What is "Azoth"? And what is alchemy?

Question

Just curious, because I have the game Haunting Ground and never really understood the concept of Azoth.

Answer 1

Azoth was considered to be a 'universal medicine' or 'universal solvent' sought in alchemy. Its symbol was the Caduceus and so the term, which being originally a term for an occult formula sought by alchemists much like the philosopher's stone, became a poetic word for the element Mercury.

AND
alchemy

Pseudoscience focused on the attempt to change base metals into gold. Ancient alchemists believed that, under the correct astrological conditions, lead could be “perfected” into gold. They tried to hasten this transformation by heating and refining the metal in a variety of chemical processes, most of which were kept secret. Alchemy was practiced in much of the ancient world, from China and India to Greece. It migrated to Egypt during the Hellenistic period and was later revived in 12th-century Europe through translations of Arabic texts into Latin. Medieval European alchemists made some useful discoveries, including mineral acids and alcohol. The revival led to the development of pharmacology under the influence of Paracelsus and to the rise of modern chemistry. Not until the 19th century were the gold-making processes of alchemists finally discredited.

Answer 2

Alchemy is the practice of transmutation; basically transforming one thing into something else. It was widely practiced during the Middle Ages, largely due to Aristotle's theory that everything is made up of the four elements; earth, water, fire, and air and that changing the elemental composition of a substance will produce a different substance. None of it was true and a way to transmute lead into gold was never actually discovered but I'm sure there are still fanatics out there looking for the philosopher's stone. The philosopher's stone is a stone rumored to render the alchemy law of equal exchange (to form anything, something of equal or greater value must be sacrificed) invalid; basically endowing the owner with limitless power (similar to the sorcerer's stone in Harry Potter). Azoth is the theory believed by alchemists that mercury is the first principle of all metals. It is probably connected somehow with creating the philosopher's stone or at least being a very useful metal to use in transmutations. It was also believed to be a universal remedy. I hope that answers your question and your game sounds intriguing. What game system is it for? Computer, PS2, X box?

Answer 3

Azoth is the Ultimate Healing Elyxer It was one of the three primaries of ancient Alchemy (science). Alchemists tried to create azoth along with turning lead into gold and creating life. Alchemy became Chemistry.
Strangely enough Azoth or the Elyxer Vitia were never created. Well, That we know of anyway. Azoth promised the ultimate cure for all things.

Answer 4

Azoth was considered to be a 'universal medicine' or 'universal solvent' sought in alchemy. Its symbol was the Caduceus and so the term, which being originally a term for an occult formula sought by alchemists much like the philosopher's stone, became a poetic word for the element Mercury.

The term was considered by occultist Aleister Crowley to represent a unity of beginning & ending by tying together the first and last letters of the alphabets of antiquity; A/Alpha/Alef (first character of Roman, Greek & Hebrew), Z (final character in latin), O as Omega (final character in Greek) and Th as Tau (final character in Hebrew). In this way permeation & totality of beginning and end was symbolised to consider the supreme wholeness and thus the universal synthesis of opposites as a 'cancellation' (i.e. solvent) or cohesion (i.e. medicine), and in such a way is similar to the philosophical "absolute" of Hegel's dialectic. Crowley further made reference in his works referring to Azoth as "the fluid." Possibly denoting through his elemental symbolism, that the unity which the concept "Azoth" represented was a 'feminine' unity.

Answer 5

Azoth; similar to "Philosophers Stone" (In Harry Potter, this was referred to as the "Sorceror's stone" in the USA). Universal curative agent and a term also used by Aleister Crowley.


Alchemy; the search for the Philosophers stone.... a by-product along the way (or possibly a use for the Philosopher's Stone itself) was the ability to transform base metals into one of higher 'value' (lead to gold).

In history only one person is said to have actually succeeded in creating the Philosophers Stone. That person is/was named Nicholas Flamel (also found in Harry Potter, but predating the book by 700 years).

Although his death is recorded in 1410..... he and his wife have supposedly been seen in Paris France as short a time ago as 1860 or so.

Answer 6

Not sure about Azoth, but probably a pagan Deity, but alchemy is old science were they try to make gold out of other elements like copper or lead! They probably can do it, but the secret has been snatch away by the gate keepers. By heating the elements it changes its properties, they want to change scrap metal into Gold!

Answer 7

The true science of Alchemy is of transmutating other metals into gold, for just one principle. And Sir Isaac Newton practiced it, we now know.

What Alchemy is spirtually is refining ourselves into gold, going through the fire, in a spiritual, not a physical sense.

The gold, or best parts of us, will come to the top of the pot. The dross, or waste, will be skimmed away. Until we are perfection.

Of course, on this earth, we will never be perfect.

And most of us now think it is not what we are supposed to try to be.

Better to be just human, with good ideals.

Answer 8

from Arabic az-zā ūq the mercury
Origin of AZOTH

Medieval Latin, alteration of azoc, from Arabic al-zā ūq the mercury
First Known Use: 15th century