Money Magic 101: Understanding Abundance vs. Greed

BY NICOLE LAU

Money magic has a PR problem.

Mention that you practice money magic, and you'll get one of two reactions: either people assume you're trying to get rich quick through wishful thinking, or they judge you as spiritually shallow—because "real" spiritual people aren't supposed to care about money.

Both reactions miss the point entirely.

Money magic isn't about greed. It's not about hoarding wealth or exploiting others. And it's definitely not about bypassing practical action with magical thinking.

Money magic is about aligning your energy with abundance so you can meet your needs, serve your purpose, and live in integrity. It's about healing your relationship with money so it becomes a tool for freedom rather than a source of suffering.

But to practice money magic ethically and effectively, you need to understand the difference between abundance and greed. Because one is sustainable and life-giving. The other is a black hole that can never be filled.

What Is Abundance?

Abundance is the recognition that there is enough. Not just for you—for everyone.

Abundance consciousness operates from these principles:

• Sufficiency: You have what you need, and you trust more will come
• Flow: Money comes in, money goes out—it's energy in motion, not something to hoard
• Generosity: You give freely because you trust the supply is infinite
• Gratitude: You appreciate what you have instead of obsessing over what you lack
• Expansion: You want more not from fear, but from a desire to grow and serve more fully

Abundance says: "I have enough. I am enough. And there's more available when I need it."

This doesn't mean you're satisfied with poverty or that you don't want to improve your situation. It means you're not operating from a wound of lack.

What Is Greed?

Greed is the belief that there will never be enough. It's scarcity consciousness on steroids.

Greed operates from these patterns:

• Insatiability: No amount is ever enough—you always need more
• Hoarding: You accumulate and cling, terrified of loss
• Exploitation: You take from others to fill your own void
• Comparison: Your worth is measured by having more than others
• Fear: Every financial decision is driven by anxiety and control

Greed says: "I don't have enough. I'll never have enough. I need to take as much as I can before it runs out."

Greed isn't about the amount of money you have—it's about your relationship to it. You can be greedy with $100 or abundant with $1 million. It's the consciousness, not the number.

The Key Difference: Scarcity vs. Trust

The root difference between abundance and greed is this:

Abundance trusts. Greed fears.

• Abundance believes the universe is generous. Greed believes the universe is stingy.
• Abundance shares. Greed hoards.
• Abundance celebrates others' success. Greed resents it.
• Abundance asks: "How can I create value?" Greed asks: "How can I take more?"

Money magic practiced from abundance creates sustainable wealth and serves the collective good. Money magic practiced from greed creates temporary gain and karmic debt.

Why "Spiritual People" Struggle with Money

Many spiritual communities have a toxic relationship with money. They've conflated abundance with greed and decided that wanting financial security makes you spiritually inferior.

This creates several damaging beliefs:

Belief 1: "Money Is Unspiritual"

The lie: Spiritual people should be poor. Wealth is materialistic and shallow.

The truth: Money is neutral. It's energy. What matters is how you earn it, use it, and relate to it. A wealthy person living in integrity is more spiritual than a poor person living in resentment.

Belief 2: "Wanting Money Is Greedy"

The lie: If you want financial abundance, you're selfish and materialistic.

The truth: Wanting to meet your needs, support your family, fund your purpose, and live without financial stress is not greed—it's self-respect. Greed is wanting to exploit or hoard. Abundance is wanting to thrive.

Belief 3: "Poverty Is Noble"

The lie: Being poor makes you more spiritual, humble, or pure.

The truth: Poverty is not a virtue—it's a condition that limits your ability to serve. You can't pour from an empty cup. Financial stability allows you to be more generous, more creative, and more impactful.

Belief 4: "Rich People Are Bad"

The lie: All wealthy people are greedy, exploitative, and morally corrupt.

