I love getting readings ($150), having my astrology charts done ($200), attending spiritual workshops ($1,000+), and joining online groups ($35). Seriously, I feel a sense of connection, community and many have been life changing. However, let's imagine I do one psychic reading a year, one astrology chart per year, a monthly online group and a retreat every other year at the above prices. If I started when I was twenty and am now sixty, I would have spent a whopping $6,000 on psychic reads, $8,000 for astrology, $16,800 for an online membership and $20,000 for retreats. That's a total of $50,800 over the course of forty years for these types of services. As I wrote earlier, they're something that I enjoy so perhaps they're worth it. And I'm sure people spend far more for therapy, life-coaching, and material goods such as clothes and cars. But have you ever noticed that the people who don't get the astrology charts done, who don't get "healed," who don't go on retreats often seemed to be the most content, most engaged, most present, funniest people you know? LOL. My parents house cost less! All this material talk makes me want to get an astrology reading. Or perhaps, these people are not engaging with their shadow side, with their pain.

Speaking of pain, I did do a healing recently (and it cost way more than $150 bucks). She told me that I have been "running" for many lifetimes and I agree. When I experience pain, I tend to want to pack up, to move, to run away both physically and metaphorically. But I think we all do this to an extent. I read somewhere that pain is growth. And I'm like anyone else, I don't like to experience pain. At all. So I think we try and numb: video games, TV, movies and drinking or drugs. If we use these to escape, then we're all "running." What she told me has indeed helped. This did resonate with me as I had another psychic tell me that I am way more powerful than I realize. So, for me, and probably a lot of us, it's about healing the escape and "owning our power." If one can adjust the advice to empower their lives, I guess the price is small.So is it worth it? It's obviously a better deal to get a reading once a year rather than the $35/month which adds up ($420/year).

Spiritual Materialism is, of course, a term coined many decades ago about spiritual seekers and pilgrims who chalk up workshops, and books and readings as if they were accumulating wealth and gold. And like gold, this path does become addicting. If one is independently wealthy, then sure why not? But if, like so many seekers, their finances are a mess, then probably better to save the money and invest in money management courses.