The Kybalion

The Kybalion is a short occult/philosophy book first published in 1908 under the pseudonym “Three Initiates.” It presents a modern take on “Hermetic” wisdom—teachings attributed to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus—and claims to summarize universal laws behind nature and mind.

Originally published in 1908 by an anonymous group known as "The Three Initiates." It aims to convey the essence of Hermetic philosophy, which is an ancient spiritual tradition from Egypt and Greece. The book outlines seven fundamental principles that are central to Hermeticism, including:

1. Mentalism: "The All is Mind; The Universe is Mental."

2. Correspondence: "As above, so below; as below, so above."

3. Vibration: "Nothing rests; everything vibrates."

4. Polarity: "There are opposites in everything."

5. Rhythm: "Everything moves and everything vibrates."

6. Cause and Effect: "There is always a cause and effect."

7. Gender: "Everything is gendered."

These principles are believed to encapsulate the core teachings of Hermeticism and serve as a guide for personal growth and spiritual development.

Key points:

- What it is: A concise manual of esoteric principles meant to help readers understand and work with reality’s underlying patterns.

- Famous line: “As above, so below” appears as part of its Principle of Correspondence (the phrase itself comes from the older Emerald Tablet).

- Not ancient: Despite the Hermetic branding, The Kybalion is a modern work from the early 20th century occult/New Thought scene.

Probable authorship:

- Most scholars credit William Walker Atkinson (a prolific New Thought writer) as the main author, possibly with input from Paul Foster Case or others.

- It’s public domain today.

The Seven Hermetic Principles it teaches:

1) Mentalism: The All is Mind; the universe is mental in nature.

2) Correspondence: Patterns repeat across levels—“as above, so below; as below, so above.”

3) Vibration: Everything moves; differing rates of vibration produce different phenomena.

4) Polarity: Opposites are poles of the same thing, transformable by degree (e.g., cold/heat).

5) Rhythm: Cycles ebb and flow; movement between poles follows rhythmic laws.

6) Cause and Effect: Nothing happens by chance; causes produce effects across planes.

7) Gender: Masculine and feminine principles exist in all things (presented as energetic/creative polarities, not strictly biological).

How it differs from classical Hermeticism:

- Classical Hermetica (Corpus Hermeticum, Asclepius, Emerald Tablet) are late-antique texts mixing philosophy, mysticism, and spirituality centered on gnosis of the divine.

- The Kybalion reframes ideas through New Thought psychology and 19th century occultism—more self-help/metaphysical technique than historical theology.

Influence and critiques:

- Influence: Popularized “Hermetic principles” in modern esotericism, magic, Law-of-Attraction circles, and self-development.

- Critiques:

- Not historically Hermetic; it’s a modern synthesis.

- The Principle of Gender is often seen as simplistic/binary.

- The “all-is-mind” emphasis reflects New Thought more than ancient Hermetica.

How people use it:

- As a framework for meditation, reframing experiences, magical practice, or personal change (e.g., “transmuting” emotional states via polarity and rhythm).

- As a conceptual map for seeing correspondences between psyche, nature, and cosmos.

Where to read:

- It’s in the public domain; you can find free versions on Project Gutenberg, Internet Sacred Text Archive, and many PDF/epub sites.

If you want, I can summarize each principle with practical exercises, or contrast it with the actual Emerald Tablet and Corpus Hermeticum passages. Julia O’Hara 2025

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