Àṣẹ is the foundational metaphysical concept in Yoruba cosmology — the vital force distributed by Olodumare at creation to all beings, objects, and utterances, granting them the power to effect change in the world. As described in the UNESCO inscription of Ifá and by Bascom, àṣẹ is not abstract energy but specific, relational capacity: the àṣẹ of an ọ̀rọ̀ (word) spoken by a babalawo differs from the àṣẹ of an ẹbọ received by an Orisha. Àṣẹ can be accumulated through proper ritual, transferred through initiation, and depleted through moral failure or neglect of one's obligations. The entire apparatus of Ifá divination, ẹbọ, and Orisha worship exists to diagnose, restore, and properly channel àṣẹ within the web of relationships between ọ̀run (heaven) and ayé (earth).