What Happens When You Actually Meet Money (Spoiler: It's Nothing Like You'd Expect)
Here's what I've noticed after teaching "Money as a Spirit Ally" for a while now: When I ask people at the beginning of class how their bodies feel just thinking about money, I get responses like "tight," "anxious," "like I'm being strangled." One woman told me it felt like her chest was caving in.
But by the end of our time together after they've actually met the spirit of money, something shifts. The same people report feeling "calm," "energized," even "playful."
So what happens in between? And why does meeting Money as a spirit change everything?
The Thing Nobody Tells You About Money
Money isn't just currency. It's not just numbers in your bank account or the bills you pay or the salary you earn. Money is about relationship.
There are feelings involved. Memories. Beliefs passed down through generations. Parts of us that are terrified, parts that are ashamed, parts that learned money meant survival or danger or never enough.
And here's the kicker: most of us have never actually met Money. We've wrestled with it, worried about it, tried to control it, worked ourselves ragged to earn it—but we've never sat down with Money and asked, "Who are you, really?"
The Meditation That Changes Everything
I guide people through a simple practice. We get settled, send any scared parts to the waiting room (yes, really - beanbag chairs, juice boxes, the works), and then we create a peaceful meeting space. Maybe a bench by the ocean. Maybe your own living room. Somewhere that feels safe.
Then we invite the spirit of Money to join us.
And this is where it gets interesting.
One person might see money as a shimmery, glittering presence shaped like light itself. Another might meet a giant, playful dollar sign with gold shoes bouncing onto the scene like a cartoon character. Someone else might encounter a gentle, wise grandmother figure in a soft sweater, wanting to share her wisdom.
The form doesn't matter. What matters is what happens next.
When Money Speaks
I ask people to pose questions to Money during our meditation:
Who are you really? What is your nature?
What do you want me to know about you?
How do you feel toward me?
And the responses? They're nothing like what people expect.
Money tells one woman, "You don't have to be afraid. I want to comfort you."
Another hears, "Back it down. Don't be so serious about this."
Someone receives the message, "You can do nothing to earn my companionship. I have always been there."
Over and over, what people discover is that money isn't the enemy they thought it was. Money isn't judgmental or withholding or cruel. Money shows up as kind, patient, even playful. Money wants to be partners with us, not adversaries.
The Deeper Work: What Would Change If You Trusted Money?
After that first meeting, we go deeper. We return to the same peaceful space and ask money more challenging questions:
What would help our relationship feel safer?
Money's answer to one person: "Don't run away. Pay attention. Budget and check in. Don't be afraid to know what you actually have." For her, the not-knowing was worse than any number could be. She'd been catastrophizing in the dark.
What would be most helpful to unlearn?
"Scarcity," money tells someone. "There is enough. It surrounds you."
If I stopped trying to earn you, what would shift?
This question lands like a bomb for most people. One participant saw herself shifting from tension to total ease- like landing on a soft cloud.
Another heard a loud, panicked voice: "You'll have LESS!" (That was a protective part, terrified of what would happen if she stopped white-knuckling her way through finances.)
But here's what I've learned: when we shift from earning money to receiving it, something fundamental changes. Even a paycheck can be received rather than earned. Even money we worked for can be met with "thank you" instead of "I had to fight for this."
The Trust-Money Connection
A spiritual teacher once told me something that stopped me in my tracks: "The energy of money and the energy of trust look identical."
Money and trust. The same energy.
Think about it. When you don't trust money, you grip it tight. You worry, you control, you never believe there will be enough. When you do trust Money - or even pretend to trust it for an afternoon - your whole nervous system relaxes.
One woman in my class had received a large inheritance. For the first time in her life, she was receiving money she hadn't earned and she felt guilty about it. "My parents earned this, not me."
But what if receiving is just as valid as earning? What if the universe (or Money itself)doesn't actually care about the difference?
The Practical Steps Money Offers
When I ask people what steps Money suggests for improving their relationship, the answers are surprisingly simple:
"Breathe. Ask. Receive."
"Listen to me. When your stomach ties in knots about a financial decision, I'm telling you no."
"Focus on gratitude. Abundance is always there."
"Have more fun with me."
My favorite is the last one. Money invited me to have more fun. Not work harder. Not stress more. Have fun. Do fun things. Let Money be part of the joy in my life, not just the survival.
What Gratitude Actually Looks Like
What if you took the opportunity to thank Money for what you already have?
That kind of gratitude -the deep noticing of what Money makes possible can change everything.
Now I thank money. When I drive my car: "Thank you, Money, for this car." When I eat: "Thank you, Money, for this meal." When I get dressed: "Thank you for these clothes."
An old religious part of me worried I was worshiping Money. But I'm not. Money is a spirit helper for me, just like I thank my angels for their support. Money helps me live my life, care for my family, do my work in the world. Why wouldn't I say thank you?
The Body Knows
Here's how I know this work is real: I watch people's bodies change.
At the beginning of class: tight shoulders, shallow breathing, that strangled feeling in the chest.
After meeting Money: "I feel calm." "Energized." "Like I have more power and control instead of just being fearful."
One woman said, "I don't even want to say the words 'fear' and 'lack of trust' anymore because I feel like I was able to shift that."
Your body knows the truth. When Money stops being the enemy and becomes the ally, your nervous system gets the message.
The Invitation
So here's what I'm offering you: What if you could meet Money?
Not wrestle with it. Not stress about it. Not try to control or earn or manipulate it.
Just... meet it. Sit down with the Spirit of Money and ask who it really is.
You might be surprised -like the woman who saw money as a wise grandmother, or the one who met a playful dollar sign with gold shoes, or the one who discovered money as shimmering light that wanted to outline her body and whisper, "I have always been there."
Money might tell you not to be afraid. It might ask you to have more fun. It might remind you that you're worthy of receiving, that abundance is already here, that you don't have to earn love or safety or support.
And then, if you're brave, you can try something radical: pretend for an afternoon that you trust money. Cosplay someone who has Money as their ally. Notice how that feels in your body, in your choices, in your breath.
Because here's the truth I've discovered through this work: Money isn't the problem. Our relationship with Money is. And relationships can change.
They change when we stop running. When we stop avoiding the truth of our bank accounts because not-knowing feels safer than knowing. When we stop trying to control every penny out of fear.
They change when we receive. When we express gratitude. When we listen to what money has to say. When we let ourselves be surprised by money's kindness.
Most of all, they change when we remember that the energy of money and the energy of trust look exactly the same.
What would change in your life if you trusted Money to be your ally?
What would change in how you act, think, or feel?
I'll leave you with that question. And if you want to explore it deeper, maybe start with a simple practice: Close your eyes. Breathe. Create a peaceful space in your imagination. And invite Money to join you there.
You might be amazed by who shows up.
This work is adapted from my "Money as a Spirit Ally" course, where we explore the relationship between money, trust, and receiving through guided meditation and parts work. If you'd like to learn more about transforming your relationship with money, check out the class info here : https://www.drthaedafranz.com/classes1