellwork should be considered retail to what you paid for them--and that would include minimums, shipping, etc. Per-hour is a good way, but I think people tend to underprice their time. It is not something most people could do for eight hours straight, five days a week, either. So I tend to think of it like an IT consultant who comes in and straightens out your server. You pay a lot of money but you get a lot of skill for it. <br /><br />I like the asshole tax idea. I wish I could impose it on a couple customers who are buying stuff instead of spells, frankly. But with folks who want spells, IME, they mostly are willing to pay more than I ask. And in some cases, they have been paying a LOT more, sometimes to the classic ripoffs who have given magic a bad name. I have more problems with people who want to buy some supplies but also want a half hour or more of free teaching "how do I do X magically?" This irks me, and I haven't figured out quite how to deal with it.<br /><br />One thing to keep in mind: if one gets to the point of taking credit cards, while a service can be disputed with the credit card company and a chargeback made, if you charge for the items instead of the work, then it is a lot harder to do a chargeback, especially if you get a signature. A witch can charge for a mojobag or talisman, for instance, instead of for a spell. Custom items typically are non-returnable, especially if you have such a policy stated somewhere, and mojo bags, talismans, special candles, etc., are all custom work. Paypal used to not allow payments for spellwork, but now I think they do. Different processors have different policies, and some, if they discover you are doing spellwork, will put you in a much higher risk category. Most of the time, IME, though, they don't care, especially if you have few chargebacks. They just want their cut.Harold Rothhttp://herbalwitchcraft.com/blognoreply@blogger.com