The Hermetic Principles -
7 Ancient Axioms for Self-Empowerment

Hermeticism is an old tradition rooted in ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. Its philosophical teachings are attributed to a legendary teacher. He was said to be so wise that he was later deified. His traits were seen as equal to those of Toth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and science, and those of the Greek god Hermes. When Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemaic kings, kings of Greek origin, Toth was merged with the Hellenistic god Hermes into “Hermes Trismegistus.”²Information retrieved from Bull, Christian H. (2018). “The Myth of Hermes Trismegistus”. The Tradition of Hermes Trismegistus: The Egyptian Priestly Figure as a Teacher of Hellenized Wisdom. Religions in the Graeco-Roman World. 186. Leiden and Boston: Brill Publishers. pp. 31–96, via Wikipedia [Accessed 17th August 2021] To him, the Hermetic Principles are attributed.³The 7 Hermetic Principles themselves have first been published in the book “The Kybalion” in 1908, but in this book, the authors claim that they deduced them from the original Corpus Hermeticum, the collection of texts originally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. The real name of the author of all the Hermetic texts still available to us today is unknown. Several different people likely share the authorship of what we call the Corpus Hermeticum. This collection of texts was written at the beginning of the 2nd century or even before that. It would not be surprising if not just one person but several people recorded the knowledge handed down to them by word of mouth.

The philosophy of Hermeticism had been lost and forgotten for a long time. At least in countries on which Christianity had left its mark. Only in 1460, the writings reappeared, thanks to Cosimo de Medici of the famous Medici family of Florence, Italy. He sent out scouts to search for lost ancient texts in European monasteries. Many followers of Hermeticsim believe that these teachings might not have been lost by chance. According to their theory, they had to be hidden and also rewritten in a cryptic fashion. Otherwise, they would have been destroyed by the Church. The Hermetic writings might have posed a threat to institutionalized religions such as Christianity. At least those who derived their power off of it might have felt threatened. Hermeticism is not a religion, and neither is it magic nor a doctrine, but a philosophy and, according to its followers, a collection of powerful knowledge. This knowledge enables those who understand it to live a life in abundance, free of the belief systems that religions, politics and the economy impose on us and that so many people follow blindly without questioning – a system that only serves those few who exert power over everybody else.

Hermeticism emphasizes the “All” or the “One.” This is thought to be a transcendent, infinite mind. The material universe, all energy and all matter is a manifestation of the “All.” This also applies to every one of us. Everything is one, and everything is connected. Body, mind and spirit cannot be seen as separate from each other. Thus, a “spirit” can make another body its home after it dies and re-enter the cycle of life and death. During each lifetime, we should work on ourselves and do something positive. We can only achieve good things for ourselves and others if we have positive intentions and act accordingly. We have the power to set these positive intentions consciously, as well as the ability to change negative thoughts to positive ones through “Mental Transmutation.” The 7 Hermetic Principles guide you through this process to achieve anything you set your mind to.

In 1908 one or more anonymous authors, referring to themselves as “the Three Initiates,” published a book titled “The Kybalion.” The term “Kybalion” is also used for a specific collection of “axioms, maxims, and precepts” of Hermeticism, and these are the ones published in this book. Until then, they had only been handed down from teacher to student verbally. They are the essence on which all of Hermeticism is based and known as the 7 Hermetic Principles. The Law of Attraction reveals itself through them.

“All is Mind” is the center of this principle, and it is the underlying premise for the other six Hermetic Principles. Consciousness is the foundation of all there is. It is the basis of the fabric of the universe itself, which means the universe itself is conscious. Once you understand this concept, you open the door to being limitless.

Everything there is in the universe only exists because the universal mind manifests itself as energy and matter. Matter and energy are of identical origin – a principle commonly accepted in modern physics.

But how does mind become matter? Here, thoughts are the key. Thought is the ultimate expression of consciousness. Thoughts have energy, and each thought has a measurable electromagnetic frequency with a distinct wavelength. When everything is based on a thought, nothing can exist without a thought preceding it. Only with a thought, it becomes real.

Your mind is part of this universal mind. You, as well, send out energy with your thoughts, and they are powerful. It is critical to realize that your mental output can be negative or positive, but in any case, it will create, influence and shape the world around you. You create your own reality with what you think, whether you are aware of what you are thinking or not. Your “reality” comes from inside yourself, not from the outside. Thus, everyone experiences reality differently from everybody else. We perceive things differently, and we react differently to the same events.

