The Seven Hermetic Principles Of The Kybalion

The Kybalion was written by the Three Initiates and is a discussion of seven Hermetic principles attributed to Hermes Trismegistus who some believe was actually Thoth. Over the years, I’ve studied various channeled texts including A Course in Miracles, Seth, and the Law of One along with The Book of Enoch, The Emerald Tablets as well as ancient grimoires in an effort to put together a cohesive understanding of who we are and what our purpose is. The Kybalion satisfies my interest in Hermetic teachings and aligns well with the message from the Law of One.

Seven principles in all, The Kybalion describes the energetic principles of life in form, a key of sorts to explain the flow of energy throughout the universe. From The Kybalion:

There is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by the world which have been so closely guarded as the fragments of the Hermetic Teachings which have come down to us over the tens of centuries which have elapsed since the lifetime of its great founder, Hermes Trismegistus, the “scribe of the gods,” who dwelt in old Egypt in the days when the present race of men was in its infancy. Contemporary with Abraham, and, if the legends be true, an instructor of that venerable sage, Hermes was, and is, the Great Central Sun of Occultism, whose rays have served to illumine the countless teachings which have been promulgated since his time. All the fundamental and basic teachings embedded in the esoteric teachings of every race may be traced back to Hermes. Even the most ancient teachings of India undoubtedly have their roots in the original Hermetic Teachings. (pg 4)

 

The  Seven Principles

The Principle of Mentalism ~ “THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.” (pg 11) The universe and everything in it is a projection of the Mind of the Creator, unknowable and undefinable. The Creator is All That Is. Nothing else exists but the Creator.

The Principle of Correspondence ~”As above, so below; as below, so above.” (pg 12) Throughout all planes of existence, everything in Spirit corresponds in a vibratory manner with something in form, from the known to the unknown. The All is immanent in all things.

The Principle of Vibration ~ “Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.” (pg 13) Everything is in motion and the faster the motion, the higher the density with the highest as Spirit. Slow things down and matter comes into existence.

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.” (pg 13) Polarity is interesting in that it describes what appears to be opposites yet each is one half of a whole; therefore, masculine and feminine are part of the same human condition and each one of us embodies influences from both to one degree or another. What’s considered positive/negative, dark/light, good/bad, are only a reflection of degree or perception. The Principle of Polarity allows us to understand that in fact there is no us versus them. There is only the All.

The Principle of Rhythm ~ “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.” (pg 15) Within polarity is the principle of rhythm, a motion that is similar to tides or a pendulum, moving in and out, or back and forth. The ebb and flow of vibration assures us that if we wait a moment, the energy will change. Similar to sine waves found in biorhythm charts, there are times when we feel better and more energized than other times. If we learn to ride the rhythm of the wave we can use that rhythm to our advantage. In other words, when the wave is either high or low, wait before making a decision until it’s on the up or downswing when emotions are more level. Stay out of extremes.

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.” (pg 16) Humans like to believe that things happen to us. They don’t. Everything has a cause and from there an effect. We participate fully in those experiences even when it seems that we don’t. Instead of continually reacting to everything we experience, essentially becoming the effect, it’s better to become the cause in the same manner as when using rhythm to our advantage.

The Principle of Gender ~ “Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes.” (pg 17) Again, this is another extension of the Principle of Polarity. Projective and receptive influences described as masculine and feminine are within all. Although some of us incarnate as male and some as female, the Principle of Gender establishes that these are only physical descriptions and do not reflect the true nature of gender. The Principle of Gender allows us to exert our will along with extending compassion and nurturing.

Essentially, we could stop with the first principle. The premise of A Course in Miracles reinforcing this principle states: “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” (Loc 1223) The universe and everything in it is an illusion of form expressed by the Mind of the Creator. Nevertheless, there are cosmic laws in place for all of this to work and the remainder of the principles govern the how of things.

If we consider these principles from the standpoint of self as Spirit, we can see that if we’re extensions of the Creator, then the world we experience is also a manifestation of our own projection of consciousness. Remember that contained within the first principle, the Creator is All That Is. If true, then the many worlds theory that exists could easily be viewed as the many worlds which are created by each one of us, all overlapping and interacting together.

How we see the world in front of us is our own creation. We can be victimized by those experiences or we can use the seven principles to understand who we are and re-assert ourselves as co-creators of our own reality. These seven principles affirm that there are no differences between humans that should separate us from each other. Any differences are a matter of perception only. We begin in unified presence and eventually remember that we remain in unified presence.

As we begin to manifest the seven principles in our daily lives, we begin to understand that we have far more control over our lives than previously believed. If the universe is a mental creation of the All, then we each have the ability to transmute our own mental creations into something more satisfying, the first of which is our own thoughts. Are we focusing our attention on past issues or on outcomes we cannot control? If so, then we have the power to transmute that choice to a focus on the present moment. Irrespective of what we’re experiencing, we always have control over our mental state even if we don’t believe that we do.

Regarding the All:

Under and behind all outward appearances or manifestations, there must always be a Substantial Reality. This is the Law. Man considering the Universe, of which he is a unit, sees nothing but change in matter, forces, and mental states. He sees that nothing really IS, but that everything is BECOMING and CHANGING. Nothing stands still-everything is being born, growing, dying-the very instant a thing reaches its height, it begins to decline—the law of rhythm is in constant operation—there is no reality, enduring quality, fixity, or substantiality in anything— nothing is permanent but Change. He sees all things evolving from other things, and resolving into other things—constant action and reaction; inflow and outflow; building up and tearing down; creation and destruction; birth, growth and death. Nothing endures but Change. And if he be a thinking man, he realizes that all of these changing things must be but outward appearances or manifestations of some Underlying Power—some Substantial Reality. (pg. 22)

 

Free will makes it possible for us to experience a varied existence. But even with the choice to ignore cosmic law, that law still exists and governs everything we do. We can either work with the vibrational unity of the universe, or we can work against it. The Kybalion is one avenue to understand who we are and how we can make the most of that truth.

Blessed Be

 

References:

1. Three Initiates. The Kybalion A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece Kindle Edition.
2. Schucman, Dr. Helen. A Course In Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. 1975.