How to Find a Genuine Spiritual Mentor (Without Getting Scammed)
4-minute read
The spiritual marketplace is broken.
Everywhere you look, there's another guru charging $17,000 for "exclusive access" to their wisdom. Another influencer with a luxury lifestyle claiming they can teach you to "manifest abundance" for just $5,000. Another coach gatekeeping basic spiritual knowledge behind increasingly expensive payment tiers.
If you've been searching for genuine spiritual guidance, you've probably felt this frustration. Maybe you've even been burned by someone you thought was authentic, only to discover they were just another grifter with good marketing.
I get it. It's exhausting. And it makes finding REAL teachers feel impossible.
They're out there. You need to know what to look for.
The Problem: Spiritual Capitalism Run Amok
Let me be clear: There's nothing inherently wrong with spiritual teachers charging for their work. We all have bills to pay. Time and expertise have value.
There's a massive difference between:
Charging a fair rate that covers your living expenses plus reasonable compensation for years of study, practice, and wisdom
Exploiting people's spiritual hunger by charging luxury prices while claiming to serve humanity's awakening
When someone charges $750 for a natal chart reading or $100 to answer a single yes/no question, they're not serving. They're profiting.
The spiritual marketplace has become infested with people who are either:
Self-deluded (they actually believe their own hype)
Straight-up scammers (they know what they're doing)
Both are equally dangerous to seekers who genuinely need guidance.
Red Flags: How to Spot the Grifters
After years of navigating these spaces (and yes, getting burned a few times myself), here's what I've learned about spotting spiritual scammers:
🚩 Prices That Require Debt or Sacrifice
If accessing their wisdom means going into debt, skipping rent, or sacrificing basic needs - RUN.
Real spiritual teachers understand that financial stress is the OPPOSITE of the groundedness needed for spiritual growth. They don't want you stressed about money while trying to do soul work.
🚩 Constant "Limited Spots" Urgency
Everything they offer has "only 3 spots left!" or "doors closing in 24 hours!" - manufactured urgency designed to bypass your discernment.
Real teachers understand that spiritual growth happens on YOUR timeline, not their launch calendar.
🚩 Claiming They're Your Only Path
Any teacher who positions themselves as the ONLY way to enlightenment, awakening, or healing is lying.
There are infinite paths to the Divine. Real teachers know this and encourage you to find what works for YOU, even if it's not them.
🚩 Success = Material Luxury
If their entire brand is "look at my mansion/car/private jet" - that's not spiritual success. That's capitalism wearing a spiritual costume.
Real spiritual teachers measure success by THEIR STUDENTS' GROWTH, not their own bank accounts.
🚩 Manifestation = Material Wealth
Be wary of anyone whose entire teaching boils down to "manifest more money/stuff."
Actualizing abundance can include financial stability, yes. When that's the ONLY focus? They're not teaching spirituality. They're teaching greed with incense.
🚩 Gatekeeping Behind Increasing Tiers
Basic spiritual knowledge shouldn't require you to climb an expensive ladder of courses, each one promising "the REAL secrets are in the next level."
Information wants to be free. Real teachers give you foundational knowledge upfront. You pay for personalized application, not access to basic concepts.
🚩 Love-Bombing Into "Exclusive Community"
Excessive flattery, making you feel "chosen" or "special," convincing you that THIS community is your soul family - these are manipulation tactics.
Real spiritual community doesn't require you to pay thousands to belong.
🚩 Zero Value Without Payment
If they can't give you ANYTHING useful for free - not even a genuinely helpful blog post or video - they won't give you value at $17k either.
The paywall should be for MORE depth and personalization, not for basic access to knowledge.
Green Flags: Recognizing Authentic Teachers
So what DO real spiritual teachers look like? Here's what to look for:
✅ Free Content That Actually Helps
Genuine teachers offer substantial free resources. Not teasers designed to frustrate you into buying. Actual useful content that helps you grow.
They understand that giving freely builds trust AND serves people who genuinely can't afford paid offerings.
