{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_14209/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_14209","id":"gutenberg_14209","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14209","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Egypt","Hermetism","Occultism"],"text":"THE KYBALION\n\nA Study of\nThe Hermetic Philosophy of\nAncient Egypt and\nGreece\n\n\nBY\nTHREE INITIATES\n\n\n\"THE LIPS OF WISDOM ARE CLOSED, EXCEPT TO THE\nEARS OF UNDERSTANDING\"\n\n\n\n1912\n\nCOPYRIGHT 1912\n\nORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY\n\nTHE YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY\nMASONIC TEMPLE\nCHICAGO, ILLINOIS\n\nISBN 0 911662-25-1\n\n\nTO\nHERMES TRISMEGISTUS\n\n\nKNOWN BY THE ANCIENT\nEGYPTIANS AS\n\n\"THE GREAT GREAT\"\nAND\n\"MASTER OF MASTERS\"\n\nTHIS LITTLE VOLUME OF HERMETIC TEACHING\nIS REVERENTLY DEDICATED\n\n\n\nTable of Contents\n\n  I.    The Hermetic Philosophy\n  II.   The Seven Hermetic Principles\n        1.  The Principle of Mentalism\n        2.  The Principle of Correspondence\n        3.  The Principle of Vibration\n        4.  The Principle of Polarity\n        5.  The Principle of Rhythm\n        6.  The Principle of Cause and Effect\n        7.  The Principle of Gender\n  III.  Mental Transmutation\n  IV.   The All\n  V.    The Mental Universe\n  VI.   The Divine Paradox\n  VII.  \"The All\" in All\n  VIII. Planes of Correspondence\n  IX.   Vibration\n  X.    Polarity\n  XI.   Rhythm\n  XII.  Causation\n  XIII. Gender\n  XIV.  Mental Gender\n  XV.   Hermetic Axioms\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\nWe take great pleasure in presenting to the attention of students and\ninvestigators of the Secret Doctrines this little work based upon the\nworld-old Hermetic Teachings. There has been so little written upon this\nsubject, not withstanding the countless references to the Teachings in\nthe many works upon occultism, that the many earnest searchers after the\nArcane Truths will doubtless welcome the appearance of this present\nvolume.\n\nThe purpose of this work is not the enunciation of any special\nphilosophy or doctrine, but rather is to give to the students a\nstatement of the Truth that will serve to reconcile the many bits of\noccult knowledge that they may have acquired, but which are apparently\nopposed to each other and which often serve to discourage and disgust\nthe beginner in the study. Our intent is not to erect a new Temple of\nKnowledge, but rather to place in the hands of the student a Master-Key\nwith which he may open the many inner doors in the Temple of Mystery\nthrough the main portals he has already entered.\n\nThere is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by the world which\nhave been so closely guarded as the fragments of the Hermetic Teachings\nwhich have come down to us over the tens of centuries which have elapsed\nsince the lifetime of its great founder, Hermes Trismegistus, the\n\"scribe of the gods,\" who dwelt in old Egypt in the days when the\npresent race of men was in its infancy. Contemporary with Abraham, and,\nif the legends be true, an instructor of that venerable sage, Hermes\nwas, and is, the Great Central Sun of Occultism, whose rays have served\nto illumine the countless teachings which have been promulgated since\nhis time. All the fundamental and basic teachings embedded in the\nesoteric teachings of every race may be traced back to Hermes. Even the\nmost ancient teachings of India undoubtedly have their roots in the\noriginal Hermetic Teachings.\n\nFrom the land of the Ganges many advanced occultists wandered to the\nland of Egypt, and sat at the feet of the Master. From him they obtained\nthe Master-Key which explained and reconciled their divergent views, and\nthus the Secret Doctrine was firmly established. From other lands also\ncame the learned ones, all of whom regarded Hermes as the Master of\nMasters, and his influence was so great that in spite of the many\nwanderings from the path on the part of the centuries of teachers in\nthese different lands, there may still be found a certain basic\nresemblance and correspondence which underlies the many and often quite\ndivergent theories entertained and taught by the occultists of these\ndifferent lands today. The student of Comparative Religions will be able\nto perceive the influence of the Hermetic Teachings in every religion\nworthy of the name, now known to man, whether it be a dead religion or\none in full vigor in our own times. There is always certain\ncorrespondence in spite of the contradictory features, and the Hermetic\nTeachings act as the Great Reconciler.\n\nThe lifework of Hermes seems to have been in the direction of planting\nthe great Seed-Truth which has grown and blossomed in so many strange\nforms, rather than to establish a school of philosophy which would\ndominate, the world's thought. But, nevertheless, the original truths\ntaught by him have been kept intact in their original purity by a few\nmen each age, who, refusing great numbers of half-developed students and\nfollowers, followed the Hermetic custom and reserved their truth for the\nfew who were ready to comprehend and master it. From lip to ear the\ntruth has been handed down among the few. There have always been a few\nInitiates in each generation, in the various lands of the earth, who\nkept alive the sacred flame of the Hermetic Teachings, and such have\nalways been willing to use their lamps to re-light the lesser lamps of\nthe outside world, when the light of truth grew dim, and clouded by\nreason of neglect, and when the wicks became clogged with foreign\nmatter. There were always a few to tend faithfully the altar of the\nTruth, upon which was kept alight the Perpetual Lamp of Wisdom. These\nmen devoted their lives to the labor of love which the poet has so well\nstated in his lines:\n\n     \"O, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after age\n     in its dark cavern--in its holy temples cherished. Fed\n     by pure ministers of love--let not the flame die out!\"\n\nThese men have never sought popular approval, nor numbers of followers.\nThey are indifferent to these things, for they know how few there are in\neach generation who are ready for the truth, or who would recognize it\nif it were presented to them. They reserve the \"strong meat for men,\"\nwhile others furnish the \"milk for babes.\" They reserve their pearls of\nwisdom for the few elect, who recognize their value and who wear them in\ntheir crowns, instead of casting them before the materialistic vulgar\nswine, who would trample them in the mud and mix them with their\ndisgusting mental food. But still these men have never forgotten or\noverlooked the original teachings of Hermes, regarding the passing on of\nthe words of truth to those ready to receive it, which teaching is\nstated in The Kybalion as follows: \"Where fall the footsteps of the\nMaster, the ears of those ready for his Teaching open wide.\" And again:\n\"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to\nfill them with wisdom.\" But their customary attitude has always been\nstrictly in accordance with the other Hermetic aphorism, also in The\nKybalion: \"The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of\nUnderstanding.\"\n\nThere are those who have criticized this attitude of the Hermetists, and\nwho have claimed that they did not manifest the proper spirit in their\npolicy of seclusion and reticence. But a moment's glance back over the\npages of history will show the wisdom of the Masters, who knew the folly\nof attempting to teach to the world that which it was neither ready or\nwilling to receive. The Hermetists have never sought to be martyrs, and\nhave, instead, sat silently aside with a pitying smile on their closed\nlips, while the \"heathen raged noisily about them\" in their customary\namusement of putting to death and torture the honest but misguided\nenthusiasts who imagined that they could force upon a race of barbarians\nthe truth capable of being understood only by the elect who had advanced\nalong The Path.\n\nAnd the spirit of persecution has not as yet died out in the land. There\nare certain Hermetic Teachings, which, if publicly promulgated, would\nbring down upon the teachers a great cry of scorn and revilement from\nthe multitude, who would again raise the cry of \"Crucify! Crucify.\"\n\nIn this little work we have endeavored to give you an idea of the\nfundamental teachings of The Kybalion, striving to give you the working\nPrinciples, leaving you to apply therm yourselves, rather than\nattempting to work out the teaching in detail. If you are a true\nstudent, you will be able to work out and apply these Principles--if\nnot, then you must develop yourself into one, for otherwise the Hermetic\nTeachings will be as \"words, words, words\" to you.\n\nTHE THREE INITIATES.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\nTHE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY\n\n    \"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears\n    of Understanding\"--The Kybalion.\n\nFrom old Egypt have come the fundamental esoteric and occult teachings\nwhich have so strongly influenced the philosophies of all races, nations\nand peoples, for several thousand years. Egypt, the home of the Pyramids\nand the Sphinx, was the birthplace of the Hidden Wisdom and Mystic\nTeachings. From her Secret Doctrine all nations have borrowed. India,\nPersia, Chaldea, Medea, China, Japan, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome,\nand other ancient countries partook liberally at the feast of knowledge\nwhich the Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis so freely provided\nfor those who came prepared to partake of the great store of Mystic and\nOccult Lore which the masterminds of that ancient land had gathered\ntogether.\n\nIn ancient Egypt dwelt the great Adepts and Masters who have never been\nsurpassed, and who seldom have been equaled, during the centuries that\nhave taken their processional flight since the days of the Great Hermes.\nIn Egypt was located the Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics. At the\ndoors of her Temples entered the Neophytes who afterward, as\nHierophants, Adepts, and Masters, traveled to the four corners of the\nearth, carrying with them the precious knowledge which they were ready,\nanxious, and willing to pass on to those who were ready to receive the\nsame. All students of the Occult recognize the debt that they owe to\nthese venerable Masters of that ancient land.\n\nBut among these great Masters of Ancient Egypt there once dwelt one of\nwhom Masters hailed as \"The Master of Masters.\" This man, if \"man\"\nindeed he was, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days. He was known as\nHermes Trismegistus. He was the father of the Occult Wisdom; the founder\nof Astrology; the discoverer of Alchemy. The details of his life story\nare lost to history, owing to the lapse of the years, though several of\nthe ancient countries disputed with each other in their claims to the\nhonor of having furnished his birthplace--and this thousands of years\nago. The date of his sojourn in Egypt, in that his last incarnation on\nthis planet, is not now known, but it has been fixed at the early days\nof the oldest dynasties of Egypt--long before the days of Moses. The\nbest authorities regard him as a contemporary of Abraham, and some of\nthe Jewish traditions go so far as to claim that Abraham acquired a\nportion of his mystic knowledge from Hermes himself.\n\nAs the years rolled by after his passing from this plane of life\n(tradition recording that he lived three hundred years in the flesh),\nthe Egyptians deified Hermes, and made him one of their gods, under the\nname of Thoth. Years after, the people of Ancient Greece also made him\none of their many gods--calling him \"Hermes, the god of Wisdom.\" The\nEgyptians revered his memory for many centuries-yes, tens of centuries--\ncalling him \"the Scribe of the Gods,\" and bestowing upon him,\ndistinctively, his ancient title, \"Trismegistus,\" which means \"the\nthrice-great\"; \"the great-great\"; \"the greatest-great\"; etc. In all the\nancient lands, the name of Hermes Trismegistus was revered, the name\nbeing synonymous with the \"Fount of Wisdom.\"\n\nEven to this day, we use the term \"hermetic\" in the sense of \"secret\";\n\"sealed so that nothing can escape\"; etc., and this by reason of the\nfact that the followers of Hermes always observed the principle of\nsecrecy in their teachings. They did not believe in \"casting pearls\nbefore swine,\" but rather held to the teaching \"milk for babes\"; \"meat\nfor strong men,\" both of which maxims are familiar to readers of the\nChristian scriptures, but both of which had been used by the Egyptians\nfor centuries before the Christian era.\n\nAnd this policy of careful dissemination of the truth has always\ncharacterized the Hermetics, even unto the present day. The Hermetic\nTeachings are to be found in all lands, among all religions, but never\nidentified with any particular country, nor with any particular\nreligious sect. This because of the warning of the ancient teachers\nagainst allowing the Secret Doctrine to become crystallized into a\ncreed. The wisdom of this caution is apparent to all students of\nhistory. The ancient occultism of India and Persia degenerated, and was\nlargely lost, owing to the fact that the teachers became priests, and so\nmixed theology with the philosophy, the result being that the occultism\nof India and Persia has been gradually lost amidst the mass of religious\nsuperstition, cults, creeds and \"gods.\" So it was with Ancient Greece\nand Rome. So it was with the Hermetic Teachings of the Gnostics and\nEarly Christians, which were lost at the time of Constantine, whose iron\nhand smothered philosophy with the blanket of theology, losing to the\nChristian Church that which was its very essence and spirit, and causing\nit to grope throughout several centuries before it found the way back to\nits ancient faith, the indications apparent to all careful observers in\nthis Twentieth Century being that the Church is now struggling to get\nback to its ancient mystic teachings.\n\nBut there were always a few faithful souls who kept alive the Flame,\ntending it carefully, and not allowing its light to become extinguished.\nAnd thanks to these staunch hearts, and fearless minds, we have the\ntruth still with us.  But it is not found in books, to any great extent.\nIt has been passed along from Master to Student; from Initiate to\nHierophant; from lip to ear. When it was written down at all, its\nmeaning was veiled in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those\npossessing the key could read it aright. This was made necessary in\norder to avoid the persecutions of the theologians of the Middle Ages,\nwho fought the Secret Doctrine with fire and sword; stake, gibbet and\ncross. Even to this day there will be found but few reliable books on\nthe Hermetic Philosophy, although there are countless references to it\nin many books written on various phases of Occultism. And yet, the\nHermetic Philosophy is the only Master Key which will open all the doors\nof the Occult Teachings!