Charity reading
Many times I was faced with the dilemma to the question – should an astrologer charge fees? In Ancient India, an astrologer never charged a fee of any sort, as he was supported by the King’s government and was meant to guide people from darkness to light and alleviate their troubles as much as he could. Today we don’t live in those “Satya Yuga (Golden age)” times any longer and time has progressed. All sciences need to be adapted to modern day and age. Today, astrology is a means of earning a livelihood for many of us and is treated just like any other profession. However, with esoteric sciences, there is a sense of divinity involved and thus charity plays a huge role. So it is very important that we find a middle ground between charging money for readings and doing charity readings.
In my early years as an astrologer, I mostly did readings for my friends and relatives for fun. Then to test and practice my techniques on random people, I opened up for charity readings at many online forums, temples and social networking websites etc. Some of them who received the readings and were happy with my work were kind enough to donate money for charity purposes. On the same lines, many of them who were very nice and keen in the beginning to get a reading later just didn’t bother to even offer feedback, fees, of course, were out of the question in such cases.
Being an idealist, I have spent a considerable amount of time debating this topic in my head. Recently, I came to the conclusion that I will charge fees for the readings and also have an option of charity readings for people who can’t afford to pay but think they will benefit from my astrological service. A major portion of the money I acquire as fees from all my readings are used for charity purposes like donating funds for the education of poor kids in developing countries, providing some financial aid to physically disabled people and people at old-age homes.
For people who can’t afford to pay for a reading and still believe they will benefit from my work are free to Contact me directly. In such cases, I will look into your chart and point out at some habits you must change in order to overcome your difficulties. I do the charity readings as a service to GOD and try to uphold that great parampara (tradition), the great seers or Rishi’s have left behind. Needless to explicitly state, it is easy for me to know if you are taking advantage of a charity reading etc. by looking at your birth chart.
Why should one donate to charity?
In Sanathana dharma philosophy, we believe in the concept of rina-anubandha. There is no proper English translation for that word, but it roughly means – karmic debt that binds two souls or natives. Even for you to consult and get an astrological reading, it is with only the permission or grant of GOD (or the universe). You and me as two different individuals in one of the previous lifetimes must have rina-anubandha for this event to occur. With the above understanding, it is thus very clear that we are completing those karmas or even starting new ones. In order to not carry over some karmas to the next lifetime, that which is created with this casual encounter, it is very essential that some form of energy be exchanged in return for the reading you receive.
In case of charity readings, once you have received your reading and if you are happy with my service, you can donate some funds of your choice. One of the Vedic remedies for pacifying planets is doing charity. Charity creates space for more positive vibrations to manifest in one’s life in the form of new and beneficial things, while the great sattvic character displayed during donation goes a long way towards alleviating ill deeds done in the past. The major portion of my income from readings will be used for charity, and in the process of contributing to charity, you are taking a big step too in alleviating the troubles of your life.