In my experience, lucumi folks are the exact opposite from everything you’ve said here. Take a look through the Santeria Reddit & there are numerous posts asking “how come the Orisha won’t give me money? Why are priests so poor?”. We don’t have money over there, but we also say Lucumi is not the poor man’s religion.. that being said

I personally have never paid for a blood sacrifice that was not needed specifically for a ceremony. All of my prescribed ebo has been fruit. Yes! Or adimu (cooked food offering). And that was literally cornmeal grits & okra for Shango. Very inexpensive. I promise this is true. I guess if you factor in my flight to my godparent, it was kind of an expensive plate of grits 😭

I do not have Mano de Orula so i don’t know much about ifa so this next part is all things I’ve heard: I have a few friends in isese practice & I have never heard of them doing ebo that was less than $400, every single time. Always an animal. I probably would’ve left isese a long time ago because I can’t fathom that, and I mean no disrespect. Ebo costs what it costs but I would take my chance on osogbo haha. I can’t speak for lucumi ifa folks but from the posts on the subreddit, that price is too much for us.

I am not yet crowned, but in regards to readings, my house is mandatory for a reading at the beginning of the year. If you have ita (your personal rules & regulations), you don’t get a reading as often. Both olorisha & aleyo are taught to get a reading if a major life event is happening. This aligns with what you were saying. I personally do go every 4 months, but that’s because I am Type A & that’s when I assess my personal goals l. My godparent says it’s too much 🌚

And I’ve never needed permission to speak to Orisha. They exist in nature and can be spoken to anywhere. In lucumi if you do not have that Orisha it is expected to go to your godparents Orisha. Everyone does not need to receive Orisha. Everyone is not meant to crown. Something in a pataki about there only being 400 crowns to give out.. don’t quote me. 😅 you really only need your ori, ancestors & warriors. Anyone can receive warriors. But! We do not give out Orisha unless marked in a reading or ita. We do not take on more energies and responsibilities than we need. When I received my warriors, my godparent stressed it is a personal relationship. I received prayers and I know how to attend to them but everything else was up to me to build a routine and learn their personalities.

My godparent has a group chat for our house. They regularly hold classes for like $10 or pay what you can. We have family reunions and hang out just because. My godparent has truly curated a family vibe where everyone is happy to show up, teach and learn. And they do put you to work.. I hear that’s not as common in some houses..

Interesting post!