How can Venat be the previous Azem?

[EaraGrace]

The "Universal Aether Farm for Zodiark" plan is actually a bit contentious with what we learned in Endwalker. The scene showing the Sundering, even if not taken literally, shows Venat doing so to stop her fellows from committing suicide in Zodiark's name, not declaring their intent to cultivate life to sacrifice. They had given up on the future and only sought solace in the "perfect paradise" of the past, regardless of the price that had to be paid to achieve that.

"But the past we loved is not the future you seek. That is why we fought. And why I lost." So sayeth Emet-Selch, even if he refuses to compromise his ideals.

I think the first part of this untrue. It was the sacrifice of others to bring back those who had summoned and empowered Zodiark that she halted. We know from Anyder, and the cutscene itself that Hydaelyn was brought forth to restrain Zodiark after the second sacrifice, which involved the Ancients sacrificing themselves. As she says:

Venat: So please, open your eyes. To try and reclaim those lives we lost by sacrificing yet more isn’t wisdom. It is weakness.

And when describing Zodiarks initial summoning, Venat uses “we” to describe how they had halted, and the pain they suffered afterward. It’s only when she begins to talk of the efforts to restore the star to “the perfect paradise” it supposedly was, that she stops doing so. If the issue was self sacrifice, this wouldn’t make sense. This interpretation, I think, makes more sense.

I agree with the rest of your post however.