In the modern world, people seem to be obsessed about money—so many good, spiritual people often just want to ignore it.  This was my attitude for many years—earn just the minimum to survive, and spend little.  But money is neither good nor bad in itself—it is a neutral instrument for measuring exchange based on a community agreement.  It has the values we give to it through our attitudes and use of it.

On a deeper, metaphysical level money is actually concretized energy or what the Ageless Wisdom calls “prana” or life force.  If Spirit is matter at its highest vibration and matter is Spirit at its lowest vibration--then money is actually Spirit vibrating at a slower frequency.  Money can be seen as both a particle (a coin or bill) and a wave (a flow of financial energy).  Seen as a particle, money can create attachment—either desire or fear of lack.  Seen as a wave, money is a stream of flowing energy, circulating widely. When it’s freely given, more can be received from the abundant supply of the Universe.  This is the Divine Circulatory Flow.

Did you know that the word “money” is from the Roman fertility goddess Moneta, an aspect of Juno, in whose temple the first money was minted?  Money is a part of God’s energy and is a sacred trust to be used wisely for both ourselves and the good of all. 

Money is an energy that communicates between all things material and facilitates human relationships.  It’s a way to examine how well we’re applying our values—such as fairness and honesty-- in all our transactions.

The word “money” has an “m” before the word “one,” followed by a “y,” so I like to see it as a lens to observe  “my one-ness” with all that is.  When I examine my discretionary spending by looking at my returned checks and credit card bill, I see a clear statement of what I actually value (at least among the things that cost money), as it shows me what I’m willing to spend my accumulated life energy on.

Why Spiritual People Have Money Problems

Why is it that many good spiritual people often lack the money needed to make their work more effective?  Many of us seem to experience an inner split or dualism, believing that money is only connected with worldly things, pleasure and comfort and desire, while spirituality is a world set apart.  Many spiritual people are often too abstracted, living in the higher worlds, and not connected to the earth. They may also have an imbalance or block in their second chakra energy, as this chakra relates to money and sex. 

But spirituality and financial abundance are not mutually exclusive.  It all depends on what you do with your money-- whether it’s selfishly hoarded, or used to help others in some way.  Is it held as sacred trust and responsibility?

Since money is a medium of exchange, when you are not involved in exchange with the world and are too isolated, you may not be able to attract money to yourself.  You may have a lot of ambivalence towards money-- about earning it or asking for it. 

You may have had one or more past lives in religious order, an ashram or a monastery where money was ignored or seen as evil.  I discovered that in a past life I took a vow of poverty that was still binding me, and I had to consciously work on releasing that vow, telling my subconscious that it may have been very appropriate in a past life, but not today.  It’s important to release any old attitudes that money taints spiritual endeavors, as this may no longer be appropriate or true. 

As a spiritual person, it’s good to explore whether you are too detached from the material world, operating on higher mental, abstract levels, and so cannot attract money.  Your selflessness may also result in an inappropriate sense of shame in needing or manifesting money.  You may also have a sense of distaste or laziness in dealing with the material side of life.  It’s important to avoid becoming isolated from the world, from exchange and energy flow with others.

Another possibility is that you may have a subconscious memory of a past life where you misused money through greed, selfishness or dishonesty, so there is a deep lack of trust in yourself to not misuse it.

Chakra imbalances and blockages in your lower centers, especially in the sacral or sexual chakra can also be the cause of a lack of financial resources.  You may be surprised to know that your sexual center is also your money center.  But advertisers know this quite well, as that is why they are always using sex to sell a product.

Many people may also have a wounding from negative experiences around money—such as dysfunctional family patterns when they were growing up--a sense of fear, worry, scarcity?  How many of us were told that “Money is the root of all evil”?   Or “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”  Do you subconsciously believe you have to have to nearly kill yourself in hard work to earn it?

Many of us also experience a lack of education and training in how to rightly handle money.  Not only do you need to know how to balance your checkbooks, but also how to invest money wisely and in a socially responsible manner. 

