Prosperity Gospel in Other Spaces?

Is the Prosperity Gospel that has infected much of American Christianity over the last 150 years made its way into other spiritual spaces? I'm seeing signs of it and it can be disheartening.

Let's start with a brief understanding of what the Prosperity Gospel is. It's the idea that if you pray hard enough and believe the correct interpretation of Biblical Scripture, you will not only have enough money and resources to satisfy your basic needs, but you can become rich. And if you aren't rich, even worse if you're struggling, your faith is somehow not correct, or you have failed morally. This is often very damaging in a world where your finances have more to do with your education and contacts and sheer luck rather than your spiritual practices.

Why am I now asking if it's a part of other practices? Not too long ago my horoscope gave the hopeful message that my own finances will become more secure in the coming days. Honestly, in this economy I could use this bit of hope. I'm not above burning "Money Drawing" incense or doing other spell work meant to bring me financial success. But the same horoscope advised me to live as though I already make more money than I do. I had an immediate gut reaction to it.

Part of the reason messages like this can be so appealing is that many of us are scared. Groceries cost more. Rent and mortgages are higher than ever. Medical bills pile up. When you're worried about how to make ends meet, the promise that the Universe, your guides, your deity, or a spell can solve all of your financial problems can feel incredibly comforting. Hope is not a bad thing. In fact, hope is often what gets us through difficult times. The trouble begins when hope turns into magical thinking and we stop making decisions based on the reality in front of us.

This is dangerous advice for several reasons. I tend to take things literally and I know I'm not the only one. If I start spending money I wish I had or may have in the future, I won't be able to pay for basic needs like groceries, electricity, gas and the like. My family is not wealthy, and we rely on others to help us out more than I often care to admit. I know I'm not the only one in this position.

It gets to be a delicate dance pretty quickly. Looking at horoscopes and Tarot readings and other things. We can look at what the energies are around us and say that better times are coming. And maybe they are. But when we start giving advice on that, we dance close to that line between living a reality you don't have and living in the moment with the resources you do have with some hope for better days ahead. When we get stuck in that future that hasn't arrived, we can get caught up in the same thinking that our fellow humans stuck in Prosperity Gospel Land have. And then we start to feel guilty or powerless because that spell didn't work. That reading we paid for didn't come true. It can lead to some dark places that don't help us and only hinder us.

So, what are we to do? Live in your actual reality. You have a certain amount of money. Spend it on your needs first. Keep filtering out the commercial messages to spend spend spend that you're getting overtly and covertly. Stick to your realistic budget. Find free things to do that are fun and fulfill your need for novelty. If you don't have enough, keep working towards a higher education, more job training, and keeping your eyes open for better opportunities. And quite frankly, understand that we're not all meant to be wildly wealthy.

Spirituality should live in harmony with the mundane aspects of our lives. If the messages you are getting are telling you that you aren't enough because you haven't done enough money spells, manifested hard enough, or maintained a high enough vibration, you might want to look elsewhere for your guidance.

Your worth is not measured by your bank account. Some of the most spiritually grounded people I have ever met have struggled financially. Being broke is not a moral failure. Financial hardship is not proof that your intuition is weak or that your connection to Spirit is somehow broken. Sometimes life is simply difficult, and spirituality is there to help us navigate those difficulties, not pretend they don't exist.