The New

KYBALION
The All Is Mind. The Universe Is Mental.
U p d a t e d 2 0 11

by Many Artistic Souls

It chanced once upon a time my mind was meditating on the things that are. My thoughts were raised to a great height and the senses of my body were being held back, j u s t a s m e n w h o a r e w e i g h e d d o w n w i t h s l e e p a f t e r a f i l l o f f o o d o r f ro m f a t i g u e o f b o d y, when a Being more than vast in size, beyond all bounds, called out my name and said: What do you hear and see and what have you in mind to learn and know? And I said: Who are you? He said: I am Man-Shepherd (Poemandres), Mind of All Master-hood. I know what you desire and I'm with you everywhere. I replied: I long to learn the things that are and comprehend their nature and know God. T h i s i s w h a t I d e s i r e t o h e a r. He answered back to me: Hold in your mind all you would know and I will teach you. The Corpus Hermeticum

The Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, in its aspect of The Law of Attraction, Will bring lips and ear together; pupil and book in company. Such is The Law. So mote it be!

O f P i e t y a n d Tr u e P h i l o s o p h y
Hermes: Both for the sake of love to man, and piety to God, my son, for the first time take pen in hand. For there can be no piety more righteous than to know the things that are, and to give thanks for these to Him who made them, which I will never cease to do. Tat: What should a man do, Father, to lead his life wisely seeing there is nothing here true? Hermes: Be pious, my son, for he that does so is the best and highest philosopher. Without philosophy, the height of piety cannot be scaled. He who learns and studies the things that are, how they have been ordered, by whom, and for whose sake will give thanks for all unto the Demiurge, as unto a good father, an excellent nurse, and a faithful steward who never breaks his trust. He that gives thanks will be pious, and he that is pious will know both where the Truth is and what it is. And as he learns, he will be even more pious. Never can an embodied Soul that has once leaped aloft to get a hold upon the truly Good and True slip back again into the contrary, for it is infinitely enamored thereof. When the soul knows the Author of its Peace, it is filled with wondrous love, and with forgetfulness of every ill, and can no more be kept from the Good. Let this be the goal of piety. Once you have arrived, you shall both live nobly, and happily depart from life, for that soul will no longer be ignorant of whether it should wing its flight again. This is the only Path to Truth; The Path on which our forebears set their feet upon, and setting them they attained the Good. A plain and venerable Path, but difficult for the soul to tread while still in the body. It must first war against itself, make a great dissension, and manage that the victory should rest with the one part. There is a contest of the one against the twothe former trying to flee and the latter dragging down. And theres great strife and battle of these with one anotherthe one desiring to escape and the others striving to detain. Moreover, the victory of the one or of the others is not resemblant. The one does hasten to the Good, the others settle to the things that are evil. The one longs to be freed; the others love their slavery. If the two be vanquished, they remain deprived of their own selves and of their ruler; but if the one be overcome by the two, it is harried by them and driven about, being tortured by the life down here. The one will lead you upon The Path, but you must first forsake the body before your end and get the victory in this contentious and conflicted life, and when you have overcome, return home. Now I will go through the things that are by heads. Understand what I say, and remember what you hear.
Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. 3

Introduction
The Hermetic Philosophy is the Master-Key that will open all the doors of the Occult Teachings.

Great pleasure has been taken in presenting to students and investigators of the Secret Doctrines this little work based upon the original Hermetic Teachings. In the early days was a compilation of certain vital Hermetic Doctrines known as The Kybalion. It constitutes the basic principles of The Art of Hermetic Alchemy, the mastery of mental forces (the transmutation of mental vibrations), not the changing of one kind of metal into another. The book is merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts that are incomprehensible to outsiders, but readily understood by students once the lore has been explained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates. Although no other occult teachings have been as closely guarded as the Hermetic principles, this knowledge was never intended to be secreted and stored away. We believe the original intent of the Three Initiates was to place in the hands of the student a Master-Key. One that would open the inner doors in the Temple of Mystery through the main portals he has already entered and provide a statement of Truth that will serve to reconcile the many bits of occult knowledge he may have already acquired. Even though much has been written on this subject in recent years, we believe the many earnest seekers of the Arcane Truths will welcome the appearance of this revised edition. Study the axioms and principles contained within this booklet; use and make them your own. They are not really your own until you have used them. Knowledge without use and expression is a vain thing; bringing no good to its possessor or the race. However, prior to moving on, you are encouraged to ask yourself if you can trust this book's contents to lead you safely through the realms of the Unknown, and then back again. The Many Artistic Souls urge students to be prudent, discerning, and perceptive while examining any occult materials, as the path to attainment is laden with many carefully laid ruses and intentional blinds. Additionally, you may begin to realize that the pursuit of occult lore has its own rules. Information comes to you only when you truly need it, not merely because you'd like to possess it. Nevertheless, if you have this book in your possession, then you are either well on your way to having more occult data for your perusal and will appreciate its contents, or you are one who seeks to persecute those who live by the Secret Doctrines. Since the Many Artistic Souls do not seek recognition and wish to remain anonymous, there is no one with whom you may debate this book's contents. There is only you, this book, the truth, personal tuition, and the fact that this book just seemed to appear out of nowhere...as if by magic. It can only be found on the world wide web and available only through a web page link similar to the one that brought it to you today. This book is provided free of monetary charge, but there is a price you must pay for simply having it in your possession. You will need to commit to using the Hermetic Axioms and Principles contained within it so that you can develop yourself into a Master.

The possession of knowledge, unless accompanied by a manifestation and expression in action, is like the hoarding of precious metalsa vain and foolish thing. Knowledge, like wealth, is intended for use. The Law of Use is Universal, and he who violates it suffers by reason of his conflict with natural forces.

Mercury Trismegistus [Hermes]

Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those ready for his Teaching open wide.

Egypt is the birthplace of Hidden Wisdom and Mystic Teachings. The Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis freely provided for those who came prepared to partake of the Mystic and Occult Lore. A place known as The Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics was located in Egypt, and at the doors of her temples entered the Neophytes. Once endowed with these occult teachings, they traveled to the four corners of the earth as Hierophants, Adepts, and Masters. They were ready and willing to pass on to those who were ready to receive the precious knowledge. Among them was one of whom Masters hail as The Master of Masters. This man, if he was a man, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days, and was known as Hermes Trismegistus. The best authorities regard him as a contemporary of Abraham, and some of the Jewish traditions claim that Abraham acquired a portion of his mystic knowledge from Hermes himself. From the land of the Ganges, many advanced occultists wandered to the land of Egypt and sat at the feet of the Master, and from other lands came the learned ones, all of whom regarded Hermes as the Master of Masters. From him they obtained the Master-Key that explained and reconciled their divergent views thus firmly establishing the Secret Doctrines. As the years rolled by, the Egyptians deified Hermes and made him one of their gods, Thoth. They honored his memory for many centuries, deeming him the Scribe of the Gods. Eventually, they bestowed upon him the ancient title Trismegistus, which means thrice-great. The people of ancient Greece also made him one of their gods, Hermes, the god of Wisdom. In all the ancient lands the name Hermes Trismegistus was revered. Rather than attempt to establish a school of philosophy that would dominate the world's thought, the lifework of Hermes seems to have been in the direction of planting the great Seed of Truth, one that has grown and blossomed in many forms. He was the father of Occult Wisdom, the founder of Astrology, and discoverer of Alchemy. The records engraved on the stones of ancient Egypt and the building of the pyramids prove that the ancients had a full, comprehensive knowledge of astronomy. The fragments of the ancient writings reveal they were also acquainted with chemistry because they knew the chemical properties of things. In fact, the ancient theories regarding physics are being verified by the latest discoveries of modern science, especially those relating to the constitution of matter. They were especially skilled in the science of psychology, particularly the branches that have been realized under the title psychic science. Therefore, it must not be assumed that the ancients were ignorant of what the modern schools claim to be their exclusive and special property. All nations have borrowed from the Hermetic Teachings and they have have strongly influenced the philosophies of all races for several thousand years. Despite the many wanderings from the path, students of Comparative Religions will be able to perceive the influence of these teachings in almost every religion known to man. Whether it be a dead religion, or one in full vigor in our own times, the Hermetic Teachings are the Great Reconciler. All the fundamentals embedded in the esoteric teachings of every race may be traced back to Hermes Trismegistus.
The Lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the Ears of Understanding.

The term hermetic means sealed so that nothing can escape; protected from any outside interference or influence; obscure and difficult for outsiders to understand , and the followers of Hermes have always observed the principles of secrecy and obscurity in their teachings. They strictly adhere to the Hermetic aphorisms and refuse to impart their wisdom to underdeveloped students and followers. Instead, they follow the Hermetic custom and reserve these truths for those who are ready to comprehend and master them. Unfortunately, however, there are many modern practitioners who are ignorant compared to the ancient Masters. They lack the fundamental knowledge upon which the work is based, and misinterpret the Hermetic Teachings. They are apathetic and display foolhardiness in their haphazard attempts to teach to the world that which is not ready to be received. They imagine they could force upon a race of boors truths that can only be understood by those who have advanced along The Path. When written, the Teachings are veiled in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those possessing the Master-Key could read them aright. More importantly, there are certain Hermetic Teachings that, if publicly promulgated, would bring down upon the Teachers a great cry of scorn and revilement from the nescient multitude. The Masters know how few there are in each generation who are ready for the truth, or who would even recognize it if it were presented to them. They know the folly of attempting to teach to the world that which is not ready to be received.
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From lip to ear, these teachings have been handed down, in their original purity, by a few brave men and women in each age. They devote their lives to the labor of love and refuse to allow the Eternal Flame of Truth to be extinguished. Faithfully, they tend the Altar of Verity and lovingly maintain the willingness to use their lamps to re-light the lesser lamps of the outside world when the light of truth grows dim, clouded by reason of neglect and clogged with foreign matter. If you are a true student then you will be able to comprehend and apply the Hermetic Principles. If not, then you must develop yourself into one. Otherwise, the Hermetic Teachings will be merely words to you. The Teachers trust that the student will derive as much benefit from the study of these pages as the many who have gone before him. Those who have traveled this same Path to Mastery since the times of HERMES TRISMEGISTUS. The Hermes Stage of Enlightenment At this point, the Teachers need to point out that Hermes is the personification of a teaching-power or grade of spiritual illumination; one who has reached the Hermes or thrice-greatest state of consciousness or enlightenment. Similar to the Christ consciousness or Buddha stage of enlightenment. This stage of enlightenment is characterized by a heightening of the spiritual intuition that makes the mystic capable of receiving the first touch of cosmic consciousness, and of retaining it in his physical memory when he returns to the normal state. The setting forth of the teaching is in the form of apocalyptic and of an ordered and logical nature, for it purports to be a setting forth of the spiritual Epopteia of the Inner Mysteries (Epopteia is the highest stage of enlightenment in the Eleusinian Mysteries, and was attainable by lay persons who had to be shown Demeter's greatest mysteries of life and death.), the Vision revealed by the Great Initiator or Master Hierophant, Mind of all master-hood. This Vision, as we are told by many seers and prophets, is incapable of being set forth by tongue of flesh in its own proper terms, seeing that it transcended the consciousness of normal humanity. Being in itself a living, potent, intelligible reality, apart from all forms either material or intellectual in any way known to man, it pervades his very being and makes his whole nature respond to a new key of truth or vibrate in a higher octave where all things, while remaining the same, received a new interpretation and intensity.

The Seven Hermetic Principles 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 P ri nci pl e of M entali s m

The Universe is Mental and held in the Mind of The All.

