Notes on Ashe Concept

Ashe: Underlying Energy and Spiritual Connection

Ashe represents an underlying energy or vibe, indicating a connection between people, especially during activities like dancing.
For more spiritual individuals, ashe embodies various meanings depending on their spiritual search.

Honoring Ancestors and Spiritual Invocation

In an after-school program, particularly during Black History Month, the practice of naming powerful Black leaders like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X was followed by the invocation of "ashe".
This act was considered a spiritual gesture, honoring these figures and releasing their spirit into the present.

Calling on Ancestors Before Performance

Affirmations and calling upon ancestors were part of pre-performance rituals.
The audience was asked to name deceased individuals, followed by the collective response of "ashe".
This was viewed as seeking permission and honoring elders and ancestors, acknowledging their influence on the present.

Enigmatic Energy and Creative Power

Ashe is an enigmatic energy with multiple meanings, especially in the context of African art.
It represents a creative power present not only in visual arts but also in performance and personal conduct.
Ashe signifies power, a vital, invisible force, and energy reminiscent of an aura, connecting people and spaces beyond the physical.

Awe and Relationship to Deities

Ashe is associated with awe in relation to deities and extends to altars and objects representing a larger connection to the spiritual realm.

Ashe in Headdresses and Crowns

Ashe functions within functional objects like beaded crowns, connecting the wearer to a spiritual realm and ancestral lineage.
Wearing the headdress allows for a blessing, with symbols like birds representing specific cultural meanings.
Crowns symbolize royal power and spiritual energy, representing a leader's connection to the divine.
Having a connection to the gods can grant leaders higher status and influence within their communities.

Connecting to Serve the Community

Connecting to a spiritual realm can enable individuals to serve and lead their communities effectively.
Ashe is not limited to crowns but is present in various objects, all capable of tapping into and inviting the spiritual realm.

Ritual Underpinnings and Embodied History

Performance and dance have ritual underpinnings, embodying a historical connection and calling power into action with ashe.
In physical artworks, ashe connects but manifests differently compared to performance, where the object itself embodies the connection.

Acknowledging Anthropological Insights

Arvio June acknowledges British anthropologist William Beck for asserting the importance of understanding cultural practices and context when interacting with objects from other cultures.
This approach emphasizes connecting with experts from those cultures for a fuller understanding of the object's spiritual presence.

Power of Objects and Cultural Practices

The discussion extends to the power of objects within different cultures, contemplating their significance and activation.
Family heirlooms, such as jade necklaces in Chinese and Mexican cultures, carry ancestral protection and are passed down through generations.
Imagery, like that of the virgin, can be seen as a representation of protection.

Activating Spiritual Objects

Objects connect people to ancestors and offer protection, requiring activation through belief and ritual.
The way objects are handed over and the ritual processes involved are part of activating their power.
Elders giving a protective necklace is a way of facilitating protection.

Artist's Role in Imbuing Ashe

Artists play a crucial role in imbuing artworks with ashe, requiring insight into the subject and a connection to the spiritual realm.
Erasing the artist's name and practice diminishes the understanding of the object's spiritual connection.

Display and Spiritual Connections

Consideration is given to how ashe and spiritual connections are understood and presented in museums.

Equations and formulas

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