On Titles ...

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

Recently, the conversation of titles came up since many have gone back to Nigeria and return with a title. It made me think and I came to this conclusion about all titles, regardless of in Nigeria or in the Diaspora, priest, king or otherwise.

A title without ethics, a title undeserved, a title purchased, a title inherited but not earned is simply an unfulfilled promise of grandeur. It is as empty as a pocket with a hole in it and means nothing except in the mind of the title holder. Give me a poor awo Ifa with faith, heart and knowldge over a priest, Oba/Chief or King who sees me only as their minion or paycheck.

Ase o
Ifalola

Further thoughts on prayers

When the subject of prayer came up, I was asked specifically about those moments when you want to simply "think" your prayers to yourself. We talked about it in the context of a group setting where one may not feel comfortable sharing in a public setting their private and inner-most thoughts. I agreed that in that environment you could privately think your prayers and Orisa would most certainly hear them.

However, I feel there is an important point to make. At some point, it is still important to physically speak your prayers, whether it be in a whisper inaudible to your neighbor, or in full voice in the privacy of your home or a secluded shrine. I believed this inherently, but wasn't able to fully crystallize my reason why. Then a week later it struck me in a clear way.

In all Orisa traditions, we work to make sure that our dreams and destiny manifest physically. We say Aboru Aboye Aboshishe specifically to request that that occurs. Speaking our prayers aloud (or in a whisper) are simply an extension of that idea. We take our thoughts and physically manifest them through speech in the same way we hope those thoughts will physically manifest in our lives. Ase!

Iwori n'soro lowo
Aweda n'soro kelekele
D'Ifa fun Enu lotalota bi ase
Wo ni o rubo
Won ba rubo
Orumila ko Enu lotalota bi ase n'ifa
Won wa n jo n yo
E je a pe e o
E je a pefa
Ki'fa o le baa je
Ni n hin awon Babalawo
Awon Babalawo n yin Ifa
Iwori n'soro lowo
Aweda n'soro kelekele

Iwori I am speaking
Aweda I am whispering
performed ifa divination for Mouth, the pepper grinder, gives birth to ashe
He was told to perform sacrifice
He performed sacrifice
Orunmila taught Enu lotalota bi ase Ifa
He began to dance and rejoice
Let us call him
Let us call Ifa
So that Ifa may answer
He praised his Babalawos
His Babalawos praised Ifa
Iwori I am speaking
Aweda I am whispering

Ceremonies costs, updated with more numbers

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe, May Olodumare, Esu, Orunmila, Orisha and all Isheshe bless and protect us!

I would first like to thank all the people who took the time to trust me and tell me the costs of their ceremonies in the spirit of sharing and helping others navigate these difficult waters. I would second like to thank my apetebii for always supporting me. Lastly, thanks to all those who have sent email with words of support for my writing. SPECIAL NOTE: please also don't try and compare lucumi rituals to Traditional Yoruba rituals, they are two different denominations and have different rites.

I'll keep this post short, again, if you are interested in offering me your costs, they will be kept confidential and will provide (I hope) help in the decision making process for people. Plus I hope that it will help to make the financial transaction part of the process more transparent so people can understand what they are paying for and why. Feel free to email me through the page here. Or through my yahoo site http://360.yahoo.com/babaifalola

I came across a Yoruba proverb I think would be appropriate:

Ohun ti a ba fi eso mu, ki i baje
Ohn ti a ba fi agbara mu ni nni 'ni l'ara

An honest acquisition last longer, an honest approach yields positive results
A dishonest acquisition or a dishonest approach paves the way to difficulty

** SPECIAL NOTE: I've decided since some will get this for the first time I will repost the original article that accompanied this study, it's important to read so you can understand the basis and logic behind this study . . . If you've already read it, scroll to the bottom.

Posted May 8th, 2007
When I first proposed this idea, I had no illusions. Money is a delicate subject. People are apt to get irritated if there is a perceived threat to their livelihood. Likewise, people are apt to get upset if they appear to have been taken for a ride. These factors contributed to a pretty low turnout (less then 15 people responded). That said, I decided to publish the raw numbers with no analysis other then creating a column adjusting the numbers for inflation to 2007 dollars. My hopes are that this initial data will spur people to send me emails with their costs, which I will gladly keep anonymous (as you see these are). Should you be interested, please answer the questions listed at the bottom of this posting.

