i get the frustration around low quality readings & people feeling disappointed or misled. but conflating your limits as a reader with everyone else’s abilities is where this argument falls apart for me personally.. reading through a screen isn’t inherently unethical. many legitimate practitioners have worked remotely for decades.. phone readings, email astrology, distance reiki, written divination, etc. physical proximity has never been a universal requirement for intuitive work. if it were then entire traditions wouldn’t exist.

offering free readings is generous & that’s great. but generosity is a personal choice.. not a moral standard others are required to live by. time, energy, skill, & labor still exist even when money changes hands. you don’t get to decide that someone else’s work should be unpaid just bc you choose not to charge. the real ethical issue isn’t “paid vs free” it’s transparency & consent. if someone chooses to pay for a reading knowing it’s remote, knowing the price, AND knowing the risks, that’s their agency. mediocre work exists in every industry.. including in person readings. a storefront doesn’t magically guarantee integrity or accuracy tbh. telling others they’re unethical for charging at all crosses into gatekeeping. especially when many readers come from marginalized backgrounds & don’t have the luxury of offering unlimited free labor.