[He hmms a bit, and waves a hand from side to side in a 'maybe' motion.]

Somewhat. To put it very simply... everything is made out of aether. Individual bits... I don't think can be put under a... what do you call it - microscope. But you can watch the flow of it with special equipment, measure it.

It's a bit like how everyone has a respiratory system - air goes in, it circulates, air goes out. And aether works similarly - you take aether into the body and it's used to help construct it or feed it or whatnot. Then it flows out gradually, or with the use of magic. When we die, aether is released from our bodies and joins the Lifestream, where the aether of our souls is broken down and joins with others to form new souls.