Now, I want to again preface this by saying:

1. This is only meant as a comparison, it is not meant to dictate what should or shouldn't be charged.

2. There are good, decent priests who earn their living through Orisa/spiritual works, please support them and don't use this as a means to "negotiate" a better price.

3. Like anything else, quality costs. There are many hard costs involved in these ceremonies, goats can run upwards of $80 each, and I've paid as much as $900 for one Jutia (African bush rat). This doesn't include the many people that need to be fed and given some compensation for their work. There are also hidden costs, remember if your Oluwo/Godparent is doing your initiation, it may mean as many as 7 days without the ability to work, and that's part of what you're paying for. There are also often several ceremonies or days of preparations that are not a part of the ceremonies that you see. Often you don't know about these, and while you should be told about the time used doing them, you can't ask what exactly they are doing.

4. As we say in the computer industry, "garbage in, garbage out" or "you get what you pay for". Remember, you shouldn't skimp, this is not the time to cut corners, and neither should your Oluwo/godparent (if they do, confront them). Finding a priest who will charge less, but has no experience, does not care, will not teach, or worse, won't do the ceremony correctly just hurts you in the end. The flipside is just because it's expensive, doesn't mean you got "more" then someone who paid half what you paid. If the ceremonies were done correctly, then you are equals. Fancy titles or someone who wears shiny bling and charges a bundle doesn't make them better then a modest priest who has no titles and dresses conservatively, but loves, lives and breathes Orisa. In the end, you should be paying for knowledgeable priest, and hopefully one that will pass on some of that knowledge to you.

5. Be wary of mass initiations. For some initiations/ceremonies, it is understandable to perhaps have a few people do them at once, this is often done to lower the price. If you have 10 people receiving a ceremony at once, this isn't right. This is not about production line ethics, and it has not place here. My Awofakan was done this way and it was simply wrong. As far as I could gather, 12 people at between 1500 and 2000 a person added up to alot of money to split 3 ways. My Ita was less then 10 minutes and other less then that. Don't do it. Even if there are a few people doing it at once, ask why, ask how it will affect things.

6. Don't forget to put in your overall costs (plane, presents, etc). this can add to your costs and make what was $4K in a third world country end up being really close to $7K with plane tickets, Visas, changing money, paying for things for others etc.

7. Respect. Respect Orisa, respect the Ori you have that no one can take from you and respect your priest.

I'll preface this with a verse from the Odu Obara Oworin
Oro banta a wuwo bi owu
a difa fun aye,
Nijo ti gbogbo omo araye npon owo pe
Kosi ohun miran mo ninu aye ti o tun ni iyi mo rara
won ni awon o ko ohungbogbo sile,
Awon o maa sare mo owo
Orunmila ni eyiti e nro niti owo beeni
Ati eyiti e nro niti owo beeko si
Ifa l'a ba maa ye
Ogbon l'a ba ma ye
Awon l'a ba bu iyin fun
Agbeniga laa pe owo; abiwaje l'aa pe owo
Eniti ba feran owo l'afeju, iwa re a baje
Iwa rere ni oso eniyan
Bi e ni owo l'owo ko wipe ki e ma di afoju
Ko wipe ki e ma di ashiwere
Ko wipe ki e ma di aro
Ko wipe ki e ma di olokunrin ati beebee
Abuku ara gbogbo le de ba yin
Ki e tun ero gba
Ki e mu iwa rere
Ki e mu ogbon
Ki e wa rubo
Ki ara le ro nyin tinutode

Translated:
Heavy words have the weight of an anvil
This was the teaching of Ifa to the world
At a time when all the people of the world were overpraising money saying:
There is nothing else in the world that is more respected then money
They said they would give up everything
And they would continuously run after money
Orunmila said: what you think about money is so
And what you think about money is also not so
It is the teachings of Ifa we should honor
It is these we should regard highly
It is said money is a raiser of status and a corruptor of character
A person who loves money excessively, his character will be ruined
Good character is the finest beauty of a person
Even if you have money, it does not mean you will not become blind
It does not mean you will not go mad
It does not mean you will not become lane
It does not mean you will not become ill and the like
You still can become disabled in any part of your body
Therefore you should go and get more wisdom so that you may think deeply about things
You should cultivate good character
You should acquire wisdom
And you should come and sacrifice so that you may be at ease inside and out.

