"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."--The Kybalion.
The Hermetic Principles can be found in the Kybalion, the Hermetic text published in the early 20th century, but supposedly reporting the ancient wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus, tracing back to Egypt and Greece.
They are:
1. The principle of mentalism
2. The principle of correspondence
3. The principle of vibration
4. The principle of polarity
5. The principle of rhythm
6. The principle of cause and effect
7. The principle of gender
You’ll see why these principles have lived on in modern self-help and new age spirituality. They jive with a lot of what we intuit about the universe. For example, it’s easy to notice that there are a lot of opposites to be observed in the world, and it feels like there must be something to that. These Hermetic principles take these feelings and form them into a cohesive philosophy with a dash of self-help.
Read them in an old, leather-bound edition by candlelight, in a library basem*nt for full effect.
Let’s examine the Hermetic Principles one by one.
Rather than posting the full descriptions from the Kybalion, I’ve had ChatGPT condense each one for easier reading. Though it really doesn’t take long to read the full principles in the Kybalion itself.
The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.
ChatGPT’s summary:
This principle states that everything in the universe is ultimately made of an unknowable and infinite living mind, which we can think of as universal spirit. The universe, including our own existence, is a creation of this mind and operates according to its laws. Understanding this mental nature of the universe helps explain various mental and psychic phenomena. By applying the laws of the mental universe, we can enhance our well-being and progress. Without grasping this principle, mastery is elusive. It is the key to unlocking knowledge and entering the realm of understanding energy, power, and matter in relation to the mastery of the mind.
This is a big part of Hermeticism. The “Spirit” is “The All” which is everything. Then everything we know and see and feel is the “mental projection” of the All (or something like that).
The principle of mentalism, along with the other principles, is cited often by proponents of the Law of Attraction, because this principle of “all is mind” implies that we have the ability to essentially “tap into” this “mental universe” and apply the other principles according to our will.
2. The principle of correspondence
"As above, so below; as below, so above.” [...] This principle embodies the truth that there is always a correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of being and life.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Correspondence states that there is always a connection between the laws and phenomena of different planes of existence. The saying "As above, so below; as below, so above" captures this idea. By applying this principle, we can solve mysteries and understand hidden aspects of nature. It has universal application across the material, mental, and spiritual realms. The ancient Hermetists believed it was a powerful tool for uncovering the unknown and gaining insights. Just as geometry helps measure distant celestial bodies, Correspondence allows us to reason from what we know to what we don't know. By studying smaller parts, like the monad, we can gain understanding of greater entities, like the archangel.
Just like the description states, geometry is a great way to conceptualize the principle of correspondence. A rule for a thing remains a rule no matter what its size, context, plane, etc. Or you can think of it as “scaling up” to different planes. The success of a small family unit “corresponds” to the same principles as a large society. The “essence” of a fistfight “corresponds” to the “essence” of a war between nations. The different planes of existence correspond to each other by these common rules.
In Hermeticism, you would use what you do understand to gain insight into what you don’t understand.
Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Vibration states that everything is in motion and vibrates, from the highest spiritual realms to the lowest forms of matter. Varying rates of vibration give rise to the different manifestations of matter, energy, mind, and spirit. Even modern science confirms this principle. The highest vibrations appear still, like a fast-spinning wheel, while the lowest vibrations seem at rest. Between these extremes, there are countless degrees of vibration, from tiny particles to vast universes. This principle applies to energy, force, and even mental and spiritual realms. By understanding and applying this principle, Hermetic students can control their own mental vibrations and influence others. The mastery of vibration empowers individuals and allows them to comprehend and manipulate natural phenomena. As an old writer once said, "He who understands the Principle of Vibration has grasped the scepter of power."
The vibration principle is another widely cited new age “power,” and people often attempt to reconcile it with modern science. But essentially everything vibrates and there are things that vibrate at high frequencies and things that vibrate at low frequencies, and then all the frequencies in between, and they’re all different. Much like different vibration frequencies will yield different tones on an instrument or voice.
The “magic power” is the ability to “tune” the vibration of, say, a thought, to the vibration of something else, “tapping into” it, and thus having the power to affect it.
“...all manifestation of thought, emotion, reason, will or desire, or any mental state or condition, are accompanied by vibrations, a portion of which are thrown off and which tend to affect the minds of other persons by ‘induction.’”