Every great invention has its origin in a thought, which turned into an idea that turned into a vision that then became a reality. Actions arise from thoughts, so your thoughts are the foundation of your life. All your present circumstances, the house you live in, the people you surround yourself with, your job, they all are the product of your thoughts. You have created your reality. You manifest your reality every day, and you – only you – can change it. One of the facilities researching this topic is the Institute of Noetic Sciences, although it is not considered a proper scientific institution by mainstream science.

“As above, so below; as below, so above” is the short version of this second Hermetic principle. Its full version says, “That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracle of the One Thing.” But what does this mean?

You can break down everything there is into three planes of existence: The “Mental Plane,” the “Spiritual Plane,” and the “Physical Plane.” These three planes interact with each other. They are connected at a fundamental level, and you cannot look at one separately from the others. Only together, they represent the whole of everything. Whatever happens and exists on any of the three planes reflects itself upon the remaining two. Even if you cannot see or touch the spiritual and mental plane, you can still deduce what is going on there when examining the physical plane.

For your daily life, this could mean that, for example, you are overworked in a job you do not like. The symptoms of this situation express themselves on all three planes of your existence, even if you might not be aware of it. Your mind cannot focus anymore due to a lack of energy. The lack of time for doing the things you like causes you to be in a bad mood. And having to pressure yourself to get things done at work doesn’t help either. In other words, your spirits are low, and the whole world seems to be against you. The stressful circumstances in your work-life cause you to feel down. This causes you to, consciously or subconsciously, send out negative vibes to your environment. Other people pick up on them and might react negatively to you as well. And generally, you notice more unpleasant things around you but tend to ignore the uplifting ones. Your surroundings reflect what you send out from inside yourself. Your body starts to react to it as well. Stress causes your endocrine system to produce cortisol, a stress hormone that can make you physically ill. Too much cortisol can take its toll on your physical health as well as your mind and spirit. On the other hand, when you follow your passion, you are in a good mood, your body is relaxed and feels good, and your mind is also focused and balanced.

However, this is not the only way these three planes correspond with each other. Every thought exists on the Mental Plane. That means each one of them has a corresponding effect in both other planes. On the Spiritual Plane, each one is reflected by an emotion. How does this thought make you feel? Does it make you feel good or bad? On the Physical Plane, this thought is expressed as either something that already exists or can be created. It can also be the equivalent of an action you can take or an idea you have that sets things in motion. These three planes are permanently syncing in on each other, and this is something you can use to your advantage to create the life you want and to put the Law of Attraction to work for you. Your emotions can serve as a compass to point you in the right direction.

The third Hermetic Principle teaches us that nothing in the universe is at rest. Everything moves and vibrates at different frequencies. These vibrations manifest themselves in energy, matter, mind and spirit, depending on their frequency. Everything that is comes from the same source and is just a different aspect of the same thing.

Physicists research a theory that resembles this axiom very closely. String theory proposes that every type of subatomic particle is what it is because of tiny vibrating strings. Depending on its frequency, it manifests itself as a specific type of particle. This theory also suggests there more dimensions than the three spatial ones we can experience plus time. These other dimensions are hidden from us. We cannot access them physically.

You, as well, vibrate. You vibrate on a subatomic level, and you emit measurable energy. Actually, you have the power to change your own vibration. The closer your vibration matches the frequency of the universe, the more you are in alignment with the universe. You are “in the flow,” and everything just seems to fall into place. This is when the things you have always wanted suddenly appear in your life effortlessly. You already have the tools to achieve this: Your thoughts.

Every thought vibrates at a different frequency. Negative thoughts match you with people and events vibrating on the same frequency as these thoughts. But the good news is that positive thinking matches you with the opposite, and you have the power to control and change your mental state. You can let go of negative thoughts and instead focus on something good and uplifting and change your frequency in the process. This is known as “Mental Transmutation.”

To find out how much your frequency is in alignment with the universe, simply check how you feel. If you feel good, you are sending out “good vibes.” If you feel bad, your vibrational state needs an upgrade. Also, pay attention to what you say to other people and especially how you say it. There is a German proverb that translates to “It is the note that creates the music.” Like a musical note, your voice creates vibration. Your words vibrate with a distinct frequency. Soft and gentle words can inspire or soothe the person you are talking to, but harsh words can be as sharp as a knife and cut just as deeply. Make sure you are not throwing verbal daggers at others, not only because they will as sure as anything return to you and hit you just as hard. Speak how you would others want to speak to yourself.