And with that:

Prayer and the Orisha faith . . .

Prayer and the Orisha faith:

My Apetebii and I were talking and the subject of prayer came up. It seems like an obvious thing, almost self explanatory, but there is an underlying fundamental ideology that isn't so obvious.

Prayer can take many forms, whether it is the act of supplicating to the Orisha, petitioning that they act on our behalf to positively affect our life or the lives of those around us. There is also the act of praising the Orisha as an act of thanks for the good in our lives or from saving us from some bad. Lastly is the act of simply praising the Orisha without any expectation (sometimes the most important and the most forgotten of acts).

A very important but often overlooked part of prayer in Yoruba culture is that it is almost always physically spoken. While in many other cultures, especially western culture, prayer can be an inward act in which verbalization is not necessary, it is quite the opposite in Yoruba culture. Any act of praise or prayer is by definition verbal and most often performed in a communal setting. We see this in traditional African practice, but in some ways, what is most striking is that in the diaspora this concept has not changed or diminished in any way. This is not to diminish one's personal reflection, meditations or internal prayers which are certainly part of how we can worship.

On a literal level, our vocalization produces sounds, which can travel, whether only a few inches or several meters or more. Through initiation, and sometimes powders and medicinal preparations, it is believed we can give power to those sounds/vibrations allowing them to reach Orun (heaven). As Olorisha and Babalawo, we are considered to not only be mediators between man and Orisha, it is believed that our voices are able to reach Orun and catch the attention of Orisha. That is why before every Ebo, before every divination session, before every religious act, we pray. Through that prayer, we hope that our vocalization may reach heaven.

This explains why as Babalawo we pray before casting Ikin or Opele, and it is why before we chant or interpret Odu we say:

Aboru, Aboye, Aboshishe

Which roughly translates to:
May our ebo reach Orun (heaven) - Aboru
May our ebo be accepted - Aboye
May our ebo allow what we desire to come to pass - Aboshishe

It is also why we must say "Ase (Ashe)" to affix and affirm things. By saying Ase (Ashe) we not only legitimize the prayer, we also send out the vibration of the holy phrase so that the prayers may reach Orun.

In the Orisa faith prayer can occur in many different ways:

Adura - Very simply meaning prayer, the most common of which is the Iba or Mo Juba meaning I/we give praise. In both traditional African and the Diaspora practices, the Iba/MoJuba is quintessential, and is often the very first thing an Olorisa or Babalawo learns. There are Adura for every Orisha, and Adura can be done in any language, for in the end, Orisha are all knowing so there is no language they don't understand. Those of us who are not Yoruba natives learn prayers in Yoruba as a way of respecting the past. The Yoruba have a saying, We stand on the backs of those that came before us. Without our african ancestors, without the slaves of the diaspora, we would not be here.

Oriki Orisha - Oriki are praise names which we have for all the Orisha, they reference acts of the Orisha in Ese Ifa, Iyere and all the other forms of stories in which they take part. They extol the deeds of the past, reminding us of the wonderous actions they performed. There can also be Oriki for kings, ancestors, etc.

Iyere - Iyere is the poetry of Ifa and Iyere is said to be have been a son of Orunmila who transmitted the word of Orunmila through a type of poetry. Upon his death began the Iyere style of Poetry. Chief Eleribuibon mentions that there are two types of Iyere: Iyere Sisun (Iyere singing) and Iyere Pipa (Iyere chanting). There are Ifa priests who specialize in this style and in Nigeria there are even competitions. Also worth mention are other Orisha's praise/poetry: Ijala - chanting for Ogun, Iwi chanting for Egun, and Sango and Oya Pipe.