\n\nIn the early days, there was a compilation of certain Basic Hermetic\nDoctrines, passed on from teacher to student, which was known as \"THE\nKYBALION,\" the exact significance and meaning of the term having been\nlost for several centuries. This teaching, however, is known to many to\nwhom it has descended, from mouth to ear, on and on throughout the\ncenturies. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far\nas we know. It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts,\nwhich were non-understandable to outsiders, but which were readily\nunderstood by students, after the axioms, maxims, and precepts had been\nexplained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates to their Neophytes.\nThese teachings really constituted the basic principles of \"The Art of\nHermetic Alchemy,\" which, contrary to the general belief, dealt in the\nmastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the\nTransmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of\nthe changing of one kind of metal into another. The legends of the\n\"Philosopher's Stone\" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an\nallegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all\nstudents of true Hermeticism.\n\nIn this little book, of which this is the First Lesson, we invite our\nstudents to examine into the Hermetic Teachings, as set forth in THE\nKYBALION, and as explained by ourselves, humble students of the\nTeachings, who, while bearing the title of Initiates, are still students\nat the feet of HERMES, the Master. We herein give you many of the\nmaxims, axioms and precepts of THE KYBALION, accompanied by explanations\nand illustrations which we deem likely to render the teachings more\neasily comprehended by the modern student, particularly as the original\ntext is purposely veiled in obscure terms.\n\nThe original maxims, axioms, and precepts of THE KYBALION are printed\nherein, in italics, the proper credit being given. Our own work is\nprinted in the regular way, in the body of the work. We trust that the\nmany students to whom we now offer this little work will derive as much\nbenefit from the study of its pages as have the many who have gone on\nbefore, treading the same Path to Mastery throughout the centuries that\nhave passed since the times of HERMES TRISMEGISTUS--the Master of\nMasters--the Great-Great. In the words of \"THE KYBALION\":\n\n    \"Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those\n    ready for his Teaching open wide.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n    \"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh\n    the lips to fill them with Wisdom.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nSo that according to the Teachings, the passage of this book to those\nready for the instruction will attract the attention of such as are\nprepared to receive the Teaching. And, likewise, when the pupil is ready\nto receive the truth, then will this little book come to him, or her.\nSuch is The Law. The Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, in its\naspect of The Law of Attraction, will bring lips and ear together--pupil\nand book in company. So mote it be!\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\nTHE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES\n\n    \"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these,\n    understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose\n    touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe Seven Hermetic Principles, upon which the entire Hermetic Philosophy\nis based, are as follows:\n\n    1. The Principle of Mentalism.\n    2. The Principle of Correspondence.\n    3. The Principle of Vibration.\n    4. The Principle of Polarity.\n    5. The Principle of Rhythm.\n    6. The Principle of Cause and Effect.\n    7. The Principle of Gender.\n\nThese Seven Principles will be discussed and explained as we proceed\nwith these lessons. A short explanation of each, however, may as well be\ngiven at this point.\n\n1.  The Principle of Mentalism\n\n    \"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that \"All is Mind.\" It explains that\nTHE ALL (which is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward\nmanifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of \"The\nMaterial Universe\"; the \"Phenomena of Life\"; \"Matter\"; \"Energy\"; and, in\nshort, all that is apparent to our material senses) is SPIRIT which in\nitself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be considered and\nthought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. It also explains that\nall the phenomenal world or universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE\nALL, subject to the Laws of Created Things, and that the universe, as a\nwhole, and in its parts or units, has its existence in the Mind of THE\nALL, in which Mind we \"live and move and have our being.\" This\nPrinciple, by establishing the Mental Nature of the Universe, easily\nexplains all of the varied mental and psychic phenomena that occupy such\na large portion of the public attention, and which, without such\nexplanation, are non-understandable and defy scientific treatment. An\nunderstanding of this great Hermetic Principle of Mentalism enables the\nindividual to readily grasp the laws of the Mental Universe, and to\napply the same to his well-being and advancement. The Hermetic Student\nis enabled to apply intelligently the great Mental Laws, instead of\nusing them in a haphazard manner. With the Master-Key in his possession,\nthe student may unlock the many doors of the mental and psychic temple\nof knowledge, and enter the same freely and intelligently. This\nPrinciple explains the true nature of \"Energy,\" \"Power,\" and \"Matter,\"\nand why and how all these are subordinate to the Mastery of Mind. One of\nthe old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago: \"He who grasps the truth\nof the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to\nMastery.\" And these words are as true today as at the time they were\nfirst written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible, and the\nstudent knocks in vain at the many doors of The Temple.\n\n2.  The Principle of Correspondence\n\n    \"As above, so below; as below, so above.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that there is always a Correspondence\nbetween the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life.\nThe old Hermetic axiom ran in these words: \"As above, so below; as\nbelow, so above.\" And the grasping of this Principle gives one the means\nof solving many a dark paradox, and hidden secret of Nature. There are\nplanes beyond our knowing, but when we apply the Principle of\nCorrespondence to them we are able to understand much that would\notherwise be unknowable to us. This Principle is of universal\napplication and manifestation, on the various planes of the material,\nmental, and spiritual universe--it is an Universal Law. The ancient\nHermetists considered this Principle as one of the most important mental\ninstruments by which man was able to pry aside the obstacles which hid\nfrom view the Unknown. Its use even tore aside the Veil of Isis to the\nextent that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be caught. Just\nas a knowledge of the Principles of Geometry enables man to measure\ndistant suns and their movements, while seated in his observatory,\nso a knowledge of the Principle of Correspondence enables Man to reason\nintelligently from the Known to the Unknown.  Studying the monad, he\nunderstands the archangel.\n\n3.  The Principle of Vibration\n\n    \"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.\"--The\n    Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that \"everything is in motion\";\n\"everything vibrates\"; \"nothing is at rest\"; facts which Modern Science\nendorses, and which each new scientific discovery tends to verify.  And\nyet this Hermetic Principle was enunciated thousands of years ago, by\nthe Masters of Ancient Egypt. This Principle explains that the\ndifferences between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind,\nand even Spirit, result largely from varying rates of Vibration. From\nTHE ALL, which is Pure Spirit, down to the grossest form of Matter, all\nis in vibration--the higher the vibration, the higher the position in\nthe scale. The vibration of Spirit is at such an infinite rate of\nintensity and rapidity that it is practically at rest--just as a rapidly\nmoving wheel seems to be motionless. And at the other end of the scale,\nthere are gross forms of matter whose vibrations are so low as to seem\nat rest. Between these poles, there are millions upon millions of\nvarying degrees of vibration. From corpuscle and electron, atom and\nmolecule, to worlds and universes, everything is in vibratory motion.\nThis is also true on the planes of energy and force (which are but\nvarying degrees of vibration); and also on the mental planes (whose\nstates depend upon vibrations); and even on to the spiritual planes.\nAn understanding of this Principle, with the appropriate formulas,\nenables Hermetic students to control their own mental vibrations as well\nas those of others. The Masters also apply this Principle to the\nconquering of Natural phenomena, in various ways. \"He who understands\nthe Principle of Vibration, has grasped the scepter of power,\" says one\nof the old writers.\n\n4.  The Principle of Polarity\n\n    \"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its\n    pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are\n    identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet;\n    all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be\n    reconciled.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that \"everything is dual\"; \"everything\nhas two poles\"; \"everything has its pair of opposites,\" all of which\nwere old Hermetic axioms. It explains the old paradoxes, that have\nperplexed so many, which have been stated as follows: \"Thesis and\nantithesis are identical in nature, but different in degree\"; \"opposites\nare the same, differing only in degree\"; \"the pairs of opposites may be\nreconciled\"; \"extremes meet\"; \"everything is and isn't, at the same\ntime\"; \"all truths are but half-truths\"; \"every truth is half-false\";\n\"there are two sides to everything,\" etc., etc., etc. It explains that\nin everything there are two poles, or opposite aspects, and that\n\"opposites\" are really only the two extremes of the same thing, with\nmany varying degrees between them. To illustrate:  Heat and Cold,\nalthough \"opposites,\" are really the same thing, the differences\nconsisting merely of degrees of the same thing. Look at your thermometer\nand see if you can discover where \"heat\" terminates and \"cold\" begins!\nThere is no such thing as \"absolute heat\" or \"absolute cold\"--the two\nterms \"heat\" and \"cold\" simply indicate varying degrees of the same\nthing, and that \"same thing\" which manifests as \"heat\" and \"cold\"\nis merely a form, variety, and rate of Vibration. So \"heat\" and \"cold\"\nare simply the \"two poles\" of that which we call \"Heat\"--and the\nphenomena attendant thereupon are manifestations of the Principle of\nPolarity. The same Principle manifests in the case of \"Light and\nDarkness,\" which are the same thing, the difference consisting of\nvarying degrees between the two poles of the phenomena. Where does\n\"darkness\" leave off, and \"light\" begin? What is the difference between\n\"Large and Small\"? Between \"Hard and Soft\"? Between \"Black and White\"?\nBetween \"Sharp and Dull\"? Between \"Noise and Quiet\"? Between \"High and\nLow\"? Between \"Positive and Negative\"? The Principle of Polarity\nexplains these paradoxes, and no other Principle can supersede it. The\nsame Principle operates on the Mental Plane. Let us take a radical and\nextreme example--that of \"Love and Hate,\" two mental states apparently\ntotally different.  And yet there are degrees of Hate and degrees of\nLove, and a middle point in which we use the terms \"Like or Dislike,\"\nwhich shade into each other so gradually that sometimes we are at a loss\nto know whether we \"like\" or \"dislike\" or \"neither.\" And all are simply\ndegrees of the same thing, as you will see if you will but think a\nmoment.  And, more than this (and considered of more importance\nby the Hermetists), it is possible to change the vibrations of Hate to\nthe vibrations of Love, in one's own mind, and in the minds of others.\nMany of you, who read these lines, have had personal experiences of the\ninvoluntary rapid transition from Love to Hate, and the reverse, in your\nown case and that of others.  And you will therefore realize the\npossibility of this being accomplished by the use of the Will, by means\nof the Hermetic formulas. \"Good and Evil\" are but the poles of the same\nthing, and the Hermetist understands the art of transmuting Evil into\nGood, by means of an application of the Principle of Polarity. In short,\nthe \"Art of Polarization\" becomes a phase of \"Mental Alchemy\" known and\npracticed by the ancient and modern Hermetic Masters.  An understanding\nof the Principle will enable one to change his own Polarity, as well as\nthat of others, if he will devote the time and study necessary to master\nthe art.\n\n5.  The Principle of Rhythm\n\n    \"Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides;\n    all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in\n    everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the\n    measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.\"--The\n    Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested\na measured motion, to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and\nforward; a pendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a high-tide\nand low-tide; between the two poles which exist in accordance with the\nPrinciple of Polarity described a moment ago. There is always an action\nand a reaction; an advance and a retreat; a rising and a sinking. This\nis in the affairs of the Universe, suns, worlds, men, animals, mind,\nenergy, and matter.  This law is manifest in the creation and\ndestruction of worlds; in the rise and fall of nations; in the life of\nall things; and finally in the mental states of Man (and it is with this\nlatter that the Hermetists find the understanding of the Principle most\nimportant). The Hermetists have grasped this Principle, finding its\nuniversal application, and have also discovered certain means to\novercome its effects in themselves by the use of the appropriate\nformulas and methods. They apply the Mental Law of Neutralization. They\ncannot annul the Principle, or cause it to cease its operation, but they\nhave learned how to escape its effects upon themselves to a certain\ndegree depending upon the Mastery of the Principle.  