✅ Fair, Transparent Pricing
Their prices reflect time and expertise without being exploitative. Think $35-$1000 range for most offerings, not $5,000-17,000.
They're transparent about what you're getting. No bait-and-switch. No hidden upsells.
✅ Don't Claim Exclusivity
They openly acknowledge they're not your only option. They encourage you to explore, compare, find what resonates.
They want you to CHOOSE them because it's right for you, not because you're scared to look elsewhere.
✅ Success = Student Growth
They measure their success by YOUR transformation, not their income.
Their testimonials focus on what students learned and integrated, not how much money students made after working with them.
✅ Sliding Scale or Payment Plans
Real teachers understand that financial access shouldn't determine who gets spiritual support.
Many offer sliding scale pricing, payment plans, or occasional scholarship spots for those who genuinely can't afford full price.
✅ Building Independence, Not Dependency
This is THE most important green flag: Do they teach you to trust YOURSELF, or to need THEM?
Real teachers create students who eventually don't need them anymore. Grifters create lifetime customers who can't function without constant access to the guru.
✅ Congruent Lives
Their lives actually REFLECT what they teach. Not perfect lives - CONGRUENT lives.
If they teach simplicity but flaunt wealth? Incongruent. If they teach compassion but treat critics cruelly? Incongruent. If they teach presence but are always hustling? Incongruent.
Pay attention to this. It tells you everything.
How to Actually Find Genuine Teachers
Okay, so you know the red and green flags. Where do you actually FIND the real ones?
Look Beyond Online Influencers
Most genuine spiritual teachers aren't building massive online empires. They're:
Teaching small workshops at community centers
Offering sliding scale sessions from home offices
Writing books that cost $15 instead of $1500 courses
Teaching/guiding because they love it, not to get rich
The biggest marketing budgets usually belong to the grifters, not the authentic teachers.
Evaluate Free Content Quality
Spend time with someone's free content before paying for anything.
Does it actually help you? Does it make you think differently? Does it give you tools you can use?
Or does it make you feel like you're missing something that only THEY can provide?
Check References in the Wild
Don't just read testimonials on their website (those are curated). Find their students in spaces where the teacher isn't watching. Google reviews and other places can be helpful here.
What do former students say when the teacher isn't listening? That's your real reference.
Trust Your Gut
If something feels exploitative, it probably is.
Your discernment is valid. Don't let anyone gaslight you into thinking your discomfort is "resistance to growth" or "fear of investment."
Sometimes your gut is telling you: This person wants my money more than they want my growth.
Ask: Do They Need Me Dependent?
Real teachers want you to become independent. Grifters need you dependent to keep the money flowing.
Which one is this person creating?
My Approach: Accessible, Transparent, Independence-Building
I've structured my own work based on everything I learned about what's broken in the spiritual marketplace.
My offerings range from $35 (Spotlight Scan) to $555 (Complete Soul Clarity Blueprint). Not $5,000. Not $17,000.
I offer substantial free content - this blog, free meditations on Insight Timer, videos on YouTube, my Seeker's Guide.
I don't claim to be your only path. I openly encourage you to explore multiple teachers and traditions.
I measure success by whether you're trusting YOUR OWN discernment more, not whether you're buying more from me.
Does this mean I'm perfect? No. Does it mean my approach will work for everyone? Also no.
It means I'm trying to be the kind of teacher I wish I'd found when I was searching - someone who actually gives a shit about your growth more than my bank account.
The Bottom Line
Genuine spiritual teachers exist. You're not crazy for wanting to find them.
You have to be willing to look beyond the ones with the biggest marketing budgets and the most polished Instagram feeds.
The real teachers are out there - often working quietly, charging fairly, building students' independence rather than dependence.
Trust your discernment. Watch for the red and green flags. Don't let anyone convince you that spiritual guidance should cost more than a used car.
Your spiritual growth matters. You deserve authentic support. And you DON'T have to go into debt to find it.
Ready to explore your spiritual path without the grift?
Take my free quiz: What's Your Spiritual Seeking Style?
Or start with a low-barrier offering to experience my work:Spotlight Scan Reading - $35