The Principle of Mentalism embodies the truth that The All is Mind and the Universe is Mental. It explains that the Universe is a Mental Creation of The All and we are dwelling in Its Infinite Mind. According to quantum physics, there can't be a Universe without Mind entering into it, and If the Universe is Mental in its substantial nature, then it follows that Mind is the highest power affecting its prodigies. Thus Mental Transmutation must change the conditions and phenomena of the Universe. This is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward manifestations and appearances that we know under the terms of the material Universe, the phenomena of life, matter, energy, and force. By establishing the Universe's Mental Nature, this principle clarifies all the varied mental and psychic phenomena that remains inexplicable and defies scientific treatment. Therefore, we are justified in considering that the Universe exists or proceeds in some way from The All, and Mind is actually shaping all that is apparent to our material senses. There is no escape from this conclusion. The All creates in no other way except mentally; without using material and without reproducing Itself. If this be understood, then all the socalled miracles and wonder-workings are plainly seen for what they are. As stated by Hermetists, the process concerning the Mental Creation of the Universe is akin to that of an artist who becomes so involved in his creation that he lives in it for the time being. With that in mind, imagine youre an author forming an idea of his characters, or sculptor forming an image of an ideal he wishes to express through his art. In either scenario, you will realize that while the image has its existence and being solely within the mind of the artist, the artist is also immanent in the mental image. For example, Othello, Iago, Hamlet, Lear, and Richard III merely existed in the mind of Shakespeare at the time of their conception, and Shakespeare also existed within each of these characters, giving them their vitality, spirit, and action. The entire virtue, life, and spirit of the mental image is derived from the intrinsic mind of the thinker. Man has the capacity to form mental images of the ideals he wishes to express, but his mind is finite. The entire virtue, life, and spirit of the Universe is the Mental Image derived from the Infinite Mind of The All. The two are similar in nature, but infinitely different in degree. In Its Infinite Mind, The All creates countless Universes that exist for aeons of time. Yet, the creation, development, decline, and death of a million Universes is as the time of the twinkling of an eye to The All. Such was the Teaching of Hermes.

True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental Art.

Among the many secret branches of knowledge possessed by the Hermetists is the Art of transforming mental states, forms, and conditions into others. Mental Transmutation is the magic the ancient writers referred to in their mystical works. The legends of the Philosopher's Stone that would turn base metal into Gold is an allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, and is readily understood by all students of true Hermeticism. The great work of influencing one's environment can be accomplished by Mental Power, and the Art that enables one to transmute mental conditions must render the Master the controller of material conditions, as well as those ordinarily called mental. The true practitioner of Mental Transmutation works amid the mental plane, transmuting mental conditions in themselves and others according to the true Hermetic Art. However, only advanced Mental Alchemists have been able to attain the degree of power necessary to control the macroscopic physical conditions such as the control of the elements of Nature, the production or cessation of tempests and earthquakes, and other great physical phenomena. Such persons have always existed, but it is a matter of earnest belief to the advanced occultists of all schools. These Masters do not make public exhibitions of their powers. They seek seclusion from the crowds of men in order to better work their way along the path of attainment. The reason for mentioning their existence is merely to call your attention to the fact that their power is entirely mental and operates along the lines of Mental Transmutation. The Masters know that every material condition depends upon the minds of others and may be transmuted in accordance with the earnest desire, will, and treatments of a person desiring changed conditions of life. The true nature of energy, power, and matter are subordinate to the mastery of mind. An understanding of the Hermetic Principle of Mentalism enables the student to readily grasp the laws of the Mental Universe and intelligently apply them to his well-being and advancement, instead of using them haphazardly.

With the Master-Key in his possession, the student may unlock the many doors of the mental and psychic temple of knowledge. An old Hermetic Master once wrote: He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery. These words are as true today as when they were first written. Without this Master-Key, mastery is impossible and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of The Temple.

2. The P ri nci pl e of Co rres po nd enc e

It is true, without any error; that which is above is also that which is below for the performance of the Wonders of a certain one thing, and as all things arise from one Stone, so also they were generated from one common Substance, which includes the four elements created by God. The Emerald Tablet of Thoth

The Principle of Correspondence embodies the truth that there is a harmony, agreement, and similarity between the laws and phenomena of the many planes of existence. The same laws, principles, and characteristics apply to each unit, or combination of units of activity, as each manifests its own miracle upon its own plane. Although there are planes beyond our knowing, the Hermetic Philosophy considers that the Universe may be divided into three classes of exhibition known as the Three Great Planes. These are the Great Physical Plane, the Great Mental Plane, and the Great Spiritual Plane. Although these planes are not actual divisions of the wonders of the Universe, these arbitrary terms are used by Hermetists in order to aid in the thought and study of the universal activity of existence. Each of these divisions are ascending degrees of the Great Scale of Life, and may be regarded as the three great groups of degrees of life manifestation. The higher the degree of rate of vibration, the higher the plane and the higher the manifestation of life occupying that plane. The lowest point of which is undifferentiated matter, and the highest being that of Spirit. The many planes of existence shade into each other, as there are no rigidly enforced divisions between the higher demonstrations of the physical and the lower of the mental, or between the higher of the mental and the lower of the physical. Nevertheless, when we apply the Principle of Correspondence to these planes we are able to understand much that would otherwise remain unknowable to us. Great Physical Plane The Great Physical Plane, and its subdivisions, contains all that relates to physics and material manifestations. The Plane of Matter-A constitutes the forms of matter generally recognized by the textbooks on physics in its mode of solids, liquids, and gas es. The Plane of Matter-B comprises higher, more subtle forms of matter that modern science recognizes as the phenomena of Radiant Matter in its phases of radium; this classification belonging to the lower subdivision of this plane. The Plane of Matter-C contains certain subtle and tenuous matter; the existence of which is not suspected by ordinary scientists. The Plane of Ethereal Substance contains that which science speaks of as the ether; a substance of extreme tenacity and elasticity that pervades all Universal space and acts as a medium for the transmission of waves of energy such as light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. This ethereal substance forms a connecting link between matter and energy and partakes of the nature of each. The Plane of Energy-A contains the ordinary forms of energy known to science. These are heat, light, magnetism, electricity, attraction, gravity, cohesion, chemical affinity, and many other forms of energy indicated by scientific experiments. The Plane of Energy-B is comprised of higher forms of energy, Nature's Finer Forces, and have yet to be discovered by science. The Hermetic Teachings indicate that these Finer Forces are called into operation in the manifestation of certain forms of mental phenomena. The Plane of Energy-C contains energy so highly organized that it bears many of the characteristics of life, but is not recognized by the minds of men on the ordinary plane of development. Such energy is inconceivable to ordinary man, and may be considered the Divine Power. The beings employing the energy contained within this plane are as gods when compared to the highest human types known to us. This particular subdivision is available for use on the Spiritual Plane alone. Great Mental Plane The Great Mental Plane, and its subdivisions, contains those forms of living things known to us in ordinary life and certain other forms known only to the occultist. The Plane of Mineral Mind comprises the states and conditions of the units, entities, or combinations of the same that enliven the forms known to us as minerals, metals, noble gases, and chemicals (Periodic Table of the Elements). In a sense, these entities may be referred to as souls because they are actually living beings of a low degree of development, life, and mind just a little more than the units of living energy that comprise the higher subdivisions of the highest physical plane. The average mind does not generally attribute the possession of mind, soul, or life to the Mineral Kingdom, but occultists recognize their existence and modern science is rapidly moving toward the Hermetic point-of-view in this respect. Some of the more daring scientific minds have articulated that the molecules, atoms, and electrons that comprise the Mineral Kingdom also have their attractions and repulsions, affinities and non-affinities. The desire, will, emotions, and feelings of the atoms differ only in degree from those of men.
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The Plane of Elemental Mind-A comprises the states, conditions, and degrees of vital and mental development of a class of entities unknown to the average man, but recognized by occultists. These entities do exist and play their part in the unfolding drama of the Universe. Their degree of intelligence is between that of the mineral and chemical entities and the entities of the Plant Kingdom. The Plane of Plant Mind comprises the states and conditions of the entities that encompass the kingdoms of the plant world. The phenomena of each plant having a life, mind, and soul is well understood by the average intelligent person. The Plane of Elemental Mind-B comprises the states and conditions of higher forms of elemental entities that form a part of the scale between the Plane of Plant Mind and the Plane of Animal Mind. The entities partaking of the nature of both and playing their part in the general work of the Universe. The Plane of Animal Mind comprises the states and conditions of the entities that animate the animal forms of life known to us all. The Plane of Elemental Mind-C comprises those entities that are invisible, but partake of the nature of both animal and human life in a certain degree and in certain combinations. The readers of Bulwer's Zanoni and similar tales will recognize the entities inhabiting these planes of life. If the student can read between the lines, he will have light shone upon the processes of evolution, as well as a key to the secret door of the leaps of life between kingdom to kingdom. The great kingdoms of elementals are mentioned in esoteric writings and fully recognized by all occultists. The Plane of Human Mind comprises those manifestations of life and mentality that are common to man in his various degrees of intelligence. Todays average man occupies the fourth subdivision of the Plane of Human Mind, and only the most intelligent have crossed the borders of the fifth subdivision. Our own race is the fifth to set foot upon The Path, and consists of a few advanced souls who have outstripped the masses and passed on to the sixth and seventh subdivisions. The Illumined Ones report that the man of the sixth subdivision will be The Super Man and he of the seventh will be The Over Man, but man has yet to move on to these subdivisions and beyond. Great Spiritual Plane The Great Spiritual Plane, and its subdivisions, contains beings possessing life, mind, and form far above that of man today. These are the Angels, Archangels, and Demi-Gods. The life and mind of these beings transcend ours and some are said to be clothed in pure energy. On the lower planes dwell those great souls whom we call Masters and Adepts. Above them are the Great Hierarchies of the Angelic Hosts. Above them are those Beings who may be called the Gods; these Beings are so high in the scale of existence that their Being, Intelligence, and Power is akin to those acknowledged by the races of men in their conceptions of Deity. They are beyond the highest flights of the human imagination, the word divine being the only one applicable to them. Many of these Beings take great interest in the matters of the Universe and play an important part in its affairs. These unseen Divinities and Angelic Helpers extend their influence freely and powerfully in the process of evolution and cosmic progress. Their occasional intervention and assistance in human affairs have led to the many legends, beliefs, religions, and traditions of the race, past and present. They have repeatedly superimposed their knowledge and power upon the world all under the Law of The All. Yet, even the highest of these advanced Beings exist merely as creations of, and in, the Mind of The All. They are mortal and their plane of existence is below that of Absolute Spirit. They belong to the Universe and are subject to the cosmic processes and Universal Laws. Still, they are the Elder Brethren of the Race. These advanced souls have outstripped their brethren and foregone the ecstasy of absorption by The All in order to help the race on its upward journey along The Path. Only those whose minds have been carefully trained along the lines of the Hermetic Philosophy, and those who have brought with them from previous incarnations the knowledge regarding this plane are able to grasp the Inner Teachings concerning the state of existence and the powers manifested on The Great Spiritual Plane. The phenomena is so much higher than that of the mental planes that a confusion of ideas would likely result from an attempt to describe the same. The Great Spiritual Plane, and its subdivisions, must not be confused with what is commonly employed in connection with religious, ecclesiastical, spiritual, ethereal, or holy. More importantly, much of these Inner Teachings is held by the Hermetists as being too sacred, important, and dangerous for general public dissemination. Occultists know that Spiritual Power may be employed for evil, as well as good, in accordance with the Principle of Polarity. A fact that has been recognized by the majority of religions in their conceptions of Satan, Beelzebub, the Devil, Lucifer, Fallen Angels, etc. Therefore, the knowledge regarding these planes has been kept in the most sacred places in all Esoteric Fraternities and Occult Orders in the Secret Chamber of the Temple. Unfortunately, however, those who have attained high spiritual power, and misused it, have a terrible fate in store. The striving for selfish power on the Spiritual Planes inevitably results in the arrogant soul losing its spiritual balance and falling back as far as it had previously risen.

The swing of the Pendulum of Rhythm will inevitably swing them back to the furthest extreme of material existence, from which point they must retrace their steps spirit-ward and along the weary rounds of The Path, but with the added torture of always carrying with them a lingering memory of the heights from which they fell due to their malevolent and inappropriate actions. Nevertheless, even such a soul is provided the opportunity of a return, but while paying the terrible penalty according to the invariable Law. Each of the Hermetic Principles, including that of Mental Substance, are in full operation on all planes of existence, for all are held in the Mind of The All. The Principle of Vibration manifests on all planes; the differences that go to make the planes arise from vibration. The Principle of Polarity manifests on each plane; the extremes of the poles apparently opposite and contradictory. The Principle of Rhythm manifests on each plane; the movement of the phenomena having its ebb and flow, rise and fall, inbreathing and out-pouring. The Principle of Cause and Effect manifests on each plane; every effect having its cause and every cause having its effect. The Principle of Gender manifests on each plane and operating along the lines of its masculine and feminine aspects. All that is in the Universe emanates from the same Source. At this point the student may ask, Is a plane a place having dimensions, or is it merely a mental state or condition? The paradoxical answer is this: A plane is neither a place nor an ordinary dimension of space. It is more than a mental state or condition, but may be considered a mental state or condition. While a plane is neither a place nor a state or condition, it possesses qualities common to both. Although it is not an ordinary dimension of space, a plane is a degree of dimension of creation, the fourth dimension. Occultists refer to it as the Dimension of Vibration where everything vibrates at different rates of motion, direction, and manner. The degrees of the rate of vibration constitute the degrees of measurement on the Scale of Vibrations and form what occultists call planes. This dimension is the standard used in determining the planes. The grasping of the Principle of Correspondence allows the student to reconcile many paradoxes and hidden secrets of Nature. Its use allowed the Veil of Isis to be removed so that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be seen. Just as a knowledge of the Principles of Geometry enables man to measure distant Suns and their movements, a knowledge of this tenet enables him to reason intelligently from the known to the unknown. By studying the nomad, he understands the archangel.

