The spiritual industry’s addiction to instant gratification

Please allow me to go on a little rant for a minute.

The spiritual industry has a problem with instant gratification.

I see it all the time in courses and workshops that lure you in with quick certifications, or that promise you spiritual attainment or mastery over a specific skill set in just a matter of days.

What am I talking about?

Beginner tarot programs that promise to give you the basics of tarot and teach you how to start charging for your readings…

Reiki classes that fast-track students through levels 1 and 2 within the span of a single weekend…

Priestess trainings in a matter of hours…

The list goes on.

Before I start to sound like a gatekeeper, I’ll say this: Taking a quick class or weekend workshop to get a taste of something is fine.

If you don’t have the time to commit to a longer training, or you’re not sure you’re ready to make a long-term commitment to a divination practice or spiritual path, there is nothing wrong with taking in a class here and there and seeing how that evolves.

The issue I have with is with teachings that promise instant qualifications for skills that often take years to develop.

Taking a course does not automatically transform someone into an expert. Yet some teachers and schools mislead their students into believing that all it takes to become a professional is a few lessons and away you go.

It does not work like this.

The problem with quick-fix classes is they skip the most important parts of the work.

Especially integration.

Integration is the time it takes to absorb what you’re being taught. To put it into practice. To let it become part of you.

To understand how it works through you, and how it changes when it’s put through your personal filter and perspective.

Integration takes time. There is no specific deadline to follow, or schedule it happens on. It can take months, or years, between classes, trainings or levels of learning.

Which is why I think it’s misleading to market beginner classes or programs in a way that implies students will come out with professional-level skills.

But those classes are popular, because they speak to people who feel pressured to find a fulfilling path. Or to quit a job and become a healer. Or to make some cash on the side.

But in my opinion, spiritual teachers shouldn’t be playing to those feelings. Or taking advantage of people who are looking for a fast escape from a dead-end job or an unfulfilling routine.

Instead, spiritual teachers should be reminding people that fulfillment comes from many different places. Expecting a job, business, or client roster to fill a gap in your life may not actually be the answer you’re looking for.

In spiritual spaces, we want to empower each other. Encourage each other. Focus on the positive.

But we can’t ignore reality at the cost of making someone feel good. Especially if that means selling a dream that will actually take a lot longer to bring to fruition than what’s written on the tin.

Another step that gets missed when we fall for quick-fixes in spiritual work is the fact that everything changes when you start charging money for spiritual services. Including tarot readings.

Paying clients come with a whole different set of expectations. Learning to manage those expectations and understanding how your work can support people from all walks of life takes time and practice. If you haven’t integrated what you’ve learned, you end up unanchored with a whole host of heavy expectations on your shoulders.

There is responsibility involved. And ethics. And boundaries.

And a lot of self-awareness.

If a class or program promises to help you go pro in a matter of weeks or months, and it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It’s okay if something takes time. Honestly, it should take time, because this work is complex and nuanced. It requires common sense and level heads.

Instant gratification is for the impulse items at the grocery store checkout, not for Reiki, tarot, astrology, or any other spiritual practice.

It’s why my Tarot Foundations program is my longest self-study program. And why I take students through lessons on mindset, including focus and discipline, first, before we start reading cards.

Because if you’re going to make that deep of a commitment to learning tarot, I want to make sure you’re getting the foundation that you need to build from.

Can you dip your toes in with a shorter workshop? You bet – I offer that, too. But I am clear that it’s an introduction, not an initiation.

From a marketing perspective, someone might say that holds me back in my work. But it would hold my students back even more if I gave them a flimsy foundation to build from.

And I want to see tarot elevated into something that cultivates patience and helps people appreciate the process. Because really, that is a big lesson that tarot teaches us: How to enjoy the journey, in whatever shape it comes in.

Until next time,

Liz xo

p.s. Interested in Tarot Foundations and want to know if it's right for you? I've got a free masterclass to introduce you to my approach to tarot before you make the commitment.