They have learned\nhow to USE it, instead of being USED BY it. In this and similar\nmethods, consist the Art of the Hermetists. The Master of Hermetics\npolarizes himself at the point at which he desires to rest, and then\nneutralizes the Rhythmic swing of the pendulum which would tend to carry\nhim to the other pole.  All individuals who have attained any degree of\nSelf-Mastery do this to a certain degree, more or less unconsciously,\nbut the Master does this consciously, and by the use of his Will, and\nattains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible of\nbelief on the part of the masses who are swung backward and forward like\na pendulum. This Principle and that of Polarity have been closely\nstudied by the Hermetists, and the methods of counteracting,\nneutralizing, and USING them form an important part of the Hermetic\nMental Alchemy.\n\n6.  The Principle of Cause and Effect\n\n    \"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause;\n    everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name\n    for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation,\n    but nothing escapes the Law.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the fact that there is a Cause for every Effect;\nan Effect from every Cause. It explains that:  \"Everything Happens\naccording to Law\"; that nothing ever \"merely happens\"; that there is no\nsuch thing as Chance; that while there are various planes of Cause and\nEffect, the higher dominating the lower planes, still nothing ever\nentirely escapes the Law. The Hermetists understand the art and methods\nof rising above the ordinary plane of Cause and Effect, to a certain\ndegree, and by mentally rising to a higher plane they become Causers\ninstead of Effects. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to\nenvironment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves;\nheredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like\npawns on the Chessboard of Life. But the Masters, rising to the plane\nabove, dominate their moods, characters, qualities, and powers, as well\nas the environment surrounding them, and become Movers instead of pawns.\nThey help to PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE, instead of being played and moved\nabout by other wills and environment. They USE the Principle instead of\nbeing its tools. The Masters obey the Causation of the higher planes,\nbut they help to RULE on their own plane. In this statement there is\ncondensed a wealth of Hermetic knowledge--let him read who can.\n\n7.  The Principle of Gender\n\n    \"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine\n    and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all\n    planes.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis Principle embodies the truth that there is GENDER manifested in\neverything--the Masculine and Feminine Principles ever at work. This is\ntrue not only of the Physical Plane, but of the Mental and even the\nSpiritual Planes. On the Physical Plane, the Principle manifests as SEX,\non the higher planes it takes higher forms, but the Principle is ever\nthe same.  No creation, physical, mental or spiritual, is possible\nwithout this Principle. An understanding of its laws will throw light on\nmany a subject that has perplexed the minds of men. The Principle of\nGender works ever in the direction of generation, regeneration, and\ncreation. Everything, and every person, contains the two Elements or\nPrinciples, or this great Principle, within it, him or her. Every Male\nthing has the Female Element also; every Female contains also the Male\nPrinciple.  If you would understand the philosophy of Mental and\nSpiritual Creation, Generation, and Re-generation, you must understand\nand study this Hermetic Principle. It contains the solution of many\nmysteries of Life. We caution you that this Principle has no reference\nto the many base, pernicious and degrading lustful theories, teachings\nand practices, which are taught under fanciful titles, and which are a\nprostitution of the great natural principle of Gender. Such base\nrevivals of the ancient infamous forms of Phallicism tend to ruin mind,\nbody and soul, and the Hermetic Philosophy has ever sounded the warning\nnote against these degraded teachings which tend toward lust,\nlicentiousness, and perversion of Nature's principles. If you seek such\nteachings, you must go elsewhere for them--Hermeticism contains nothing\nfor you along these lines. To the pure, all things are pure; to the\nbase, all things are base.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\nMENTAL TRANSMUTATION\n\n    \"Mind (as well as metals and elements) may be transmuted,\n    from state to state; degree to degree; condition to condition;\n    pole to pole; vibration to vibration. True Hermetic Transmutation\n    is a Mental Art.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nAs we have stated, the Hermetists were the original alchemists,\nastrologers, and psychologists, Hermes having been the founder of these\nschools of thought. From astrology has grown modern astronomy; from\nalchemy has grown modern chemistry; from the mystic psychology has grown\nthe modern psychology of the schools. But it must not be supposed that\nthe ancients were ignorant of that which the modern schools suppose to\nbe their exclusive and special property. The records engraved on the\nstones of Ancient Egypt show conclusively that the ancients had a full\ncomprehensive knowledge of astronomy, the very building of the Pyramids\nshowing the connection between their design and the study of\nastronomical science. Nor were they ignorant of Chemistry, for the\nfragments of the ancient writings show that they were acquainted with\nthe chemical properties of things; in fact, the ancient theories\nregarding physics are being slowly verified by the latest discoveries of\nmodern science, notably those relating to the constitution of matter.\nNor must it be supposed that they were ignorant of the so-called modern\ndiscoveries in psychology--on the contrary, the Egyptians were\nespecially skilled in the science of Psychology, particularly in the\nbranches that the modern schools ignore, but which, nevertheless, are\nbeing uncovered under the name of \"psychic science\" which is perplexing\nthe psychologists of to-day, and making them reluctantly admit that\n\"there may be something in it after all.\"\n\nThe truth is, that beneath the material chemistry, astronomy and\npsychology (that is, the psychology in its phase of \"brain-action\") the\nancients possessed a knowledge of transcendental astronomy, called\nastrology; of transcendental chemistry, called alchemy; of\ntranscendental psychology, called mystic psychology. They possessed the\nInner Knowledge as well as the Outer Knowledge, the latter alone being\npossessed by modern scientists. Among the many secret branches of\nknowledge possessed by the Hermetists, was that known as Mental\nTransmutation, which forms the subject matter of this lesson.\n\n\"Transmutation\" is a term usually employed to designate the ancient art\nof the transmutation of metals--particularly of the base metals into\ngold. The word \"Transmute\" means \"to change from one nature, form, or\nsubstance, into another; to transform\" (Webster). And accordingly,\n\"Mental Transmutation\" means the art of changing and transforming mental\nstates, forms, and conditions, into others. So you may see that Mental\nTransmutation is the \"Art of Mental Chemistry,\" if you like the term--a\nform of practical Mystic Psychology.\n\nBut this means far more than appears on the surface. Transmutation,\nAlchemy, or Chemistry on the Mental Plane is important enough in its\neffects, to be sure, and if the art stopped there it would still be one\nof the most important branches of study known to man. But this is only\nthe beginning. Let us see why!\n\nThe first of the Seven Hermetic Principles is the Principle of\nMentalism, the axiom of which is \"THE ALL is Mind; the Universe is\nMental,\" which means that the Underlying Reality of the Universe is\nMind; and the Universe itself is Mental--that is, \"existing in the Mind\nof THE ALL.\" We shall consider this Principle in succeeding lessons, but\nlet us see the effect of the principle if it be assumed to be true.\n\nIf the Universe is Mental in its nature, then Mental Transmutation must\nbe the art of CHANGING THE CONDITIONS OF THE UNIVERSE, along the lines\nof Matter, Force and mind. So you see, therefore, that Mental\nTransmutation is really the \"Magic\" of which the ancient; writers had so\nmuch to say in their mystical works, and about which they gave so few\npractical instructions. If All be Mental, then the art which enables one\nto transmute mental conditions must render the Master the controller of\nmaterial conditions as well as those ordinarily called \"mental.\"\n\nAs a matter of fact, none but advanced Mental Alchemists have been able\nto attain the degree of power necessary to control the grosser physical\nconditions, such as the control of the elements of Nature; the\nproduction or cessation of tempests; the production and cessation of\nearthquakes and other great physical phenomena. But that such men have\nexisted, and do exist today, is a matter of earnest belief to all\nadvanced occultists of all schools. That the Masters exist, and have\nthese powers, the best teachers assure their students, having had\nexperiences which justify them in such belief and statements. These\nMasters do not make public exhibitions of their powers, but seek\nseclusion from the crowds of men, in order to better work their may\nalong the Path of Attainment. We mention their existence, at this point,\nmerely to call your attention to the fact that their power is entirely\nMental, and operates along the lines of the higher Mental Transmutation,\nunder the Hermetic Principle of Mentalism.\n\n    \"The Universe is Mental\"--The Kybalion.\n\nBut students and Hermetists of lesser degree than Masters--the Initiates\nand Teachers--are able to freely work along the Mental Plane, in Mental\nTransmutation. In fact all that we call \"psychic phenomena,\"; \"mental\ninfluence\"; \"mental science\"; \"new-thought phenomena,\" etc., operates\nalong the same general lines, for there is but one principle involved,\nno matter by what name the phenomena be called.\n\nThe student and practitioner of Mental Transmutation works among the\nMental Plane, transmuting mental conditions, states, etc., into others,\naccording to various formulas, more or less efficacious. The various\n\"treatments,\" \"affirmations,\" \"denials\" etc., of the schools of mental\nscience are but formulas, often quite imperfect and unscientific, of The\nHermetic Art. The majority of modern practitioners are quite ignorant\ncompared to the ancient masters, for they lack the fundamental knowledge\nupon which the work is based.\n\nNot only may the mental states, etc., of one's self be changed or\ntransmuted by Hermetic Methods; but also the states of others may be,\nand are, constantly transmuted in the same way, usually unconsciously,\nbut often consciously by some understanding the laws and principles, in\ncases where the people affected are not informed of the principles of\nself-protection. And more than this, as many students and practitioners\nof modern mental science know, every material condition depending upon\nthe minds of other people may be changed or transmuted in accordance\nwith the earnest desire, will, and \"treatments\" of person desiring\nchanged conditions of life. The public are so generally informed\nregarding these things at present, that we do not deem it necessary to\nmention the same at length, our purpose at this point being merely to\nshow the Hermetic Principle and Art underlying all of these various\nforms of practice, good and evil, for the force can be used in opposite\ndirections according to the Hermetic Principles of Polarity.\n\nIn this little book we shall state the basic principles of Mental\nTransmutation, that all who read may grasp the Underlying Principles,\nand thus possess the Master-Key that will unlock the many doors of the\nPrinciple of Polarity.\n\nWe shall now proceed to a consideration of the first of the Hermetic\nSeven Principles--the Principle of Mentalism, in which is explained the\ntruth that \"THE ALL is Mind; the Universe is Mental,\" in the words of\nThe Kybalion. We ask the close attention, and careful study of this\ngreat Principle, on the part of our students, for it is really the Basic\nPrinciple of the whole Hermetic Philosophy, and of the Hermetic Art of\nMental Transmutation.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV\n\nTHE ALL\n\n    \"Under, and back of, the Universe of Time, Space and Change,\n    is ever to be found The Substantial Reality--the Fundamental\n    Truth.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n\"Substance\" means: \"that which underlies all outward manifestations; the\nessence; the essential reality; the thing in itself,\" etc. \"Substantial\"\nmeans: \"actually existing; being the essential element; being real,\" etc.\n\"Reality\" means: \"the state of being real; true, enduring; valid; fixed;\npermanent; actual,\" etc.\n\nUnder and behind all outward appearances or manifestations, there must\nalways be a Substantial Reality. This is the Law. Man considering the\nUniverse, of which he is a unit, sees nothing but change in matter,\nforces, and mental states. He sees that nothing really IS, but that\neverything is BECOMING and CHANGING. Nothing stands still-everything is\nbeing born, growing, dying-the very instant a thing reaches its height,\nit begins to decline--the law of rhythm is in constant operation--there\nis no reality, enduring quality, fixity, or substantiality in anything--\nnothing is permanent but Change. He sees all things evolving from other\nthings, and resolving into other things--constant action and reaction;\ninflow and outflow; building up and tearing down; creation and\ndestruction; birth, growth and death. Nothing endures but Change. And if\nhe be a thinking man, he realizes that all of these changing things must\nbe but outward appearances or manifestations of some Underlying\nPower--some Substantial Reality.\n\nAll thinkers, in all lands and in all times, have assumed the necessity\nfor postulating the existence of this Substantial Reality. All\nphilosophies worthy of the name have been based upon this thought. Men\nhave given to this Substantial Reality many names-some have called it by\nthe term of Deity (under many titles). Others have called it \"The\nInfinite and Eternal Energy\" others have tried to call it \"Matter\"--but\nall have acknowledged its existence. It is self-evident it needs no\nargument.