The Jambalaya Center for Ancient Mysteries & Sacred Arts is grounded in living lineage and governed through spirit-led, ancestral authority. Our structure does not mirror corporate boards or extractive institutional models. Instead, governance arises from divination, ritual accountability, elder guidance, and communal responsibility.
At the heart of this governance is lineage as active spiritual transmission.
Founding Lineage and Spiritual Authority
The Jambalaya Center was founded under the spiritual authority and lifelong work of Yeye Luisah Teish, an internationally respected elder, priestess, author, and cultural worker whose teachings have shaped contemporary African-diasporic spiritual practice for over five decades.
Yeye Luisah Teish is an Iyanifa (priestess of Ifá), initiated in the Yoruba tradition, and is widely recognized as a foundational voice in African-diaspora spirituality, women’s spiritual leadership, and ritual arts in the United States and beyond. Her work has been instrumental in restoring African-centered spiritual frameworks in the aftermath of displacement, colonization, and cultural erasure.
The Center stands in direct relationship to Yeye’s lineage, teachings, and spiritual authority.
Yeye Luisah Teish: Elder, Priestess, Lineage Holder
Yeye Luisah Teish is best known for her groundbreaking book Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals, a text that has guided generations toward African-rooted spiritual reclamation. Beyond authorship, Yeye’s work spans ritual leadership, teaching, cultural stewardship, and elder care across communities in the African diaspora.
As an initiated priestess and elder, Yeye carries responsibilities that extend beyond individual teaching:
- Holding and protecting sacred knowledge
- Guiding spiritual formation through ritual and divination
- Supporting the ethical transmission of ancestral technologies
- Anchoring spiritual work in accountability to ancestors and community
Her presence within the Jambalaya Center ensures that teachings are not detached from lineage, and that governance remains accountable to spiritual law rather than institutional convenience.
Spirit-Governed Structure
Governance at the Jambalaya Center operates through a spirit-led framework articulated in the Center’s governing documents. Decision-making is informed by divination, ritual process, and elder counsel, rather than by majority vote or hierarchical command.
Authority flows through interconnected bodies, each with specific responsibilities, including:
- Spiritual and ritual oversight
- Ethical stewardship and accountability
- Community coordination and care
- Protection of sacred knowledge and intellectual integrity
These bodies function in relationship, not competition, ensuring that governance remains responsive, relational, and grounded in ancestral mandate.
Lineage Protection and Sacred Knowledge
All teachings, rituals, and cultural materials held by the Jambalaya Center are considered sacred lineage knowledge. They are not commodities, trends, or transferable assets.
The Center maintains clear boundaries around:
- What may be shared publicly
- What requires initiation or permission
- What must remain protected within ritual context
This approach honors the ancestors, safeguards cultural integrity, and prevents the extraction or misuse of sacred practices.
Eldership, Succession, and Continuity
The Jambalaya Center understands governance as an intergenerational responsibility. Eldership is not static; it is cultivated, supported, and transitioned with care. Succession is guided by spiritual discernment and communal readiness, not by appointment or inheritance alone.
The Center is committed to:
- Supporting emerging leaders without bypassing lineage
- Honoring elders materially and spiritually
- Ensuring continuity of teachings beyond any single individual
Yeye Luisah Teish’s role within the Center anchors this continuity, ensuring that the institution remains accountable to its origins while responsive to future generations.
A Living Lineage
The Jambalaya Center is a living lineage institution, responsive to spiritual guidance, ancestral instruction, and the evolving needs of the community.
To engage with the Center is to enter into relationship with elders, with ancestors, with land, and with responsibility.
Governance here is ceremonial, ethical, and spiritual work.