The truth: Some wealthy people are greedy. Some are generous. Wealth itself doesn't determine character—how you acquire and use it does. Demonizing all wealth keeps you stuck in scarcity.

The Ethical Foundation of Money Magic

If you're going to practice money magic, you need an ethical framework. Here's mine:

Principle 1: Earn in Integrity

Money magic doesn't justify unethical income. If you're harming others, exploiting workers, or violating your values to make money, no amount of magic will make that sustainable.

Ask yourself: Does my income source align with my values? Am I creating value or extracting it?

Principle 2: Use Money as a Tool, Not an Identity

Your worth is not determined by your bank account. Money is a resource, not a measure of your soul.

Ask yourself: Am I using money to serve my life, or is my life serving money?

Principle 3: Give Freely

Abundance flows. Greed stagnates. When you give—whether through tipping, donations, or supporting others—you signal to the universe that you trust the supply.

Ask yourself: Am I generous with what I have, or am I hoarding out of fear?

Principle 4: Desire Wealth for the Right Reasons

Wanting money to prove your worth, dominate others, or fill an emotional void is greed. Wanting money to meet your needs, fund your purpose, and create freedom is abundance.

Ask yourself: Why do I want more money? What will it actually give me?

Principle 5: Celebrate Others' Success

If someone else's wealth triggers you, that's a scarcity wound. Abundance consciousness celebrates others' wins because it knows there's enough for everyone.

Ask yourself: Can I genuinely be happy for others' financial success?

How to Know If You're Operating from Abundance or Greed

Check yourself with these questions:

Abundance indicators:

• You feel grateful for what you have, even as you work toward more
• You give generously without resentment
• You celebrate others' financial wins
• You trust that opportunities will come
• You use money to create freedom and serve others
• You can enjoy what you have without constantly wanting more

Greed indicators:

• No amount ever feels like enough
• You resent giving or feel anxious about spending
• You compare yourself to others and feel inferior or superior based on wealth
• You hoard money out of fear
• You're willing to compromise your values for financial gain
• You can't enjoy what you have because you're obsessed with getting more

If you're seeing greed patterns, don't shame yourself. Greed is a symptom of a scarcity wound. It can be healed.

The Shadow Work: Healing Scarcity Wounds

Greed doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from wounds:

• Childhood poverty: You grew up without enough, so now you're terrified of lack
• Worthiness wounds: You believe you're only valuable if you're wealthy
• Ancestral trauma: Your lineage carries stories of scarcity, survival, or loss
• Cultural conditioning: You've been taught that more = better, always

Healing practice:

1. Identify your money wound: When did you first feel "not enough" around money?
2. Feel the fear: What are you actually afraid will happen if you don't have enough?
3. Reframe the story: What would abundance consciousness say instead?
4. Take aligned action: Practice generosity, gratitude, and trust in small ways

Money Magic from Abundance Consciousness

When you practice money magic from abundance, it looks like this:

• You set intentions for what you need, not what your ego wants to prove
• You take practical action alongside the magic (applying for jobs, raising rates, launching offers)
• You give thanks for money that comes in, no matter the amount
• You share your wealth (tipping well, donating, supporting others)
• You trust the timing (money comes when it's meant to, not when you demand it)
• You use money to create freedom, not to fill a void

This kind of magic is sustainable. It builds real wealth. And it serves the collective good.

The Spiritual Truth About Money

Money is energy. Like all energy, it flows. It comes in, it goes out. Trying to dam the river creates stagnation. Letting it flow creates abundance.

You are allowed to want financial security. You are allowed to desire wealth. You are allowed to practice money magic.

What matters is why you want it and how you use it.

Abundance says: "I want money so I can live freely, serve fully, and share generously."

Greed says: "I want money so I can feel safe, superior, and in control."

One creates wealth. The other creates suffering.

Choose abundance. Practice from trust. And watch what unfolds.

Next in this series: Your Money Mindset Through the Zodiac—understanding your financial personality by sun sign.