\n\nIn these lessons we have followed the example of some of the world's\ngreatest thinkers, both ancient and modern--the Hermetic. Masters--and\nhave called this Underlying Power--this Substantial Reality--by the\nHermetic name of \"THE ALL,\" which term we consider the most\ncomprehensive of the many terms applied by Man to THAT which transcends\nnames and terms.\n\nWe accept and teach the view of the great Hermetic thinkers of all\ntimes, as well as of those illumined souls who have reached higher\nplanes of being, both of whom assert that the inner nature of THE ALL is\nUNKNOWABLE. This must be so, for naught by THE ALL itself can comprehend\nits own nature and being.\n\nThe Hermetists believe and teach that THE ALL, \"in itself,\" is and must\never be UNKNOWABLE. They regard all the theories, guesses and\nspeculations of the theologians and metaphysicians regarding the inner\nnature of THE ALL, as but the childish efforts of mortal minds to grasp\nthe secret of the Infinite. Such efforts have always failed and will\nalways fail, from the very nature of the task. One pursuing such\ninquiries travels around and around in the labyrinth of thought, until\nhe is lost to all sane reasoning, action or conduct, and is utterly\nunfitted for the work of life. He is like the squirrel which frantically\nruns around and around the circling treadmill wheel of his cage,\ntraveling ever and yet reaching nowhere--at the end a prisoner still,\nand standing just where he started.\n\nAnd still more presumptuous are those who attempt to ascribe to THE ALL\nthe personality, qualities, properties, characteristics and attributes\nof themselves, ascribing to THE ALL the human emotions, feelings, and\ncharacteristics, even down to the pettiest qualities of mankind, such as\njealousy, susceptibility to flattery and praise, desire for offerings\nand worship, and all the other survivals from the days of the childhood\nof the race. Such ideas are not worthy of grown men and women, and are\nrapidly being discarded.\n\n(At this point, it may be proper for me to state that we make a\ndistinction between Religion and Theology--between Philosophy and\nMetaphysics. Religion, to us, means that intuitional realization of the\nexistence of THE ALL, and one's relationship to it; while Theology means\nthe attempts of men to ascribe personality, qualities, and\ncharacteristics to it; their theories regarding its affairs, will,\ndesires, plans, and designs, and their assumption of the office of ''\nmiddle-men'' between THE ALL and the people. Philosophy, to us, means\nthe inquiry after knowledge of things knowable and thinkable; while\nMetaphysics means the attempt to carry the inquiry over and beyond the\nboundaries and into regions unknowable and unthinkable, and with the\nsame tendency as that of Theology. And consequently, both Religion and\nPhilosophy mean to us things having roots in Reality, while Theology and\nMetaphysics seem like broken reeds, rooted in the quicksands of\nignorance, and affording naught but the most insecure support for the\nmind or soul of Man. we do not insist upon our students accepting these\ndefinitions--we mention them merely to show our position.\nAt any rate, you shall hear very little about Theology and Metaphysics\nin these lessons.)\n\nBut while the essential nature of THE ALL is Unknowable, there are\ncertain truths connected with its existence which the human mind finds\nitself compelled to accept. And an examination of these reports form a\nproper subject of inquiry, particularly as they agree with the reports\nof the Illumined on higher planes. And to this inquiry we now invite\nyou.\n\n    \"THAT which is the Fundamental Truth--the Substantial\n    Reality--is beyond true naming, but the Wise Men call\n    it THE ALL.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n    \"In its Essence, THE ALL is UNKNOWABLE.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n    \"But, the report of Reason must be hospitably received,\n    and treated with respect.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe human reason, whose reports we must accept so long as we think at\nall, informs us as follows regarding THE ALL, and that without\nattempting to remove the veil of the Unknowable:\n\n    (1) THE ALL must be ALL that REALLY IS. There can be\n    nothing existing outside of THE ALL, else THE ALL would\n    not be THE ALL.\n\n    (2) THE ALL must be INFINITE, for there is nothing else\n    to define, confine, bound, limit; or restrict THE ALL.\n    It must be Infinite in Time, or ETERNAL,--it must have\n    always continuously existed, for there is nothing else to\n    have ever created it, and something can never evolve from\n    nothing, and if it had ever \"not been,\" even for a moment,\n    it would not \"be\" now,--it must continuously exist forever,\n    for there is nothing to destroy it, and it can never\n    \"not-be,\" even for a moment, because something can never\n    become nothing. It must be Infinite in Space--it must be\n    Everywhere, for there is no place outside of THE ALL--it\n    cannot be otherwise than continuous in Space, without break,\n    cessation, separation, or interruption, for there is nothing\n    to break, separate, or interrupt its continuity, and nothing\n    with which to \"fill in the gaps.\" It must be Infinite in\n    Power, or Absolute, for there is nothing to limit, restrict,\n    restrain, confine, disturb or condition it--it is subject to\n    no other Power, for there is no other Power.\n\n    (3) THE ALL must be IMMUTABLE, or not subject to change in\n    its real nature, for there is nothing to work changes upon it\n    nothing into which it could change, nor from which it could\n    have changed. It cannot be added to nor subtracted from;\n    increased nor diminished; nor become greater or lesser in any\n    respect whatsoever. It must have always been, and must always\n    remain, just what it is now--THE ALL--there has never been,\n    is not now, and never will be, anything else into which it\n    can change.\n\nTHE ALL being Infinite, Absolute, Eternal and Unchangeable it must\nfollow that anything finite, changeable, fleeting, and conditioned\ncannot be THE ALL. And as there is Nothing outside of THE ALL, in\nReality, then any and all such finite things must be as Nothing in\nReality. Now do not become befogged, nor frightened--we are not trying\nto lead you into the Christian Science field under cover of Hermetic\nPhilosophy. There is a Reconciliation of this apparently contradictory\nstate of affairs. Be patient, we will reach it in time.\n\nWe see around us that which is called \"Matter,\" which forms the physical\nfoundation for all forms. Is THE ALL merely Matter? Not at all! Matter\ncannot manifest Life or Mind, and as Life and Mind are manifested in the\nUniverse, THE ALL cannot be Matter, for nothing rises higher than its\nown source--nothing is ever manifested in an effect that is not in the\ncause--nothing is evolved as a consequent that is not involved as an\nantecedent. And then Modern Science informs us that there is really no\nsuch thing as Matter--that what we call Matter is merely \"interrupted\nenergy or force,\" that is, energy or force at a low rate of vibration.\nAs a recent writer has said \"Matter has melted into Mystery.\" Even\nMaterial Science has abandoned the theory of Matter, and now rests on\nthe basis of \"Energy.\"\n\nThen is THE ALL mere Energy or Force? Not Energy or Force as the\nmaterialists use the terms, for their energy and force are blind,\nmechanical things, devoid of Life or Mind. Life and Mind can never\nevolve from blind Energy or Force, for the reason given a moment ago:\n\"Nothing can rise higher than its source--nothing is evolved unless it\nis involved--nothing manifests in the effect, unless it is in the cause.\n\" And so THE ALL cannot be mere Energy or Force, for, if it were, then\nthere would be no such things as Life and Mind in existence, and we know\nbetter than that, for we are Alive and using Mind to consider this very\nquestion, and so are those who claim that Energy or Force is Everything.\n\nWhat is there then higher than Matter or Energy that we know to be\nexistent in the Universe? LIFE AND MIND! Life and Mind in all their\nvarying degrees of unfoldment! \"Then,\" you ask, \"do you mean to tell us\nthat THE ALL is LIFE and MIND?\" Yes! and No! is our answer. If you mean\nLife and Mind as we poor petty mortals know them, we say No! THE ALL is\nnot that! \"But what kind of Life and Mind do you mean?\" you ask.\n\nThe answer is \"LIVING MIND,\" as far above that which mortals know by\nthose words, as Life and Mind are higher than mechanical forces, or\nmatter--INFINITE LIVING MIND as compared to finite \"Life and Mind.\" We\nmean that which the illumined souls mean when they reverently pronounce\nthe word: \"SPIRIT!\"\n\n\"THE ALL\" is Infinite Living Mind--the Illumined call it SPIRIT!\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V\n\nTHE MENTAL UNIVERSE\n\n    \"The Universe is Mental--held in the Mind of THE\n    ALL.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nTHE ALL is SPIRIT! But what is Spirit? This question cannot be answered,\nfor the reason that its definition is practically that of THE ALL, which\ncannot be explained or defined. Spirit is simply a name that men give to\nthe highest conception of Infinite Living Mind--it means \"the Real\nEssence\"--it means Living Mind, as much superior to Life and Mind as we\nknow them, as the latter are superior to mechanical Energy and Matter.\nSpirit transcends our understanding, and we use the term merely that we\nmay think or speak of THE ALL. For the purposes of thought and\nunderstanding, we are justified in thinking of Spirit as Infinite Living\nMind, at the same time acknowledging that we cannot fully understand it.\nWe must either do this or stop thinking of the matter at all.\n\nLet us now proceed to a consideration of the nature of the Universe, as\na whole and in its parts. What is the Universe? We have seen that there\ncan be nothing outside of THE ALL. Then is the Universe THE ALL? No,\nthis cannot be, because the Universe seems to be made up of MANY, and is\nconstantly changing, and in other ways it does not measure up to the\nideas that we are compelled to accept regarding THE ALL, as stated in\nour last lesson. Then if the Universe be not THE ALL, then it must be\nNothing--such is the inevitable conclusion of the mind at first thought.\nBut this will not satisfy the question, for we are sensible of the\nexistence of the Universe. Then if the Universe is neither THE ALL, nor\nNothing, what Can it be? Let us examine this question.\n\nIf the Universe exists at all, or seems to exist, it must proceed in\nsome way from THE ALL--it must be a creation of THE ALL. But as\nsomething can never come from nothing, from what could THE ALL have\ncreated it. Some philosophers have answered this question by saying that\nTHE ALL created the Universe from ITSELF--that is, from the being and\nsubstance of THE ALL. But this will not do, for THE ALL cannot be\nsubtracted from, nor divided, as we have seen, and then again if this be\nso, would not each particle in the Universe be aware of its being THE\nALL--THE ALL could not lose its knowledge of itself, nor actually BECOME\nan atom, or blind force, or lowly living thing. Some men, indeed,\nrealizing that THE ALL is indeed ALL, and also recognizing that they,\nthe men, existed, have jumped to the conclusion that they and THE ALL\nwere identical, and they have filled the air with shouts of \"I AM GOD,\"\nto the amusement of the multitude and the sorrow of sages. The claim of\nthe corpuscle that: \"I am Man!\" would be modest in comparison.\n\nBut, what indeed is the Universe, if it be not THE ALL, not yet created\nby THE ALL having separated itself into fragments? What else can it be--\nof what else can it be made? This is the great question. Let us examine\nit carefully. We find here that the \"Principle of Correspondence\" (see\nLesson I.) comes to our aid here. The old Hermetic axiom, \"As above so\nbelow,\" may be pressed into service at this point. Let us endeavor to\nget a glimpse of the workings on higher planes by examining those on our\nown. The Principle of Correspondence must apply to this as well as to\nother problems.\n\nLet us see! On his own plane of being, how does Man create? Well, first,\nhe may create by making something out of outside materials. But this\nwill not do, for there are no materials outside of THE ALL with which it\nmay create. Well, then, secondly, Man pro-creates or reproduces his kind\nby the process of begetting, which is self-multiplication accomplished\nby transferring a portion of his substance to his offspring. But this\nwill not do, because THE ALL cannot transfer or subtract a portion of\nitself, nor can it reproduce or multiply itself--in the first place\nthere would be a taking away, and in the second case a multiplication or\naddition to THE ALL, both thoughts being an absurdity. Is there no third\nway in which MAN creates? Yes, there is--he CREATES MENTALLY! And in so\ndoing he uses no outside materials, nor does he reproduce himself, and\nyet his Spirit pervades the Mental Creation.\n\nFollowing the Principle of Correspondence, we are justified in\nconsidering that THE ALL creates the Universe MENTALLY, in a manner akin\nto the process whereby Man creates Mental Images. And, here is where the\nreport of Reason tallies precisely with the report of the Illumined, as\nshown by their teachings and writings. Such are the teachings of the\nWise Men. Such was the Teaching of Hermes.\n\nTHE ALL can create in no other way except mentally, without either using\nmaterial (and there is none to use), or else reproducing itself (which\nis also impossible). There is no escape from this conclusion of the\nReason, which, as we have said, agrees with the highest teachings of the\nIllumined. Just as you, student, may create a Universe of your own in\nyour mentality, so does THE ALL create Universes in its own Mentality.\nBut your Universe is the mental creation of a Finite Mind, whereas that\nof THE ALL is the creation of an Infinite. The two are similar in kind,\nbut infinitely different in degree. We shall examine more closely into\nthe process of creation and manifestation as we proceed. But this is the\npoint to fix in your minds at this stage: THE UNIVERSE, AND ALL IT\nCONTAINS, IS A MENTAL CREATION OF THE ALL. Verily indeed, ALL IS MIND!\n\n    \"THE ALL creates in its Infinite Mind countless Universes,\n    which exist for aeons of Time--and yet, to THE ALL, the\n    creation, development, decline and death of a million Universes\n    is as the time of the twinkling of an eye.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n    \"The Infinite Mind of THE ALL is the womb of Universes.