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Fascinating introduction into Hermetic philosophy, particularly the ancient wisdom of the Kybalion. I really enjoyed the scientific foundations underlying the principles in this book, and the continuity between ideas that leaves pretty much no room for contradiction or paradoxes. Even if you don't agree with the philosophy, you'll have to agree that the way it's been structured is incredibly well-thought out. I will say that while this was good for theoretical learning, there was little in the way of practical application, which is why I knocked a star off. Maybe I'll just have to look into some other Hermeticist works to get into the practical application of these principles.

THE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES

I. Principle of Mentalism - “THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.�

Gives a working explanation for the existence of the universe and rests on the premise that substance cannot create itself. Also suggests that the Big Bang was the result of mental creation, which may sound hypothetical but actually has some basis in . And if the universe is mental in nature, you have the power to alter reality (bring things into manifestation) by being in full control of your thoughts through a process of mental transmutation.

2. Principle of Correspondence - “As above, so below; as below, so above.�

This principle tells us that everything in the universe acts in accordance with the same laws. This is easy enough to visualize when you know that geometric formulas obtained from the measurement of earthly objects can also be used to calculate the distance of stars and planets in space. The principle of correspondence states similarly, all the Hermetic principles (universal laws) operate on all planes of being - physical, mental, and spiritual. Basically, activity on the mental plane (your thoughts) has the ability to effect changes on the physical and spiritual planes. Thoughts mirror reality; by controlling what you think on the mental plane, you can control what you manifest on the physical plane.

3. Principle of Vibration - “Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.�

This principle is the basis for string theory in quantum physics, which states that that reality is made up of infinitesimal vibrating strings which are smaller than atoms, electrons or quarks. It tells us that everything in the universe is in constant motion, and that just as all particles of matter manifest varying rates of thermal energy, all mental phenomena (thoughts, emotions, etc) manifest at varying rates of vibration on the mental plane.

4. Principle of Polarity - "Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."

There are two sides to every coin; this principle tells us that all extremes are the same in nature but different in degree. For example, there is no such thing as absolute heat or absolute cold. There are only varying degrees of temperature. "Hot" and "cold" are the same thing, only different in degrees. Similarly, this principle can be applied to the mental plane - what is "absolute hate" or "absolute "love"? Are these not two emotions not essentially the same in nature? Knowing that two extremes are in fact the same thing will allow you to shift your mood from one end of the polarity to another; from hate to love, fear to courage, etc. This is what the Hermeticists call mental alchemy.

5. Principle of Rhythm - "Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates."

This principle about the mathematical patterns in the universe, that everything is cyclical and phasic in nature. Stars are born and die, galaxies expand and collapse, empires rise and fall, cities are built and destroyed. Day follows night, sleep follows wakefulness. Everything is in rhythm, following the motion of a pendulum swing that goes one way then the next. Our own emotional states follow the same rhythm, shifting from positive to negative and then back again.

6. The principle of Causation - "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."

This tells us that everything is connected through cause and effect in a great chain of events. Think of phenomena such as butterfly effect, or even what we think of as 'karma'. Nothing is ever manifested in an effect that isn't present in the cause - every thought we think, every action we perform, has both direct and indirect effects on the cosmic chain of events that we observe as reality.

7. The principle of Gender - "Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes."

Bear in mind the important difference between "sex" and "gender". The former refers to one manifestation of gender on the physical plane, while the latter relates only to the process of creation and genesis. From Newton's first law, we know that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted on by an external force. We can think of the object at rest as the Feminine principle, which operates in terms of creative energy, generating the ideas and objects that form our world. The Masculine principle is the force, which "wills" the Feminine principle to begin its process of creation. Gender exists in everything; and in our minds both the Masculine and Feminine principles must be duly engaged in order to make the best use of it.