Aether

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Aether
Æther
Scryfall Statistics

The aether (formerly spelled æther) is an energy residing in the Blind Eternities, although it is present in some planes to a lesser or greater degree.[1] Aether is pronounced “EE-ther,” with a long e and an unvoiced “th” sound (like the one in “lethal,” not the voiced sound in “whether”).[2]

Description

A law of reality asserts that its fundamental elements, like mana and aether — cannot be created or destroyed.[3]

The aether takes part in summoning creatures. When they materialize, they are pulled from the aether.[4][5][6] Raw aetheric matter is referred to as the very stuff of the cosmos.

Aethermages are usually white and blue mages who use aether magic, which tends to be involved with unsummoning creatures.[7] On Theros, the aether is of particular interest to Meletian scholars. Some believe the aether is the realm of abstract entities, such as numbers, concepts, and theories.[8]

Aether is also a main component of etherium.[9] Additionally it is found on Iquatana, where it makes up most of the plane's atmosphere,[10] and on Avishkar, where Aether shapes the natural world into swirling patterns and is harvested and refined to fuel the various constructs and inventions of its artificers. Aetherborn are created from this process. The wildlife of Avishkar is affected too, attracted by the magnetic pull of the aether. Flocks of birds migrate with it, schools of fish swarm around it, wild beasts battle over the richest deposits, and gremlins consume condensed, nonreactive aether geodes. Creatures such as skywhales, drakes, and high-flying birds have evolved to live in the volatile, energy-rich aethersphere, basking in its radiance and amassing its magical power.[11]

A planeswalker's spark can be considered a little bit of aether imprinted on a soul as it becomes embodied in a being.[12][13]

Aetherdrift

Aerosolized aether can be filtered into a being's body to shunt them into the Aetherdrift, a blended space between aether and reality.[14][15] Those in the Aetherdrift are given increased perception, stretching seconds into hours.

Spelling change

Wizards of the Coast had used the Æ ligature — an A and E combined into one letter — for the spelling of Aether since Aether Tide (Exodus). Starting with the release of Kaladesh in 2016, which featured aether heavily as a story point, Wizards dropped the ligature in favor of "Ae". According to Wizards of the Coast, the ligature caused way more issues than it was worth, particularly when cards were translated into other languages.[16][17] The change was made retroactive across Magic[18], and was referenced in a flavor text erratum on the Unhinged card Bloodletter.

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Referred to:
^† Scryfall does not record flavor text for digital cards. See Alchemy: Aetherdrift/Flavor text.

References

  1. ↑ Magic Creative Team (February 1, 2017). "Renewal". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 1, 2007). "Ask Wizards - January 2007". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
  3. ↑ Valerie Valdes (October 20, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan - Pawns". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Brady Dommermuth (August 16, 2007). "You Are a Planeswalker". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Brady Dommermuth (April 14, 2004). "What is the Æther?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-08-11.
  6. ↑ Brady Dommermuth (January 3, 2007). "What exactly is "Æther" (and what is its correct pronunciation)?". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
  7. ↑ Magic Arcana (December 04, 2006). "Drakes vs. the Aether". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
  8. ↑ Mike McArtor (March 25, 2015). "In Æther Words…". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
  9. ↑ A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara
  10. ↑ Doug Beyer (September 02, 2009). "The Planes of Planechase". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-03-01.
  11. ↑ Magic Creative Team (November 2, 2016). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaladesh". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ Magic Story Podcast: The Mending (May 3, 2018)
  13. ↑ Jay Annelli (2022). Magic: The Gathering - The Visual Guide, DK. ISBN-13 978-0744061055.
  14. ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (January 14, 2025). "Aetherdrift Episode 2: Pit Stop". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ Miguel Lopez (February 3, 2025). "The Legends of Aetherdrift". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (May 16, 2016). "The May 16, 2016 Update". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
  17. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 11, 2025). "What happened to Aether being written as Æther?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  18. ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 16, 2016). "I notice it's the Aether Revolt, rather than the Æther Revolt.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
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