\"--The\n    Kybalion.\n\nThe Principle of Gender (see Lesson I. and other lessons to follow) is\nmanifested on all planes of life, material mental and spiritual. But,\nas we have said before, \"Gender\" does not mean \"Sex\" sex is merely a\nmaterial manifestation of gender. \"Gender\" means \"relating to generation\nor creation.\" And whenever anything is generated or created, on any\nplane, the Principle of Gender must be manifested. And this is true even\nin the creation of Universes.\n\nNow do not jump to the conclusion that we are teaching that there is a\nmale and female God, or Creator. That idea is merely a distortion of the\nancient teachings on the subject. The true teaching is that THE ALL, in\nitself, is above Gender, as it is above every other Law, including those\nof Time and Space. It is the Law, from which the Laws proceed, and it is\nnot subject to them. But when THE ALL manifests on the plane of\ngeneration or creation, then it acts according to Law and Principle, for\nit is moving on a lower plane of Being. And consequently it manifests\nthe Principle of Gender, in its Masculine and Feminine aspects, on the\nMental Plane, of course.\n\nThis idea may seem startling to some of you who hear it for the first\ntime, but you have all really passively accepted it in your everyday\nconceptions. You speak of the Fatherhood of God, and the Motherhood of\nNature--of God, the Divine Father, and Nature the Universal Mother--and\nhave thus instinctively acknowledged the Principle of Gender in the\nUniverse. Is this not so?\n\nBut, the Hermetic teaching does not imply a real duality--THE ALL is\nONE--the Two Aspects are merely aspects of manifestation. The teaching\nis that The Masculine Principle manifested by THE ALL stands, in a way,\napart from the actual mental creation of the Universe. It projects its\nWill toward the Feminine Principle (which may be called \"Nature\")\nwhereupon the latter begins the actual work of the evolution of the\nUniverse, from simple \"centers of activity\" on to man, and then on and\non still higher, all according to well-established and firmly enforced\nLaws of Nature. If you prefer the old figures of thought, you may think\nof the Masculine Principle as GOD, the Father, and of the Feminine\nPrinciple as NATURE, the Universal Mother, from whose womb all things\nhave been born. This is more than a mere poetic figure of speech--it is\nan idea of the actual process of the creation of the Universe. But\nalways remember, that THE ALL is but One, and that in its Infinite Mind\nthe Universe is generated, created and exists.\n\nIt may help you to get the proper idea, if you will apply the Law of\nCorrespondence to yourself, and your own mind. You know that the part of\nYou which you call \"I,\" in a sense, stands apart and witnesses the\ncreation of mental Images in your own mind. The part of your mind in\nwhich the mental generation is accomplished may be called the \"Me\" in\ndistinction from the \"I\" which stands apart and witnesses and examines\nthe thoughts, ideas and images of the \"Me.\"  \"As above, so below,\"\nremember, and the phenomena of one plane may be employed to solve the\nriddles of higher or lower planes.\n\nIs it any wonder that You, the child, feel that instinctive reverence\nfor THE ALL, which feeling we call \"religion\"--that respect, and\nreverence for THE FATHER MIND? Is it any wonder that, when you consider\nthe works and wonders of Nature, you are overcome with a mighty feeling\nwhich has its roots away down in your inmost being? It is the MOTHER\nMIND that you are pressing close up to, like a babe to the breast.\n\nDo not make the mistake of supposing that the little world you see\naround you--the Earth, which is a mere grain of dust in the Universe--is\nthe Universe itself. There are millions upon millions of such worlds,\nand greater. And there are millions of millions of such Universes in\nexistence within the Infinite Mind of THE ALL. And even in our own\nlittle solar system there are regions and planes of life far higher than\nours, and beings compared to which we earth-bound mortals are as the\nslimy life-forms that dwell on the ocean's bed when compared to Man.\nThere are beings with powers and attributes higher than Man has ever\ndreamed of the gods' possessing. And yet these beings were once as you,\nand still lower--and you will be even as they, and still higher, in\ntime, for such is the Destiny of Man as reported by the Illumined.\n\nAnd Death is not real, even in the Relative sense--it is but Birth to a\nnew life--and You shall go on, and on, and on, to higher and still\nhigher planes of life, for aeons upon aeons of time. The Universe is\nyour home, and you shall explore its farthest recesses before the end of\nTime. You are dwelling in the Infinite Mind of THE ALL, and your\npossibilities and opportunities are infinite, both in time and space.\nAnd at the end of the Grand Cycle of Aeons, when THE ALL shall draw back\ninto itself all of its creations--you will go gladly for you will then\nbe able to know the Whole Truth of being At One with THE ALL. Such is\nthe report of the Illumined--those who have advanced well along The\nPath.\n\nAnd, in the meantime, rest calm and serene--you are safe and protected\nby the Infinite Power of the FATHER-MOTHER MIND.\n\n    \"Within the Father-Mother Mind, mortal children are at\n    home.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n    \"There is not one who is Fatherless, nor Motherless in the\n    Universe.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI\n\nTHE DIVINE PARADOX\n\n    \"The half-wise, recognizing the comparative unreality of\n    the Universe, imagine that they may defy its Laws--such\n    are vain and presumptuous fools, and they are broken against\n    the rocks and torn asunder by the elements by reason of\n    their folly. The truly wise, knowing the nature of the Universe,\n    use Law against laws; the higher against the lower; and by\n    the Art of Alchemy transmute that which is undesirable into\n    that which is worthy, and thus triumph. Mastery consists not\n    in abnormal dreams, visions and fantastic imaginings or\n    living, but in using the higher forces against the lower--escaping\n    the pains of the lower planes by vibrating on the higher.\n    Transmutation, not presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the\n    Master.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis is the Paradox of the Universe, resulting from the Principle of\nPolarity which manifests when THE ALL begins to Create--hearken to it\nfor it points the difference between half-wisdom and wisdom. While to\nTHE INFINITE ALL, the Universe, its Laws, its Powers, its life, its\nPhenomena, are as things witnessed in the state of Meditation or Dream;\nyet to all that is Finite, the Universe must be treated as Real, and\nlife, and action, and thought, must be based thereupon, accordingly,\nalthough with an ever understanding of the Higher Truth. Each according\nto its own Plane and Laws. Were THE ALL to imagine that the Universe\nwere indeed Reality, then woe to the Universe, for there would be then\nno escape from lower to higher, divineward--then would the Universe\nbecome a fixity and progress would become impossible. And if Man, owing\nto half-wisdom, acts and lives and thinks of the Universe as merely a\ndream (akin to his own finite dreams) then indeed does it so become for\nhim, and like a sleep-walker he stumbles ever around and around in a\ncircle, making no progress, and being forced into an awakening at last\nby his falling bruised and bleeding over the Natural Laws which he\nignored. Keep your mind ever on the Star, but let your eyes watch over\nyour footsteps, lest you fall into the mire by reason of your upward\ngaze. Remember the Divine Paradox, that while the Universe IS NOT, still\nIT IS. Remember ever the Two Poles of Truth the Absolute and the\nRelative. Beware of Half-Truths.\n\nWhat Hermetists know as \"the Law of Paradox\" is an aspect of the\nPrinciple of Polarity. The Hermetic writings are filled with references\nto the appearance of the Paradox in the consideration of the problems of\nLife and Being. The Teachers are constantly warning their students\nagainst the error of omitting the \"other side\" of any question. And\ntheir warnings are particularly directed to the problems of the Absolute\nand the Relative, which perplex all students of philosophy, and which\ncause so many to think and act contrary to what is generally known as\n\"common sense.\" And we caution all students to be sure to grasp the\nDivine Paradox of the Absolute and Relative, lest they become entangled\nin the mire of the Half-Truth. With this in view this particular lesson\nhas been written. Read it carefully!\n\nThe first thought that comes to the thinking man after he realizes the\ntruth that the Universe is a Mental Creation of THE ALL, is that the\nUniverse and all that it contains is a mere illusion; an unreality;\nagainst which idea his instincts revolt. But this, like all other great\ntruths, must be considered both from the Absolute and the Relative\npoints of view. From the Absolute viewpoint, of course, the Universe is\nin the nature of an illusion, a dream, a phantasmagoria, as compared to\nTHE ALL in itself. We recognize this even in our ordinary view, for we\nspeak of the world as \"a fleeting show\" that comes and goes, is born and\ndies--for the element of impermanence and change, finiteness and\nunsubstantiality, must ever be connected with the idea of a created\nUniverse when it is contrasted with the idea of THE ALL, no matter what\nmay be our beliefs concerning the nature of both. Philosopher,\nmetaphysician, scientist and theologian all agree upon this idea, and\nthe thought is found in all forms of philosophical thought and religious\nconceptions, as well as in the theories of the respective schools of\nmetaphysics and theology.\n\nSo, the Hermetic Teachings do not preach the unsubstantiality of the\nUniverse in any stronger terms than those more familiar to you, although\ntheir presentation of the subject may seem somewhat more startling.\nAnything that has a beginning and an ending must be, in a sense, unreal\nand untrue, and the Universe comes under the rule, in all schools of\nthought. From the Absolute point of view, there is nothing Real except\nTHE ALL, no matter what terms we may use in thinking of, or discussing\nthe subject. Whether the Universe be created of Matter, or whether it be\na Mental Creation in the Mind of THE ALL--it is unsubstantial,\nnon-enduring, a thing of time, space and change. We want you to realize\nthis fact thoroughly, before you pass judgment on the Hermetic\nconception of the Mental nature of the Universe. Think over any and all\nof the other conceptions, and see whether this be not true of them.\n\nBut the Absolute point of view shows merely one side of the picture--the\nother side is the Relative one. Absolute Truth has been defined as\n\"Things as the mind of God knows them,\" while Relative Truth is \"Things\nas the highest reason of Man understands them.\" And so while to THE ALL\nthe Universe must be unreal and illusionary, a mere dream or result of\nmeditation,--nevertheless, to the finite minds forming a part of that\nUniverse, and viewing it through mortal faculties, the Universe is very\nreal indeed, and must be so considered. In recognizing the Absolute\nview, we must not make the mistake of ignoring or denying the facts and\nphenomena of the Universe as they present themselves to our mortal\nfaculties--we are not THE ALL, remember.\n\nTo take familiar illustrations, we all recognize the fact that matter\n\"exists\" to our senses--we will fare badly if we do not. And yet, even\nour finite minds understand the scientific dictum that there is no such\nthing as Matter from a scientific point of view--that which we call\nMatter is held to be merely an aggregation of atoms, which atoms\nthemselves are merely a grouping of units of force, called electrons or\n\"ions,\" vibrating and in constant circular motion. We kick a stone and\nwe feel the impact--it seems to be real, notwithstanding that we know it\nto be merely what we have stated above. But remember that our foot,\nwhich feels the impact by means of our brains, is likewise Matter, so\nconstituted of electrons, and for that matter so are our brains. And, at\nthe best, if it were not by reason of our Mind, we would not know the\nfoot or stone at all.\n\nThen again, the ideal of the artist or sculptor, which he is endeavoring\nto reproduce in stone or on canvas, seems very real to him. So do the\ncharacters in the mind of the author; or dramatist, which he seeks to\nexpress so that others may recognize them. And if this be true in the\ncase of our finite minds, what must be the degree of Reality in the\nMental Images created in the Mind of the Infinite? Oh, friends, to\nmortals this Universe of Mentality is very real indeed--it is the only\none we can ever know, though we rise from plane to plane, higher and\nhigher in it. To know it otherwise, but actual experience, we must be\nTHE ALL itself. It is true that the higher we rise in the scale--the\nnearer to \"the mind of the Father\" we reach--the more apparent becomes\nthe illusory nature of finite things, but not until THE ALL finally\nwithdraws us into itself does the vision actually vanish.\n\nSo, we need not dwell upon the feature of illusion. Rather let us,\nrecognizing the real nature of the Universe, seek to understand its\nmental laws, and endeavor to use them to the best effect in our upward\nprogress through life, as we travel from plane to plane of being. The\nLaws of the Universe are none the less \"Iron Laws\" because of the mental\nnature. All, except THE ALL, are bound by them. What is IN THE INFINITE\nMIND OF THE ALL is REAL in a degree second only to that Reality itself\nwhich is vested in the nature of THE ALL.\n\nSo, do not feel insecure or afraid--we are all HELD FIRMLY IN THE\nINFINITE MIND OF THE ALL, and there is naught to hurt us or for us to\nfear. There is no Power outside of THE ALL to affect us. So we may rest\ncalm and secure. There is a world of comfort and security in this\nrealization when once attained. Then \"calm and peaceful do we sleep,\nrocked in the Cradle of the Deep\"--resting safely on the bosom of the\nOcean of Infinite Mind, which is THE ALL. In THE ALL, indeed, do \"we\nlive and move and have our being.\"\n\nMatter is none the less Matter to us, while we dwell on the plane of\nMatter, although we know it to be merely an aggregation of \"electrons,\"\nor particles of Force, vibrating rapidly and gyrating around each other\nin the formations of atoms; the atoms in turn vibrating and gyrating,\nforming molecules, which latter in turn form larger masses of Matter.