How Money Can Be a Spiritual Asset

So how do I see money as a “spiritual asset”?  Some people think that spiritual work shouldn’t require money, but any service work in the world—from feeding the hungry to providing spiritual teaching-- does require money, and sometimes a great deal of it.  Money can help us be more effective in our service and help it expand, as for example, printing more spiritual literature, hiring professional help or extra staff, building a building, buying advertising space to let people know about a book or a class, etc. 

Needing to attract money to sustain yourself keeps you grounded and connected with meeting the true needs of society. Money creates relationships with those you share it with, and relationships can help your spiritual development.  Money can be a wonderful  mirror for you to see yourself more clearly.

Money can buy resources such as books, seminars, and counseling that can aid spiritual development.  It can buy time for spiritual studies, practice and quiet retreats.

Money can provide for your physical health and the sense of well-being necessary to be of service to others.  How can you help others if you’re sick or tired?  Money is also needed for the tools, staff, buildings, etc. to make your service more effective in the world.  Having a lot of money can enable you to move at all levels of society as needed for your service.

Recognize and Transform Unhealthy Attitudes

Your personality is a “consumer”, and is usually hungry to be filled--a limitless black hole of money fear and anxiety to own and possess—but the hunger can only be truly filled by the soul. You can live in the golden flow of solar abundance, where the soul is like a sun, a producer and generator of energy, rather than a consumer of energy, and it gives out to the world.  Having “enough” means having what is needed to fulfill your life purpose, which may vary depending on the nature and scope of that purpose.

Each person has a “karmic bank account” --your good deeds or contributions (deposits) are balanced by your harmful actions or unjustified takings (withdrawals).  Debt measures how much more you have taken from life than given to life.

As a spiritual worker, it is important to realize that physical living, when motivated from the spiritual levels, is equally important to spiritual practice. One of the greatest gifts you can give to the world is the example of a well-balanced life of giving to others –balancing spirit and matter. You can do well by doing good -- spirituality and financial abundance are not mutually exclusive when you do work that helps others.

By developing and maintaining detachment and avoiding being absorbed in money and possessions, you retain your inner freedom and dignity.  To be a “spiritual master” of money, you must resist using it to indulge sensual desires, indolence, or to gain personal power. You then can hold money as a sacred trust to be used for the good of all humanity.

Attracting Money to Meet Real Needs

Need, love and magnetic power are the three key things that must be present at the same time to attract money for spiritual work.  You must have a clear need for the money.  You must have sufficient love—of yourself, of others, of your work, and of life itself.  And you must be energetic and magnetic through your positive attitudes and faith in the abundance of the Universe. As you focus on thoughts that are for the benefit of the wider community, your magnetic attraction of money will increase.  As you release and give away things you no longer need or use, you create a vacuum for money to flow in. This is following the Law of Gravitation: Use, demand, take -- which unlocks a higher door of supply.

The Bible says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and all things will be added unto you,” and  “As you give, so shall you receive.”  Recognize that God, the Universe the One Energy is the source of all abundance, and develop an attitude of gratitude for what you’ve already been given.  See yourself as a custodian, rather than an owner of money and material things.

It’s also important for us to invest in and buy from socially responsible businesses. If you want to be financially abundant, practice the spiritual law of tithing—giving at least 10% of your income to good causes.  As you give money freely for spiritual purposes, as it automatically redeems you from your past negative karma with money.  Bless money as you donate it or use it to pay for goods and services.  This helps purify it of negative influences, and adds the positive, life-giving energy of Spirit.

I’ve found that needing to attract money to do my spiritual work and support myself keeps me grounded and connected with meeting the true needs of others. Each Sunday I do a special meditation, pondering the redemption of humanity through the right use of money, as outlined in the work of Alice Bailey.  I meditate on money as a “great and possible spiritual asset” and visualize it as a great stream of flowing golden substance, passing out of the control of materialistic forces and into the control of spiritual forces that are doing good work to aid humanity. I invite you to join the thousands of people around the world practicing this meditation each Sunday.  Together, we can help attract the resources for all the good work needed to uplift the human spirit and transform our world.

(If you’d like more information on how to transform your attitudes towards money and how to attract more money, order our Money as a Spiritual Asset CD )