3. The P ri nci pl e of Vi brati o n

Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.

The Principle of Vibration embodies the truth that motion is manifest in everything in the Universe. The Hermetic Teachings are that nothing is at rest; that everything moves and vibrates. Even The All manifests a constant vibration of such an infinite rate of intensity and rapidity that It is practically at rest, just as a rapidly moving wheel seems to be motionless. At the other end of the scale are gross forms of matter whose vibrations are so low that they seem at rest. The differences between the various manifestations of the Universal Power are due to the oscillating rate and mode of vibrations. The higher the vibration, the higher the position on the Scale of Vibration. Although this principle was enunciated thousands of years ago by the Masters of Ancient Egypt and recognized by some of the early Greek philosophers who exemplified it in their systems, it was not acknowledged by thinkers outside the Hermetic ranks until the 19th century. It was during this time that physical science discovered this truth, and in the 20th century additional scientific discoveries provided further proof of this primordial Hermetic doctrine. Modern science has proven that all we refer to as matter and energy are merely modes of vibratory motion, and some of the more advanced scientists are quickly moving toward the positions of the occultists who hold that the phenomena of mind are also modes of vibration or motion. In fact, all particles of matter are in circular movement, and all forms of matter manifest vibrations in accordance with the Principle of Vibration. The planets revolve around Suns, the Suns move around even greater central points, and these greater central points are believed to move around even greater points, and so on, ad infinitum. Science explains that light, heat, magnetism, and electricity are merely forms of vibratory motion connected in some way with, and likely emanating from, the Ether. To some degree, all matter manifests with the vibrations arising from temperature or heat. Whether an object is cold or hot, it manifests certain heat vibrations and is in constant motion and vibration. For example, a rapidly moving object (wheel, spinning top, or cylinder) demonstrates the effects of increasing rates of vibration. Initially, the object is moving slowly and may be readily seen, but no sound of its movement reaches the ear. It is not until the velocity is increased that a deep growl or low note can be heard. Then as the velocity is further increased the note rises one in the musical scale. Then the motion, being further increased, rises one more in the musical scale. Then, one after the other, all the notes of the musical scale can be heard, rising higher and higher as the motion is increased. When the object has reached a certain velocity, the final note perceptible to human ears is reached, and then the piercing shriek begins to die away; the rate of motion being so high that the human ear cannot register the sound of the vibrations. Next, comes the perception of rising degrees of temperature, and after a while the human eye catches a glimpse of the object as it becomes a dull, dark reddish color. As the rate increases, the red becomes brighter. Then, as the speed is increased even more, the red melts into an orange color. Then the orange melts into a yellow color. Then follow, successively, the shades of green, blue, and violet as the rate of speed increases. Violet, the final color, then shades away and all color disappears. Although the human eye is not able to register them, there are rays emanating from the revolving objectthe invisible rays that are used in photography. Then the peculiar rays, known as the X-Rays, begin to manifest as the constitution of the object changes. When the appropriate rate of vibration is attained, electricity and magnetism are emitted. However, when the object reaches the stage where it begins to emit electricity and magnetism it is not actually resolved into these forms of energy. It reaches a degree of vibration in which these energies are liberated, to a certain degree, from the confining influences of its structure. Until the object reaches the appropriate rate of vibration, these forms of energy are confined in the material combinations by reason of the energies manifesting through them. When the object reaches a certain rate of vibration, its molecules begin to disintegrate and resolve themselves into their original elements. Then the elements are separated into the countless electrons of which they are composed. Finally, the electrons disappear and the object may be said to be composed of The Ethereal Substance. The previous illustration corresponds with the Hermetic Teachings; that The Ethereal Substance manifests a degree of vibration entirely its own, and is the connecting link between the forms of vibratory energy known as matter, energy, or force. It shows the effect of constantly increased rates and modes of vibration; and that the Universal Ether is of extreme tenacity and elasticity. It pervades Universal space and serves as a medium of transmission for waves of vibratory energy such as heat, light, electricity, and magnetism.
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The molecules of which the particular kinds of matter are composed are in a state of constant vibration and movement around each other and against each other. The molecules are composed of atoms, which are also in a state of constant movement and vibration. The atoms are composed of electrons and protons, which are also in a state of constant movement and vibration. Though the illustration has yet to be taken further, the Hermetists teach that if the vibrations be continually increased, the object would ascend the successive states of manifestation; moving on Spirit-ward until, finally, re-entering The All, which is Absolute Spirit. From The All down to the grossest form of matter, all is in vibration.

To change your mood or mental state, change your vibration.

The Principle of Vibration underlies the wonderful phenomena of the power manifested by the Masters and Adepts, those capable of setting aside the Laws of Nature and conquering natural phenomena in various ways. In reality, however, they are simply using one law against another, one principle against another, and accomplish miraculous results by changing the vibrations of material objects and forms of energy. By applying the Principle of Vibration to mental phenomena, one may change his mental vibrations by deliberately directing and fixing his attention upon a more desirable state by an effort of will. Will directs the attention and attention changes the vibration. As a result, he gains perfect control over his mental states and moods. Mental states may also be produced in others. The Hermetists teach that all manifestations of any mental state or condition are accompanied by vibrations, a portion of which are projected on to others that affect their minds by induction. For example, a person who is melancholy and filled with fear seeks assistance from a Mental Scientist. The scientist brings his own mind up to the desired vibration by his trained will, obtains the desired polarization in his own mind, and then produces a similar mental state in his patient by induction. As a result, the persons fear and other negative emotions were transmuted into similar positive mental states. The Mental Scientist was able to transfer his own positive emotions on to his patient, and because of the increased vibrations, the person polarized toward the positive end of the scale. When it is understood that mental induction is possible we will readily see how a certain mental state may be produced in another person. It is the Principle of Vibration that engenders the phenomena of telepathy, mental influence, and other forms of power of mind over mind. This power may be acquired only by the proper instruction and practice. Cultivate the Art of Attention by means of the will and you will have solved the secret of the Mastery of Moods and Mental States. He who understands the Principle of Vibration has grasped the Scepter of Power.

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4. The P ri nc i pl e o f Po l ari ty
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.

The Principle of Polarity embodies the truth that everything is dual. It explains that all manifested things have two sides, two aspects, two poles, or a pair of opposites and the difference between diametrically opposed concepts is simply a matter of degree and rate of vibration. Man has always recognized something akin to this doctrine and has endeavored to express it by maxims such as everything is and isn't, at the same time; all truths are but half-truths; every truth is half-false; there are two sides to everything; there is a reverse side to every shield, etc. Where does light end and darkness begin? What is the difference between large and small; sharp and dull; high and low? This tenet reconciles these contradictions and no other can supersede it. Illustrations of the Principle of Polarity may be discovered by an examination into the true nature of anything. For example, on the physical plane it is illustrated by showing that heat and cold are identical in nature, and the difference between the two is only a matter of degrees. The thermometer shows many degrees of temperature; the lowest pole being cold and the highest heat. Between these two poles are many degrees of heat and cold. The higher of the two extremes is always warmer, while the lower is always colder. So it is with the scale of color. Higher and lower vibrations is the only difference between high violet and low red. There is no absolute standard; all is merely a matter of degree, a matter of higher or lower vibrations. The very terms high and low are poles of the same thing. The terms are merely relative, as with east and west. Travel far enough in an eastward direction and you will ultimately reach a point that is termed west. Travel far enough north, and you will reach a point that is termed south. The musical scale is the same, beginning with C and moving upward until you have reached another C. Light and darkness, although opposites, are the same thing; the difference consists only of varying degrees of the same thing and that same thing is merely a form, variety, and rate of vibration. On the mental plane, the principle is illustrated by showing that love and indifference are the same. At first glance, however, it may be challenging for the student to recognize that these two mental states are merely two extremes of the same thing with many degrees, or varying emotions, in between. The phenomena that we experience are manifestations of the Principle of Polarity. Many of us have had personal experiences of the rapid transition from love to indifference, and vice versa. This is accomplished by the use of the will. A mental state, and its opposite, are merely two poles of one thing and by Mental Transmutation the polarity might be reversed. This principle is employed by modern psychologists who apply it to transform undesirable habits within their subjects by encouraging them to concentrate upon the opposite quality. For example, if one is filled with fear, he should not waste time trying to eradicate it. Effectively cultivating the quality of courage will cause the fear to be transformed. Man is capable of transmuting a negative trait by concentrating upon the positive pole of that same quality. The vibrations will gradually change from negative to positive until he becomes polarized on the positive. The positive pole is of a higher degree than the negative, and the tendency of Nature is in the direction of the dominant activity of the positive pole. By changing your polarity you may master your moods, change your mental states, remake your disposition, and improve your character. Much of the Mental Mastery of the advanced Hermetics is due to the adept application of the Principle of Polarity. It is one of the most important aspects of Mental Transmutation. The Hermetist understands the Art of Mental Transmutation and is able to transmute one mental state into another along the lines of polarization by means of an intelligent application of this principle. It is through the application of this principle that the results of many of the mental treatments are obtained. Nearly all mental changes are along the line of polarization; the change being one of degree rather than kind. Although things belonging to different classes cannot be transmuted into each other, things of the same class may have their polarity changed. For example, indifference can't become east or west, or the color red, but it may be transmuted into love by changing its polarity. Hard things may be rendered soft; dull things can become sharp; hot things can become cold. An understanding of this principle will enable the student to better understand his own mental states, as well as those of others, and enable him to raise or lower the vibration, at will, if he will devote the time and study necessary to master the Art.
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As a result, he will become Master of his mental states instead of being enslaved to them. Additionally, he will be able to aid his fellows intelligently. Unless one acquires the art of changing his own polarity he will be unable to affect his environment. The mastery of polarization is the mastery of the fundamental principles of Mental Alchemy. The Divine Enigma The half-wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of the Universe imagine that they may defy Its Laws, are vain and presumptuous fools. They are broken against the rocks and torn asunder by the elements by reason of their folly. The truly wise, knowing the nature of the Universe, use Law against laws; the higher against the lower, and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph. Mastery consists not in abnormal dreams, visions, fantastic imaginings, or living, but in using the higher forces against the lowerescaping the pains of the lower planes by vibrating on the higher. Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the Master. The Divine Enigma is an aspect of the Principle of Polarity and manifests itself when The All begins to create. It denotes the difference between wisdom and half-wisdom. If man, owing to half-wisdom, acts, lives, and thinks of the Universe as merely a dream, similar to his own finite dreams, he stumbles around in a labyrinth and makes no progress. Then he is forced into an awakening and the acceptance of the Natural Laws that he previously ignored. Therefore, it is imperative to keep in mind that while the Universe is not; still, it is. The Teachers caution against the error of omitting the other side of any question. This warning is directed toward the complications of the Absolute and the Relative, which perplexes the students of philosophy and cause many to think and act contrary to what is generally known as common sense. There are many contradictions when considering the nature of the Universe, as well as the many challenges that plague life, being, and becoming. The Laws of Nature become less constant, or effective, when we know them to be merely mental creations. From the Relative viewpoint, the Universe is in the nature of an illusion, dream, or phantasmagoria when compared to The All in Itself. Hermetists recognize this even in ordinary view, for the world is a fleeting show that is born and then dies. The elements of impermanence, change, and finiteness must ever be connected with the idea of a created Universe when it is contrasted with the idea of The All no matter what may be our beliefs concerning the nature of both. Philosopher, metaphysician, scientist, and theologian all agree upon this idea. It is found in all forms of philosophical thought and religious concepts. To The All, the Universe must be unreal and illusive, a mere dream, or the result of meditation, but to finite minds forming a part of that Universe and viewing it through mortal faculties, the Universe is very real and must be considered so. Even our finite minds understand the scientific dictum that there is no such thing as matter from a scientific point of view. What we consider to be matter is held to be merely an aggregation of atoms, which vibrate in constant circular motion. Although the Laws, Powers, Life, and Phenomena of The Infinite All are as things witnessed in a state of meditation or dream, we must acknowledge the real nature of the Universe and treat it as alive and active. We must seek to understand its mental laws, and endeavor to use them to the best of our ability. We will fare badly if we do not. The Relative point of view shows only one side of the picture, however. The other side is the Absolute. English Philosopher Herbert Spenser's basic principle postulates the existence of an Infinite and Eternal Energy from which all things proceed. The influence of Hermetic thought largely rests on the theories of modern science, as well as those of the early philosophers of Greece. The Hermetists recognize in Spensers philosophy the highest outside statement of the workings of the Natural Laws that have ever been promulgated. In addition, his teachings regardi ng evolution and rhythm are in almost perfect agreement with the Hermetic Teachings regarding the Principle of Rhythm. Wheth er the Universe be created of matter, or is a Mental Creation of The All, it is unsubstantial and non-enduring; a thing of time, space, and constant change. The Hermetic Teachings explain that anything having a beginning and an ending must be, in a sense, unreal and untrue. Therefore, from the Absolute point of view there is nothing real except The All. However, in recognizing the Absolute point of view, we must not make the mistake of ignoring or denying the facts and phenomena of the Universe as they present themselves to our mortal faculties, for we are not The All. For example, we all recognize the fact that matter exists to our senses: when we kick a stone and feel the impact it seems real; our foot feels the impact by means of our brain; our brain and foot are comprised of atoms. If it were not by reason of our mind we would not know the foot or stone at all.

