The Kybalion can be an intimidating book to read, but within its cryptic pages lies some very useful life-changing information. In this article we will break down the 7 hermetic principles in plain English.
But first, why would you want to learn these principles to begin with?
The Kybalion boldly claims that those who master these laws will be able to shape their reality by using the laws to their advantage.
Birds can master the sky and fly because they use aerodynamics, gravity and other principles to their advantage.
We, too, can use lesser known principles to get what we want.
The Kybalion 7 Principles
The 7 hermetic principles as stated in the Kybalion are:
- THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM
- THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE
- THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION
- THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY
- THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM
- THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
- THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER
Each principle has its use and manifestations. Knowing just one principle will give you a killer edge, while mastering several will allow you to shape reality to your will.
The Principle of Mentalism Simply Explained
“THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Mentalism explains how our universe and all other potential alternate realities are all mental creations of The ALL.
Just as you might have a thought about a green apple, The ALL thought up this Universe.
Think of The ALL as the creator of everything.
Some might call this force God, others the Architect of the Universe.
Whatever it may be, it is beyond human comprehension.
According to the Hermetic philosophers of old, The ALL created the universe and all beings within, so it can temporarily experience something new.
Each living entity has an aspect of The ALL.
When we come to Earth we forget where we came from, so we can enjoy the process of life and returning back to the source from which we came.
THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE Simply Explained
“As above, so below; as below, so above.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Correspondence explains the connections between the different planes of reality.
According to The Kybalion, there are three main planes of reality (planes of correspondence).
- The Great Physical Plane
- The Great Mental Plane
- The Great Spiritual Plane
Each plane is home to different manifestations of life.
For example, plants, rocks and humans are all different entities which exist on the Physical Plane.
The Mental Plane is home to thoughts and emotions and other subjective phenomena of consciousness.
The Spiritual Plane is home to angels, demons and avatars.
The difference between the planes comes from differences in vibration.
Spiritual and Mental things tend to be invisible to the naked eye because they vibrate at a imperceptible to our senses.
This is why people with psychic abilities can see things others can’t; they see with a spiritual vision rather than a physical one.
All the hermetic principles operate on all planes of correspondence.
The journey of mankind is the climbing of the planes of correspondence eventually reaching the spiritual plane where we will reunite with The ALL.
This journey will take multiple lifetimes.
THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION Simply Explained
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Vibration explains the fundamental nature of everything in the universe, which is vibration or movement.
Science has now reinforced this idea through quantum mechanics.
Even objects which seem solid and unmovable like a brick wall, are composed of millions of atoms vibrating at a rapid intensity.
Stillness is an illusion.
Changes in vibration affect what can be seen or heard by our senses on the physical plane.
Take for instance light: different rates of vibration (frequency) cause the different colors we see.
This light is what creates what is known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
Certain vibrations of energy are invisible to the naked eye.
X-rays, Gamma rays and even radio waves cannot be seen by human eyes.
Yet we know they exist because we observe them with detecting tools.
According to the Hermetic philosophers these vibrations can become more energized and rapid.
The correspondence domains of Mental and Spiritual occupy a higher vibration than those of the Physical world.
Thoughts and emotions have vibrations.
Certain emotions such as love have a higher vibration than ones like shame or fear.
You will notice that changes in your mood often affect the energy you feel in your body.
Those who are depressed often require an immense amount of energy just to go for a walk outside.
A mother fueled by love for her child is able to use hysterical strength to lift a 2 ton car off the ground and save her trapped child.
Higher vibrations unlock higher powers.
THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY Simply Explained
“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 Kybalion
The Principle of Polarity explains how duality is an illusion.
Many of the physical manifestations we observe and categories are actually the same thing showing different characteristics due to differences in vibrations.
Take for instance the concept of hot and cold.
When does something shift from being cold to hot?
Is it at 10 °C? Or perhaps 30 °C?
If you ask 10 different people this question, you will get 10 different answers.
If you ask an alien who lives on an ice planet, you will get another answer.
When you look at the science you will see that there is actually no such thing as ‘cold’.
You can’t increase the coldness of a room.
You can only remove the heat from it.
Energy is the only thing in operation when we talk about hot and cold.
Something which is hot simply has more heat energy than something which is cold.
The same can be said about light and dark.
Darkness is only the absence of light.
Darkness is relative; what is dark for you might not be dark for a nocturnal animal.
