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wbo was responsibIe for tbe incIusion of tbe ceremoniaIs based on

tbe skrying of 5ir Edward KeIIy. Tbere is mucb in tbese GoIden Dawn
rituaIs and ceremonies tbat is of tbe greatest vaIue, but from tbe rst
grade to tbe Iast it is aII vitiated by tbese dangerous eIements taken
from Dee and KeIIy. Furtbermore, in many pIaces, tbe practicaI work-
ing is not provided witb adequate safeguards, so tbat, to tbe present
writers personaI knowIedge, an operator working witb tbe GoIden
Dawn rituaIs runs very grave risks of breaking down bis pbysicaI or-
ganism, or of obsession by eviI entities.
Tbe 5even Hermetic Laws
as 5tated in The Kybalion
The Kybalion has had a cult following since its publication, and remains
in print in various editions. The mysterious nature of the work
probably adds to its attraction. Whether or not we can determine
who wrote it, it presents well-researched Hermetic principles,
though the language is archaic.

Tbe PrincipIes of Trutb are 5even, be wbo knows tbese, understand-
ingIy, possesses tbe Magic Key before wbose toucb aII tbe Doors of
tbe TempIe y open.
The Kybalion
Tbe 5even Hermetic PrincipIes, upon wbicb tbe entire Hermetic Pbi-
Iosopby is based, are as foIIows:
I. THE PPINCIPLE OF MENTALI5M
II. THE PPINCIPLE OF COPPE5PONDENCE
III. THE PPINCIPLE OF VIPATION
IV. THE PPINCIPLE OF POLAPITY
V. THE PPINCIPLE OF PHYTHM
VI. THE PPINCIPLE OF CAU5E AND EFFECT
VII. THE PPINCIPLE OF GENDEP
Tbese seven PrincipIes wiII be discussed and expIained as we pro-
ceed witb tbese Iessons. A sbort expIanation of eacb, bowever,
sbouId be given at tbis point.
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I. Tbe PrincipIe of MentaIism
THE ALL is MIND, Tbe Universe is MentaI.
The Kybalion
Tbis principIe embodies tbe trutb tbat AII is Mind. It expIains tbat THE
ALL (wbicb is tbe 5ubstantiaI PeaIity underIying aII tbe outward manifes-
tations and appearances wbicb we know under tbe terms of Tbe Mate-
riaI Universe, tbe Pbenomena of Life, Matter, and Energy, and,
in sbort, aII tbat is apparent to our materiaI senses) is 5PIPIT, wbicb in
itseIf is UNKNOWALE and UNDEFINALE, but wbicb may be consid-
ered and tbougbt of as A UNIVEP5AL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. It aIso
expIains tbat aII tbe pbenomenaI worId or universe is simpIy a MentaI
Creation of THE ALL, subject to tbe Laws of Created Tbings, and tbat
tbe universe, as a wboIe and in its parts or units, bas its existence in tbe
Mind of THE ALL, in wbicb Mind we Iive and move and bave our be-
ing. Tbis PrincipIe, by estabIisbing tbe MentaI Nature of tbe Universe,
easiIy expIains aII of tbe varied mentaI and psycbic pbenomena tbat oc-
cupy sucb a Iarge portion of tbe pubIic attention, and wbicb, witbout
sucb expIanation, are non-understandabIe and defy scientic treatment.
An understanding of tbis great Hermetic PrincipIe of MentaIism enabIes
tbe individuaI to readiIy grasp tbe Iaws of tbe MentaI Universe, and to
appIy tbe same to bis weII-being and advancement. Tbe Hermetic 5tu-
dent is enabIed to appIy inteIIigentIy tbe great MentaI Laws, instead of
using tbem in a bapbazard manner. Witb tbe Master Key in bis posses-
sion, tbe student may unIock tbe many doors of tbe mentaI and psycbic
tempIe of knowIedge, and enter tbe same freeIy and inteIIigentIy. Tbis
PrincipIe expIains tbe true nature of Energy, Power, and Matter,
and wby and bow aII tbese are subordinate to tbe Mastery of Mind. One
of tbe oId Hermetic Masters wrote, Iong ages ago: He wbo grasps tbe
trutb of tbe MentaI Nature of tbe Universe is weII advanced on Tbe Patb
to Mastery. And tbese words are as true today as at tbe time tbey were
rst written. Witbout tbis Master Key, Mastery is impossibIe, and tbe
student knocks in vain at tbe many doors of Tbe TempIe.