\nNor does Matter become less Matter, when we follow the inquiry still\nfurther, and learn from the Hermetic Teachings, that the \"Force\" of\nwhich the electrons are but units is merely a manifestation of the Mind\nof THE ALL, and like all else in the Universe is purely Mental in its\nnature. While on the Plane of matter, we must recognize its phenomena--\nwe may control Matter (as all Masters of higher or lesser degree do),\nbut we do so by applying the higher forces. We commit a folly when we\nattempt to deny the existence of Matter in the relative aspect. We may\ndeny its mastery over us--and rightly so--but we should not attempt to\nignore it in its relative aspect, at least so long as we dwell upon its\nplane.\n\nNor do the Laws of Nature become less constant or effective, when we\nknow them, likewise, to be merely mental creations. They are in full\neffect on the various planes. We overcome the lower laws, by applying\nstill higher ones--and in this way only. But we cannot escape Law or\nrise above it entirely. Nothing but THE ALL can escape Law--and that\nbecause THE ALL is LAW itself, from which all Laws emerge. The most\nadvanced Masters may acquire the powers usually attributed to the gods\nof men; and there are countless ranks of being, in the great hierarchy\nof life, whose being and power transcends even that of the highest\nMasters among men to a degree unthinkable by mortals, but even the\nhighest Master, and the highest Being, must bow to the Law, and be as\nNothing in the eye of THE ALL. So that if even these highest Beings,\nwhose powers exceed even those attributed by men to their gods--if even\nthese are bound by and are subservient to Law, then imagine the\npresumption of mortal man, of our race and grade, when he dares to\nconsider the Laws of Nature as \"unreal!\" visionary and illusory, because\nhe happens to be able to grasp the truth that the Laws are Mental in\nnature, and simply Mental Creations of THE ALL. Those Laws which THE ALL\nintends to be governing Laws are not to be defied or argued away. So\nlong as the Universe endures, will they endure--for the Universe exists\nby virtue of these Laws which form its framework and which hold it\ntogether.\n\nThe Hermetic Principle of Mentalism, while explaining the true nature of\nthe Universe upon the principle that all is Mental, does not change the\nscientific conceptions of the Universe, Life, or Evolution. In fact,\nscience merely corroborates the Hermetic Teachings. The latter merely\nteaches that the nature of the Universe is \"Mental,\" while modern\nscience has taught that it is \"Material\"; or (of late) that it is\n\"Energy\" at the last analysis. The Hermetic Teachings have no fault to\nfind with Herbert Spencer's basic principle which postulates the\nexistence of an \"Infinite and Eternal Energy, from which all things\nproceed.\" In fact, the Hermetics recognize in Spencer's philosophy the\nhighest outside statement of the workings of the Natural Laws that have\never been promulgated, and they believe Spencer to have been a\nreincarnation of an ancient philosopher who dwelt in ancient Egypt\nthousands of years ago, and who later incarnated as Heraclitus, the\nGrecian philosopher who lived B. C. 500. And they regard his statement\nof the \"Infinite and Eternal Energy\" as directly in the line of the\nHermetic Teachings, always with the addition of their own doctrine\nthat his \"Energy\" is the Energy of the Mind of THE ALL. With the\nMaster-Key of the Hermetic Philosophy, the student of Spencer will be\nable to unlock many doors of the inner philosophical conceptions of the\ngreat English philosopher, whose work shows the results of the\npreparation of his previous incarnations. His teachings regarding\nEvolution and Rhythm are in almost perfect agreement with the Hermetic\nTeachings regarding the Principle of Rhythm.\n\nSo, the student of Hermetics need not lay aside any of his cherished\nscientific views regarding the Universe. All he is asked to do is to\ngrasp the underlying principle of \"THE ALL is Mind; the Universe is\nMental--held in the mind of THE ALL.\" He will find that the other six of\nthe Seven Principles will \"fit into\" his scientific knowledge, and will\nserve to bring out obscure points and to throw light in dark corners.\nThis is not to be wondered at, when we realize the influence of the\nHermetic thought of the early philosophers of Greece, upon whose\nfoundations of thought the theories of modern science largely rest. The\nacceptance of the First Hermetic Principle (Mentalism) is the only great\npoint of difference between Modern Science and Hermetic students, and\nScience is gradually moving toward the Hermetic position in its groping\nin the dark for a way out of the Labyrinth into which it has wandered in\nits search for Reality.\n\nThe purpose of this lesson is to impress upon the minds of our students\nthe fact that, to all intents and purposes, the Universe and its laws,\nand its phenomena, are just as REAL, so far as Man is concerned, as they\nwould be under the hypotheses of Materialism or Energism. Under any\nhypothesis the Universe in its outer aspect is changing, ever-flowing,\nand transitory--and therefore devoid of substantiality and reality. But\n(note the other pole of the truth) under the same hypotheses, we are\ncompelled to ACT AND LIVE as if the fleeting things were real and\nsubstantial. With this difference, always, between the various\nhypotheses--that under the old views Mental Power was ignored as a\nNatural Force, while under Mentalism it becomes the Greatest Natural\nForce. And this one difference revolutionizes Life, to those who\nunderstand the Principle and its resulting laws and practice.\n\nSo, finally, students all, grasp the advantage of Mentalism, and learn\nto know, use and apply the laws resulting therefrom. But do not yield to\nthe temptation which, as The Kybalion states, overcomes the half-wise\nand which causes them to be hypnotized by the apparent unreality of\nthings, the consequence being that they wander about like dream-people\ndwelling in a world of dreams, ignoring the practical work and life of\nman, the end being that \"they are broken against the rocks and torn\nasunder by the elements, by reason of their folly.\" Rather follow the\nexample of the wise, which the same authority states, \"use Law against\nLaws; the higher against the lower; and by the Art of Alchemy transmute\nthat which is undesirable into that which is worthy, and thus triumph.\"\nFollowing the authority, let us avoid the half-wisdom (which is folly)\nwhich ignores the truth that: \"Mastery consists not in abnormal dreams,\nvisions, and fantastic imaginings or living, but in using the higher\nforces against the lower--escaping the pains of the lower planes by\nvibrating on the higher.\" Remember always, student, that \"Transmutation,\nnot presumptuous denial, is the weapon of the Master.\" The above\nquotations are from The Kybalion, and are worthy of being committed to\nmemory by the student.\n\nWe do not live in a world of dreams, but in an Universe which while\nrelative, is real so far as our lives and actions are concerned. Our\nbusiness in the Universe is not to deny its existence, but to LIVE,\nusing the Laws to rise from lower to higher--living on, doing the best\nthat we can under the circumstances arising each day, and living, so far\nas is possible, to our biggest ideas and ideals. The true Meaning of\nLife is not known to men on this plane .if, indeed, to any--but the\nhighest authorities, and our own intuitions, teach us that we will make\nno mistake in living up to the best that is in us, so far as is\npossible, and realising the Universal tendency in the same direction in\nspite of apparent evidence to the contrary. We are all on The Path--and\nthe road leads upward ever, with frequent resting places.\n\nRead the message of The Kybalion--and follow the example of \"the\nwise\"--avoiding the mistake of \"the half-wise\" who perish by reason of\ntheir folly.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII\n\n\"THE ALL\" IN ALL\n\n    \"While All is in THE ALL, it is equally true that THE\n    ALL is in ALL.  To him who truly understands this\n    truth hath come great knowledge.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nHow often have the majority of people heard repeated the statement that\ntheir Deity (called by many names) was \"All in All\" and how little have\nthey suspected the inner occult truth concealed by these carelessly\nuttered words? The commonly used expression is a survival of the ancient\nHermetic Maxim quoted above. As the Kybalion says: \"To him who truly\nunderstands this truth, hath come great knowledge.\" And, this being so,\nlet us seek this truth, the understanding of which means so much. In\nthis statement of truth--this Hermetic Maxim--is concealed one of the\ngreatest philosophical, scientific and religious truths.\n\nWe have given you the Hermetic Teaching regarding the Mental Nature of\nthe Universe--the truth that \"the Universe is Mental--held in the Mind\nof THE ALL.\" As the Kybalion says, in the passage quoted above: \"All is\nin THE ALL.\" But note also the co-related statement, that: \"It is\nequally true that THE ALL is in ALL.\" This apparently contradictory\nstatement is reconcilable under the Law of Paradox. It is, moreover, an\nexact Hermetic statement of the relations existing between THE ALL and\nits Mental Universe. We have seen how \"All is in THE ALL\"--now let us\nexamine the other aspect of the subject.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings are to the effect that THE ALL is Imminent in\n(\"remaining within; inherent; abiding within\") its Universe, and in\nevery part, particle, unit, or combination, within the Universe. This\nstatement is usually illustrated by the Teachers by a reference to the\nPrinciple of Correspondence. The Teacher instructs the student to form a\nMental Image of something, a person, an idea, something having a mental\nform, the favorite example being that of the author or dramatist forming\nan idea of his characters; or a painter or sculptor forming an image of\nan ideal that he wishes to express by his art. In each case, the student\nwill find that while the image has its existence, and being, solely\nwithin his own mind, yet he, the student, author, dramatist, painter, or\nsculptor, is, in a sense, immanent in; remaining within; or abiding\nwithin, the mental image also. In other words, the entire virtue, life,\nspirit, of reality in the mental image is derived from the \"immanent\nmind\" of the thinker. Consider this for a moment, until the idea is\ngrasped.\n\nTo take a modern example, let us say that Othello, Iago, Hamlet, Lear,\nRichard III, existed merely in the mind of Shakespeare, at the time of\ntheir conception or creation. And yet, Shakespeare also existed within\neach of these characters, giving them their vitality, spirit, and\naction. Whose is the \"spirit\" of the characters that we know as\nMicawber, Oliver Twist, Uriah Heep--is it Dickens, or have each of these\ncharacters a personal spirit, independent of their creator? Have the\nVenus of Medici, the Sistine Madonna, the Apollo Belvidere, spirits and\nreality of their own, or do they represent the spiritual and mental\npower of their creators? The Law of Paradox explains that both\npropositions are true, viewed from the proper viewpoints. Micawber is\nboth Micawber, and yet Dickens. And, again, while Micawber may be said\nto be Dickens, yet Dickens is not identical with Micawber. Man, like\nMicawber, may exclaim: \"The Spirit of my Creator is inherent within me--\nand yet I am not HE!\" How different this from the shocking half-truth so\nvociferously announced by certain of the half-wise, who fill the air\nwith their raucous cries of: \"I am God!\" Imagine poor Micawber, or the\nsneaky Uriah Heep, crying: \"I Am Dickens\"; or some of the lowly clods in\none of Shakespeare's plays, eloquently announcing that: \"I Am\nShakespeare!\" THE ALL is in the earthworm, and yet the earth-worm is far\nfrom being THE ALL. And still the wonder remains, that though the\nearth-worm exists merely as a lowly thing, created and having its being\nsolely within the Mind of THE ALL--yet THE ALL is immanent in the\nearthworm, and in the particles that go to make up the earth-worm. Can\nthere be any greater mystery than this of \"All in THE ALL; and THE ALL\nin All?\"\n\nThe student will, of course, realize that the illustrations given above\nare necessarily imperfect and inadequate, for they represent the\ncreation of mental images in finite minds, while the Universe is a\ncreation of Infinite Mind--and the difference between the two poles\nseparates them. And yet it is merely a matter of degree--the same\nPrinciple is in operation--the Principle of Correspondence manifests in\neach--\"As above, so Below; as Below, so above.\"\n\nAnd, in the degree that Man realizes the existence of the Indwelling\nSpirit immanent within his being, so will he rise in the spiritual scale\nof life. This is what spiritual development means--the recognition,\nrealization, and manifestation of the Spirit within us. Try to remember\nthis last definition--that of spiritual development. It contains the\nTruth of True Religion.\n\nThere are many planes of Being--many sub-planes of Life--many degrees of\nexistence in the Universe. And all depend upon the advancement of beings\nin the scale, of which scale the lowest point is the grossest matter,\nthe highest being separated only by the thinnest division from the\nSPIRIT of THE ALL. And, upward and onward along this Scale of Life,\neverything is moving. All are on the Path, whose end is THE ALL. All\nprogress is a Returning Home. All is Upward and Onward, in spite of all\nseemingly contradictory appearances. Such is the message of the\nIllumined.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings concerning the process of the Mental Creation of\nthe Universe, are that at the beginning of the Creative Cycle, THE ALL,\nin its aspect of Being, projects its Will toward its aspect of\n\"Becoming\" and the process of creation begins. It is taught that the\nprocess consists of the lowering of Vibration until a very low degree of\nvibratory energy is reached, at which point the grossest possible form\nof Matter is manifested. This process is called the stage of Involution,\nin which THE ALL becomes \"involved,\" or \"wrapped up,\" in its creation.\nThis process is believed by the Hermetists to have a Correspondence to\nthe mental process of an artist, writer, or inventor, who becomes so\nwrapped up in his mental creation as to almost forget his own existence\nand who, for the time being, almost \"lives in his creation,\" If instead\nof \"wrapped\" we use the word \"rapt,\" perhaps we will give a better idea\nof what is meant.\n\nThis Involuntary stage of Creation is sometimes called the \"Outpouring\"\nof the Divine Energy, just as the Evolutionary state is called the\n\"Indrawing.