There is only ever one phenomena manifesting at different degrees.
You can take this idea to its logical conclusions and see that even emotions and feelings follow the same rules.
Love and hate, courage and fear, health and sickness, poverty and wealth.
These are all two sides of the same coin.
Two different polarities sitting on the same scale.
THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM Simply Explained
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Rhythm is the natural conclusion of the principle of vibration and polarity.
With vibration we understand that nothing sits still; things are always moving.
With polarity we learn about the different scales in the world and how they simply demonstrate the effect of changes in vibration.
With rhythm we see that there is often a pattern with these movements up and down the scale.
Take for instance ice, water and vapor.
In early science class you likely did some experiments that showed you the patterns of the water cycle.
Ice melts turning into water.
Apply more heat and it becomes vapor.
Reduce the temperature and it goes back to water, then eventually back to ice.
Just as a pendulum swings there is a rhythm to the process.
Take the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
There is a rhythm in their occurrence.
You never have spring quickly transform into winter.
Or autumn skipping winter and bringing forth spring.
As long as things are in balance in our solar system, there is a predictable rhythm in the seasons.
The same process happens in our emotional worlds.
Have you noticed how a single emotion never lasts?
There have been times you could have sworn you would stay mad forever, but eventually you got over the hurt.
Why does this happen?
Because of rhythm.
You can’t stay in one place forever.
THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT Simply Explained
“Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Cause and Effect, or causation, explains how every effect is the result of a cause.
Every action creates a reaction.
This principle is easily visible in the physical world.
Take a pool table with billiard balls.
We all know that if you hit one ball with another, the ball will have to move following the laws of motion.
With a highly sophisticated computer program you could likely predict exactly where each ball will land in a game if you know enough variables.
The whole of life is like a highly complex game of pool.
There are a myriad of causes and effects, many which you are oblivious to, which have created your current life.
All causes originated from The ALL during the creation of the universe.
Through correspondence we can understand that this law operates on the Mental and Spiritual planes as well.
For instance, thinking a certain way will produce certain results.
THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER Simply Explained
“Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes.”
— The Kybalion
The Principle of Gender is often the most difficult principle to understand.
The difficulty arises from the associations we have with the word ‘gender’.
The gender talked about in this principle is not a sex, although the different sexes are a result of this principle.
Gender simply means the process of creation.
For creation to happen, two forces always have to unite a masculine and feminine principle.
For the creation of a human you need a male and female.
For the creation of different atoms and molecules you need positively and negatively charged particles.
Even science now talks about there being dark energy and dark matter, which perhaps are the opposite principle of gender to normal matter and energy.
Everywhere you look, if you observe carefully, you will see the masculine and feminine principle at work together in the process of begetting.
On the mental plane we see the conscious and subconscious minds.
Both minds represent different principles of gender.
The conscious is the masculine and the subconscious the feminine.
The art of creation occurs only when the two minds unite.
Take the genius who receives a revolutionary idea from a dream (subconscious mind).
If he does not have enough discipline to take the insights from the subconscious and work them through with diligent rational calculations (conscious mind), the breakthrough won’t happen.
The physicists who are able to use both principles are the ones who change the world.
Typically people are strong with only one aspect of their mind.
How To Use The 7 Hermetic Principles For Success In Life
In this next section we will discover some quick and practical applications of the hermetic principles so you can start using them today.
How To Use The Principle of Mentalism
You’re special
You can use the principle of mentalism by understanding that you have a divine spark from The ALL.
Because of this you have a unique purpose here on earth.
Your job is to find your purpose for this lifetime so you can return to The ALL by climbing Jacob’s Ladder of consciousness.
Since The ALL created this universe mentally and you have an aspect of The ALL inside of you, you, too, can create reality mentally.
Pay closer attention to the thoughts you entertain, and use mental methods such as SATS to start creating your dream reality in your mind.
What you see in your mind often gets reflected back in the physical.
How To Use The Principle of Correspondence
Understand the connection between spirit, emotion and matter
There is a correspondence between all planes of existence.
A spiritual sickness can lead to emotional problems.
Emotional problems can lead to illness in the body.
Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions because they are guidance from higher realms.
No longer ignore your dreams.
Begin the process of lucid dreaming and learn how to control your thoughts through developing a stronger conscious mind.
Watch as reality begins to change as the changes in your mental plane will create corresponding changes in your physical plane.
How To Use The Principle of Vibration
Understand that every thought and emotion has a corresponding vibration
Everything has a vibration, especially mental phenomena.