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If students can grasp the underlying principle of The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental and held in the Mind of The All, he will find that all the Hermetic Principles fit neatly into his scientific knowledge and will serve to bring out obscure points. Students are discouraged from yielding to the temptation that overcomes the half-wise; that which causes them to be hypnotized by the apparent unreality of things. Wandering about in a dream-like state, ignoring the practical work and life of man, and perishing by reason of their folly. Students would do well to avoid the half-wise, altogether, and simply follow the example of the wise who use Law against laws, the higher against the lower, and by the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into that which is worthy. It is ignorant to dwell upon the feature of illusion, and unwise to deny or ignore the existence of matter in its relative aspect. This Universe of Mentality is very real indeed. It is the only one we can ever know, though we rise from plane to plane, higher and higher in it. With the Master-Key of the Hermetic Philosophy, students will be able to unlock many doors of the inner philosophical conceptions of Spenser, whose work shows the results of the preparation of his previous incarnations. Our purpose in the Universe is not to deny its existence, but to live within it, do the best we can each day, live up to our highest ideals, and triumph. That which is evermore apparent becomes the illusory nature of finite things, but not until The All finally withdraws us into Itself does the vision actually vanish. Grasp the advantage of Mentalism, as well as the paradox of the Absolute and the Relative, lest you become entangled in the mire of half-truth. Learn from the Hermetic Teachings that the Universe is purely mental in its nature, and while on the plane of matter, recognize its phenomena. It is true that the higher we rise in the scale of existence, the nearer to the Mind of The All we reach. We may even control matter and overcome the lower laws, but we may only do so by applying the higher forces. However, we cannot escape Law or rise above it entirely. The most advanced Masters may acquire the powers attributed to the gods of men, but even they are bound by and subservient to Law. The Universe exists by virtue of these Laws, which form its framework and hold it together. Nothing but The All can escape Law because The All is LAW Itself, from which all Laws emerge.

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5. The P ri nc i pl e o f Rh yth m
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. Thus Rhythm compensates.

The Principle of Rhythm embodies the truth that in everything there is a measured motion: an action and reaction; an advance and retreat; a rising and sinking; a flow and inflow; a tide-like ebb and flow; a swing backward and forward. There is a pendulum-like movement that exists between the two poles on the physical, mental, and spiritual planes in accordance with the Principle of Polarity. It is manifested in all the phenomena of the Universe, in the creation and destruction of worlds, in the rise and fall of nations, in the mental states of man, and in the life history of all things. Suns, worlds, men, animals, plants, minerals, forces, energy, mind, and matter manifest this principle. This law is closely connected with that of polarity because it manifests between the two poles established by that principle. The swing is always toward one pole and then to the other. There is always the Out-breathing and In-breathing of Braham, as the Brahams word it, beginning with the manifestations of The All. The All begins by meditating on Its Creation so that it can be Thought into Existence. It projects Its Will toward Its aspect of Becoming and lowers Its vibration until the urge ceases. Next, The All gradually awakens from Its Meditative State, and in doing so the Mental Image of Its Creation becomes manifest on the material, mental, and spiritual planessuccessively and in Divine Order. Universes are created. Matter becomes less gross. The units spring into being. The combinations begin to form. Life begins manifesting in higher and higher forms, and Mind becomes more and more evident. Then their height of power is reached and each unit reaches its extreme low point of material manifestation. The All has separated the lowest point from the highest with Spirit, and the distance between the two poles is only a matter of degree. This is the Stage of Involution. Then the process of retrogression begins, the return swing of the Rhythmic Pendulum. During this in-drawing process, all indistinguishable energy returns to the Source from which it emerged as highly developed units of life by means of physical, mental, and spiritual evolution. After aeons they become dead masses of matter awaiting another impulse that restarts their inner energies into activity. Then a new solar life cycle is begun. It is the same with all the worlds. They are born, grow, and then die only to be reborn. It is the same with all things of shape and form. They swing from activity to inactivity, action to reaction, birth to death, and then back again. This can also be observed with all great movements, philosophies, creeds, fashions, governments, and nations. We experience their birth, growth, maturity, decadence, death, and re-birth. The swing of the pendulum is ever in evidence. Night follows day. Day follows night. All masses of matter swing around the circle of their nature. There is no such thing as absolute rest or cessation from movement, and all movement partakes of rhythm. The Principle of Rhythm is of universal application and may be applied to the phenomena of any of the planes of existence, as well as to all phases of human activity. Upon the Completion of the Great Work, The All shall draw back into Itself all of Its Creations including Its Attention, Contemplation, and Meditation of the Universe. The spirit of each soul will have expanded until it has merged with the Creator. We will go gladly, for we will then be able to know the Whole Truth of Being At One with The All. Such is the Destiny of Man as reported by the Illumined, those who have advanced well along The Path. In the meantime, rest calm and serene. We are safe and protected by the Infinite Power of the Father-Mother Mind.

Rhythm may be neutralized by an adept application of the Art of Polarization.

Although the Principle of Rhythm is well understood by modern science and considered a universal law as applied to material things, the Hermetists carry it much further. They have learned how to use the principle, instead of being used by it. They have also discovered that there are two general planes of its manifestation: the lower and the higher. An understanding of these planes enables them to rise to the higher plane of consciousness in order to escape the backward swing of the rhythmic pendulum, which manifests on the lower. They know that its manifestations and influence extend to the mental activities of man and account for the bewildering succession of moods, feelings, and other perplexing changes that we notice in ourselves. While the law is invariable, cannot be annulled, or cease its operations, the Hermetic Master is able to escape the rhythmic swing toward distress by rising to the higher plane of Self, and by use of the Law of Neutralization. Its processes are similar to rising above a thing and letting it pass beneath you.
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When the Hermetic Master observes the backward swing of the rhythmic pendulum on the lower plane, he refuses to participate by denying its influence over him, consciously raises his mental vibrations, polarizes himself to the point where he desires to rest, and then neutralizes the rhythmic swing of the pendulum. As a result, he is able to escape negative mental consequences. Although individuals who have attained any degree of self-mastery accomplish this by simply refusing to allow their negative mental states to adversely affect them, the Master carries this to a much higher degree of proficiency. By the adept use of his will, he achieves and maintains a degree of poise and mental firmness that is almost impossible to believe on the part of the masses. Those who allow themselves to be swung backward and forward like a pendulum. The importance of this will be appreciated by any thinking person who realizes what creatures of moods, feelings, and emotions the majority of people are, and how little mastery of themselves they manifest. If the student will stop and consider a moment, he will realize how much these swings of rhythm have affected him in his life. How a period of enthusiasm has been invariably followed by an opposite temperament of depression. How his moods and periods of courage have been succeeded by equal moods of fear. Tides of feeling rise and fall with him, but he has never suspected the cause or reason of the mental phenomena. An understanding of this principle will provide the student with much insight into the mastery of these rhythmic swings of feeling, and enable him to know himself better so that he can avoid being carried away by these inflows and outflows. The will is superior to the conscious manifestation of this principle and although the principle can never be destroyed, we can escape its effects. Another important aspect of the Principle of Rhythm is the Law of Compensation. The measure of the swing in one direction determines the distance of the swing in the opposite direction. The one balances or counterbalances the other. On the Physical Plane, we see many examples of this law in action. The pendulum of the clock swings a certain distance to the right, and then an equal distance to the left. The seasons balance each other in the same way, and even the tides follow the same law. An object hurled upward to a certain height has an equal distance to traverse on its return. The force with which a projectile is sent upward is reproduced when the projectile returns to the earth. Even the capacity for both pain and pleasure in each individual, including animals, is balanced. The Law of Compensation is manifested in all the phenomena of rhythm. One generally pays the price of anything he possesses or lacks. If he has one thing, he lacks another. The things that one gains are always paid for by the things that one loses. Thus rhythm compensates. The rich possess much that the poor lack, while the poor often possess things that are beyond the reach of the rich. The millionaire may have the inclination toward feasting and the wealth to secure all the luxuries of the table, but he lacks the appetite to enjoy the same. The appetite, digestion, and inclinations of the poor person is envied by the millionaire. The poor person gets more pleasure from his plain food than the millionaire could ever obtain even if his appetite were not jaded. Their wants, habits, and inclinations differ. This law is also evident on the Mental Plane, and man's mental states are subject to it. There are temperaments that permit low degrees of enjoyment and equally low degrees of suffering. Those that permit the most intense enjoyment, but also the most intense suffering. However, it does not always follow that one must compensate for a certain degree of pleasure with a corresponding degree of pain. In many instances, man is not required to swing as far, proportionately, toward the pole of pain before he is allowed to experience pleasure. On the contrary. According to the Law of Compensation, the pleasure one experiences is the rhythmic swing for a degree of pain that was endured either in the present life or previous incarnation. The Hermetists regard the chain of lives as continuous, and as forming a part of one life of the individual. The student may understand the rhythmic swing, but it is without meaning unless the truth of reincarnation is admitted. Even though several lifetimes may be required for the return swing of the Pendulum of Rhythm, there is always the rhythmic swing from one pole to the other according to Law. Everything has its pleasant and unpleasant sides and this law is always in operation. Striving to balance and counter-balance, and always succeeding in time.

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6. The P ri nci pl e of Caus e and E ffec t

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 Law.

The Principle of Cause and Effect embodies the truth that everything happens according to Law and that nothing ever escapes It. This principle explains that Law pervades the Universe; that there is a cause for every effect, and an effect from every cause; that nothing happens by chance; that there is no such thing as chance; that chance is merely a term indicating cause existing, but neither recognized nor perceived; and that phenomena is continuous, without break or exception. This principle underlies all scientific thought, both ancient and modern, and was enunciated by the Hermetic Teachers in the earliest days. While there are countless and varied disputes between the many schools of thought, they are primarily based upon the details of the operations of this principle, as well as the meanings of certain words. It has been accepted as correct by practically all the thinkers of the world. To think otherwise would be to take the phenomena of the Universe from the domain of Law and Order and relegate it, instead, to the control of chance. However, a little consideration will show anyone that there is no such thing as pure chance. The definition of the word chance is a supposed agent or mode of activity other than a force, law or purpose; the operation or activity of such agent; the supposed effect of such an agent; a happening; fortuity; casualty; etc. Therefore, there can be no such agent as chance in the sense of something outside of Law, something outside of Cause and Effect. How could there be a something acting in the phenomenal Universe independent of the laws, order, and continuity of existence? Such a something would be entirely independent of the orderly trend of the Universe and superior to it. We can't imagine anything outside of The All that exists independent of Law. This is because we know that The All is the LAW in Itself. Though vast, there is no room in the Universe for something that is outside of and independent of Law. The existence of such a something would render all Natural Laws ineffective. It would plunge the Universe into chaotic disorder and lawlessness. What we call chance is merely an expression relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive; causes that we cannot understand.

