By Frater Thomas Rorbaek, Denmark, IV°, Met. Coll., 2009
An interpretation of the path of Azoth from Materia Prima to the Stone – the top stone Benben
The following will contain my thoughts and comparison on Azoth as the builder, on Alkahest as the dissolver, on the Materia Prima as the base and on the ancient pyramid top stone BenBen/Benu as the portal to the Philosopher’s stone. I will then try to link them together. Parts of the journey into the ancient Egyptian BenBen stone and manifestation of Materia Prima from the primeval sea has developed though talks with a Danish freemason and Egyptologist. But this paper is my personal attempt at showing that the beginning is not the end. The time is Zero – again.
The many definitions on the Philosopher’s stone and Alchemy.
There are probably more ways of interpreting the Philosopher’s stone, or the Great Work, than stones on the sea bed. Doing the Great Work starts with an understanding of Alchemy. Fr. A.E. Waite stated in 1912 on his earlier recommended readings on Alchemy that “What I said of the Suggestive Enquiry in 1888 and 1893 was in the light of my knowledge at those dates; that which I have recorded since has been under a fuller and clearer light”. It lies implicit in the words “the Great Work” that this is not a static status, but a work that only time will reward you with. In “What is Alchemy” A.E. Waite makes it clear that the search for the Philosopher’s stone was an inner work; “Alchemy is a pretended science or art by which the metals ignorantly called base, such as lead and iron were supposed to be, but were never really, transmuted into the other metals as ignorantly called perfect, namely, gold and silver. The ignis fatuus of Alchemy was pursued by many persons – indeed, by thousand –- in the past, and though they did not succeed in making gold or silver, they yet chanced in their investigations upon so many useful facts that they actually laid the foundations of chemistry as it is. For this reason it would perhaps be unjust to dishonour them; no doubt many of them were rank imposters, but not all; some were the chemists of their period.” And “The question what is Alchemy is then easily answered from this standpoint – it is the dry bones of chemistry, as the Occult Sciences in general are the debris of ancient knowledge, and the dust from the ancient sanctuaries of long vanished religions – at which point these papers and The Unknown World itself; would perforce come to a conclusion”. The Alchemist sees it as the seal of Nature and Art – Sigillum Natura et artis simplicitas. The Alchemist is working with the lesser or lower for the better or higher. At the same time Alchemy is not only founded on hypothetical conditions. It is based on history and the capability of sight and inner development.
Originated from the third dynasty in Egypt, we have the papyrus of Leide, discovered at Thebes, where we are told of metallurgical formulae of alloys. For me it is clear that this was the first example of practical Alchemy. The men of ancient Egypt did not try to make detergent or balm, they used the alloy to improve (make better) a metal, for their work of art. Just like today when modern Alchemists grow herbs, and mix, boil, and extract from them the “higher.” The power of raising and transmutation though is not part of this paper, as I see practical Alchemy running side by side with speculative Alchemy, from the very beginnings of the Great Work. But such a subject is just too complicated to include here. Similarly, Jung did not see Alchemy as a scientific chemical experiment; and I will also focus on the inner mystic’s meditation and work in this paper.
If we take the Danish meaning of the word Philosopher’s stone (De vise sten) and translate it to English we get “The wise stone”. Here I see a very important difference, a difference that goes one of two ways – the practical or the speculative way. The practical way could lead to an almost legendary alchemical substance that could turn base metals into gold or an elixir of life. The other was reaching for a higher spiritual level, by self improvement in combining the four elements – as the Masonic mirror on the wall with the text “know yourself”. The Philosophic Mercury is seen as higher Mercury in Alchemy, and often with the phrase “a liquid which does not wet the hands.” This sounds like inner work, but we find Philosophic Mercury both wet and dry. It is practical Alchemy, with symbolic signs towards symbolic Alchemy.
Whether you where working on the elixir of life, reaching for divine truth or building your own inner temple this work with the Philosopher’s Stone was called the Great Work (Royal work). One was not trying to out do The Great Architect of the Universe, but trying to reach for the truth in the Garden of Eden before the fall of Adam. “What are you seeking – Light” “What more are you seeking – more Light”
Let’s now try to decipher some of the practical elements of the Philosopher’s stone in a speculative way.
The breakdown of the Stone; Materia Prima, Azoth, Alkahest, Carmot
To illustrate is to believe, to believe is to understand. To understand the Great Work we need to break down the elements and this illustration is best shown with the words of Confucius: The Root part of “The Great Learning”;
The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.
Azoth is the fourth magical life principle that is added to the three symbolic principal substances (Mercury, Sulphur and Salt). Azoth was considered the Universal Medicine or Universal Solvent. It’s creation was the goal of the Alchemist, like the below-mentioned Alkahest, which was the dissolver. Again think of this as an inner process, not the transformation or raising as practised with herbs.