The master learns how to maintain higher vibrations through an act of will.
This changing of vibration is done by focusing attention on what you want.
Imagine for a moment that you’re feeling sad about something that’s happened in your life.
If you focus your attention on a happy memory and relive it with all your senses, your sadness will slowly evaporate.
Consciousness can focus its attention on only one thing at a time.
You can change your vibration by changing your focus.
This is the master key.
“To change your mood or mental state — change your vibration.”
— The Kybalion
How To Use The Principle of Polarity
Understand The Different Poles
To effectively use the principle of polarity, you need to understand the different poles of different manifestations.
For instance, light and dark lie on the same spectrum composed only of light.
Love and hate are on the same spectrum; hate is a severe lack of love.
North and south are on the same line, east and west are also very familiar.
Yet light and south are not on the same spectrum because they represent different phenomena.
When you understand the implications of this truth, you will be able to transmute your emotions by simply giving them more energy.
Take the sensations of having butterflies in your stomach.
Depending on the energy level and direction of your thoughts, you might label this sensation as anxiety or excitement.
Understanding that both emotions are made out of the same stuff, you can change the emotion by simply changing your thoughts about it.
Energizing the anxiety felt before public speaking with visions of success and a standing ovation can quickly transform it into excitement.
Energizing your fear of something you must overcome can transform it into courage.
There are no black and white emotions, but through your thoughts you can polarize yourself to different ends of the pole.
Study the philosophy of Stoicism for some practical tools for regulating your emotions.
How To Use The Principle of Rhythm
Understand The Patterns Of Nature
Rhythm dictates that there are patterns in nature.
We see the seasons change, we see the different phases of the moon, day turns to night, and so on.
Just as there are patterns in nature, there are also patterns in our emotions and moods.
There are periods of happiness, periods of boredom, periods of depression and contentment.
The common pattern is transience.
When you understand the principle of rhythm, you free yourself from many unrealistic attachments.
You will buy the new car and have full awareness that your enjoyment of it will lower with time.
You will go through hardships and understand that the negative feelings which seem like they will last forever will pass.
Understanding rhythm will help you understand worldly affairs.
In the stock market, people are always shocked when a raging bull market rapidly transforms into a depressing bear and eventually a depression.
In society, people are shocked when periods of peace are disrupted by periods of war and insanity.
The student of Hermetic philosophy is not surprised by any of this stuff because they understand
”The swing in one direction determines the swing in the opposite direction.”
— The Kybalion
How To Use Thr Principle of Cause And Effect
Understand Your Actions Have Consequences
As simple as it might seem, most people don’t really consider the long term consequences of their actions.
People haphazardly get married, have children and get into careers which are convenient.
Understanding causation is about understanding that every action you take will have implications.
It’s impossible to predict the implications of every small action you take, especially when many of our decisions are the results of the subconscious.
But you do have a say in the direction of your life.
By paying more attention to the thoughts you choose to entertain, the words you say to yourself you will begin to have more power.
Causation also helps you make sense of the seemingly random occurrences that happen in your life.
With this understanding you will see how many things were not in your control.
Certain manifestations you see today were set in motion many generations ago.
This is not an excuse to stop shifting your reality but allows you to forgive yourself for painful short fallings.
How To Use The Principle of Gender
Unite the subconscious and conscious minds
The Principle of Gender is most powerfully used on the mental plane. Having an understanding of the masculine principle of mind (conscious) and the feminine principle (subconscious) will serve you greatly.
The collaboration of the conscious and subconscious mind is needed for the process of creation.
Creation always needs two genders.
Develop the conscious mind through willpower exercises in concentration and attention.
Develop the connection with the subconscious by learning to let go and by listening to your intuition.
When you master these two phases of mind, you will have an unlimited capacity to create on the physical plane.
Students should also learn to observe the principle of gender in all aspects of life.
Pay attention to how two seemingly opposing elements are always needed in the creation process.
When you can identify the masculine and feminine principle in all aspects of life, you can learn to adjust your own behavior for maximum success.
Conclusion
The 7 Kybalion Principles or Hermetic Principles are powerful mental models which you can use to help shift your reality.
Each principle must be studied and applied for you to get the best result.
Reality creation is an active process and requires you to do your own experiments.
Read The Kybalion, take your own notes, and put the principles into practice.
Always remember that
“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding.”
— The Kybalion
Do this, and you will be one step closer to living and dying well.