I wanted to start a conversation about Wish Crards and Offering-Cards as a small buisiness idea. As you may or may not have noticed, the TEMPLVM people have started to print out Wish Crads for Jupiter, which are then - similar to a Shinto shrine - hung for a while close to the Temple.
Now in Japan such cards and other things like good luck charms, are sold to support the local Priests in their work. And we know in antiquitiy fabricating charms and symbolic offerings as replacement for the "real thing" were an abudant business.
A) also of course the Wish Cards, something hung at a shrine a regular Sacerdos manages. For that he needs at least a shrine or corner which is tended. I tried to find a manufacturer, but so far in vain. And how would that be dealt? We would order, say 500 cards. Then a person interested is sent one, and he sends it back? Seems a bit costly though. Or does the Sacerdos write it in that person's name? How much money do we ask for? Only the sum it required to create? Or do we make a small fee additionally to support the work of the Sacerdos? The Sacerdos should make a prayer for each Card, so IMVPO giving him a small fee is in order.
B) Offerings: I have thought to make cows, pigs and sheep on flat, thick paper or cardboard, so people can burn a pig or a cow as offering, but from cardboard. The card would be blessed here at the shrine of the Sacerdos in an official rite, then sent to the person, who can use it as annointed sacrifice for his ritual. Questions: Do we cut the forms exactly into swine, cow, sheep form? (MUCH work), or do we just print it on a rectangular card - with the benefit we may also write some text on it. Again: do we do this for the price it costs to make, or is it ok that the Sacerdos gets a benefit?
C) Good Luck Charms. In Shinto they are small, flat cloth bags, containing something. They are supposed to work for one year after being acquired and then to be burned, or they bring then back luck. Could be something card-like too, with a blessing wish or prayer. Could be cards of different designs for different purposes: luck in school, in exams, at work, in relationship, for having a baby, for money, for health, inner peace asf. Questions with profit as before.
Let me know what you think, guys.
I think all of these options are very valid and I think it is valid to charge a fee to help support the sacerdos. I would make it a very modest fee though, when it comes to paper cards. The fee being larger depending on the effort and work put into the thing itself, the quality of the material, its elaborateness, etc.
These all sound like perfectly reasonable things to craft, and to charge for. Time, creativity, and materials aren't free, and there's nothing wrong with having some after that either as part of your living or to support a cause.
As for production of things like cards, you might look into vendors who do things like business cards, buttons, and stickers. It's possible you'll find something that works for you.
"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it."
A good project. I support this initiative! Action offline is good to see!