Of interesting note, Chief Eleribuibon talks of Iyere poetry being used as a means of telecommunications. Noting several Odu Ifa where the chanting is used to communicate thanks or grief across distance. (see Iyere Ifa, Yemi Elebuibon chapter p. 41), which gives credence to the idea that vocalization is an important part of prayer.

Orin - Song, like prayer and poetry, is an important part of the process of invocation, supplication and praise. This is probably one of the most recognizable to the non-initiate, and in the diaspora is in large part, the outward face of the Orisha traditions (as outsiders are often able to participate/attend these ceremonies). It should be of important note that singing is not only a way to beckon the Orisha to come to earth, but a way to communally give praise in an environment that eventually leads to an actual two way communication as Orisha's mount their priests/omo. Unlike any other form of prayer, this is the only one where the Orisha physically manifests to speak with us one on one. It's both visceral and profoundly humbling when you are in the presence of an initiated who is truly mounted by Orisha.

I might add at this point an oft overlooked part of the practice of prayer, which is the role of Ayan (Anya/Aña) bata drums. In the diaspora the repertoire of the drums is quite deep, and includes (as do traditional african Ayan) the notion that the drums mimic the speech patterns of the Yoruba language (which is tonal). In this way, you can even recognize certain prayers and songs that match a rhythmic pattern. So in this way, the drums too are a vocalization of our prayers to Orisha.

It's also important to note that sacred (consecrated) drums are additionally imbued with the power of speech. It is these consecrated drums whose vibrations are able to reach Orun, and in doing such lure the Orisha to Aiye (earth) to mount their omo (children) and physically manifest amongst humans. This is essentially the same role played by the Yoruba talking drum, dundun or gangan, which was used to talk across vast expanses from four to some say as much as 15 miles (during the night). This is where it becomes critical to understand that unlike western languages, Yoruba and other dialects of the area are tonal and each word can have several meanings depending on tone, a fact often lost or forgotten in the diaspora (which get into some of the famous Yoruba Puns or double meanings). This allows the drums to mimic phrases in an uncanny way.

Ofo - This is an area of study that is somewhat obscure with few that are truly masters, and is virtually non-existent in the Diaspora. This chanting is the basis for Yoruba "magic" and through the use of magical and secret names, the enchanter can control inanimate objects, spirits, people, animals, etc to use to their own ends. Ofo can be used for good, and likewise for evil. There are Ofo for money, Ofo for health, Ofo for summoning the Aje, Ofo to cause death, the list is long and numerous.

This is not an exhaustive list, as I believe many different Orisa have their own types of prayer, but should be at least a beginning point for those who don't have significant contact with traditional Yoruba practices.

It is important for us as followers to always pray and be proud. It affirms our existence, it affirms our beliefs, it affirms the Orisha, it affirms the positive desires for the world and it affirms Egun, Egbe and Isheshe. I'll end this with a short Song sung by the group after an Iba:

E e e e, Baba mi iba ni n'o f'ojo oni she e o o
Baba a ni, iba n'o f'ojo oni she e.

E e e e, father I will spend the entire day paying homage,
Father, I will spend the entire day paying homage.

Ase o!!

Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

The raw data on initiation/ceremony costs

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe . . .

When I first proposed this idea, I had no illusions. Money is a delicate subject. People are apt to get irritated if there is a perceived threat to their livelihood. Likewise, people are apt to get upset if they appear to have been taken for a ride. These factors contributed to a pretty low turnout (less then 15 people responded). That said, I decided to publish the raw numbers with no analysis other then creating a column adjusting the numbers for inflation to 2007 dollars. My hopes are that this initial data will spur people to send me emails with their costs, which I will gladly keep anonymous (as you see these are). Should you be interested, please answer the questions listed at the bottom of this posting.

Now, I want to again preface this by saying:

1. This is only meant as a comparison, it is not meant to dictate what should or shouldn't be charged.

2. There are good, decent priests who earn their living through Orisa/spiritual works, please support them and don't use this as a means to "negotiate" a better price.