As one looks at the spelling of Azoth it is clear that we are still on the inner path, the path of Christ – the first and the last – the Alpha and the Omega. The spelling consists of the initial letter of the English, Greek and Hebrew alphabets (A), followed by the final letters of the English alphabet (Z), the Greek alphabet (Omega) and the Hebrew alphabet (Tau). Herr von Welling has written: “There are three basic chemical substances which are called by the philosophers salt, sulphur, and mercury but which are not to be confounded in any way with the crude salt, sulphur and mercury taken from the earth or secured from the apothecary. Salt, sulphur, and mercury each has a triune nature, for each of these substances contains, in reality, also the other two substances, according to the secret arcanum of the wise. The body of Salt is, therefore, threefold, namely salt, sulphur, and mercury; but in the body of Salt one of the three (salt) predominates. Mercury is likewise composed of salt, sulphur, and mercury with the latter element predominating. Sulphur, similarly, is actually salt, sulphur, and mercury, with sulphur predominating. These nine divisions – 3 times 3 – plus Azoth (the mysterious universal life force) equals 10, the sacred Decad of Pythagoras. 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.”
Manly P. Hall in “The Secret Teachings of all Ages” goes all the way and states:
“In 16th 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 sword’s 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. The name occurs in writings as early as those of the mysterious philosopher “Mary the Jewess” of fourth century Zosimos, also of Olympiodorus in the fifth century, and of Jabir ibn Hayyan, the Arab alchemist in the tenth, or the 4th Muslim century. Azoth also is interpreted as standing for alpha and omega, i.e., Zeus or Theos.”
We see here a similarity with the elixir of life and Azoth, showed speculatively verses von Welling’s more practical way. The illustrative or allegorical approach is to view Azoth as the builder – the craftsman of the inner temple. The craftsman that can not build unless he combines Azoth with the four elements as Sulphur corresponds to fire, Mercury to air and water, and salt to earth, and thereby improve himself.
• Alkahest is by modern encyclopaedias interpreted as:
Alkahest (or alkahest) is a hypothetical universal solvent, having the power to dissolve every other substance, including gold. It was much sought after by alchemists for what they thought would be its invaluable medicinal qualities. The name is believed to have been invented by Paracelsus (1493-1541) from Switzerland, who modelled it on similar words taken from Arabic, such as “alkali”. Paracelsus’ own recipe was based on caustic lime, alcohol, and carbonate of potash. He believed that this element alkahest was, in fact, the Philosopher’s stone. A potential problem involving alkahest is that, if it dissolves everything, then it cannot be placed into a container, because it would dissolve the container. However, philosopher Philalethe specifies that Alkahest (that he also called “double mercury” sometimes) dissolves only composed material.
This is very interesting as we now have Azoth seen as elixir of life or a builder – spoken of as being The Philosopher’s stone, and we have Alkahest seen as a solvent, the principal of non-containment and also as the Philosopher’s Stone itself. In medieval times Christ and the Philosopher’s Stone were taken as identical allegories. Christ can not be contained, Christ is the builder, Christ can allegorically be seen as “Adam 2”, and “Adam 1”; as the Adam of the Garden of Eden and as the dissolver after his fall. Transformation, raising, universal medicine, 3 times 3, improve, etc. are all words that are not strangers to us when we talk about Christ. If we take a quote from Raymundus Lullius (Credited with discovering ether (later called “sweet vitriol”), a tertiary Franciscan who was interested in the fields of botany as well as alchemy), “Our mercury is a water that cannot be found on earth, because it does not have the ability to come into effect, without the help of the intellect and the hands of labour”. Alchemists are convinced that mercury transcended the solid and liquid states, earth and heaven, both life and death. Combine all the above and we may realise that a long, higher, better life with Christ as your partner is only possible due to hard work – there is no short cut! Can this be why the young Paracelsus – as a wandering student – was quoted “The universities do not teach all things, so a doctor must seek out old wives, gipsies, sorcerers, wandering tribes, old robbers, and such outlaws and take lessons from them. A doctor must be a traveller…Knowledge is experience.”
• Carmot is the dark red element (raised White Lion turned black then into Red Lion) believed to be another key component (with mercury and energy of the human soul/life) in the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Once again we are back to the Great Work – or Magnum Opus which is an interpretation of three stages:
- Nigredo (putrefaction) or blackening: individuation, purification, burnout of impurity.
- Albedo, Whitening: spiritualisation, enlightenment.
- Rubedo, reddening: unification of man with God, unification of the limited with the unlimited.
