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More subtle than earth, fire, water, or even air, a fifth element manifests itself as the ethereal substance that permeates space and connects the celestial with the earthly. Rooted in ancient philosophies, the Hindus and the Japanese had already begun to speak of Akasha, the fifth essence or the divine matrix. However, it was Aristotle, for Western civilization, who postulated that the four elements were earthly and corruptible, and the stars could not possess these characteristics. Thus, there must exist something that was incorruptible and of a celestial substance: "ether."

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