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II. Tbe PrincipIe of Correspondence
As above, so beIow, as beIow, so above.
The Kybalion
Tbis PrincipIe embodies tbe Trutb tbat tbere is aIways a Correspon-
dence between tbe Iaws and pbenomena of tbe various pIanes of
eing and Life. Tbe oId Hermetic axiom is As above, so beIow, as
beIow, so above. And tbe grasping of tbis PrincipIe gives one tbe
means of soIving many a dark paradox and bidden secret of Nature.
Tbere are pIanes beyond our knowing, but wben we appIy tbe Prin-
cipIe of Correspondence to tbem, we are abIe to understand mucb
tbat wouId otberwise be unknowabIe to us. Tbis PrincipIe is of univer-
saI appIication and manifestation, on tbe various pIanes of tbe mate-
riaI, mentaI, and spirituaI universeit is a UniversaI Law. Tbe ancient
Hermeticists considered tbis PrincipIe as one of tbe most important
mentaI instruments by wbicb man was abIe to pry aside tbe obstacIes
wbicb bid from view tbe Unknown. Its use even tore aside tbe VeiI of
Isis to tbe extent tbat a gIimpse of tbe face of tbe goddess migbt be
caugbt. Just as a knowIedge of tbe PrincipIes of Geometry enabIes
man to measure distant suns and tbeir movements, wbiIe seated in
bis observatory, so a knowIedge of tbe PrincipIe of Correspondence
enabIes Man to reason inteIIigentIy from tbe Known to tbe Unknown.
5tudying tbe monad, be understands tbe arcbangeI.
III. Tbe PrincipIe of Vibration
Notbing rests, everytbing moves, everytbing vibrates.
The Kybalion
Tbis PrincipIe embodies tbe trutb tbat everytbing is in motion, every-
tbing vibrates, and notbing is at rest, facts wbicb Modern 5cience en-
dorses, and wbicb eacb new scientic discovery tends to verify. And
yet tbis Hermetic PrincipIe was enunciated tbousands of years ago by
tbe Masters of Ancient Egypt. Tbis PrincipIe expIains tbat tbe differ-
ences between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and
even 5pirit resuIt IargeIy from varying rates of Vibration. From THE
74
ALL, wbicb is Pure 5pirit, down to tbe grossest form of Matter, aII is in
vibration, and tbe bigber tbe vibration, tbe bigber tbe position in tbe
scaIe. Tbe vibration of 5pirit is at sucb an innite rate of intensity and
rapidity tbat it is practicaIIy at restjust as a rapidIy moving wbeeI
seems to be motionIess. And at tbe otber end of tbe scaIe, tbere are
gross forms of matter wbose vibrations are so Iow as to seem at rest.
etween tbese poIes, tbere are miIIions upon miIIions of varying de-
grees of vibration. From corpuscIe and eIectron, atom and moIecuIe,
to worIds and universes, everytbing is in vibratory motion. Tbis is aIso
true on tbe pIanes of energy and force (wbicb are but varying degrees
of vibration), and aIso on tbe mentaI pIanes (wbose states depend
upon vibrations), and even on to tbe spirituaI pIanes. An understand-
ing of tbis PrincipIe, witb tbe appropriate formuIas, enabIes Hermetic
students to controI tbeir own mentaI vibrations as weII as tbose of otb-
ers. Tbe Masters aIso appIy tbis PrincipIe to tbe conquering of NaturaI
pbenomena, in various ways. He wbo understands tbe PrincipIe of Vi-
bration bas grasped tbe scepter of power, says one of tbe oId writers.