He who understands the Principle of Cause and Effect is well on the road to Mastery.
The word chance is derived from a word meaning to fall such as the falling of dice. The idea being that the fall of the dice is merely a happening unrelated to any cause, and this is the sense in which the term is generally employed, but when the matter is closely examined, it is seen that there is no chance whatsoever about the fall of the dice. Each time a die falls and displays a certain number, it obeys a law as infallible as that which governs the revolution of the planets around the Sun, and back of the fall of the die are a chain of causes that go back farther than the mind can follow. The position of the die in the box; the amount of muscular energy expended in the throw; the condition of the table, etc., are all are causes, the effects of which may be seen, and back of these seen causes are chains of unseen preceding causes, all of which had a bearing upon the number of the die that fell uppermost. If a die be cast a great number of times, it will be found that the numbers shown will be about equal, that is, there will be an equal number of one-spot, two-spot, and so forth, coming uppermost. Toss a penny in the air, and it will come down either heads or tails, but make a sufficient number of tosses and the heads and tails will be approximately even. This is the operation of the Law of Average, and both the average and the single toss come under the Law of Cause and Effect. If we were able to look into the preceding causes, it would be clearly seen that it was simply impossible for the die to fall other than it did, under the same circumstances, and at the same time. Given the same causes the same results will follow. There is always a cause and a because to every event. Nothing ever happens without a cause or chain of causes. Some confusion has arisen in the minds of those considering this principle stemming from the fact that they were unable to explain how one thing could cause or be the creator of another thing. No thing ever causes or creates another thing; cause and effect deals merely with events. An event is that which comes, arrives, or happens as a result or consequence of some preceding event. No event creates another event; it is merely a preceding link in the great orderly chain of events flowing from the Creative Energy of The All. There is a continuity between all events precedent, consequent, and subsequent.
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There is a relation existing between everything that has gone before and everything that follows. For example, a stone is dislodged from a mountain side and crashes through a roof o f a cottage in the valley below. Initially, we may regard this as a chance event, but when we examine the matter we find a great chain of causes behind it. In the first place, there was the rain that softened the earth supporting the stone, which allowed it to fall, and back of that was the influence of the Sun and preceding rains, which gradually disintegrated the piece of rock from a larger piece. Then there were the causes that led to the formation of the mountain, and its upheaval by convulsions of nature, and so on, ad infinitum. Then we might follow up the causes behind the rain. Then we might consider the existence of the roof. In short, we would soon find ourselves involved in a mesh of cause and effect from which we would soon strive to extricate ourselves. Just as a man has two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-greatgrandparents, and so on, until when generations are calculated the numbers of ancestors run into the millions. So it is with the number of causes behind even the most trifling event of phenomena such as the passage of that tiny speck of soot that now passes before your eyes. It is not an easy matter to trace the speck of soot back to the early period of the world's history when it formed a part of a massive tree-trunk, but it is the same speck of soot that now passes before your eyes on its way to other adventures. A mighty chain of events, causes, and effects brought that speck of soot to its present location and condition, and will go on to produce other events hundreds of years from now. One of the series of events arising from the tiny speck of soot was the initial writing of these lines that caused the early 20th century version of The Kybalion to be revised by Many Artistic Souls in the year 2011. All of which will arouse certain thoughts in your mind and that of others, which will affect others, and so on, beyond the ability of man to think further. All from the passage of a tiny speck of soot, and all of which shows the relativity and association of things. There is no great, there is no small in the Mind that causeth All. If you were to carefully examine this statement, you would realize that there is a condensed wealth of Hermetic knowledge contained within it. Every thought we think and every act we perform has its direct and indirect results, which fit into the great chain of cause and effect.

Nothing escapes the Principle of Cause and Effect, but there are many planes of causation and one may use the Laws of the higher to overcome the laws of the lower.
The majority of people are more or less slaves of heredity, environment, emotions, feelings, and moods, and they manifest no Mastery worthy of mentioning. Not only are the majority of people carried along like the falling stone obedient to environment, outside influences, internal moods, and desires they also succumb to the desires and wills of others stronger than themselves. They are swayed by the opinions, customs, and thoughts of the outside world and manifest very little freedom. Heredity, environment, and suggestion carry them along without resistance on their part or the use of their will. They are moved like pawns on the Chessboard of Life. They play their parts and are laid aside once the game is over. They have the audacity to indignantly repudiate this assertion saying, I am free to act and do as I please; I do whatever I want to do. However, they fail to explain from where the desire to want to do something arises. What makes them desire to do one thing in preference to another; what makes them prefer to do this and not do that? Is there no because to their desires and preferences? The Master can transmute these predilections into others at the opposite end of the mental pole. He has the resoluteness to adeptly employ his will, instead of behaving in a foolhardy manner because some emotion or environmental suggestion arouses a desire within him to do so. The Hermetic Master understands the Art of Mental Transmutation, as well as the methods of rising above the material plane of Cause and Effect. He does not escape the causation of the higher planes; even the most wise are subject to the principle as it manifests on the higher planes . The Master serves on the higher and obeys the laws coming from above him, but on his own plane and those below him, he rules and gives orders. He forms a conscious part of the Law, instead of opposing it. He falls in alignment with the Law and by understanding its movements he operates it, instead of being its blind slave. He knows the rules of The Game of Life and he plays the game, instead of being played and moved about by the wills of others and environment. The Master is a Mover, not a pawn. H e uses this principle, instead of being used by it. By placing himself in touch with the higher powers of his true nature, he is able to dominate his own mood, character, qualities, and environment thus becoming the Cause, instead of an Effect. Just as the skilled swimmer propels himself through water and goes and comes as he wills, instead of being as the log that is carried here and there. So is the wise man when compared to the fool. Yet, swimmer and log, wise man and fool, are subject to Law.
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The Hermetic Teachings are that man may use Law to overcome laws, and the higher will always prevail against the lower until he has reached the stage in which he seeks refuge in the LAW Itself. Now we are able to see, through eyes made clear by knowledge, that everything is governed by Universal Law, and the infinite number of laws are manifestations of the One Great Law: The Law that is The All. It is true, indeed, that not a sparrow drops unnoticed by the Mind of The All, and even the hairs on our head are numbered, as the scriptures have stated. There is nothing outside of Law. Nothing that happens contrary to It. Therefore, there is no such thing as chance.

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7. The P ri nci pl e of Gend er

Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles. Gender manifests on all planes.

The Principle of Gender embodies the truth that there is gender manifested in everything. The masculine and feminine principles are always expressed and active in all phases of phenomena and on every plane of existence. On the physical plane the principle manifests as sex, and on the higher planes it takes on higher forms, but the principle is ever the same. When The All manifests on the Plane of Organic Life, It acts according to Law and Principle moving on a lower plane of existence. Consequently demonstrating the Principle of Gender in Its masculine and feminine aspects. It is the same in the field of inorganic matter, as well as the field of energy or force. No exhibition of creation is possible without this principle. This is true even in the creation of Universes, and neither aspect is capable of operating without the assistance of the other. M asculinity is always present in the feminine form and femininity is always present in the masculine. In some forms of life both masculine and feminine aspects are combined into one organism. More importantly, the terms gender and sex are not equivalent. Sex is a material manifestation of gender; the physical distinctions between male and female living things. Gender means relating to generation or creation. Wherever anything is generated or created on any plane of existence the Principle of Gender is manifested. Prior to the 20th century, a distinct manifestation of the Principle of Gender among the particles that constitute the basis of matter was difficult to prove due to the erroneous assumption that the atom was indivisible. The concept of the atom as an indivisible component of matter was first proposed by early Indian and Greek philosophers. 17th and 18th century chemists had even taken the notion further by providing a physical basis for this idea by showing that certain substances could not be broken down further by chemical methods. However, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries physicists discovered subatomic components and structure inside the atom, thereby demonstrating that the atom was, indeed, divisible. Ironically, the word atom comes from the Greek tomos, which means uncuttable or indivisible; something that cannot be divided further. Nevertheless, it has been scientifically ascertained that the formation of the atom is due to the clustering of electrons around a proton. It appears that the purpose of the proton (the masculine element) is to direct a certain inherent energy toward the electron (the feminine element). An understanding of the Principle of Gender will shed light on many subjects that have perplexed the minds of men. In many physical phenomena such as electricity, magnetism, and thermal conductivity electrons play an essential role; they determine the chemical properties of an element and strongly influence the atom's magnetic properties. When an electron unites with a proton a certain process is begun, and the result is the birth of a new atom. The new atom is comprised of a union of both masculine and feminine elements. This is the truth of electrical phenomena and corresponds to the most ancient Hermetic Teachings that have always identified the Masculine Principle of Gender and the Feminine Pole of Electricity. T he masculine aspect manifested by The All stands apart from the actual mental creation of the Universe and projects Its Will toward the feminine. The feminine particles vibrate and encircle rapidly under the influence of the masculine energy and begins the actual work of the evolution of the Universe. When viewed in this light, one may think of the masculine feature as God or the Father, and the feminine as Nature or the Universal Mother from whose womb all things are born. However, because the masculine element has been viewed as the Father and the feminine as the Universal Mother, the ancient teachings on the subject have become distorted: many postulate that there is both a male and a female God or Creator, but the Hermetic Teachings do not imply a duality. On the contrary. The All is One and in its Infinite Mind the Universe is generated, created, and exists. In Itself, The All is above gender and every other law, including those of time and space. It is the Law from which the laws proceed and is not subject to them. The two aspects, masculine and feminine, are merely characteristics of Its expression. From centers of activity, on to man, and then on to even higher planes of existence, all manifests according to the well-established and firmly enforced Laws of Nature.

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From the Will of God Nature received the Word (Logos), and gazing upon the Cosmos' Beauty did copy it, making herself into a cosmos by means of her own elements and by the births of souls. For the Mind being God, both male and female as life and light subsisting, brought forth another Mind, the Work man, to give things form. God as he was of Fire and Spirit formed Seven Rulers who enclose the cosmos that the sense perceives, and whose government or disposition is called fate or destiny. Straightway from out the downward elements Gods Reason (Logos) leaped up to Natures pure formation, and was atoned with the Formative Mind; for it was co-essential with it. And Natures downward elements were thus left reasonless, so as to be pure matter. Then the Formative Mind, atoned with Reason, surrounded the spheres and spun them with his whirl, set turning his formations, and let them turn from a beginning boundless unto an endless end. For that the circulation of these spheres begins where it does end as Mind wills. And from the downward elements Nature brought forth lives reason-less; for He did not extend the Reason (Logos) to them. The Air brought forth things winged; the Water things that swim, and Earth-and-Water one from another parted, as Mind willed. And from her bosom Earth produced what lives, she had four-footed things and reptiles, beasts wild and tame.
The Corpus Hermeticum

M ental Ge nd er
The Infinite Mind of The All is the Womb of Universes.

