Ethereal Magazine, Issue 3: Five Elements

Ethereal is derived from the Greek word aitherios. Aristotle believed there were four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. But Greek mythology documented a fifth element: ether. Unlike the other elements, you cannot see or touch ‘ether’. It is an ambiguous invisible flowing force. Perhaps ethereal could be described as the brief serenity when all the fundamental elements of life are in agreement.

In this edition, the prevalence of each elements power in the Irish seasonal cycle is explored through etymologies, poetics, romanticisms and framing the visual realm of matter on our island. The scent of campfire smoke warming us through our crisp Autumns to the mist of a Summer rain landing on freshly cut fields, this visual project tells the story of us and them. Humanity - and the elements that make us who we are today. Follow Ethereal down the rabbit hole - and learn about a mysterious fifth element – Aether. 

Back with their second print edition, this magazine is leaving behind nostalgia but retaining its yearbook-like qualities. There is a grounding sense throughout that the artists present on each page are greeting the future with both feet firmly on the ground, toes tapping with a revitalised energy, eager to see their work in the world.

Ethereal’s The Five Elements has been in production from August 2023 to August 2024 by an entirely voluntary team and presents an array of brand new work from Irish designers, stylists, photographers, poets, authors and editors. The magazine is based in Galway and was printed by Expresta in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Published by Ethereal Magazine
Soft cover
160 pages
210 x 297 mm