3. Like anything else, quality costs. There are many hard costs involved in these ceremonies, goats can run upwards of $80 each, and I've paid as much as $900 for one Jutia (African bush rat). This doesn't include the many people that need to be fed and given some compensation for their work. There are also hidden costs, remember if your Oluwo/Godparent is doing your initiation, it may mean as many as 7 days without the ability to work, and that's part of what you're paying for. There are also often several ceremonies or days of preparations that are not a part of the ceremonies that you see. Often you don't know about these, and while you should be told about the time used doing them, you can't ask what exactly they are doing.

4. As we say in the computer industry, "garbage in, garbage out" or "you get what you pay for". Remember, you shouldn't skimp, this is not the time to cut corners, and neither should your Oluwo/godparent (if they do, confront them). Finding a priest who will charge less, but has no experience, does not care, will not teach, or worse, won't do the ceremony correctly just hurts you in the end. The flipside is just because it's expensive, doesn't mean you got "more" then someone who paid half what you paid. If the ceremonies were done correctly, then you are equals. Fancy titles or someone who wears shiny bling and charges a bundle doesn't make them better then a modest priest who has no titles and dresses conservatively, but loves, lives and breathes Orisa. In the end, you should be paying for knowledgeable priest, and hopefully one that will pass on some of that knowledge to you.

5. Be wary of mass initiations. For some initiations/ceremonies, it is understandable to perhaps have a few people do them at once, this is often done to lower the price. If you have 10 people receiving a ceremony at once, this isn't right. This is not about production line ethics, and it has not place here. My Awofakan was done this way and it was simply wrong. As far as I could gather, 12 people at between 1500 and 2000 a person added up to alot of money to split 3 ways. My Ita was less then 10 minutes and other less then that. Don't do it. Even if there are a few people doing it at once, ask why, ask how it will affect things.

6. Respect. Respect Orisa, respect the Ori you have that no one can take from you and respect your priest.

I'll preface this with a verse from the Odu Obara Oworin
Oro banta a wuwo bi owu
a difa fun aye,
Nijo ti gbogbo omo araye npon owo pe
Kosi ohun miran mo ninu aye ti o tun ni iyi mo rara
won ni awon o ko ohungbogbo sile,
Awon o maa sare mo owo
Orunmila ni eyiti e nro niti owo beeni
Ati eyiti e nro niti owo beeko si
Ifa l'a ba maa ye
Ogbon l'a ba ma ye
Awon l'a ba bu iyin fun
Agbeniga laa pe owo; abiwaje l'aa pe owo
Eniti ba feran owo l'afeju, iwa re a baje
Iwa rere ni oso eniyan
Bi e ni owo l'owo ko wipe ki e ma di afoju
Ko wipe ki e ma di ashiwere
Ko wipe ki e ma di aro
Ko wipe ki e ma di olokunrin ati beebee
Abuku ara gbogbo le de ba yin
Ki e tun ero gba
Ki e mu iwa rere
Ki e mu ogbon
Ki e wa rubo
Ki ara le ro nyin tinutode

Translated:
Heavy words have the weight of an anvil
This was the teaching of Ifa to the world
At a time when all the people of the world were overpraising money saying:
There is nothing else in the world that is more respected then money
They said they would give up everything
And they would continuously run after money
Orunmila said: what you think about money is so
And what you think about money is also not so
It is the teachings of Ifa we should honor
It is these we should regard highly
It is said money is a raiser of status and a corruptor of character
A person who loves money excessively, his character will be ruined
Good character is the finest beauty of a person
Even if you have money, it does not mean you will not become blind
It does not mean you will not go mad
It does not mean you will not become lane
It does not mean you will not become ill and the like
You still can become disabled in any part of your body
Therefore you should go and get more wisdom so that you may think deeply about things
You should cultivate good character
You should acquire wisdom
And you should come and sacrifice so that you may be at ease inside and out.


The data:


QUESTIONNAIRE
a. Orisha made
b. year made
c. geographic location of ceremony (city, state, country)
d. cost of ceremony (ie, what your godparent/oluwo/etc charged)
e. What this cost included
f. related costs (clothes/other misc. items not included in the original cost)
g. special circumstances
h. Orisha sect (ie lucumi, candomble, palo, Ifa/lucumi, Ifa/traditional, Orisha traditional, Egbe, Ogboni)
i. Were there other ceremonies that you can recall the cost of? If so, what was that cost/what was the ceremony/what was the year and location?

