Ancestor Portal

Mother Taylor was born in Grenada, W.I. on 7 October 1928 and made her transition into the spiritual realm on 17 January 2017. She was raised in Trinidad, W.I. with her parents and grandmother who were Orisa practitioners. Mother Taylor’s belief and worldview were based on Africa’s Yoruba culture and religion. In 1966, she migrated to America and gained employment in her profession as a nurse. In 1982, Mother Taylor (lovingly known as Mother) founded the Yoruba Temple of Spiritual Elevation and Enlightenment (also known as the Yoruba Temple). The Yoruba Temple served as a spiritual foundation for local, national and international seekers alike.

 

Mother Taylor believed in various and simultaneous actions for the liberation of African people. She encouraged Black people to strengthen themselves mentally, spiritually, as well as physically. She said that we must subject the mind and body to a certain level of stress that will reorient and preserve our connection to nature, the motherland, and the invisible forces that will bring alignment with the oneness and reality of God’s love. Mother taught that one's advocacy should be one's mission. In other words, don’t just talk the talk, but walk your talk. She was a humble person who believed that leadership should be directed from above and behind. She encouraged leaders to rely on the forces of nature to guide one's action. And, she taught that nothing good and true could be accomplished without the support of others.

 

Mother Taylor understood the benefits of unity in diversity and called the pan-African and spiritual organizations to come together for the healing and upliftment of all African people. Power in unity was found with spiritual practitioners of the Akan, Kemetic, Vodu, Ifa, as well Abrahamic traditions. Pan-African organizations such as U.N.I.A. offered an even broader brush with which to serve and preserve community based on shared cultural experiences. In 2000, the African Traditional Spiritual Coalition (ATSC) was formed under the guidance of Mother Taylor. Its initial focus was to come together in a circle to pray for the healing of humanity. Today, ATSC is working to take further steps to ensure our liberation.

 

Mother was inspired by her mother, grandmother, and some of the greatest women in history including Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hamer, Madame C. J. Walker, Maya Angelou and many others. Mother viewed the empowering of women not as the downfall of men, but as the balancing of the divine forces that exist in the universe.

 

In 1988, Mother Taylor sought economic empowerment. She started and ran a very successful business called Seven Powers of Africa located on Georgia. Ave in Washington, D.C. She sold African fabric, books, artifacts, and spiritual implements. The scents of frankincense, myrrh, Florida water, and benzoin colliding together creating a spiritual experience will remain indelibly in the hearts of those who came through to talk, buy something or get a spiritual consultation and Ifa divination.

 

Mother Taylor taught that the accomplishments of today are the results of prayers said yesterday. She said, “Do not wait until something has happened before you take action.” We are always in the season of prayer. May the prayers that Mother Taylor prayed yesterday manifest fully in our lives today.