Sacred Commerce
In my work with modern mystics, I see a deep struggle in many of my clients surrounding the role of money in their search for their deeper purpose and true calling. On the one hand, there is this widely held belief that a sacred alignment with the universe should somehow transcend such profane concepts as money, that to talk money is to somehow “lower the vibration” of our search for our higher calling. On the other hand, well, we’ve all of us got bills to pay, and we believe that successfully tapping into the energetic flow of the universe should also – and why not – be reflected in a generous flow of remuneration reflecting our alignment.
The tricky part is trying to understand how to achieve that remunerative flow without compromising the transcendent goal.
In other words, how can we make money out of pursuing our higher way of being?
I tell my mystics that this question arises out of a misconception around the nature of money, and that if we can reframe our notion of commerce into one that is based on sacred principles, rather than the capitalistic tropes of competition, zero-sum, and laws of supply and demand we have inherited as members of this society, then we can use commerce, which I call “Sacred Commerce” to catalyze our work towards greater resonance and flow.
It’s not really about the money!
The first step is to look inward. We all have our own story about money, abundance, and value. This story is shaped during our formative years and creates the patterns that influence our prosperity and life choices.
- Did you grow up feeling poor? Wealthy?
- Did you start working at an early age to help the family? Did you see others working and feel somehow that you should have been?
- Was money talked about at home? If so, was the conversation steeped in shame, fear, envy, or scarcity?
- Did you feel like all your needs were met? Financial or otherwise?
Answering these and similar questions can shine light on your patterns around money.
I often see two extremes when the subject of money comes up. One camp is devoted to money management. They watch their numbers, track, and report often. They are extremely careful and analytical around their money practices. This camp doesn’t hold space for trust or magic, believing instead that the flow of money is determined by a finite, Newtonian form of economics where value cannot be created but must be taken or borrowed.
The other extreme are those whose beliefs depend entirely on trust and magic. They ignore the numbers and believe it will all just work out; this is sometimes called “magic thinking” but it’s really neither. In magic thinking, one tends to avoid the hard work around money, whether out of fear or boredom or some other rationalization, with no idea there is a deeper challenge around the issue. In such a view, value seems to derive from the ethers, and all that is needed to capitalize on that value is some kind of “magic” connection to universal energy flow.
Again, it’s not about the money.
Money is neutral. It simply represents the assignment of value to items or services that are to be exchanged. That exchange represents the flow of energy, which the use of money facilitates. When we experience a disconnection between money and value, we become disconnected from the flow of energy, which is a sacred process.
Sacred Commerce
The notion of Sacred Commerce signifies that economic model whereby the exchange of value creates benefit for all: to use a familiar metaphor, it’s commerce that catalyzes a higher vibration.
How do we switch to a sacred model of commerce? By changing our underlying reason for the exchange of value. Instead of profit, security, competition, growth, and other conventional economic drivers, Sacred Commerce is driven by altruism, gratitude, a focus on personal values and purpose. Sacred Commerce lifts the entire community (human, animal, ecological, planetary). Crucially, Sacred Commerce is a practice that only comes when we engage in value exchange from a place of self-awareness and intention
At its heart, Sacred Commerce is about consciousness. It’s about facing your fears, being conscious of your money story and being willing to shift ingrained patterns around money and value.
It’s important to look at four things.
- Your story about money (and how to shift it)
- Your patterns around money (and where they came from)
- Your manifestation practices (are you aware of them)
- Your resonance (are you aligned with your values)
The journey to Sacred Commerce is an emotional one, filled with layer upon layer of potential for healing, epiphany, expansion, and new opportunities. A conscious dialogue about the correlation between money and value brings the invitation to step more fully into the sacredness of our gifts.
Practicing Sacred commerce shifts our dialog around and relationship to money, to our economic systems, and to how we value each other. This shift leads us into honoring the value of exchange and its role in co-creation. In this new realm of co-creation, we no longer feel the scarcity of being an isolated individual in the cold dark zero-sum world of conventional capitalistic thought, instead, we join the sacred dance of manifestation with the larger universe.
Perceptions about money are relative. Changing deeply ingrained cultural and personal paradigms can take time, and that change is absolutely possible when we begin to develop a conscious relationship with the value inherent in all things.
Sacred commerce is an important part of sacred living. You begin to walk your true soul’s path, feeling supported and valued for your unique gifts. You invite the right relationship with your resources and consumption. You give with an open heart and receive with a grateful soul. Your potential is limitless.
If this approach and conversation appeal to you, consider being a part of our community of new paradigm entrepreneurs, creatives, and emerging leaders in the Mystic's Society.