Politics and religion, my view

I recently had a conversation with someone about politics and religion and the following statement I made covers it quite well:

Politics and religion are identical twins separated at birth . . . in growing up apart their belief systems may be different but they have the same DNA. - Obara Meji

Money and spiritual services, what's right?

I recently posted on several yahoo groups and to colleagues and friends asking the question: how much did you pay for your initiation? The goal was not to be nosy, not to figure out how to set my rates. I wasn't trying to get into peoples personal business, and it wasn't even an attempt to push prices up or down. It was meant to gather data so that people can see what services cost, in order to have a barometer or bell weather of sorts. The response was depressingly low. I'm not sure why though I can speculate on all sorts of reasons, but that's not the point of this article.

I hope to publish the few numbers I do have, but in the meantime I want to be crystal clear about a few things:

**Every circumstance is different, and I'm not suggesting standardized pricing.

**I'm not suggesting that priests are only allowed to earn a specific amount of money.

**This should not be taken as license for people to begin "window shopping" for prices. Make a good decision about a godparent/mentor/Oluwo, and this article will likely not be important to you other then as a reference on ethics.

**Priests have varying knowledge, and a highly trained, highly skilled, learned, ethical priest is truly priceless and rare. As with anything, demand can drive prices up and while a priest must perform works of charity, he/she should also earn a living.

Eji-Obge tells us:

A o t'okun dokun
ka too ri winni-winni agbe
A o tosa dosa
Ka too ri doodo orun Aluko
A baa t'okun dokun
Ki a tosa dosa
Ka too ri oloooto Awo
Odi Ile-Ifa Akelubeke
Dia fun Igbin
O n'sawo lo sode Ileyo
O wa mekun sekun igbe
O mohun seyere aro
O ni: Eniyan an won o
Eniyan an soro
Ka too ri olooto Awo
Ona a jin

Translation:
We shall travel from ocean to ocean
Before we can see the tiny specie of the Blue Touraco
We shall wind from river to river
Before we can see the specie of Maroon Touraco with goiter on their necks
Whether we travel from ocean to ocean
and from there wend river to river
Before we can find a truthful Babalawo
We shall reach Ile-Ife Akelubebe
That is the declaration of the oracle of Igbin (snail)
When going to Ileyo town to practice Ifa
He made his weeping a shouting lamentation
He made his song a dirge of lamentation
He said: Human beings (truthful ones) are scarce
Human beings are difficult
Before we can find a truthful Babalawo
We shall travel far

**Geography changes the costs of things. You must always remember, it's your responsibility to pay a fair wage, and help support priests in third world countries. Low-balling or negotiating low rates simply because you can or because they live in poverty-stricken areas is not excusable. This means You are not acting ethically.

That all said, this discussion can't go anywhere without talking about my favorite line, "my Ashe is priceless" or "how can you put a price on my Ashe". The implication is that they are the owner of Ashe and the only one who could dole it out (which actually lies in the realm of Esu Odara and the Odu Ose Tura). This kind of pride and arrogance is what gives the religion a bad name. Certainly, the ceremony offers us priceless rewards and guidance, but that does not mean that only that priest could have performed it, or helped you in your quest, that's simply arrogance. As a side note, Ashe (or Ase) is the unseen force/power that makes things come to life, it is also the exclamation "May it be so".

We are all born with Ori, and Orisha, we are also all born with Ashe, no one can take it away, and no one can simply "give" it to us. Through the process of initiation, we can awaken the Ashe in our Ori/Eleda and make the connection between our Ori and the Divine (Olodumare). This is no doubt accomplished with the help of priests using their Ashe and knowledge to perform ritual, sacrifice and prayer. And, they should no doubt be compensated for that service. But, Iwori Wowo (Iwori Ose) reminds us that money should not be our end goal, but only a "thing" we use to fulfill our needs.