Everything comes with its opposite. Duality is omnipresent in the universe, yet everything is the same as its opposite. Sounds confusing? It is not all that complicated. Let’s look at some examples: Hot and cold, light and dark. At first, you may think they are binary states: Something cannot be hot if it is freezing, and something cannot be light if it is dark. But rather than binary states, these pairs are two ends of the same scale, with many states in between. At what temperature is cold no longer cold? And when does it start to be hot? There is no definite answer to this question. It is the same thing, and the only difference is the amount of energy present in the system. The more kinetic energy water or air molecules have, the faster they move (and vibrate) and the higher the temperature rises. And when is a shade of grey no longer dark but light? You really cannot tell. The differences along the scale are subtle and blur into each other.

It is the same with emotions. Every emotion has its opposite and many different degrees of variation between these two poles. Love and hate, for example, are the same sentiment, only two distinct aspects of it, with various degrees of liking and indifference along the scale, and they can transform into each other. All it takes for that transformation is a change in vibration to polarize yourself towards either side of the scale. For example, if the person you love the most betrays you, your love for them can turn into hate rather quickly.

Then what about concepts such as the truth? You don’t have to have a background in programming, such as I have, to find it hard to accept that there is something else than the boolean values of either “true” or “false.” We often assume that something can only either be true or a lie. But the truth is a complex matter on which many philosophers have shared their thoughts. Always be careful, though, about accepting something as absolute truth. There is always more than just one side to any argument, and something that might be viewed as the truth by most might just be an illusion or downright false for other people. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between absolute and relative truth. An example of something being absolutely true is that a rock falls to the ground if you drop it. Nobody can change the laws of physics. A relative truth, for example, is the notion that being successful is the same as amassing tons of money. Some people believe that to be true, while others do not.

Taking it one step further, the fourth Hermetic Principle states that, at the same time, everything “is” and “is not.” This idea has even found its way into modern physics, or more precisely, quantum mechanics. Read up on Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment (“Schrödinger’s cat”) and its underlying theory, the so-called Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, to get a taste of the weirdness of our universe. If you wanted to sum this theory up in one sentence (which is hard and does not do it justice at all), it would be this:

As long as a quantum mechanical system does not interact with its surroundings, its properties are not fixed. It is everything it could possibly be at the same time. Any of the possible configurations can manifest itself through measurement or interaction, but only then. Many people claim that it requires a “conscious observer” for quantum states to turn into matter (or to “collapse”), but this is not the case. Any interaction, even with an inanimate system, causes one of the possible configurations to manifest. But does this mean our conscious mind does not influence physical reality, then? Well, it does, by the actions we take, fueled by our thoughts. You can’t turn your hair red by just wanting it to change its colour on its own, as you cannot manipulate your hair’s quantum state with the energy of your thoughts. But if you want red hair, you can buy hair dye and take action to change your hair colour. This action is preceded by what you think and want, so yes, your thoughts can change reality if you act on them. And who knows, maybe the researchers at the Institute of Noetic Sciences will, at some point, be able to prove that a thought can also influence quantum systems.

With all this in mind, you can transcend the limitations of what is and what is not. You can transform your emotions by shifting to a different degree along the scale. By doing so, you also change your reality.

This fifth Hermetic Principle is closely related to the Principle of Polarity. The metaphor used in Hermeticism to illustrate the principle of rhythm is the pendulum. The pendulum swings between two opposites from one pole to the other, adding a natural rhythm of ups (a forward swing) and downs (a backward swing) to life. Knowing about these rhythmic swings provides you with the tools to transcend this principle and master your life. You can prepare for the next “down” during an “up” and thus minimize its harmful effect upon you. The more you can take precautions for when the pendulum will swing backwards to a “down,” the milder the consequences will be on you. For example, build up a financial emergency fund during prosperous times. We all know the economy can change, jobs can be lost, and markets may drop. If you are prepared for such a situation, you can ride it out and don’t have to worry about losing everything. The same is true for your emotional life. Even if we become better and better at crafting the life we desire and creating happiness from within ourselves, we cannot control everything around us. Sometimes, tragedies and disappointments happen. It doesn’t help to deny it. But studies show that even if you feel devastated by a tragic event, most people will have emotionally recovered about a year later. Remind yourself of this if you find yourself in such a situation, and it might make things a bit easier.