Symbolically we are now close to the roadmap to the inner temple. We start in the dark and wander about, then we become enlightened by esoteric openness, to end up closer than before to the unification with the unlimited God.
Later on we will see other ways or other roadmaps in the shape of a bird, a capstone or from the Book of Light.
The Mercurial Bird
The Mercurial Birds, are said to represent the volatile nature of alchemical work – the wisdom of setting the spirit free. This is done by rising from the ashes, the rebirth. Or the regeneration from within through the purification with fire, the colour Red, and the element sulphur. As mentioned earlier, Sulphur is one of the three prime elements of alchemy and is viewed as the multiplicity of human nature and the eternal aspiration to reach for higher enlightenment. Sulphur with a triangle in its sign, can be viewed as a holy trinity.
In the great name of selective research, and in this case trying to get closer to speculative Alchemy, we here have the Hermes Mercurial Bird from Johannes Fabricius’ collection with the following comment: “The deluge (cf. the Biblical Flood) leaves only a small patch of land, on which the Hermes bird descends (beneath the symbol of Mercury). The chaotic situation is emphasized by the emergence of the seven planets on the horizon, a symbol of universal disorder. As indicated by the sign of sulphur, the sinking island is set on fire by sulphurous flames from the hellish interior of the earth. Yet the alchemist’s sinking island is ‘supported’ by a sealed chest of drawers emerging from the sea and containing immense riches of silver and gold. Although the adept’s world has become a sinking island, it has been simultaneously transformed into a treasure island”. For reasons discussed later on in this essay, I would like to correct Fabricius when he writes “a small patch of land” and make it clear that I see it as a mound. For the speculative Alchemist we have a mound reaching up over the floods like a circle, and here an enlightened circle (treasure = gold = sun = light), where the bird descends on the top – seen as the point within the circle (the circumpunct). 
This is emphasised by the chaos around and outside of the circle, the light from the above-as-below mercury star guiding as the compass lights (draws) the surface. Everything within the circle is in sulphurous flames, where sulphur is seen as the spirit of life, and as the sun (light, gold). The illustration of the Hermes Bird is a great symbolic work, it tells us so much more, but it is still the point within the circle.
The ancient Egyptian Goddess Nun – The Benu bird, the Benben mound and the Benbenet capstone
In ancient Egypt the creation legend says that in the beginning, before any God or creature existed, there was only the primeval ocean Nun. The Sun created herself from Nun, appearing as the Primeval Mound (think now back to the landing spot of the Hermes bird). This mound or hilltop just emerging from the primeval water of Nun, was called the Benben Stone. It was phallic-shaped and symbolically represents a vortex of energy, a circular matrix created from its own centre. Some traditions hold to the idea that the waters of Nun surrounded this hill or mound, being the first mountain of the world. However, it would be more correct to say that the waters, or energy of Nun, are at the very centre of the mound, being the centre of all creation. The world-mountain can be further explained analogically with the “liquid-fire” (lava) that rises up from the depths or centre of the earth and through a volcano so as to explode in all directions from the truncated summit – the Great Pyramid is also truncated. This mound in the water of Nun that created the Sun is allegorically contained within the Egyptian Sun symbol, which is equal to the circumpunt! Notice that we have a huge amount of phallus (volcano), primeval seeds (lava) and duality symbols where fire and water (the opposite) meet.
Also seen in ancient Egypt is the hieroglyph of a bird landing on the mound; it was the Benu bird (a heron), the bird by means of which Atum (male) came into being in the primeval water of Nun (female). The Benu bird was the Egyptian Phoenix, and one could say a close relative to the Mercurial Bird above. The Benu bird descended at last on the Benben Mound and the world was filled with “that which should be known” and the Benu bird “decided what it should be and what it should not be”.
The top of the mound, just emerging over the waters of Nun, was called Benben.
That top is associated with the pyramidion which is the uppermost piece or capstone of an Egyptian pyramid. This capstone was called Benbenet in Ancient Egyptian. This Benbenet capstone is also on the top of the obelisk. But it is the capstone, the pyramidion, which is the most interesting part. According to the Egyptians, within the pyramidion the Gods reside.
From the Sub Rosa Magazine, December 2005, we further read that: “Both the Benbenet capstone and its related archetypal creature, the Benu bird which is often depicted perched on top of the capstone of an obelisk, also represented the soul, the divine spark or life force that is said to reside in every man and woman and inside the centre of the skull – hence the placement of the Benbenet on top of the column, obelisk or pyramid which represented the human spine and body. To the ancient Egyptians the soul was known as the “ba” – which they believed was one’s own link to the source or Godhead known as the “Akh”. We will recall that among the Pyramid texts are the “glorifications” – the Sabu associated with the star constellation of Orion – representing the soul of both Osiris and Horus which makes one into an Akh. The Akh is the ancient Egyptian term for the spiritual centre or source of creation – zero-point – Akh is the highest point or centre reached and it is reached via the ba – the soul.”
