Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 01:32:36 -0800 (PST)
From: jingram 
Subject: (urth) (whorl): Azoth misc

Rostrum's recent post reminded me of another tidbit, which I hope
isn't too redundant with long-ago posts . . .

Sepia

[taken from http://azothgallery.com/azoth_defined.html]


AZOTH. In 16 th century portraits painted of Paracelsus, the pommel of his
sword, upon which rests his hand, bears the inscription "Azoth." From the
poem set beneath a contemporary newspaper "broadside" published of
Paracelsus, we may gather that Azoth was the name of a secret medicine, an
elixir vitae, i.e. infallible remedy or alexipharmakon (~ counter poison),
he kept hidden within his swords pommel. Azoth is also the secret name of
Mercurius, extracted from cinnabar, the universal quicksilver medicine
which comprised the virtues of all other medicines. Hence, it is also the
name for the "philosophers stone." It is spiritus animatus, the animated
spirit.

[. . . ]


"Concerning the nature of Azoth there is much controversy. Some view it as
the invisible, eternal fire; others as electricity; still others as
magnetism. Transcendalists refer to it as the astral light."

Isaac Myer, in a discussion of Ain Soph and Space, says: "The Ain Soph at
first was filling All and then made an absolute concentration into Itself
which produced the Abyss, Deep, or Space, the Aveer Qadmon or Primitive
Air, the Azoth; but this is not considered in the Qabbalah as a perfect
void or vacuum, a perfectly empty Space, but is thought as the Waters or
Crystalline Chaotic Sea, in which was a certain degree of Light inferior
to that by which all the created (worlds and hierarchies) were made." --
Secret Teachings of the Ages, Page Number: CXVII



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