The Principle of Mental Gender embodies the truth that there is a dual aspect in the mind of every person. The I representing the Masculine Principle of Mental Gender and the Aspect of Being. The Me representing the Feminine Principle of Mental Gender and the Aspect of Becoming. These aspects of mind, in connection with mental and psychic phenomena, provide the master-key to the dimly known regions of mental operation and manifestation. Students of psychology who follow the trend of thought along the lines of mental phenomena are struck by the persistence of the dual-mind idea that has given rise to a number of plausible theories regarding the nature and constitution of the conscious and sub-conscious minds. In 1893, Thomson J. Hudson attained great popularity by advancing his well-known theory of the objective and subjective minds, which he held existed in every individual. In 1921, Carl Gustav Jung termed these aspects of the mind the anima and animus. The following is an excerpt borrowed from the pages of Jung's Liber Novus: Inasmuch as the I is only the center of my field of consciousness, it is not identical with the totality of my psyche, being merely a complex among other complexes. Hence I discriminate between the I and the self, since the I is only the subject of my consciousness, while the self is the subject of my totality: hence it also includes the unconscious psyche. In this sense the self would be an (ideal) greatness which embraces and includes the I. In unconscious fantasy the self often appears as the super-ordinated or ideal personality, as Faust is in relation to Goethe and Zarathustra to Nietzsche. He equated the Hindu notion of Brahman/Atman with the self, and argued that the soul possessed qualities that were complementary to the persona, containing those qualities that the conscious attitude lacked. This complementary character of the soul also affected its sexual character, so that a man had a feminine soul, or anima, and a woman had a masculine soul, or animus. This corresponded to the fact that men and women had both masculine and feminine traits. He also noted that the soul gave rise to images that were assumed to be worthless from the rational perspective. There were four ways of using them: The first possibility of making use of them is artistic, if one is in anyway gifted in that direction; a second is philosophical speculation; a third is quasi;religious, leading to heresy and the founding of sects; and a fourth way of employing the dynamis of these images is to squander it in every form of licentiousness. Although the theories of the various writers may somewhat differ from each other, there remains the underlying principle of the duality of mind. The masculine aspect corresponds to the objective, conscious, voluntary, and active mind. It contends itself with the work of the will in its varied phases. The feminine aspect corresponds to the subjective, subconscious, involuntary, and passive mind. It has a more varied field of operation than the masculine. It conducts the work of generating new thoughts, concepts, and ideas, including the work of the imagination. The feminine aspect may be considered the mental womb, as the ancients styled it, capable of generating mental offspring. It reports to the consciousness as a Me with latent powers of creation and generation of mental progeny of all sorts and kinds. Its powers of creative energy are felt to be enormous, but still it seems to be conscious that it must receive some form of energy from either its I companion, or the I from the mind of another, where it is able to bring into being its mental creations. Without the active aid of the will of the masculine aspect, the feminine is apt to rest content with generating mental images that are the result of impressions received from outside, instead of producing original mental creations. Unfortunately, there are only a few original thoughts or actions performed by the average person. The masculine principle in him is too languid to act because his display of will power is too slight. As a result, he is ruled almost entirely by the minds and wills of other persons, whom he allows to do his thinking and willing for him. He subconsciously allows an idea that originated in the mind of another person to grow and develop in his own mind, and in time the idea is regarded as his own mental offspring. In reality, however, it is like the cuckoo egg placed in the sparrow's nest: it destroys the original offspring of another and makes itself at home. This is why the masses of people are such sheep-like creatures, never originating an idea of their own, nor using their own powers of mental activity. They are mere shadows and echoes of others having stronger wills or minds than themselves. The average person dwells almost completely in his Me consciousness. He does not even realize that he has such a thing as an I. He is polarized in his feminine aspect of mind and the masculine is allowed to remain inactive and unemployed.
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The average person thinks of his Me as being certain knowledge gathered together in his mind thus forming a part of himself. The Me of many men may be said to consist largely of their consciousness of the body, their physical appetites, etc. Their consciousness is largely related with their bodily nature, and they practically live there. Some men go so far as to regard their personal apparel as a part of their Me and actually consider it as part of themselves. Someone once wrote that men consist of three parts: soul, body, and clothes. Some people would lose their personality if divested of their clothing, and even those who are not so closely bound up with the idea of personal raiment stick closely to the consciousness of their bodies being their Me. The average man also thinks of his Self as being composed of certain feelings, tastes, likes, dislikes, habits, peculiar ties, characteristics, etc., all of which go to make up his personality. He knows that his emotions and feelings are born, change, and then die away. He may even realize that he is capable of changing these internal states of feeling by an effort of the will and produce a feeling or state of an opposite nature, but even then he is apt to identify his Me entirely with the mental states and feelings that he believes to exist within him. He is also prone to consider these internal states as identical with himself, instead of being merely things produced by some part of his mentality and existing within him and of him, but not of himself. The average person cannot conceive of a Self independent of the body; his mind is something that belongs entirely to his body. But as man rises in the scale of consciousness he is able to disentangle his Me from his idea of body and think of his body as belonging to the mental part of him. Individuation If one truly desires to undergo the process of the development of the Self and accomplish the goal of individuation, he is capable. Although ample mental concentration is required, as well as the power of mental analysis, one can annul the encumbrances, resolve the conflicts that arise at lifes transitional stages, and incorporate the innate elements of the personality. It is a completely natural process and necessary for the assimilation of the psyche. Over time, he can become his true Self: a stable, fully integrated, and well functioning individual. The task is possible for the advanced student, and even those not so far advanced are able to see, in the imagination, how the process of individuation may be performed. Besides achieving physical and mental health, people who have advanced towards individuation tend to be harmonious, mature, and responsible. They embody humane values and have a good understanding about the workings of human nature, as well as the Universe. Although this heightened level of consciousness brings with it a realization of an enormous capacity for mental work and creative ability, the student soon discovers that this is not all that resides in his psyche. He discovers that his I is an adroit mental mechanism, capable of willing that his Me behave along certain creative lines. He then realizes that his I is able to acquiesce and witness the operations of his Me's mental creation and generation. Within the consciousness is not just an ability to generate and actively create, but also a sense and consciousness of an ability to project an energy from the I to the Me. However, very few people can give continued attention and thought to a subject and actively emplo y both mental aspects. The objective is for both qualities, masculine and feminine, in a person's mind to coordinate and act harmoniously in conjunction with each other. T he masculine in providing the suggestions while stimulating and energizing the creative portion of the mind, at the same time directing a stream of vibratory energy or will-power toward the feminine aspect. The feminine in the work of active mental generation and accepting that which the masculine aspect expresses. The strong men and women of the world invariably manifest the masculine principle of will and their strength depends significantly upon this fact. Instead of living upon the impressions made upon their minds by others, they dominate their own minds by employing their will, obtain the kind of mental images desired, and govern the minds of others in the same manner. Observe how the emotionally resilient people manage to implant their seed thoughts in the minds of the masses thus causing the latter to think thoughts in accordance with the desires and wills of themselves. They employ the masculine aspect because they are not content to live according to the thoughts and ideas instilled into their Me from the I of other minds. The Phenomena of Psychism and ESP Many seek an explanation of the diverse phases of psychic phenomena under the theories of various dual mind teachers, and it is customary for these teachers to explain that it is the objective mind that makes the mental impression upon the subjective mind. If one were to consider this in the light of the Hermetic Teachings he will see that what he seeks is at hand. For example, within the Principle of Mental Gender lies the secret of Suggestion, a term that means the process or method whereby an idea is transferred to or impressed upon the mind of another, causing the second mind to act in accordance therewith. Therefore, it is seen how the vibratory energy of the masculine aspect of mind is projected toward the feminine of another person. The latter takes the seed thought and allows it to develop into maturity. The Hermetic Teachings show that the creation of the Universe follow the same processes.
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The tendency of the feminine aspect is always in the direction of receiving impressions, and the masculine always in the direction of giving out or expressing those impressions. More importantly, a correct understanding of the Law of Vibration is necessary in order to intelligently comprehend the varied psychical phenomena because the Principle of Suggestion depends entirely upon it. There are many different types of extrasensory communication, and researchers have broken down the term ESP into further categories to help explain what is taking place. Telepathy is the ability to obtain information psychically by reading the mind of another person; clairvoyance is the ability to "see" information that no one else has; precognition is the ability to view events before they happen; and r etrocognition is the ability to see past events. It is imperative for students to keep in mind that when psychics try to predict the future, all they can actually do is foretell a possible future based on current happenings, and if events continue on the same course (if people's attitudes, lifestyles, and world conditions remain the same) then psychics can "see" what the result will likely be. However, the readings make it quite clear that each of us has the gift of free will. If enough people use their free will and change what they are currently doing, this in turn will have dramatic effects on the future. For example, in the Bible, Jonah went to the city of Nineveh to tell the people about the destruction that was about to come upon their city because of their evil ways, but when the people of the city repented of their evil ways their city was saved. Once the Principle of Mental Gender is grasped and understood, the phenomena of psychism becomes capable of intelligent classification and study, instead of being very much in the dark. If you seek to understand the philosophy of mental and spiritual creation, generation and re-generation, you must first understand and study the Hermetic Principle of Mental Gender, as it contains the solution to many of life's mysteries.

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The A ll
Under and back of the Universe of Time, Space, and Change is Ever to be found the Substantial Reality; the Fundamental Truth.

Behind all outward appearances and manifestations is a Substantial Reality. Man considering the Universe sees nothing but change in matter, forces, and mental states. He sees that nothing really is; that everything is changing and becoming; that nothing stands still; that everything is born, grows, and then dies. The very instant a thing reaches its height, it begins to decline. All things evolve from other things and resolve into other things. There is no reality, enduring quality, fixity, or substantiation in anything. No thing is permanent, only change is constant. The Law of Rhythm is in constant operation. All these changing things must be manifestations of some underlying Power, some Substantial Reality. All thinkers in all lands have assumed the necessity for postulating the existence of a Substantial Reality. All philosophies have been based upon this thought and all acknowledge Its existence. Whatever It is, It is Self-Evident and needs no argument. To this Substantial Reality many names have been given such as God, Deity, The All, The Infinite, and Eternal Energy, but no matter what we may choose to call It, It is the Fundamental Truth, that which is beyond true naming. Many have even attempted to define this Substantial Reality, identifying It as Spirit, but this cannot be accurate because the Fundamental Truth cannot be defined. Spirit is simply a name that men give to the highest conception of Infinite Living Mind. Spirit transcends our understanding and we merely use the term when we think or speak of The All, at the same time acknowledging that we cannot fully understand It. Either we must do this or stop thinking of the matter altogether. Many postulate that this Substantial Reality is the Universe separated into fragments. However, this is a foolish assumption because The All can neither transfer, subtract, divide, reproduce, nor multiply portions of Itself. Many assume that The All is matter. Although what we see around us is t hat which is termed matter, that which forms the physical foundation for all forms, matter cannot manifest life or mind and because life and mind are manifested in the Universe, The All cannot be mere matter. Nothing can rise higher than its Source. Nothing is evolved unless it is involved. Nothing manifests in the effect unless it is in the cause. Still more presumptuous are those who attempt to ascribe to The All the qualities, properties, and characteristics of themselves.

What is God?
Hermetists regard the theories, guesses, and speculations of those who have not been granted understanding concerning the inner nature of The All as futile attempts of mortal minds trying to grasp the inconceivable secret of the Infinite. One pursuing such inquiries travels within the labyrinth of thought until he is lost to all sane reasoning, action, and conduct. Then what is God, The All, this Substantial Reality? While the essential nature of The All is and always will be Unknowable, there are certain truths connected with Its existence that the human mind finds itself compelled to accept. It is Infinite Living Mind in Its varying degrees of unfolding. It is Absolute, for there is nothing else to limit, restrict, restrain, disturb, condition, or define It. It is Infinite in time and has always existed, for there is nothing that could have created it, and something can never evolve from nothing. It can never not be because something can never become nothing. If it had ever not been, even for a moment, it would not be now. It must continuously exist forever, for there is nothing to destroy It. It is infinite in space. It cannot be anything other than continuous in space, without break, cessation, separation, or interruption, for there is nothing to break, cease, separate, or interrupt Its continuity, and nothing with which to fill in the gaps. It is everywhere, for there is no place outside of The All. It is Infinite in power, and not subject to any other power. There is no other Power. It is Immutable or Unalterable Good and not subject to change in Its real Nature. There is nothing to work changes upon It, nothing into which It could change, and nothing from which It could have changed. It can neither be added to nor subtracted from. It cannot be increased or diminished. It can't become greater or lesser in any respect. Therefore, The All, being Infinite, Absolute, Eternal, and Unchangeable must follow that anything finite, fleeting, conditioned, and changeable cannot be The All. It must have always been and must always remain, just what It is now.

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The following illustrations of The All in all are merely attempts to describe Infinite processes Using finite examples, as the True Nature of The All is, and always will be, Unknowable.

The All In All

While all is in The All, it is equally true that The All is in all. To him who truly understands this Truth hath come great knowledge.