For the speculative Mason, the Benbenet capstone has much in common with the Cornerstone, the symbol of the Egyptian Sun can be likened to the point within the circle, and the healing or motherly nature of the Benu bird is close to the Rose Croix Pelican with the 7 young ones, and the Akh is the point (within the circle). For the practical Alchemist the list is just as long.
What is the hidden cipher code from the First to the Last, from Azoth to the Benben stone.
A hidden cipher code, and the conclusion of this paper, is wisely stated by Johannes Helmond in Alchemy Unveiled: “The Osiris myth serves as the prototype of initiation (also birth of Macrocosmos) for all human beings who endeavour to awaken the eternal within themselves. The human being himself must become an Osiris, experiencing the fate of God upon himself. He who descends from the father (ex Deo nascimur) should produce within himself the divine son. Human beings unknowingly carry within them this son of God as an archetype of the soul, concealed within themselves. However, the eternal should become alive in them and reveal itself. But for the time being this God, which is hidden in the Inner, is being suppressed in human beings through the demonic force of the earthly nature. This lower, earthly nature must be conquered and killed first (in Christo morimur) so that the higher divine nature can rise up (per spiritum sanctum reviviscimus).”
Care Fratres we are here talking about “That which is above is the same as that which is below.” Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as God.
All of the above can be found in the Book of Light “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
Motive for comparison.
In A Commentary on The Chymical Wdding of Christian Rosenkreutz by Margaret Bennell and Isabel Wyatt, there is a fantastic note (note 2 on the Foreword, page6);
“It is important to know, concerning an individuality, not only who he was, but also to which stream of humanity be belongs. This is of especial import in the case of Christian Rosenkreutz. He is the guardian of the modern age of technics; as such he belongs to the Cain-Hiram stream. This is made clear through the Temple Legend, entrusted by Christian Rosenkreutz to the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross.
In this we are told that Cain was the son of Eve and one of the Elohim, while Jahve created Adam, whose sons by Eve were Abel and Seth. Jahve accepted the offering of Abel, but rejected that of Cain, because the latter had not been created at His command. Cain therefore slew Abel and was cast out from the company of Jahve.
From the race of Cain came all that had to do with the earth; he and his descendants originated Art and Science. One of his descendants, Tubal-Cain, was skilled in the handling and mixing of metals. From this same line came Hiram, the famous Master Builder, skilled in all the science and technics of his age.
Solomon was descended from the race of Seth, gifted in all that Jahve could bestow of tranquil wisdom. He conceived the magnificent idea and plan of the Temple, but his wisdom had nothing to do with technics or the creations of the human will; therefore he had to call in Hiram to aid him. The divine wisdom of Solomon was to be the heart of the Temple, clothed in earthly substance by the skill of Hiram.
But at this time Balkis, Queen of Sheba, bearer of the old clairvoyance, visited Solomon and was wooed by him. Having accepted the king, she met Hiram and straightway fell in love with him, thereby rousing bitter jealousy in her royal lover. Solomon’s enmity brought about Hiram’s death.
From this time on the two streams, Cain-Hiram, Abel-Seth-Solomon, pursued their way through the centuries, the rift unhealed; the sons of Cain still masters of art and science, the sons of Solomon pursuing philosophy and religion. It was the task of Christian Rosenkreutz to unite both streams in his own being, and thus begin the healing of the breach.”
With these final words the task of our work is laid out for us in a lifelong search for truth and wisdom.
Monday 8
Sunday 24
Monday 25
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- 1788 – Birth of poet 
Sunday 3
Many years ago, a man was lost in the desert. He walked without direction. Everything was shining in likeness, there was no differentiation, just the sky above and the earth below. Endless to all horizons, only the day surrounded him. But he was not without hope. “If I am alone in likeness, and unable to sense my way,” he said to himself, “then I will close my eyes and walk where my will takes me.” In the shining desert he walked, yet he carried himself in darkness.
But the water gave him time, he knew that. He sat and with his hands began digging into the sandy hillside, bringing up the darker earth from beneath. He wet it, and molded it, and let three jars bake in the sun. He washed in the water. The jars baked. He drank his fill, plunging his head into the stream. After perhaps seven days had passed he had made sixty-five good-sized jars. They were shaped such that their openings were almost closed, and still damp. He couldn’t fill them from the stream itself, because they began to crumble. So he filled his mouth, and then the first jar, closing off the moist top to preserve the waters from the heat of the day. Then he filled the rest, in the same manner.
Monday 28
