If there’s one thing I know all too well, it’s when a spiritual leader gets seduced by greed. Many years consoling victims of spiritual abuse has given me way too much experience by witnessing how people are destroyed when a leader is weak. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with earning a living, but when the mega leaders are buying mansions, exotic cars, and taking trips around the world we begin to suspect foul play. Not just because they’re living it up (because enjoying life is a good thing), but because their offerings to their loyal followers are beyond fair market value and staff is under paid. I’ve seen it all too much in religious communities and we see it in the meta community also.
Money can seduce even the greatest of leaders, no matter how humble we try to be. There are numerous magical practitioners and artisans who offer us their best intentions with their wares and tools for our spiritual journey, but a spiritual leader who can keep greed in check is hard to come by. Money is there to serve us, not to control us. Likewise, we have an ethical responsibility to live sustainably with our earnings.
Answering the call to be a spiritual leader comes with great sacrifice. Humility has the greatest value, but it becomes a struggle for the throne when greed slithers in. There’s a story you may have heard about a man who was called to be a spiritual guide and he began to look down his nose at the people he was called to serve. A great storm came upon him as he traveled by boat and the shipmates threw him to the storm and sea and he sank under the great depth in the belly of a big fish. It was there in his dying moments that he gave the greatest sacrifice one can give, a spiritual sacrifice. In the darkest of moments he gave thanks. Gratitude is the most magical element we have and it comes with incredible humility. It’s our giving of thanks through a truly humble heart that we find our deliverance.
However, after he was delivered from the mighty ocean he continue to ‘do his job’ with a condescending spirit. You see, gratitude requires spiritual sustainability in order to flourish in ways beyond where our own vision can take us.
Lets get back to the most basic lessons of our spiritual calling. Why are we serving, who are we serving, and how can we make their journey successful?
If we’re absorbing their banks accounts to live in obscene wealth while they suffer financially so they can buy all the latest abundance magic tools we have to offer then we are so off balance that even Justice herself takes notice. I’ve wondered if Karma serves our Lady Justice in order to bring balance back to the lives of the people who suffer.
How can we best serve others so they may enjoy the benefits we have to offer? The benefits of magical living is not only for us. We’re here to guide others to create abundance and blessings in their lives too. How can we teach them to fish when the rod, hooks, lure, and bait are so expensive that they can’t afford to fish?
There’s a lesson we need to get centered with if we hope to continue to serve from a place of humility so our intentions can manifest in ways that benefit the highest good of all.
Magical blessings,
Sisterlisa
Ugh, I hate people who do that to their followers! Their karma will come back around.