Azoth is a mystical, alchemical term that refers to a 'substance' that solves 'matter'.
From the mysterious 15th century Basil Valentine's work we see the illustration of Azoth:
Such illustrations have many meanings, according to our own perception, understanding and knowledge.
One of such meanings can be seen as a process of Awakening and Ascension.
The lower, 'moonlike' face represents the mundane world. It is held in the tight grip of two forces - descending and ascending - in a perpetual circle of events, whose meaning is beyond grasp and vision of this face.
The word 'mundane' comes from the word 'world' in Latin, yet it resembles the word 'moon' - as is the face. Moon is a symbol of sleep, of lunacy, of unconscious habits, patterns, emotions, of the unconscious, that governs our life on Earth.
The moon-dane face has a very peculiar look.
There is a lot we can sense from its expression. It is a mix of grimaces - self-satisfactory and - at the same time - showing dissatisfaction.
It represents how the game is played here: I constantly seek satisfaction, and indulgence in my own pleasures, yet there is a dissatisfaction - always - around the corner. This is how the collective face of humanity looks like. There is a pretence, a pretension and a pretending.
We all seem to play a game - that everything is all right, yet there is this discomfort, that things are rather awkward. Putting a happy face on - is the order of the day, no matter what. Do not look at the discomfort. Keep tight and you will survive.
We see there are two cycles - of growth and decline, and little we know about them. It is what it is.
When dissatisfaction with the world and/or with oneself grows, it is a catalyst for liberation. You move yourself to the upper face. You ascend. But what you find here is a hell of a lot of suffering.
The upper face sees and experiences the two forces directly, shown here as a Lion eating an Eagle. These are the archons that rule over the earthly game - the Predator and Victim. You are either involved in predation or in victimhood. But neither of these roles seems to suits you, and you want to get away from all this. But you can't.
After a while you see that those two forces are really Pleasure (Lion) and Pain (Eagle), and as you contemplate this - you see that they are One and the Same - as shown on the image. The duality dissolves. The grasp of those two instinctual forces loosens, yet you have to see them face on.
In alchemy it is referred to as transmutation - a transcendence over those two forces - to be beyond their deadly grasp. Nowadays we call this process an 'awakening' and 'ascension'.
After some time we may start to see a Light in this dark tunnel - there are sun rays behind the two beasts.
Encompassing all - are the lines of Love - the background that radiates from the centre of an awakened person.
You yourself become a substance of transformation, transmutation and transcendence. You become the Azoth.
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In theory and practice it means transforming all your negative emotions into Love & Light.
