Aether – Is also Akasha in the Vedic system. In Greek philosophy, Aether (also spelled “Ether”) is considered to be the fifth element, distinct from the four classical elements (earth, water, air, and fire). It is regarded as a divine, celestial substance that fills the realm above the Earth and is associated with the heavens. Aether is often seen as pure, luminous, and incorruptible, serving as the medium through which heavenly bodies move and interact. In this sense has been used interchangeably with Pneuma at times.
In Kabbalah, Aether is sometimes equated with the sefirah (divine attribute) of Keter, representing the highest, most spiritual aspect of the divine emanations and the fifth world A’K’ representing the complete summation and integration of all previous degrees of manifestation. It is seen as a transcendent, all-encompassing energy that connects and unifies all things in existence. Aether, in this sense, is the ultimate source and essence of everything.
In alchemy, Aether is associated with the quintessence, the fifth element beyond the four classical elements. It is seen as a rarefied, spiritual substance that permeates and constitutes all matter as a “Prima Materia” (first matter). Alchemists believe that Aether is the key to transformation and transmutation, possessing the power to refine and elevate base materials into higher forms.
Aether represents a higher, ethereal substance that transcends and integrates physical world as the connecting link to divinity, unity, and transcendence.