IV. Tbe PrincipIe of PoIarity
Everytbing is DuaI, everytbing bas poIes, everytbing bas its pair of
opposites, Iike and unIike are tbe same, opposites are identicaI in na-
ture, but different in degree, extremes meet, aII trutbs are but baIf-
trutbs, aII paradoxes may be reconciIed.
The Kybalion
Tbis PrincipIe embodies tbe trutb tbat everytbing is duaI, every-
tbing bas two poIes, and everytbing bas its pair of opposites, aII of
wbicb were oId Hermetic axioms. It expIains tbe oId paradoxes tbat
bave perpIexed so many, wbicb bave been stated as foIIows: Tbesis
and antitbesis are identicaI in nature, but different in degree, oppo-
sites are tbe same, differing onIy in degree, tbe pairs of opposites may
be reconciIed, extremes meet, everytbing is and isnt, at tbe same
time, aII trutbs are but baIf-trutbs, every trutb is baIf-faIse, tbere are
two sides to everytbing, etc., etc., etc. It expIains tbat in everytbing
tbere are two poIes, or opposite aspects, and tbat opposites are
75
reaIIy onIy tbe two extremes of tbe same tbing, witb many varying
degrees between tbem. To iIIustrate: beat and coId, aItbougb oppo-
sites, are reaIIy tbe same tbing, tbe differences consisting mereIy of
degrees. (Look at your tbermometer and see if you can discover wbere
beat ends and coId begins.) Tbere is no sucb tbing as absoIute
beat or absoIute coIdtbe terms beat and coId simpIy indicate
varying degrees of tbe same tbing, and tbat tbing wbicb manifests
as beat and coId is mereIy a form, variety, and rate of Vibration.
5o beat and coId are simpIy tbe two poIes of tbat wbicb we caII
beatand tbe pbenomena attendant tbereupon are manifestations
of tbe PrincipIe of PoIarity. Tbe same PrincipIe manifests in tbe case of
Iigbt and darkness, wbicb are again tbe same tbing, tbe difference
consisting of varying degrees between tbe two poIes of tbe pbenom-
ena. Wbere does darkness Ieave off and Iigbt begin? Wbat is tbe
difference between Iarge and smaII? etween bard and soft?
etween bIack and wbite? etween sbarp and duII? etween
noise and quiet? etween bigb and Iow? etween positive
and negative? Tbe PrincipIe of PoIarity expIains tbese paradoxes,
and no otber PrincipIe can supersede it. Tbe same PrincipIe operates
on tbe MentaI PIane. Let us take a radicaI and extreme exampIetbat
of Iove and bate, two mentaI states apparentIy totaIIy different.
And yet tbere are degrees of bate and degrees of Iove, and a middIe
point in wbicb we use tbe terms Iike or disIike, wbicb sbade into
eacb otber so graduaIIy tbat sometimes we are at a Ioss to know
wbetber we Iike or disIikeor neitber. And aII are simpIy degrees of
tbe same tbing. And, more tban tbis (and considered of more impor-
tance by tbe Hermeticists), it is possibIe to cbange tbe vibrations of
bate to tbe vibrations of Iove, in ones own mind, and in tbe minds of
otbers. Many of you, wbo read tbese Iines, bave bad personaI experi-
ences of tbe invoIuntary rapid transition from Iove to bate, and tbe
reverse, in your own case and tbat of otbers. And you wiII tberefore re-
aIize tbe possibiIity of tbis being accompIisbed by tbe use of tbe WiII,
by means of tbe Hermetic formuIas. Good and eviI are but tbe
poIes of tbe same tbing, and tbe Hermeticist understands tbe art of
transmuting eviI into good, by means of an appIication of tbe PrincipIe