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There has been some excellent online dialog recently around the question, "Should I charge for Pagan spiritual services?"  Most of the posts I've seen have been in support of money changing hands, but the comments usually show strong feelings on both sides.  Answering her question of, "Money is Bad, Right?" Shauna Aura Knight posited that the reason for this division is that, "Pagans (and people, for that matter) have a really unhealthy relationship with money."

As tantalizing that quote is to me, I have to lay it down for now.  Observant readers will already be wondering who the woman in the picture is, because it is clearly not Ms. Knight.

When it came time to make the weekly donation to my Pagan savings challenge envelope, instead of just adding the money, I also replaced the cash that was already in there.  I've been reading The Soul of Money, particularly a very thoughtful passage on the flow of money, so I decided to incorporate that into my weekly offering to help me explore the idea.  I will replace the entire amount each time I add the weekly allotment.

This week, the growing pile of cash is pictured on my shrine to Hestia, for the hearth is going to get an upgrade with the assistance of this money.  Fireplace insert, here we come.

There has been some wonderful online discourse about the role of institutions in modern Paganism.  There are those who believe the price -- of leaving behind our counterculture roots -- would be too high.  Others believe that this is the only path to a mature religious movement, and still others propose solutions that include both.  I believe it's important to include the idea of financial institutions in this dialogue.

I'm not necessarily talking about banks and credit unions, although nothing is off the table.  While Pagans are frequently loving, giving people, our community lacks any institutional ways to support one another financially.  A credit union would certainly fit part of that bill, but not every problem can be solved with a loan.  Each of us face challenges and opportunities that could look very different with a bit more money:  wardrobe for a new job, affordable day care, credit counseling, even basic money management skills.  These challenges are quite effectively addressed by some religious communities.  Should they be in ours?

My Pagan savings challenge post generated a lot of discussion on the Witches & Pagans Facebook page.  I thought it would be appropriate to share some of the questions and comments, in the form of a Q&A.

My posts in 2014 are finally going to start focusing on one of the most important money topics, debt.  However, before we talk about what we owe, I'd like readers to join me in expanding what we save.  I'm laying down the gauntlet:  can you raise as much energy as I?

Fans of the internet may be familiar with this post's graphic, which I believe originates here.  This is a simple, elegant way to save money, and one that should work well for Pagans.  If you're the sort that includes magic as part of, or in conjunction with, your worship, then as I said, it's simply raising energy so you can work your spell.  If your Pagan path has no truck with that sort of thing, pick an appropriate deity, force, or cause, and make this an offering.  I will continue to refer to it as raising energy, because you can just as easily use this energy for an offering as for magical work.

I took an unscheduled blogbatical as we moved into the darkest time of the year, but I have emerged excited that I missed celebrating perhaps the most important historical festival for my patron deity.

Today is when the festival honoring Poseidon, called Poseidea or Poseidonia, was celebrated in antiquity.  It's a reconstructionist's nightmare, because virtually no record of what went on has been discovered, but the good folk of Elaion put together a Poseidonia ritual based on their understanding of what festivals were usually like.  I didn't see the announcement until just after the agreed-upon time to practice apart together, and I was already late for Quaker meeting, so I had Poseidon close to mind as I joined my local Friends in worship.  (I am not a Quaker, although I attend meeting for worship; I have pondered how Quakers and polytheists fit together for awhile now.)

Time is money, so they say, and I seem to be more on the "money" side of the equation this month.  Money to buy gifts for loved ones and strangers, but the act of earning it has left me very short of time for the other important things, like wrapping gifts and writing blog posts.  So here's a few quick ideas about using time or money to prepare for Giftmas in all its forms, since few of us have both:

• Wrap presents with string instead of tape.  Save some plastic and add a layer of wonder to even the simplest gift.
• Open a bank account for someone who often comes up short.
• Make some wassail to lure in carolers, or show them how it's really done.
• Cash in the change jar for a gift certificate to a restaurant.
• Quit smoking and invest the difference.  Next year celebrate the difference in your finances with a big party or a smaller mortgage.

That's it for now, and two of my paid jobs and several people who want me to take on additional volunteer obligations are all awaiting my attention.