Whose is the spirit of the characters that we know as Micawber, Oliver Twist, and Uriah Heep? Is it Dickens, or do each of these characters have a personal spirit independent of their creator? What about the Venus de' Medici, the Sistine Madonna, and the Apollo Belvedere? Do they each possess spirits and realities of their own, or do they represent the spiritual and mental power of their creators? The Law of Paradox explains that both propositions are true. Micawber is both Micawber and Dickens, but while the mental image of Micawber may have derived from the intrinsic mind of Dickens, Dickens is not Micawber. Accordingly, The All is in the earth-worm, but the earth-worm is far from being The All. The Essence of man's Creator is inherent within him, but man is not his Creator. How often have you heard the statement, The All is in all? This commonly used expression has survived from the Hermetic maxim above. Concealed within it is one of the greatest philosophical, scientific, and religious truths: The All is Immanent in Its Universe, and in every part, particle, unit, and combination within it. The pre-Socratics were among the first to speculate about the underlying nature of the visible world. Thales (c. 624546 BCE) regarded water as the fundamental material of the world. Anaximander (c. 610546 BCE) posited that the basic material was wholly characterless or limitless: the Infinite, Apeiron. Anaximenes (c. 585528 BCE) posited that the underlying nature of the visible world was pneuma, the element from which all else originated. Empedocles (c. 490430 BCE) spoke of four elements of which everything was made: earth, water, air, and fire. The idea that matter was built of discrete building blocks, the particulate theory of matter, was first introduced by the Greek philosophers Leucippus (c. 490 BCE) and Democritus (c. 470380 BCE). Although Democritus argued that everything is composed of minuscule, inert bodies of all shapes called atoms, all of these notions had deep philosophical problems. Aristotle (384322 BCE) was the first to put the conception on a sound philosophical basis in his Physics, Book I. He adopted as reasonable suppositions the four Empedoclean elements, but added a fifth, aether. These elements, like everything else in the visible world, are composed of the basic principles, matter, and form. The word Aristotle uses for matter, hyle, can be literally translated as wood or timber. That is, raw material for building. His conception of matter is intrinsically linked to something being made or composed. He suggests that matter is linked to process or change it is what underlies a change of substance. For example, a horse eats grass and changes the grass into itself. Although the grass does not persist in the horse, some aspect of it does and this consists of whatever persists in the change of substance from grass to horse. When viewed in this light, matter does not exist independently as a substance, but interdependently as a principle with form and only insofar as it underlies change. According to Aristotle, matter can only receive actuality from form. It has no activity or actuality in itself. Matter and intelligence exist together in an interdependent relationship. Ren Descartes (15961650) was the originator of the modern conception of matter, and elevates it to be a thing in itself. Being a geometer, he redefined matter to be suitable for abstract, mathematical treatment as that which occupies space. Extension in length, breadth, and depth constitutes the nature of bodily substance. Thought constitutes the nature of thinking substance. Everything else that can be attributed to body presupposes that extension is only a mode of that which is extended. According to Descartes, matter has only the property of extension. Its only activity, aside from locomotion, is to exclude other bodies. This is the mechanical philosophy. For Descartes, definitional matter and intelligence are opposed, independent substances. Although his justification for restricting the inherent qualities of matter to extension is its permanence, his real criterion was not permanence. His desire was to use geometry to explain all material properties. He argued that the inherent properties of bodies were limited to extension and secondary qualities, such as color, were only products of human perception. In his conception, matter is passive or inert and has different relationships to intelligence. Sir Isaac Newton (16431727) inherited Descartes' mechanical conception of matter. In the third of his Rules of Reasoning in Philosophy he lists the universal qualities of matter as extension, hardness, impenetrability, mobility, and inertia. Similarly in Opticks, he conjectures that God created matter as solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles, which were even so very hard as never to wear or break in pieces.
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The primary properties of matter were amenable to mathematical description unlike secondary qualities such as color or taste. Like Descartes, Newton rejected the essential nature of secondary qualities and developed Descartes' notion of matter by restoring to matter intrinsic properties in addition to extension such as mass. Newton's use of gravitational force effectively repudiated Descartes' mechanics in which interactions happened exclusively by contact. Though Newton's gravity would seem to be a power of bodies, Newton himself did not admit it to be an essential property of matter. Carrying the logic forward more consistently, Joseph Priestly argued that corporeal properties transcend contact mechanics; that chemical properties require the capacity for attraction. He argued that matter has other inherent powers besides the so-called primary qualities of Descartes. Noam Chomsky states that there is no clear and definite conception of form. The material world is whatever we discover it to be. At the turn of the 19th century, the knowledge of matter began a rapid evolution. Physicists discovered subatomic components and structure inside the atom. Following the development of the periodic table and atomic theory, atoms were seen as being the fundamental constituents of matter; they formed molecules and compounds. In the late 19th century was the discovery of the electron. In the early 20th century, the discovery of the atomic nucleus, along with the birth of particle physics. It was during this time that matter was seen as being made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons interacting to form atoms. Today, we know that even protons and neutrons are not indivisible. They can be divided further into quarks, and we also now know that electrons are part of a particle family called leptons. Both quarks and leptons are elementary particles and considered as being the fundamental constituents of matter. As the student can see, for much of the history of the natural sciences people have contemplated the exact nature of matter, and we will continue to endeavor to get a glimpse of the workings on the higher planes by examining those on the lower ones. There is an entire literature concerning the structure of matter ranging from the electrical structure in the early 20th century to the more recent quark structure of matter. The Earth is a mere grain of dust amid the Universe; it is not the Universe itself. Even within our solar system there are regions and planes of life far higher than ours. There are many degrees of existence in the Universe and we shall explore its farthest recesses before the end of time. Our possibilities and opportunities are infinite, both in time and space. There are beings with powers and attributes higher than man has ever imagined, and these beings were once as you. Despite all the seemingly contradictory appearances, we all depend upon the advancement of other beings. All is moving upward along the scale of existence, all progress is a return home, and all are on the path whose end is The All.

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Gl os s ary o f Sc ienti fic Terms

ANION An anion is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge. Conversely, a cation is an ion with fewer electrons than protons, giving it a positive charge. Since the charge on a proton is equal in magnitude to the charge on an electron, the net charge on an ion is equal to the number of protons in the ion minus the number of electrons. ATOM The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. They are minuscule objects with proportionately tiny masses and can only be observed individually using special instruments such as the scanning tunneling microscope. Over 99.9% of an atom's mass is concentrated in the nucleus. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons. The electrons of an atom are bound to the nucleus by the electromagnetic force. The electrons determine the chemical properties of an element and strongly influence an atom's magnetic properties. CATHODE RAYS Cathode rays are streams of electrons observed in vacuum tubes. High speed beams of cathode rays can be steered and manipulated by electric fields created by additional metal plates in the tube to which voltage is applied, or magnetic fields created by coils of wire (electromagnets; they are used in cathode ray tubes found in televisions, computer monitors, and electron microscopes. Cathode rays were first observed in 1869 by German physicist Johann Hittorf, and named kathodenstrahlen in 1876 by Eugen Goldstein. In 1897 British physicist J. J. Thomson showed the rays were composed of a previously unknown negatively charged particle, which was later named the electron. C.E.R.N. The European Organization for Nuclear Research is one of the worlds largest and most respected centers for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of, and how it works. CHEMICAL AFFINITY Historically, chemical affinity refers to the force that causes chemical reactions. In modern terms, we relate affinity to the phenomenon whereby certain atoms or molecules have the tendency to aggregate or bond. It can also refer to the tendency of an atom or compound to combine by chemical reaction with atoms or compounds of unlike composition. CHEMICAL ELEMENT A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Common examples of elements are iron, copper, silver, gold, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. Chemical matter constitutes about 15% of the total matter in the Universe. With the exception of hydrogen and helium, most chemical elements are believed to have been produced either by Cosmic Ray Spallation or Stellar Nucleosynthesis. Relatively small amounts of the known elements continue to be produced on Earth as products of natural transmutation processes. Ancient philosophy posited a set of classical elements to explain patterns in nature. Originally, the term elements referred to earth, water, air, and fire rather than the chemical elements of modern science. The term stoicheia was first used by the Greek philosopher Plato circa 360 BCE in his dialogue Timaeus, a speculative treatise on chemistry. He believed the elements introduced a century earlier by Empedocles were composed of small polyhedral forms: tetrahedron (fire), octahedron (air), icosahedron (water), and cube (earth). Aristotle also used the term stoicheia, but added a fifth element that formed the heavens, aether. He defined an element as one of those bodies into which other bodies can decompose, and that an element itself is not capable of being divided into another. In 1661, Robert Boyle showed that there were more than just the four classical elements as the ancients had assumed. By 1789 the first modern list of chemical elements was given in Antoine Lavoisier's Elementary Treatise on Chemistry, it contained thirty-three elements. By 1818 Jns Jakob Berzelius had determined atomic weights for forty-five of the forty-nine accepted elements. By 1869 Dmitri Mendeleev had sixtysix elements and was the first to arrange them in a periodic manner. He also discovered mendelevium, element 101, which was named in honor of him. In 1913, Henry Moseley discovered that the physical basis of the atomic number of the atom was its nuclear charge, which eventually led to the current definition, and by 1919 there were seventy-two known elements. As of March 2010, a total of 118 elements have been characterized, and the first 94 occur naturally on Earth. Of these, oxygen is the most abundant in the Earth's crust. COHESION Cohesion, cohesive attraction, or cohesive force is th e action or property of like molecules sticking together, being mutually attractive. This is an intrinsic property of a substance that is caused by the shape and structure of its molecules that makes the distribution of orbiting electrons irregular when molecules get close to one another creating electrical attraction that can maintain a macroscopic structure such as a water drop. Water is strongly cohesive as each molecule may make four hydrogen bonds to other water molecules in a tetrahedral configuration. This results in a relatively strong Coulomb force between molecules. Cohesion, along with adhesion (attraction between unlike molecules), helps explain phenomena such as meniscus, surface tension,

and capillary action. Mercury in a glass flask is a good example of the effects of the ratio between cohesive and adhesive forces. Because of its high cohesion and low adhesion to the glass, mercury does not spread out to cover the bottom of the flask, and if enough is placed in the flask to cover the bottom, it exhibits a strongly convex meniscus, where the meniscus of water is concave. Unlike water and many other liquids, Mercury will not wet the glass, and if the glass is tipped it will roll around inside. COULOMB'S LAW Coulomb's law, or Coulomb's inverse-square law, is a law of physics describing the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It was studied and first published in 1783 by French physicist Charles Augustin de Coulomb, and essential to the development of the theory of electromagnetism. COVELENT BOND A covalent bond is a chemical bond involving shared electrons between atoms rather than by the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another. Thus the resultant shared-electron bond is called a covalent bond, and the group of atoms held together by covalent bonds is called a molecule. EIGHTFOLD WAY In physics, the Eightfold Way is a term coined by American physicist Murray Gell-Mann for a theory organizing subatomic baryons and mesons into octets, alluding to the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism. The theory was independently proposed by Israeli physicist Yuval Ne'eman and led to the subsequent development of the quark model. The Eightfold Way may be understood in modern terms as a consequence of flavor symmetries between various kinds of quarks. Since the strong nuclear force affects quarks the same way regardless of their flavor, replacing one flavor of quark with another in a hadron should not alter its mass very much. Gell-Mann received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. ELECTRON The electron is a subatomic particle carrying a negative electric charge. Since it has no known components or substructure it is generally believed to be an elementary particle. According to theory, most electrons in the Universe were created in the big bang, but they may also be created through beta decay of radioactive isotopes and in high-energy collisions when cosmic rays enter the atmosphere. Although electrons, together with atomic nuclei made of protons and neutrons, make up atoms, they contribute less than 0.06% to an atom's total mass. The attractive Coulomb force between an electron and a proton causes electrons to be bound into atoms. The exchange or sharing of the electrons between two or more atoms is the main cause of chemical bonding. The antiparticle of the electron is called the positron. Although the positron is identical to the electron, it carries electrical and other charges of the opposite sign. When an electron collides with a positron, both particles may either scatter off each other or be totally annihilated, producing a pair or more of gamma ray photons. An electron in motion relative to an observer generates a magnetic field and will be deflected by external magnetic fields. Laboratory instruments are capable of containing and observing individual electrons, as well as electron plasma. Electrons have many applications, including welding, radiation therapy, lasers, and particle accelerators. ELECTRON VOLT In physics, the electron volt is a unit of energy equivalent to the amount of kinetic energy gained by a single unbound electron when it accelerates through an electric potential difference of one volt. Thus it is 1 volt multiplied by the electron charge. Historically, the electron volt was devised as a standard unit of measure through its usefulness in electrostatic particle accelerator sciences. It is widely used in solid-state, atomic, nuclear, and particle physics. ENERGY Energy occurs in many forms, including chemical energy, thermal energy, electromagnetic radiation, gravitational energy, electric energy, elastic energy, nuclear energy, and rest energy. There are two fundamental and interconvertible kinds of energy: kinetic and potential. Kinetic Energy Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes. The same amount of work is done by the body in decelerating from its current speed to a state of rest. Additionally, kinetic energy can be transformed to and from other forms of energy. For example, a cyclist uses chemical energy provided by food to accelerate a bicycle to a chosen speed. On a level surface, this speed can be maintained without further work, except to overcome air resistance and friction. Although the chemical energy has been converted into kinetic energy, the process is not completely efficient because it produces heat within the cyclist, but now the kinetic energy in the moving cyclist and bicycle can be converted to other forms of energy. The cyclist could encounter a hill just high enough to coast up so that the bicycle comes to a complete halt at the top. The kinetic energy can then be largely converted to gravitational potential energy that can be released by freewheeling down the other side of the hill. Kinetic energy can also be passed from one object to another. For example, in the game of billiards, the player imposes kinetic energy on the cue ball by striking it with the cue stick. If the cue ball collides with another ball, it slows down dramatically and the ball it collided with begins to accelerate as the kinetic energy is passed on to it.

