Those of you who have received paid readings from me know that all my prices for readings and spells end at 60 cents. But why such an odd number and why am I always so insistent on it? Let me explain:
This stems from the old tradition of passing the coin, as a method of protection, for the reader and the client. In my tradition this practice has been upheld for a very long time, although it is slowly dying out, with very few practitioners using it or knowing its meaning.
Why is passing the coin necessary? What does it protect from?
Divination is a form of spell work. You ask God/Universe/Spirits/Ancestors/pick-a-deity-here for clarity, advice and guidance. Like any spell work, divination in all its forms has an energetic toll. Some forms of divination, like bone reading, even pass this toll to the spirit who once owned the bones. Metal carries energy very easily - like a current through a wire—making it the perfect channel for this kind of work. This allows the coin to act as conduit for the energy of the reading, letting it pass through the client and through the reader, leaving them unharmed. When the reader later passes the coin back to the collective the energetic toll is dispersed going back to the Universal field that nurtures all beings.
This practice is important to protect the client and not burden them with the energetic toll of the reading. A reading has a fairly small toll, but if the client is not in a good place mentally, spiritually or health wise, it can be the straw that breaks their back. It also adds up little by little for those clients who like to get readings often or from multiple people. As a reader, it is my duty to protect those who come to me.
Passing the coin also protects the reader. As minor as the energetic price of the reading is, it quickly adds up for professional readers, who do dozens of readings per week. Even newbie readers share negative effects, after doing just a couple of readings in a row. This can lead to the reader feeling tired, drained, emotionally numb or even falling sick. Some readers resort to passing the energetic toll entirely on the client, which I find unacceptable. Passing the coin for every client protects both parties by allowing the energy to flow freely.
How is the coin passed?
As per the old tradition, a bowl is placed next to the reading table's feet. Every person who gets a reading needs to put a coin in the bowl. Ideally the coin is passed with the right hand (the blessing hand, the hand of giving) and picked up later by the reader with left hand (the hand of taking/receiving). Amount is irrelevant, but it needs to contain at least one metal coin. I put 60 cents, because 6 of pentacles signifies generosity and flow of energy, but this is a personal preference. The bowl stays on the floor, so the client needs to take a bow (to the Universe for her generous clarity and guidance) to put the coin. When the reader later passes the coin back to the collective the energetic toll is dispersed, going back to the Universal field that nurtures all beings. It is important that the coin is passed to a person in need, ideally one who asks for coins and donations. A great example is a beggar or a street artist or if nothing else arises a charity box.
In modern days, I often do a couple alterations. When physically present, I take the coin by hand, checking myself to use my left hand, but not pushing the client to pass it with their right one. The exchange typically goes properly, since most people are right handed. I take the coin by hand not making the client bow, because many do not like the humility that comes with that gesture. For online readings I put a bowl at the feet of my reading table and pass a physical coin by myself, thanking the Universe for her clarity and abundance. Some times I split the amount and donate part of it online to causes or institutions I hold dear. Some causes are too important to be dismissed, just to be a stickler for the rules, and the little coins from my clients add up to help people.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my tradition. May your roads be open and lead you to good places