Iwori Wowo-wowo
Iwori wokun-wokun
Iwori wokun tan o too wo'de o
Dia fun Eni Ileele
Nje eni i leele
Ti won o nii teni fun lailai
Ni oruko ti aa pe ow

Translated

Iwori looks at money
Iwori looks at okun beads
Iwori look at okun beads first, before you look at brass ornaments
These were the declarations of Ifa to a person on the bare floor
Who does not deserve being honored with a mat
The person on the floor who must never be given a mat
Is the name given to money

In this odu, ifa tells us to first look at Okun beads (beads worn by Obas (kings) and Ijoye (chiefs) symbolizing royalty/authority, in this case the authority of Ifa, before we focus on the brass ornaments (a bauble that can be bought with money). Ifa says that a person (money) is not to be honored as equal to a human by being given a mat to sit on. Money, is not of the same worth as people.

So what is the solution?

The process of payment for spiritual services needs to be transparent.

If a client says that they want to know why this costs XXX, then it is the ethical responsibility of the priest to give them a breakdown. The reason the process needs to be transparent is that Ifa teaches us that as priests and as people we need to be truthful. Not telling people costs, not telling people what they are paying for, not being clear is the same as not being truthful (we need to tell the whole truth). In Oruta rera (Otura Ogunda) Ifa says:

Eke o kun ni
Ika o kun mo eniyan
Bi eke ba n yolee da
Ohun werewere abenu a mas yo wo ni sise
dia fun sagbagiriyan
Tii se baale asotito
Nje sotito sododo
Eni to sotito
Ni mole n gbe

Translation:
Dishonesty does not pay anyone
Wickedness is beneficial to none
When a dishonest person lots his treachery
His conscience pricks him persistently
These were the declarations of Ifa to Sagbagiriyan
Who was the head of the honest people
Pray, be honest, be truthful
Those who are honest
The deity supports

Once you have told someone what you will charge and why, then they can openly and fully make an informed decision. If you have nothing to hide and believe that your compensation is fair, then you should have no shame or hesitation in letting someone know how much something will cost. Will it shock people? Perhaps sometimes . . . But the flipside is the client needs to understand many variables. As priests we spend years training. A good knowledgeable priests will spend as many years as a doctor training and learning, and it never ends. If we truly believe that our spirit is important, then we would not want to trust a laymen with our spiritual needs. I'm not saying a priest necessarily needs to make as much as a doctor, but why not if that priest has dedicated their life to service, and helps not only those with money, but those in need too.

Ogbo Ate says:

Omo boo kofa, o kofa
Omo boo teru, o teru
Odomode to kofa
To lohun o nii fi sin agbalagba
Ko nii ri Ifa ibule ko
Dia fun akiri-tojule
Eyi tii se aremo Okanjuwa
Emi o pe ng o pin wo o
Ifa ni e ko mi o
Bi ng o ba tete ku
Ma la se maa lowo

Translation
Child, if you want to study Ifa, do so
Child, if you want to fight over Ifa proceeds, do so
A child who studies Ifa
Who declares that he will not serve elders with his knowledge
He will not learn the Ifa which distinguishes a Babalawo among the crowd
These were the declarations of Ifa to Akiri-tojule (he who moves from one house to the other)
Who is the first child of avarice
I am not after the proceeds from Ifa
Please teach me useful Ifa
If I do not die young
I will be successful, surely I will be wealthy

This not only tells us the Awo who is truly after knowledge of Ifa will be taken care of. It also, very importantly, warns us against moving from house to house (assuming we made a good choice in our house to begin with). By working with our elders, either as priest or as lay-person, we can learn Ifa and become wealthy (not just monetarily).

I would like to close this with an Ese from the Odu Eji-Ogbe:

K'a má fi kánjú j'aiyé.
K'a má fi wàrà-wàrà n'okùn orò.
Ohun à bâ if s'àgbà,
K'a má if se'binu.
Bi a bá de'bi t'o tútù,
K'a simi-simi,
K'a wò'wajú ojo lo titi;
K'a tun bò wá r'èhìn oràn wo;
Nitori àti sùn ara eni ni.

Let us not engage the world hurriedly
Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently
That which should be treated with mature judgment
Let us not deal with in a state of anger
When we arrive at a cool place
Let us rest fully
Let us give continuous attention to the future
and let us give deep consideration to the consequences of things
And this because of our (eventual) passing

Ase ooo
Ifalola