Many people who celebrate Christmas hang Mistletoe in their homes. We know anytime love interests pass underneath it, it's a great excuse for them to exchange a kiss. Parents torment their kids with this. Young lovers conveniently find each other under it. Long time partners enjoy a moment of youthful bliss beneath sprigs. 

The telephone rings.

"Hello this is Jacqueline. How can I help you?"

"Hi Sister Jacqueline, I have a couple of questions."

The voice on the other line is a little soft and a little quavering. It reminds me of when we were children and we were asking about unknown yet compulsively thrilling information or experiences. We were breathless; shaking in our clothes despite the temperature, anxiously waiting for the Answer.

After a couple of questions, the real reason for calling makes itself known. "I have another question. I am having work done for me on my behalf. I wanted to get a read on the effectiveness or success of this work. Can you do that?"

Ah. The reason for the shaky, breathless words coming from the other end of the phone. She is asking one reader about another. 

Cheating on her psychic.

 * * * * *

Believe it or not, this happens more often than you would think. The client, as I will identify the caller, is curious about the validity of the reader or the work of the reader. No different than taking your car to more than one mechanic to see if the same diagnosis comes up so that you can be sure you are not being charged for items or work that is not necessary to fix the problem. This should be fine with readers, despite some who do their business in neon sign facades on Broadway, who might prefer that you make a hasty decision on the work and pay in cash, thank you. It is your prerogative to make decisions on your time and with good counsel from whomever you choose without pressure from any reader.

Once, I went into the little shop that had the sandwich board sidewalk sign with the red palm and $10.00 painted in white in the middle. I knew she was the local psychic, and many of her clients came to me. Twice a year for many years she would call me (I knew it was her as I programmed her number in my iPhone a long time ago), and she would ask me specific questions to try to ascertain my talents and knowledge -- and of course, my prices. I decided to spontaneously pull into the parking lot and come into her place to get the $10.00 reading. The aroma of something deliciously simmering on the stove wafted through the curtains that separated the living quarters from the traditional parlor/living room of this older Victorian, and I was invited to sit at the table.

I placed my ten dollar bill on the table and she moved it aside and took my palm into her hands. I was told things that I will not share (my prerogative) and then I was told that 'for $75.00 I can have all negativity cleansed off of me' so that blessings would come in more quickly. As I hesitated (realizing that this remediation offered to me was less than 5 minutes into my reading), she said that 'this cleansing would be a special price since I come in for the reading, but if I choose to come back the regular price was $150.00.' I told her I was not interested in the cleansing and when she further pressed, I told her it was time to go pick the children up from school. She understood that I was not going to need any further remediations. I thanked her and quickly departed to go pick up my teens (Yes, I really had to get the kids from school). 



I share this experience as I wanted to empower you that you are absolutely correct in your spiritual self-care if you choose to question/compare information from a reading or if you wait for spiritual remediations or spellwork to be performed on/for you. You are also correct in expecting that the cost of said spellwork/candles/cleansing remain the same price as the first offer; you should be suspect if prices change from the same reader for the same work. If you have the same reader offer the same work at different prices, ask why the change and then decide if it is worth it for you. Now, in defense of rootworkers, spellcasters, and prognosticators, each has their own reasoning for setting prices the way they do and yes, sometimes work being done for you COSTS. If you cannot see yourself going to the crossroads at night to lay an offering because of fear of discovery/arrest/danger, then your spellcaster will do it but expect that they will be compensated for not being tucked into their blankets at the stroke of midnight. We workers encounter things that go bump in the night, too.

Many times the caller wants a secondary reading to validate what the first reader told her and to quantify the work that is being prescribed by the first reader. This is okay as well, as it will give clarity. This too, should be fine with any respectable reader. The seeking of further validation amongst peers gives credence to your gift, and I have also recommended other readers for certain spellwork as the client needs. It should not be offensive to a reader that a client seeks confirmation; we are all here to help this soul attain what they desire. There should be no pressure and no competition between readers, and a client should have the ability to make their choice of their own Free Will. This sets the tone for the Universe to follow that it was of no coercion or pressure that the client had services performed for them -- it was the client's choice.

Oh, the caller? She relaxed once she heard from me similar words of advice from the same reading and I gave almost exactly the same remediation counsel that she received from the first worker. She relaxed and her voice sounded like her fears had been dashed. A lighter, musical "Thank you!" came over the line. Another satisfied customer.
 

The other psychic will never know that her client "cheated" -- unless the client "spills the beans."