\" The extreme pole of the Creative process is considered to\nbe the furthest removed from THE ALL, while the beginning of the\nEvolutionary stage is regarded as the beginning of the return swing of\nthe pendulum of Rhythm--a \"coming home\" idea being held in all of the\nHermetic Teachings.\n\nThe Teachings are that during the \"Outpouring,\" the vibrations become\nlower and lower until finally the urge ceases, and the return swing\nbegins. But there is this difference, that while in the \"Outpouring\" the\ncreative forces manifest compactly and as a whole, yet from the\nbeginning of the Evolutionary or \"Indrawing\" stage, there is manifested\nthe Law of Individualization--that is, the tendency to separate into\nUnits of Force, so that finally that which left THE ALL as\nunindividualized energy returns to its source as countless highly\ndeveloped Units of Life, having risen higher and higher in the scale by\nmeans of Physical, Mental and Spiritual Evolution.\n\nThe ancient Hermetists use the word \"Meditation\" in describing the\nprocess of the mental creation of the Universe in the Mind of THE ALL,\nthe word \"Contemplation\" also being frequently employed. But the idea\nintended seems to be that of the employment of the Divine Attention.\n\"Attention\" is a word derived from the Latin root, meaning \"to reach\nout; to stretch out,\" and so the act of Attention is really a mental\n\"reaching out; extension\" of mental energy, so that the underlying idea\nis readily understood when we examine into the real meaning of\n\"Attention.\"\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings regarding the process of Evolution are that, THE\nALL, having meditated upon the beginning of the Creation--having thus\nestablished the material foundations of the Universe--having thought it\ninto existence--then gradually awakens or rouses from its Meditation and\nin so doing starts into manifestation the process of Evolution, on the\nmaterial mental and spiritual planes, successively and in order. Thus\nthe upward movement begins--and all begins to move Spiritward. Matter\nbecomes less gross; the Units spring into being; the combinations begin\nto form; Life appears and manifests in higher and higher forms; and Mind\nbecomes more and more in evidence--the vibrations constantly becoming\nhigher. In short, the entire process of Evolution, in all of its phases,\nbegins, and proceeds according to the established \"Laws of the\nIndrawing\" process. All of this occupies aeons upon aeons of Man's time,\neach aeon containing countless millions of years, but yet the Illumined\ninform us that the entire creation, including Involution and Evolution,\nof an Universe, is but \"as the twinkle of the eye\" to THE ALL.  At the\nend of countless cycles of aeons of time, THE ALL withdraws its\nAttention--its Contemplation and Meditation--of the Universe, for the\nGreat Work is finished--and All is withdrawn into THE ALL from which it\nemerged. But Mystery of Mysteries--the Spirit of each soul is not\nannihilated, but is infinitely expanded--the Created and the Creator are\nmerged. Such is the report of the Illumined!\n\nThe above illustration of the \"meditation,\" and subsequent \"awakening\nfrom meditation,\" of THE ALL, is of course but an attempt of the\nteachers to describe the Infinite process by a finite example. And, yet:\n\"As Below, so Above.\" The difference is merely in degree. And just as\nTHE ALL arouses itself from the meditation upon the Universe, so does\nMan (in time) cease from manifesting upon the Material Plane, and\nwithdraws himself more and more into the Indwelling Spirit, which is\nindeed \"The Divine Ego.\"\n\nThere is one more matter of which we desire to speak in this lesson, and\nthat comes very near to an invasion of the Metaphysical field of\nspeculation, although our purpose is merely to show the futility of such\nspeculation. We allude to the question which inevitably comes to the\nmind of all thinkers who have ventured to seek the Truth. The question\nis: \"WHY does THE ALL create Universes\" The question may be asked in\ndifferent forms, but the above is the gist of the inquiry.\n\nMen have striven hard to answer this question, but still there is no\nanswer worthy of the name. Some have imagined that THE ALL had something\nto gain by it, but this is absurd, for what could THE ALL gain that it\ndid not already possess? Others have sought the answer in the idea that\nTHE ALL \"wished something to love\" and others that it created for\npleasure, or amusement; or because it \"was lonely\" or to manifest its\npower;--all puerile explanations and ideas, belonging to the childish\nperiod of thought.\n\nOthers have sought to explain the mystery by assuming that THE ALL found\nitself \"compelled\" to create, by reason of its own \"internal\nnature\"--its \"creative instinct.\" This idea is in advance of the others,\nbut its weak point lies in the idea of THE ALL being \"compelled\" by\nanything, internal or external. If its \"internal nature,\" or \"creative\ninstinct,\" compelled it to do anything, then the \"internal nature\" or\n\"creative instinct\" would be the Absolute, instead of THE ALL, and so\naccordingly that part of the proposition falls. And, yet, THE ALL does\ncreate and manifest, and seems to find some kind of satisfaction in so\ndoing. And it is difficult to escape the conclusion that in some\ninfinite degree it must have what would correspond to an \"inner nature,\"\nor \"creative instinct,\" in man, with correspondingly infinite Desire and\nWill. It could not act unless it Willed to Act; and it would not Will to\nAct, unless it Desired to Act and it would not Desire to Act unless it\nobtained some Satisfaction thereby. And all of these things would belong\nto an \"Inner Nature,\" and might be postulated as existing according to\nthe Law of Correspondence. But, still, we prefer to think of THE ALL as\nacting entirely FREE from any influence, internal as well as external.\nThat is the problem which lies at the root of difficulty--and the\ndifficulty that lies at the root of the problem.\n\nStrictly speaking, there cannot be said to be any \"Reason\" whatsoever\nfor THE ALL to act, for a \"reason\" implies a \"cause,\" and THE ALL is\nabove Cause and Effect, except when it Wills to become a Cause, at which\ntime the Principle is set into motion. So, you see, the matter is\nUnthinkable, just as THE ALL is Unknowable. Just as we say THE ALL\nmerely \"IS\"--so we are compelled to say that \"THE ALL ACTS BECAUSE IT\nACTS.\" At the last, THE ALL is All Reason in Itself; All Law in Itself;\nAll Action in Itself--and it may be said, truthfully, that THE ALL is\nIts Own Reason; its own Law; its own Act--or still further, that THE\nALL; Its Reason; Its Act; is Law; are ONE, all being names for the same\nthing. In the opinion of those who are giving you these present lessons,\nthe answer is locked up in the INNER SELF of THE ALL, along with its\nSecret of Being. The Law of Correspondence, in our opinion, reaches only\nto that aspect of THE ALL, which may be spoken of as \"The Aspect of\nBECOMING.\" Back of that Aspect is \"The Aspect of BEING\" in which all\nLaws are lost in LAW; all Principles merge into PRINCIPLE--and THE ALL;\nPRINCIPLE; and BEING; are IDENTICAL, ONE AND THE SAME. Therefore,\nMetaphysical speculation on this point is futile. We go into the matter\nhere, merely to show that we recognize the question, and also the\nabsurdity of the ordinary answers of metaphysics and theology.\n\nIn conclusion, it may be of interest to our students to learn that while\nsome of the ancient, and modern, Hermetic Teachers have rather inclined\nin the direction of applying the Principle of Correspondence to the\nquestion, with the result of the \"Inner Nature\" conclusion,--still the\nlegends have it that HERMES, the Great, when asked this question by his\nadvanced students, answered them by PRESSING HIS LIPS TIGHTLY TOGETHER\nand saying not a word, indicating that there WAS NO ANSWER. But, then,\nhe may have intended to apply the axiom of his philosophy, that: \"The\nlips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding,\"\nbelieving that even his advanced students did not possess the\nUnderstanding which entitled them to the Teaching. At any rate, if\nHermes possessed the Secret, he failed to impart it, and so far as the\nworld is concerned THE LIPS OF HERMES ARE CLOSED regarding it. And where\nthe Great Hermes hesitated to speak, what mortal may dare to teach?\n\nBut, remember, that whatever be the answer to this problem, if indeed\nthere be an answer the truth remains that:  \"While All is in THE ALL, it\nis equally true that THE ALL is in All.\" The Teaching on this point is\nemphatic. And, we may add the concluding words of the quotation: \"To him\nwho truly understands this truth, hath come great knowledge.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII\n\nPLANES OF CORRESPONDENCE\n\n    \"As above, so below; as below, so above.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Second Hermetic Principle embodies the truth that there is a\nharmony, agreement, and correspondence between the several planes of\nManifestation, Life and Being. This truth is a truth because all that is\nincluded in the Universe emanates from the same source, and the same\nlaws, principles, and characteristics apply to each unit, or combination\nof units, of activity, as each manifests its own phenomena upon its own\nplane.\n\nFor the purpose of convenience of thought and study, the Hermetic\nPhilosophy considers that the Universe may be divided into three great\nclasses of phenomena, known as the Three Great Planes, namely:\n\n    1. The Great Physical Plane.\n    2. The Great Mental Plane.\n    3. The Great Spiritual Plane.\n\nThese divisions are more or less artificial and arbitrary, for the truth\nis that all of the three divisions are but ascending degrees of the\ngreat scale of Life, the lowest point of which is undifferentiated\nMatter, and the highest point that of Spirit. And, moreover, the\ndifferent Planes shade into each other, so that no hard and fast\ndivision may be made between the higher phenomena of the Physical and\nthe lower of the Mental; or between the higher of the Mental and the\nlower of the Physical.\n\nIn short, the Three Great Planes may be regarded as three great groups\nof degrees of Life Manifestation. While the purposes of this little book\ndo not allow us to enter into an extended discussion of, or explanation\nof, the subject of these different planes, still we think it well to\ngive a general description of the same at this point.\n\nAt the beginning we may as well consider the question so often asked by\nthe neophyte, who desires to be informed regarding the meaning of the\nword \"Plane\", which term has been very freely used, and very poorly\nexplained, in many recent works upon the subject of occultism. The\nquestion is generally about as follows: \"Is a Plane a place having\ndimensions, or is it merely a condition or state?\" We answer: \"No, not a\nplace, nor ordinary dimension of space; and yet more than a state or\ncondition. It may be considered as a state or condition, and yet the\nstate or condition is a degree of dimension, in a scale subject to\nmeasurement.\" Somewhat paradoxical, is it not? But let us examine the\nmatter. A \"dimension,\" you know, is \"a measure in a straight line,\nrelating to measure,\" etc. The ordinary dimensions of space are length,\nbreadth, and height, or perhaps length, breadth, height, thickness or\ncircumference. But there is another dimension of \"created things\" or\n\"measure in a straight line,\" known to occultists, and to scientists as\nwell, although the latter have not as yet applied the term \"dimension\"\nto it--and this new dimension, which, by the way, is the much speculated\n-about \"Fourth Dimension,\" is the standard used in determining the\ndegrees or \"planes.\"\n\nThis Fourth Dimension may be called \"The Dimension of Vibration\" It is a\nfact well known to modern science, as well as to the Hermetists who have\nembodied the truth in their \"Third Hermetic Principle,\" that \"everything\nis in motion; everything vibrates; nothing is at rest.\"  From the\nhighest manifestation, to the lowest, everything and all things Vibrate.\nNot only do they vibrate at different rates of motion, but as in\ndifferent directions and in a different manner. The degrees of the rate\nof vibrations constitute the degrees of measurement on the Scale of\nVibrations--in other words the degrees of the Fourth Dimension. And\nthese degrees form what occultists call \"Planes\" The higher the degree\nof rate of vibration, the higher the plane, and the higher the\nmanifestation of Life occupying that plane. So that while a plane is not\n\"a place,\" nor yet \"a state or condition,\" yet it possesses qualities\ncommon to both. We shall have more to say regarding the subject of the\nscale of Vibrations in our next lessons, in which we shall consider the\nHermetic Principle of Vibration.\n\nYou will kindly remember, however, that the Three Great Planes are not\nactual divisions of the phenomena of the Universe, but merely arbitrary\nterms used by the Hermetists in order to aid in the thought and study of\nthe various degrees and Forms of universal activity and life. The atom\nof matter, the unit of force, the mind of man, and the being of the arch\n-angel are all but degrees in one scale, and all fundamentally the same,\nthe difference between solely a matter of degree, and rate of\nvibration--all are creations of THE ALL, and have their existence solely\nwithin the Infinite Mind of THE ALL.\n\nThe Hermetists sub-divide each of the Three Great Planes into Seven\nMinor Planes, and each of these latter are also sub-divided into seven\nsub-planes, all divisions being more or less arbitrary, shading into\neach other, and adopted merely for convenience of scientific study and\nthought.\n\nThe Great Physical Plane, and its Seven Minor Planes, is that division\nof the phenomena of the Universe which includes all that relates to\nphysics, or material things, forces, and manifestations. It includes all\nforms of that which we call Matter, and all forms of that which we call\nEnergy or Force. But you must remember that the Hermetic Philosophy does\nnot recognize Matter as a thing in itself, or as having a separate\nexistence even in the Mind of THE ALL. The Teachings are that Matter is\nbut a form of Energy--.that is, Energy at a low rate of vibrations of a\ncertain kind. And accordingly the Hermetists classify Matter under the\nhead of Energy, and give to it three of the Seven Minor Planes of the\nGreat Physical Plane.