There is a fifth element that most of us studying the elements recognize. This is the element of Spirit, known as Ether or Akasha. This is the element that transcends, yet is a part of, all the other elements. It takes the name of Akasha from that place on the astral where the akashic records are held, the accounting of all that has happened in the past, present, and future of the universe and beyond. Akasha is actually an East Indian word meaning inner-space, reflecting our belief that the universe is both within and without ourselves.