What you are referring to as Chi/Life force also goes by many names, including but not limited to,
vril, mind power, witch power, and one you may have heard a lot
bio-electricity
Aether
IS NOT the same thing. Aether is an element and has also gone by many names. One being Spirit which is one of the five elements of the human soul.
Here is part of a post of mine where I said something about bio-electricity.
Artisan said:
An easy way to visualize what I am talking about is imagine two rechargable batteries. Battery 1 is your bioelectricity while battery 2 is your energy capacity. Battery 1 is your main battery, your life force, if this fully depletes you could very well die, it is your life energy. Battery 2 is an empty power bank which can be charged with electricity(energy) and then used to charge other devices(do magick) without effecting battery 1.
As you can see, bio-electricity is exactly as the first term. "
life force".
In regards to Aether, if you are curious on learning about it, tell me and I'll send you as much information I can find! <3
(I am not as knowledgable about Aether as I am on Bio-electricity so I'd have to look through the JoS, things I can verify are it's ability to shroud you and make you invisible or impervious to outside influence, and it's ability to balanace elements, as I have experimented with these myself, however, I haven't done much with it, I plan to experiment with Aether as I advance)
If you would like my speculation it would be that aether, are the building blocks of all things on the non-visible light spectrum. While atoms are the building blocks of all things of the visible light spectrum. Considering that all things we can see are made of visible light, and all things we are unable to see are made of non visible light.
What is visible and non visible being dictated by our cones and rods within our eyes which allow us to see certain parts of the EMS(electro-magnetic-spectrum).
If you have questions about anything I said, or anything you're curious about, feel free quote me and I'll respond ASAP! <3