Azoth

This is a representation of the Azoth from the medieval alchemical text by Giovanni Battista Nazari entitled "Tre Sogni Della Tramutatione" (Three Dreams of Transmutation) published in 1564. Page 146.


In alchemy, Azoth represents the moment when one realizes all encompassing perfection of Body, Soul, and Spirit. The transformation from an imperfect, diseased, corruptible, and ephemeral state towards a perfect, healthy, incorruptible, and everlasting state. It signifies the moment when all obscurity becomes clear.


The three faces correlate to the symbols that form the Three Primes of alchemy:

Luna=Salt=Body
Sol=Sulphur=Soul
Mercurius=Mercury=Spirit

In Nazari's book, he describes three dream visions in which he wanders through forests, caves, mountains, meadows, and villages; following nymphs, and escaping monsters. In the last dream, he encounters a three headed dragon which is described as representing "the elusive and omnipresent, a nurturing yet poisonous hermaphrodite who is all contradictions combined." It speaks to Nazari in his dream and says "it is in the high mountains that I find my rest and repose, yet it is in the plains and valleys of the earth, and in the dunghills, that I reside; it is in the vaporous water that I am conceived, yet it is in the air and fire that I find my food... My father and my mother conceived me, but I first conceived them. I am father and son; I am mother, father, and son; I am invisible when I fly, and impalpable when I flee through the air, but visible and palpable to the touch..."