In other words, you can learn to jump off the pendulum on its way back so that you do not end up all the way back where you started. You can wait there for the pendulum to swing forward again, regain your strength as you wait, and jump back on it to the next “up,” maybe going even higher than before. Like this, you will advance in life, even if there are some drawbacks now and then. Even if you fall off the pendulum back at your starting point, you can always get back on your feet and jump back onto the pendulum once it comes your way again. You will always be okay. After a “down,” an “up” must follow naturally. Difficult situations are only temporary.

And how do you jump back on? Again, your thoughts are the key to mastering your life. Once you control your thoughts, you no longer simply react to the pendulum. You empower yourself to act and to follow your own path. Once you monitor your thoughts and choose them wisely, you can master your life.

We can also observe rhythmic patterns in the movement of the planets. Earth follows its 365-day cycle around the sun. The seasons change at constant intervals (although climate change is modifying the seasons itself dramatically). If you are aware of these rhythms of life, you can use that knowledge like plants use the rhythms of the seasons to grow.

Nothing ever happens by accident. Everything happens for a reason. It happens because something has caused it, and every cause has an effect. This is what the sixth Hermetic Principle teaches us. Do you feel like something has happened by chance? Examine it more closely, and you will recognize what caused it.

Even after learning about the Hermetic Principle of Rhythm, you might feel like you have to helplessly react to the effects of events in your life, but this is not the case. There are several planes of cause and effect, and if you master your thoughts and mentally rise to one of these higher planes, you are no longer a pawn on the chessboard of life, but you become a player. Once you rise above your own plane of cause and effect, you are still subject to the higher ones, but you are in control of the one your life plays out in. You cannot manipulate the laws of physics, and you cannot control what other people do, but you can influence your mood, as well as your actions. Like this, you can change your environment. You are no longer subject to doing what others want you to do once you realize that you are a free being who cannot be controlled by other people’s wishes. You are, however, the master of your own life, and you can set events into motion from which you will benefit later on. This is not the same as attaching your happiness to the future. If you do the latter, you impede your well-being. Taking control of your life and your future could instead mean laying the foundation of a skillset you need to reach your overall life vision. If you want to be a master guitar player, you will not simply wake up tomorrow, being able to play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix. But you can practice every day, and you will improve bit by bit until you eventually reach a level of mastery you are satisfied with. This is something you can start today and benefit from its effects later.

According to this hermetic principle, everything and everyone has masculine and feminine aspects and properties inside of them. On the physical plane, gender manifests as biological sex, but even here, the lines are blurred. Not everybody identifies themselves as explicitly female or explicitly male. And those who do identify themselves as either male or female? They also have some quantities of hormones inside their body that are usually attributed to the opposite sex. Some animals do not even have more than one gender at all but are generally hermaphrodites, such as snails, for example. As with everything else, masculine and feminine are two poles of a scale, and everything is located somewhere in between.

Gender is not limited to the physical plane. The spiritual and the mental plane have both feminine and masculine properties as well. Someone who physically identifies themselves as a woman can, of course, still be more fond of logic than intuition when making decisions. Vice versa, someone who identifies as a male can still be very much in touch with their emotions. Stereotypes have tried to convince us that this is impossible, but hey, that are only stereotypes. Life is a lot more complex and colourful. The more you can balance both principles within yourself, and the more you accept both of them, the easier it will be for you to be in tune with who you really are.

On the mental and spiritual plane, the feminine principle makes sense of all the impressions you are flooded with during the day. It generates new thoughts and ideas and puts your imagination to work to come up with new concepts. The masculine principle, on the other hand, is responsible for expression towards the environment. It is more acting than reflecting. With this in mind, you can see how important it is that both principles are in balance. Without a strong feminine side, the masculine aspect acts without prior reasoning, causing chaos instead of reaching a desired goal. If there is not enough masculinity, the feminine might not get past its reasoning and theorizing and might not act at all.

The more you accept your masculine and feminine aspects on all planes of existence, the more it helps you along your journey of loving yourself. And the more you love yourself, the more the world around you will reflect that love back at you.

Take all of the 7 Hermetic Principles together, and the Law of Attraction reveals itself to you. These seven principles are your toolbox for the life you have always wanted to live. They empower you with everything you need to create your life vision, everything you need to be who you want to be and to achieve what you dream of. Utilize them and reclaim your power. You are the creator of your own life, nobody else!