mind body spirit

The Spiritual Workers Association (SWA) came out of the original campaign by Carole and David McEntee-Taylor and Ian Jones to try prevent the Repeal using the Fraudulent Mediums Act. Since that time we have been joined by members and organizations from in many countries.

Whilst we are content with work inside the law as we're just about all law abiding individuals we still disagree with being classed within the same bracket as other traders. We anticipate one day discussing the issue with members of our government to alter this law to whatever better represents our unique industry. We simply think that the CPR law with regards to spiritual practices is unfit for purpose. So just why are we objecting for the changes in legislation?

The Fraudulent Mediums Act gave statutory recognition to genuine mediumship, whilst Mediumship is a part of the concept of the religion of Spiritualism. Not one other religion has been included in this new law which classes us as traders exactly like any other service providing trader. We now come under the new Consumer Protection Regulations. So what does this actually mean?

First of all, if someone isn't happy with any goods or service that they have paid for, they have the right to ask for their money back and also to complain to the Office of Fair Trading that they haven't yet received the service they have given money for. In extreme cases, an individual could misunderstand a message given to them from a psychic reading or by a medium. They could then argue it has caused them to act in such a way it has negatively affected their lives. As a result they could have legal recourse for taking the spiritual person who provided the service to court over the matter to claim damages!

The difference with spiritual work is that it highly subjective. What may seem like a very general reading to one person could possibly be excellent proof for the person who is receiving it. If you add to this the lack of real public education and knowledge about spiritualism and its practices then accusations of fraud might be very difficult to combat.

Our ultimate aim is to offer everyone a credible organization that provides them a list of members to select from who they know will not set out to defraud them. Put simply, spiritual workers they are able to trust. We also hope that one day the law can be changed to better assist the spiritual industry.

For this purpose we intend to offer both public and government an organization with policies and working practices that are representative of the majority of spiritual workers and that is self regulating.

The definition of ‘Spiritual Worker’ so far as the SWA is concerned pertains to all persons who in any capacity, whether professionally or voluntarily, offer any type of mediumistic, psychic, holistic, spiritual, therapeutic, complementary or esoteric services to the public.

Under the modern law, the government classes people who charge or receive goods in exchange for services, as being a Trader, in this way a "worker" and that we at the SWA , the Spiritual Workers Association, want to ensure you have full representation as such.

You therefore need to actually choose as to whether you are going to charge for your services or receive goods or donations for your services or whether you will offer your services free of charge. Should you offer your services totally free then the government has no legal rights over you under the new law. However, individuals may still seek civil Proceedings against you should they feel a victim of malpractice.

If you are going to charge or receive goods as stated above then you should know that any income that is not taxed at source under the current laws needs to be declared to the Inland Revenue. If you are earning money or receiving goods etc as stated above, you should think about the possibility of becoming self employed. It is worth noting that you can be employed and self employed at the same time and you will only have to pay taxes on any income that exceeds a certain amount.

As you can see staying inside the law and working within this industry could be problematic. Our aim is to help you, the spiritual worker, to understand your rights and obligations and stay inside the law.

We encourage you to join the SWA Guild and become a full member and take advantage of the services we are offering.

But what is a guild? A guild is simply an association of craftsman within a particular trade, in our case, the spiritual trade. The earliest guilds were formed as fraternities of workers and that's what the SWA are attempting to achieve, a Guild of Spiritual Workers.

However, just because you charge, you don't have to join. It is entirely your decision. Just remember that the law clashes you as being a trader and you will have to work inside the law the same as any other trader. We are simply here to help you.

We intend to work closely with all government bodies to make sure we've got one of the most up to date information and advice available for you. We eventually intend to enter into discussions with the OFT to discuss the introduction of a Code of Practice for spiritual workers to ensure that we can represent you, the spiritual worker, better still.

The SWA is offering you choice and it is your choice to decide whether you need to join as being a paying member and take advantage of the benefits it will eventually offer. If you don't feel you'd probably gain from becoming a member but still want to join us you can still become a friend of the SWA free of charge.

Thank you