Aṣẹ

In Yoruba religion, aṣẹ, àṣẹ, aṣe, ase, or ashe is a postulated natural force or power that creates, catalyzes or facilitates change in the natural world depending on interpretation. It is believed to be given by Olódùmarè to everything — gods, ancestors, spirits, humans, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and voiced words such as songs, prayers, praises, curses, or even everyday conversation. Existence, according to Yoruba thought, is dependent upon it.

In addition to its sacred characteristics, àṣẹ also has important social ramifications, reflected in its translation as "power, authority, command." A person who, through training, experience, and initiation, learns how to use the essential life force of things to willfully effect change is called an aláàṣẹ.

Rituals to invoke divine forces reflect this same concern for the autonomous ase of particular entities. The recognition of the uniqueness and autonomy of the ase of persons and gods is what structures society and its relationship with the other-world.

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