4. The principle of polarity
Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Polarity states that everything has two opposing aspects or poles. Opposites are just extremes of the same thing with varying degrees in between. For example, heat and cold are degrees of the same concept, as are light and darkness, large and small, and so on. The mental realm follows the same principle, where love and hate are different degrees of the same emotion. The Hermeticists believe that it is possible to change one's mental state from hate to love through the use of willpower and Hermetic formulas. Similarly, good and evil are two ends of the same spectrum, and the Hermetic Masters understand how to transmute evil into good through the Principle of Polarity. This understanding allows individuals to change their own polarity and influence others through dedicated study and practice.
This one is pretty easy to understand. Things have opposites, but those opposites are better understood as two poles of the same thing. We think of hot as the opposite of cold, but we should think of hot and cold as the two, opposing extremes of the same thing: temperature. See the difference? Think of “love” and “hate” as different “degrees” of something called, maybe, “feely stuff”.
Hermeticists believe that knowledge of this allows us to change how we feel, for instance, by keeping the “feeling,” but changing the degrees from say, sad to happy.
Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Rhythm states that everything in the universe follows a pattern of back-and-forth motion, like a pendulum or the ebb and flow of tides. This principle applies to all aspects of life, including celestial bodies, nations, and individuals. The Hermetists have discovered ways to overcome the negative effects of this rhythm through the Mental Law of Neutralization. While they cannot stop the principle from operating, they can consciously use it to their advantage. By polarizing themselves at the desired point and neutralizing the swing of the pendulum, they achieve a state of poise and mental firmness. This principle, along with the Principle of Polarity, is extensively studied by the Hermetists and forms an important aspect of their mental alchemy.
Similar to polarity, the principle of rhythm is about the universal “cycles” we see all around us and in us. The “rhythm” of birth and death, night and day, the rise and fall of civilizations. You ride a bike up a hill, which is difficult, and then you glide down the other side, which is easy. Back and forth, give and take.
So from a self-improvement perspective, Hermetic philosophy tells us to find personal strength by recognizing these cycles enough to interrupt, or neutralize the rhythm of something, or “stopping” at a desired point. It’s similar to the self-mastery of Stoicism.
“The Master of Hermetics polarizes himself at the point at which he desires to rest, and then neutralizes the Rhythmic swing of the pendulum which would tend to carry him to the other pole. All individuals who have attained any degree of Self-Mastery do this to a certain degree, more or less unconsciously, but the Master does this consciously, and by the use of his Will, and attains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible of belief on the part of the masses who are swung backward and forward like a pendulum.”
6. The principle of cause and effect
Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; everything happens according to law; chance is but a name for law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the law.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Cause and Effect states that for every action, there is a corresponding reaction. Nothing happens by chance, and everything occurs according to laws. The Hermetists have mastered the ability to rise above the ordinary plane of Cause and Effect. Instead of being controlled by external forces, they become the ones who cause change. While most people are moved around like pawns, the Masters play the game of life and exert influence over their circ*mstances. They understand and utilize this principle rather than being subject to it. This principle holds profound wisdom for those who can comprehend its depth.
This principle has to do with events, and states that nothing is random. There is an underlying law of cause and effect governing the events of the universe. Things don’t just happen. Something “random” is just cause and effect that hasn’t yet been discovered. Pretty straightforward and aligned with what we understand to be true of physics. This happened because of the things before it. A door swung open beCAUSE of a gust of wind, that was CAUSED by a low-pressure area or whatever.
So, in Hermetics, one can use this knowledge to affect their life, by trying to be more of a “causer” and not a passive victim of effect. You can do this right now by deciding to go for a jog, which causes your body to respond to the activity, that can be repeated by your own free will, each day, causing you to finally get in shape. You have the power.
Think of the famous saying “be the change you want to see in the world”.
Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes.
ChatGPT’s summary:
The Principle of Gender states that there is a masculine and feminine aspect in everything, from the physical to the mental and spiritual planes. This principle is essential for creation and regeneration. Both males and females possess elements of the opposite gender within themselves. Understanding this principle unlocks the mysteries of life and spiritual development. However, it is important to differentiate this principle from distorted and degrading teachings related to lust and perversion. The Hermetic Philosophy discourages such practices and emphasizes purity and integrity.
This principle is about the universal masculine and feminine “energies” that exist in all things, and are the reason for the creation of new things. The Kybalion states “gender” as being different from “sex”, which is merely physical. There are differences in the qualities of masculine and feminine “energies,” yet both genders are present in all things, according to the principle.
Understanding the harmony of gender in Hermetics is supposed to help unlock some of the mysteries of the universe. And benefitting from both gender “energies” is the goal.
You can read the full Kybalion here, or just the seven principles here.
Now go put some magic in your life.
- Joe
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Buy the Kybalion
The Kybalion: Centenary Edition (Hardcover book)
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