Akasha:
The Fifth Element
What is Akasha and where does it come from? This simple question lays out for me a vast ocean of information that is available at the very tip of my fingers. From the basic elements to the history of the word, Akasha is something that is misunderstood and yet so easy to find. With just a bit of research I have discovered the meaning of the word, its history, meanings, and misinformation; answering for myself and others what this term really means. Beginning at the meanings we’ll work our way through the questions that need answering and get to know the central most element – the element of Spirit.
The word Akasha is a noun meaning, in the philosophies of India, the ether including materials and non-materials in a common medium. That would mean the body and the spirit. This word in Sanskrit also means ether in both Elemental and physical senses. Therefore it can be determined that this element is one of the most flexible and powerful because it’s as unique as we are. In the religious practices of Hinduism Akasha is the basis and essence of all things in the material world. The eldest of the elements, Akasha, is followed by Earth, Fire, Water and Air and resides as the catalyst that binds the other four elements together.
In Paganism Akasha is deemed as the fifth element - the top of the Pentacle star representing Spirit when the quarters are called. It became a part of Paganism sometime in the 1960s after the creation of the Wicca religion by Gerald Gardner. That being said, Akasha can be traced all the way back to 1300 BC where it was written in the Rigveda, an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns where it speaks of the root work Kas meaning: “to be visible”, “sky”, “atmosphere”, or “open space”.
The term as it is used in western Paganism today is oftentimes confused with the Akashic Records, an ancient text located within the astral plane and having existed since the dawn of time. These records can only be accessed by immortals and psychics; written within them is every thought, action, and event in the history of time. It is known as the tome where all memories and events in universal history are rediscovered. Edward Cayce once referred to the Akashic Records as the “Book of Life” and used these records to predict future events and resolve past events. It is said that Thoth, god of wisdom, is the one that wrote the Akashic Records.
Why did I miss this word? Simply put, I’d never looked it up before. Due to the tie of the word to Anne Rice’s character Akasha in Queen of the Damned, I inherently assumed that Akasha was a goddess of some pantheon I’d never looked into. The assumption came easily and, even in my reading, the only time Akasha is considered a deity is when it is considered a god type – not a goddess. So, even if it were a deity I’d have been wrong in that guess as well. Although I prefer not to use the term in my own practices due to past practices, I can respect where the word comes from and have a new understanding of the element of Spirit when called forth as Akasha from other practicing witches. I have been practicing for fourteen years and have found myself always calling the fifth element “Spirit.” Old habits die hard even while I understand the official term for the element as it has become known in modern practices today.
In conclusion: Akasha is the fifth and most powerful element. First born element, the spirit of the universe, this element is valuable to Hindus, Buddhists, and Pagans and, while it’s a name of the Element, it’s not the name I’ve chosen to utilize in my practices. Akasha is a proud and noble element full of life, energy, and swirling through the universe and, while it reminds me of a regal Goddess with her head held high that was a misconception on my part, a word that led to the new knowledge in a completely different spectrum. Akasha reminds me of a warm, guiding silver light encompassing those around her with the most beautiful of embraces.
A - Definitions
Unknown Author http://www.eastern-spirituality.com/glossary/spirituality-terms/a-definitions/akasha
The Magical Circle School Resource
Library Basick Information > Encyclopedia of Terms
and Information > S Spirit Colleen
Criswell http://themagicalcircle.net/resourcelibrary/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2130&p=13818&hilit=akasha#p13818
The Witches' Almanac, Issue 35, Spring
2016-2017: Air: The Breath of Life Edited By Andrew Theitic
(Llewyn, 2015)
