Ifa says we should be thankful, I say we should be thankful!
Ase Ire was created by Iyalorisa Efúnfúnláyò Ifákemi Easter Wood (Funlayo, pronounced “Foon-lah-yo” for short). Funlayo, a native New Yorker, is an Orisa priestess, scholar of the African Diaspora, world traveler, researcher, writer and public speaker. A second year doctoral student in African and African American Studies with a primary field in Religion at Harvard University, her research focuses on philosophical and theological aspects of Ifá-Òrìsà tradition as practiced in Nigeria and in the Americas, and cross-cultural analysis of Yoruba religious concepts and practice – within all of which she privileges Yoruba language as a conduit to understanding. Funlayo has dedicated her life to the Ifá-Òrìsà tradition and is eager to add her voice to the scant chorus of religious scholar-practitioners within the tradition.
Funlayo holds an Associate of Arts in Psychology from Bronx Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in the African Diaspora in the Americas from the City University of New York Baccalaureate Degree for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Arts in History from the City College of New York. Throughout her post-secondary career, she has conducted independent research on African Indigenous religious systems including research at the University of Legon in Ghana, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria and at various cultural-historical sites in Nigeria and Egypt.
Funlayo serves as an executive member of the Orisa Community Development Corporation and a member of the board and certified facilitator with Creating a Culture of Peace, a national organization dedicated to social justice and community peacemaking. She is additionally affiliated with the Harvard Committee on African Studies, the American Academy of Religion, the National Council for Black Studies and the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora.
Ever fascinated by concepts of spirituality, Funlayo has studied and practiced within several spiritual traditions over the years. After much seeking and searching, she was moved to become initiated into the Yoruba indigenous Ifá-Òrìsà tradition. In June 2008, she was initiated an Olobatala and Iyanifa in Isara Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. Her initiations were conducted by Awo Chief Efuwape Olusegun Olatunji, the Ajugbona of Isara Remo, of Ajigbotifa Ifa Temple and Yeye Olasuinbo Olomowewe of the Rokodo/Ogunsere Compound. At home, Funlayo is under the guidance of Awo Chief Oluwole Ifakunle Adetutu, where she is being intensively trained on the Ifá literary corpus, Orisa worship, egúngún (ancestral) veneration and divining practices.
An avid traveler, ‘Funlayo has visited much of the United States as well as countries in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. In her relaxation time, 'Funlayo enjoys reading, playing backgammon, attending cultural activities, cooking, creating visual art and crafts and spending time with her loved ones.
