1
Stage 1 of 3
àṣẹ
Yoruba · traditional
"spiritual power or life force; also an affirmation like "amen""
named the divine life force believed to animate gods, ancestors, and even spoken words
2
Stage 2 of 3
axé
Portuguese · 1800s
"sacred force in Afro-Brazilian religion"
creolized in Brazil as enslaved Yoruba people carried the concept into Candomblé practice
3
Stage 3 of 3
ashe
English · late 1900s
"spiritual affirmation, "so be it""
spread into English through Santería, Candomblé, and diaspora spiritual writing as an affirming exclamation
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