Potential Energy Potential energy is stored energy. For example, the water in a reservoir behind a dam, an automobile poised to coast downhill, and a coiled spring all have potential energy waiting to be released. The term potential energy was coined by the 19th century Scottish engineer and physicist William Rankine. There are various types of potential energy, each associated with a particular type of force. The work of an elastic force is elastic potential energy, and the work of the gravitational force is gravitational potential energy. The work of the Coulomb force is both electric and chemical potential energy. Chemical Potential Energy Chemical potential energy is the energy associated with the Coulomb force during rearrangement of mutual positions of electrons and nuclei in atoms and molecules. Chemical energy of a chemical substance can be transformed into other forms of energy by a chemical reaction. For example, when a fuel is burned the chemical energy is converted to heat, similar to when food is digested and metabolized in a biological organism. Green plants transform solar energy to chemical energy through a process known as photosynthesis. Elastic Potential Energy Elastic potential energy is the energy associated with an elastic force. For example, an elastic object that is deformed under tension or compression; it arises as a consequence of a force that tries to restore the object to its original shape. If the stretch is released, the energy is then transformed into kinetic energy. Electric Potential Energy Electric potential energy is the energy associated with the Coulomb force. An object can have potential energy by virtue of its electric charge and several forces related to their presence. There are two main types of electric potential energy: electrostatic and electrodynamic. Gravitational Potential Energy Gravitational potential energy is the energy associated with gravitational force. If an object falls from one point to another point inside a gravitational field, the force of gravity will do positive work on the object, and the gravitational potential energy will decrease by the same amount. For example, a book on the floor is placed on top of a table. When the book is raised from the floor to the table, some external force works against the gravitational force. If the book falls from the table because the attempt to place it on the table failed, the same work will be done by the gravitational force. This potential energy goes to accelerate the mass of the book and is converted into kinetic energy. When the book hits the floor the kinetic energy is then converted into heat and sound by the impact. The factors that affect an object's gravitational potential energy are its height relative to some reference point, its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field it is in. Therefore, a book lying on a table has less gravitational potential energy than the same book on top of a taller table, and less gravitational potential energy than a heavier book lying on the same table. Gravitational potential energy has a number of practical uses. It can be used to power clocks in which falling weights operate the mechanism, as well as in the generation of hydroelectricity. Dark Energy In physical cosmology, astronomy and celestial mechanics, dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to increase the rate of expansion of the Universe. Dark energy is the most accepted theory to explain recent observations that the Universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate. In the standard model of cosmology, dark energy currently accounts for 73% of the total mass-energy of the Universe. FERMION A fermion is an elementary particle with a half-integral spin that obeys the Pauli Exclusion Principle. Electrons, protons, and neutrons are types of fermion. GRAVITATION Gravitation is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. In everyday life, gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped; it causes dispersed matter to coalesce and remain intact; and is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature along with electromagnetism and the nuclear strong force and weak force. Gravitation is also responsible for keeping the Earth and other planets in their orbits around the Sun, the Moon in its orbit around the Earth, the formation of tides, natural convection, heating the interiors of forming stars and planets to very high temperatures, as well as various other phenomena observed on Earth. HADRON In particle physics, a hadron is a composite particle made of quarks held together by the strong force. ION An ion is an atom or group of atoms that has acquired an electric charge. MATTER Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. It is commonly said to exist in four states or phases: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. The most common definition of matter is anything that has both mass and volume (occupies space). In practice, however, there is no single correct scientific definition of matter, as different fields utilize the term in different and sometimes incompatible ways. For example, one may refer to condensed matter physics, elementary matter, partonic matter, dark matter, anti-matter, strange matter, or nuclear

matter. Therefore, it is fair to say that there is no broad consensus as to a general definition of matter. The term is usually employed in conjunction with a specifying modifier. In the realm of cosmology, the term matter includes dark matter and dark energy. These concepts were introduced to explain some odd phenomena of the observable Universe such as the galactic rotation curve. These exotic forms of matter do not refer to matter as building blocks, but to poorly understood forms of mass and energy. Antimatter In particle physics and quantum chemistry, antimatter is matter that is composed of the antiparticles of those that constitute ordinary matter. Antimatter is not found naturally on Earth, except very briefly in vanishingly small quantities as the result of radioactive decay or cosmic rays. The term antimatter was first used by Arthur Schuster in two letters to Nature in 1898, in which he coined the term. The modern theory of antimatter begins in 1928, with a paper by Paul Dirac. Dirac realized that his relativistic version of the Schrdinger wave equation for electrons predicted the possibility of anti-electrons, which were discovered by Carl D. Anderson in 1932 and named positrons. A complete periodic table of antimatter was envisaged by Charles Janet in 1929. Antiparticles and some stable antimatter, such as anti-hydrogen, can be made in tiny amounts, but not enough to do more than test a few of its theoretical properties. Antimatter that comes to exist on Earth outside the confines of a suitable physics laboratory would almost instantly meet the ordinary matter that Earth is comprised of and both would be annihilated (if a particle and its antiparticle come into contact with each other, the two annihilate). That is, they may both be converted into other particles with equal energy in accordance with Einstein's equation E = mc 2 . These new particles may be high-energy photons (gamma rays) or other particleantiparticle pairs. There is considerable speculation, both in science and science fiction, as to why the observable Universe is almost entirely comprised of matter, whether other places are almost entirely antimatter, and what might be the result if antimatter could be harnessed. In the early Universe, it is thought that matter and antimatter were equally represented, and the disappearance of antimatter requires an asymmetry in physical laws called the CP symmetry violation. CP symmetry violation can be obtained from the Standard Model, but at this time the apparent asymmetry of matter and antimatter in the visible Universe is one of the great unsolved mysteries in physics. The process by which this asymmetry between particles and antiparticles is developed is called baryogenesis. Baryonic Matter Baryonic matter is the part of the Universe that is made of baryons. This part of the Universe does not include dark energy, dark matter, black holes, or various forms of degenerate matter such as the composing of white dwarf stars and neutron stars. Microwave light seen by Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) suggests that approximately 4.6% of that part of the Universe within range of the best telescopes is made of baryonic matter, 23% is dark matter, and 72% is dark energy. Dark Matter In astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology dark matter is matter that is of unknown composition and believed to exist from the gravitational effects on visible matter and background radiation. Although it does not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be observed directly, its presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark matter was postulated by Fritz Zwicky in 1934 to account for evidence of "missing mass", or discrepancies between measurements of the mass of galaxies, in the orbital velocities of galaxies in clusters. Dark matter plays a central role in state-of-the-art modeling of structure formation and galaxy evolution, and has measurable effects on the anisotropies observed in the cosmic microwave background. All these lines of evidence suggest that galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the Universe as a whole contain far more matter than that which interacts with electromagnetic radiation. The largest part of dark matter, which does not interact with electromagnetic radiation, is not only "dark" but also, by definition, utterly transparent. Though the theory of dark matter remains the most widely accepted theory to explain the anomalies in observed galactic rotation, some alternative theoretical approaches have been developed that broadly fall into the categories of modified gravitational and quantum gravitational laws. As important as dark matter is believed to be in the cosmos, direct evidence of its existence and a concrete understanding of its nature remains elusive. Degenerate Matter In physics, degenerate matter is highly compressed matter consisting of elementary particles that are not combined to form atoms. Degenerate matter occurs in the final stage of a stars development into a white dwarf. Exotic Matter Exotic matter is a hypothetical concept of particle physics. It covers any material that violates one or more classical conditions, or materials not made of known baryonic particles. Such materials would possess qualities like negative mass or being repelled rather than attracted by gravity. Strange Matter Strange matter is a particular form of quark matter. It is to be contrasted with nuclear matter (a liquid of neutrons and protons), and with non-strange quark matter (a quark liquid containing only up and down quarks). At high enough density, strange matter is expected to be color superconducting. It is hypothesized to occur in the core of neutron stars or as isolated droplets that may vary in size. The nuclei that we see in the matter around us, which are droplets of nuclear matter, are actually metastable, and given enough time, or the right external stimulus, would decay into droplets of strange matter.

MOLECULE A molecule is the smallest part of a physical unit of a substance that can exist independently. It consists of one or more atoms held together by chemical forces. NEUTRON A neutron is an electrically neutral subatomic particle with a mass similar to that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, the nucleus of an atom consists of protons and neutrons. The neutron has been the key to nuclear power production; it was discovered in 1932 and in 1933 it was realized that neutrons might mediate a nuclear chain reaction. During the 1930s, neutrons were used to produce many different types of nuclear transmutations, and when nuclear fission was discovered in 1938, physicists realized that this might be the mechanism to produce neutrons for the chain reaction. If the process produced neutrons, it would make the path to nuclear power production evident. These events and findings led to the first man-made nuclear chain reaction (Chicago Pile-1, 1942), and the first nuclear weapons (1945). PAULI EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE The Pauli Exclusion Principle is a quantum mechanical principle formulated by the Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli in 1925, stating that no two identical particles of a particular type (fermions) may occupy the same quantum state at the same time. This principle is one of the most important principles in physics, mainly because the three types of particles from which the ordinary atom is madeelectrons, protons, and neutrons are all subject to it. Consequently all material particles exhibit space-occupying behavior. This principle underpins many of the characteristic properties of matter, from the large-scale stability of matter to the existence of the periodic table of the elements. PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS The periodic table of elements is a tabular display organizing the 118 known chemical elements by selected properties of their atomic structure. PNEUMA Pneuma is an ancient Greek word for breath. In a religious context, it means spirit or soul. According to various medical writers of antiquity, pneuma is the circulating air that is necessary for the systemic functioning of vital organs. Aristotle postulated that pneuma is the warm mobile air in sperm that transmits the capacity for locomotion and certain sensations to the offspring. The Stoic philosophical concept of pneuma is the animating warm breath in both the cosmos and the body. POSITRON Also called anti-electron, a positron is an electron antiparticle (an elementary particle of antimatter) that has the same mass as an electron, but the opposite electrical charge. PROTON The proton is a subatomic particle with an electric charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom. The proton particle is composed of three fundamental particles: two up quarks and one down quark. QUARKS Quarks are massive particles and subject to gravity. They carry color charge, which is the equivalent of the electric charge for the strong interaction. They undergo radioactive decay, which means they are subject to the weak interaction. The first evidence for the existence of quarks came in 1968 in deep inelastic scattering experiments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. These experiments confirmed the existence of up and down quarks, and by extension, strange quarks, as they were required to explain the Eightfold Way. Initially, people were reluctant to identify the three-bodies as quarks, instead preferring Richard Feynman's parton description, but over time the quark theory became accepted. Down Quark The down quark is the second-lightest of all quarks, a type of elementary particle, and a major constituent of matter. Along with the up quark, down quarks form neutrons and protons of atomic nuclei. The down quark is part of the first generation of matter, and like all quarks, the down quark is an elementary fermion. It experiences all four fundamental interactions: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak interactions, and strong interactions. The antiparticle of the down quark is the down antiquark. Its existence was postulated in 1964 by Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig to explain the Eightfold Way classification scheme of hadrons. The down quark was first observed by experiments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in 1968. Strange Quark The strange quark is the third-lightest of all quarks. It has an electric charge and is a major constituent of matter. It is part of the second generation of matter, and like all quarks, the strange quark is an elementary fermion. Strange quarks are found in hadrons, which are subatomic particles. It experiences all four fundamental interactions: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak interactions, and strong interactions. The antiparticle of the strange quark is the strange antiquark. The first strange particle (a particle containing a strange quark) was discovered in 1947, but the existence of the strange quark itself was only postulated in 1964 by Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig to explain the Eightfold Way classification scheme of hadrons. The first evidence for the existence of quarks came in 1968, in deep inelastic scattering experiments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. These experiments confirmed the existence of up and down quarks, and by extension, strange quarks, as they were required to explain the Eightfold Way.

Up Quark The up quark is the lightest of all quarks, a type of elementary particle, and a major constituent of matter. Along with the down quark, up quarks form neutrons and protons of atomic nuclei. It is part of the first generation of matter, and like all quarks, the up quark is an elementary fermion. It experiences all four fundamental interactions: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak interactions, and strong interactions. The antiparticle of the up quark is the up antiquark. Its existence was postulated in 1964 by Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig to explain the Eightfold Way classification scheme of hadrons. The up quark was first observed by experiments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in 1968. RELATIVITY In physics, relativity is the equivalence of mass and energy. It is the first of Einsteins two theories describing the relationship of matter, time, and space. It shows that mass and energy are equivalent, and that mass, length, and time change with velocity. The theory is based on two assumptions: that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant; and that physical laws have the same mathematical form throughout the Universe.