Iya Tahirah is a renowned Elder and initiated Priestess in the Yoruba tradition. She is a healer, teacher, storyteller, diviner, shamanic practitioner, grandmother, and great grandmother. 

 

Born in Mississippi, Tahirah's father was a Baptist minister and her mother was the mother of the Southern Baptist Church in Jackson. Tahirah holds degrees in Social Culture Anthropology, Cross Cultural Communication, and Gestalt Psychology. She studied under shamanic elders Maladoma Some and Michael Mead and is herself a practitioner of shamanism and Western African healing arts. Tahirah is the co-author of Emotional Wellness for Women. 

 

Iya Tahirah is quite literally in her practice as an elder. She is of the belief that that Elders  are those  who are here to help navigate the way way for the future generations for they have lived a life of survival and experiences that leads to wisdom. They are no longer concerned with social leadership and are interested in healing and deeper knowledge.

 

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"The ancient notion of elder was a person who survived the troubles of his or her life and had gathered wisdom on facing the darkness within as well as on troubles of others.”