\n\nThese Seven Minor Physical Planes are as follows:\n\n    1. The Plane of Matter (A)\n    2. The Plane of Matter (B)\n    3. The Plane of Matter (C)\n    4. The Plane of Ethereal Substance\n    5. The Plane of Energy (A)\n    6. The Plane of Energy (B)\n    7. The Plane of Energy (C)\n\nThe Plane of Matter (A) comprises the forms of Matter in its form of\nsolids, liquids, and gases, as generally recognized by the text-books on\nphysics. The Plane of Matter (B) comprises certain higher and more\nsubtle forms of Matter of the existence of which modern science is but\nnow recognizing, the phenomena of Radiant Matter, in its phases of\nradium, etc., belonging to the lower sub-division of this Minor Plane.\nThe Plane of Matter (C) comprises forms of the most subtle and tenuous\nMatter, the existence of which is not suspected by ordinary scientists.\nThe Plane of Ethereal Substance comprises that which science speaks of\nas \"The Ether\", a substance of extreme tenuity and elasticity, pervading\nall Universal Space, and acting as a medium for the transmission of\nwaves of energy, such as light, heat, electricity, etc. This Ethereal\nSubstance forms a connecting link between Matter (so-called) and Energy,\nand partakes of the nature of each. The Hermetic Teachings, however,\ninstruct that this plane has seven sub-divisions (as have all of the\nMinor Planes), and that in fact there are seven ethers, instead of but\none.\n\nNext above the Plane of Ethereal Substance comes the Plane of Energy\n(A), which comprises the ordinary forms of Energy known to science, its\nseven sub-planes being, respectively, Heat; Light; Magnetism;\nElectricity, and Attraction (including Gravitation, Cohesion, Chemical\nAffinity, etc.) and several other forms of energy indicated by\nscientific experiments but not as yet named or classified. The Plane of\nEnergy (B) comprises seven subplanes of higher forms of energy not as\nyet discovered by science, but which have been called \"Nature's Finer\nForces\" and which are called into operation in manifestations of certain\nforms of mental phenomena, and by which such phenomena becomes possible.\nThe Plane of Energy (C) comprises seven sub-planes of energy so highly\norganized that it bears many of the characteristics of \"life,\" but which\nis not recognized by the minds of men on the ordinary plane of\ndevelopment, being available for the use on beings of the Spiritual\nPlane alone--such energy is unthinkable to ordinary man, and may be\nconsidered almost as \"the divine power.\" The beings employing the same\nare as \"gods\" compared even to the highest human types known to us.\n\nThe Great Mental Plane comprises those forms of \"living things\" known to\nus in ordinary life, as well as certain other forms not so well known\nexcept to the occultist. The classification of the Seven Minor Mental\nPlanes is more or less satisfactory and arbitrary (unless accompanied by\nelaborate explanations which are foreign to the purpose of this\nparticular work), but we may as well mention them. They are as follows:\n\n    1. The Plane of Mineral Mind\n    2. The Plane of Elemental Mind (A)\n    3. The Plane of Plant Mind\n    4. The Plane of Elemental Mind (B)\n    5. The Plane of Animal Mind\n    6. The Plane of Elemental Mind (C)\n    7. The Plane of Human Mind\n\nThe Plane of Mineral Mind comprises the \"states or conditions\" of the\nunits or entities, or groups and combinations of the same, which animate\nthe forms known to us as \"minerals, chemicals, etc.\" These entities must\nnot be confounded with the molecules, atoms and corpuscles themselves,\nthe latter being merely the material bodies or forms of these entities,\njust as a man's body is but his material form and not \"himself.\" These\nentities may be called \"souls\" in one sense, and are living beings of a\nlow degree of development, life, and mind--just a little more than the\nunits of \"living energy\" which comprise the higher sub-divisions of the\nhighest Physical Plane. The average mind does not generally attribute\nthe possession of mind, soul, or life, to the mineral kingdom, but all\noccultists recognize the existence of the same, and modern science is\nrapidly moving forward to the point-of-view of the Hermetic, in this\nrespect. The molecules, atoms and corpuscles have their \"loves and\nhates\"; \"likes and dislikes\"; \"attractions and repulsions\". \"affinities\nand non-affinities,\" etc., and some of the more daring of modern\nscientific minds have expressed the opinion that the desire and will,\nemotions and feelings, of the atoms differ only in degree from those of\nmen. We have no time or space to argue this matter here. All occultists\nknow it to be a fact, and others are referred to some of the more recent\nscientific works for outside corroboration. There are the usual seven\nsub-divisions to this plane.\n\nThe Plane of Elemental Mind (A) comprises the state or condition, and\ndegree of mental and vital development of a class of entities unknown to\nthe average man, but recognized to occultists. They are invisible to the\nordinary senses of man, but, nevertheless, exist and play their part of\nthe Drama of the Universe. Their degree of intelligence is between that\nof the mineral and chemical entities on the one hand, and of the\nentities of the plant kingdom on the other. There are seven subdivisions\nto this plane, also.\n\nThe Plane of Plant Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises the\nstates or conditions of the entities comprising the kingdoms of the\nPlant World, the vital and mental phenomena of which is fairly well\nunderstood by the average intelligent person, many new and interesting\nscientific works regarding \"Mind and Life in Plants\" having been\npublished during the last decade. Plants have life, mind and \"souls,\" as\nwell as have the animals, man, and super-man.\n\nThe Plane of Elemental Mind (B), in its seven sub-divisions, comprises\nthe states and conditions of a higher form of \"elemental\" or unseen\nentities, playing their part in the general work of the Universe, the\nmind and life of which form a part of the scale between the Plane of\nPlant Mind and the Plane of Animal Mind, the entities partaking of the\nnature of both.\n\nThe Plane of Animal Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises the\nstates and conditions of the entities, beings, or souls, animating the\nanimal forms of life, familiar to us all. It is not necessary to go into\ndetails regarding this kingdom or plane of life, for the animal world is\nas familiar to us as is our own.\n\nThe Plane of Elemental Mind (C), in its seven sub-divisions, comprises\nthose entities or beings, invisible as are all such elemental forms,\nwhich partake of the nature of both animal and human life in a degree\nand in certain combinations. The highest forms are semi-human in\nintelligence.\n\nThe Plane of Human Mind, in its seven sub-divisions, comprises those\nmanifestations of life and mentality which are common to Man, in his\nvarious grades, degrees, and divisions. In this connection, we wish to\npoint out the fact that the average man of today occupies but the fourth\nsub-division of the Plane of Human Mind, and only the most intelligent\nhave crossed the borders of the Fifth Sub-Division. It has taken the\nrace millions of years to reach this stage, and it will take many more\nyears for the race to move on to the sixth and seventh sub-divisions,\nand beyond. But, remember, that there have been races before us which\nhave passed through these degrees, and then on to higher planes. Our own\nrace is the fifth (with stragglers from the fourth) which has set foot\nupon The Path. And, then there are a few advanced souls of our own race\nwho have outstripped the masses, and who have passed on to the sixth and\nseventh sub-division, and some few being still further on. The man of\nthe Sixth Sub-Division will be \"The Super-Man\"; he of the Seventh will\nbe \"The Over-Man.\"\n\nIn our consideration of the Seven Minor Mental Planes, we have merely\nreferred to the Three Elementary Planes in a general way. We do not wish\nto go into this subject in detail in this work, for it does not belong\nto this part of the general philosophy and teachings. But we may say\nthis much, in order to give you a little clearer idea, of the relations\nof these planes to the more familiar ones--the Elementary Planes bear\nthe same relation to the Planes of Mineral, Plant, Animal and Human\nMentality and Life, that the black keys on the piano do to the white\nkeys. The white keys are sufficient to produce music, but there are\ncertain scales, melodies, and harmonies, in which the black keys play\ntheir part, and in which their presence is necessary. They are also\nnecessary as \"connecting links\" of soul-condition; entity states, etc.,\nbetween the several other planes, certain forms of development being\nattained therein--this last fact giving to the reader who can \"read\nbetween the lines\" a new light upon the processes of Evolution, and a\nnew key to the secret door of the \"leaps of life\" between kingdom and\nkingdom.  The great kingdoms of Elementals are fully recognized by all\noccultists, and the esoteric writings are full of mention of them.  The\nreaders of Bulwer's \"Sanoni\" and similar tales will recognize the\nentities inhabiting these planes of life.\n\nPassing on from the Great Mental Plane to the Great Spiritual Plane,\nwhat shall we say? How can we explain these higher states of Being, Life\nand Mind, to minds as yet unable to grasp and understand the higher\nsubdivisions of the Plane of Human Mind? The task is impossible. We can\nspeak only in the most general terms. How may Light be described to a\nman born blind--how sugar, to a man who has never tasted anything\nsweet--how harmony, to one born deaf?\n\nAll that we can say is that the Seven Minor Planes of the Great\nSpiritual Plane (each Minor Plane having its seven sub-divisions)\ncomprise Beings possessing Life, Mind and Form as far above that of Man\nof to-day as the latter is above the earth-worm, mineral or even certain\nforms of Energy or Matter. The Life of these Beings so far transcends\nours, that we cannot even think of the details of the same; their minds\nso far transcend ours, that to them we scarcely seem to \"think,\" and our\nmental processes seem almost akin to material processes; the Matter of\nwhich their forms are composed is of the highest Planes of Matter, nay,\nsome are even said to be \"clothed in Pure Energy.\" What may be said of\nsuch Beings?\n\nOn the Seven Minor Planes of the Great Spiritual Plane exist Beings of\nwhom we may speak as Angels; Archangels; Demi-Gods. On the lower Minor\nPlanes dwell those great souls whom we call Masters and Adepts. Above\nthem come the Great Hierarchies of the Angelic Hosts, unthinkable to\nman; and above those come those who may without irreverence be called\n\"The Gods,\" so high in the scale of Being are they, their being,\nintelligence and power being akin to those attributed by the races of\nmen to their conceptions of Deity. These Beings are beyond even the\nhighest flights of the human imagination, the word \"Divine\" being the\nonly one applicable to them. Many of these Beings, as well as the\nAngelic Host, take the greatest interest in the affairs of the Universe\nand play an important part in its affairs. These Unseen Divinities and\nAngelic Helpers extend their influence freely and powerfully, in the\nprocess of Evolution, and Cosmic Progress. Their occasional intervention\nand assistance in human affairs have led to the many legends, beliefs,\nreligions and traditions of the race, past and present. They have\nsuperimposed their knowledge and power upon the world, again and again,\nall under the Law of THE ALL, of course.\n\nBut, yet, even the highest of these advanced Beings exist merely as\ncreations of, and in, the Mind of THE ALL, and are subject to the Cosmic\nProcesses and Universal Laws. They are still Mortal. We may call them\n\"gods\" if we like, but still they are but the Elder Brethren of the\nRace,--the advanced souls who have outstripped their brethren, and who\nhave foregone the ecstasy of Absorption by THE ALL, in order to help the\nrace on its upward journey along The Path. But, they belong to the\nUniverse, and are subject to its conditions--they are mortal--and their\nplane is below that of Absolute Spirit.\n\nOnly the most advanced Hermetists are able to grasp the Inner Teachings\nregarding the state of existence, and the powers manifested on the\nSpiritual Planes. The phenomena is so much higher than that of the\nMental Planes that a confusion of ideas would surely result from an\nattempt to describe the same. Only those whose minds have been carefully\ntrained along the lines of the Hermetic Philosophy for years--yes, those\nwho have brought with them from other incarnations the knowledge\nacquired previously--can comprehend just what is meant by the Teaching\nregarding these Spiritual Planes. And much of these Inner Teachings is\nheld by the Hermetists as being too sacred, important and even dangerous\nfor general public dissemination. The intelligent student may recognize\nwhat we mean by this when we state that the meaning of \"Spirit\" as used\nby the Hermetists is akin to \"Living Power\"; \"Animated Force;\" \"Inner\nEssence;\" \"Essence of Life,\" etc., which meaning must not be confounded\nwith that usually and commonly employed in connection with the term,\ni.e., \"religious; ecclesiastical; spiritual; ethereal; holy,\" etc., etc.\nTo occultists the word \"Spirit\" is used in the sense of \"The Animating\nPrinciple,\" carrying with it the idea of Power, Living Energy, Mystic\nForce, etc. And occultists know that that which is known to them as\n\"Spiritual Power\" may be employed for evil as well as good ends (in\naccordance with the Principle of Polarity), a fact which has been\nrecognized by the majority of religions in their conceptions of Satan,\nBeelzebub, the Devil, Lucifer, Fallen Angels, etc. And so the knowledge\nregarding these Planes has been kept in the Holy of Holies in all\nEsoteric Fraternities and Occult Orders,--in the Secret Chamber of the\nTemple. But this may be said here, that those who have attained high\nspiritual powers and have misused them, have a terrible fate in store\nfor them, and the swing of the pendulum of Rhythm will inevitably swing\nthem back to the furthest extreme of Material existence, from which\npoint they must retrace their steps Spiritward, along the weary rounds\nof The Path, but always with the added torture of having always with\nthem a lingering memory of the heights from which they fell owing to\ntheir evil actions. The legends of the Fallen Angels have a basis in\nactual facts, as all advanced occultists know. The striving for selfish\npower on the Spiritual Planes inevitably results in the selfish soul\nlosing its spiritual balance and falling back as far as it had\npreviously risen. But to even such a soul, the opportunity of a return\nis given--and such souls make the return journey, paying the terrible\npenalty according to the invariable Law.\n\nIn conclusion we would again remind you that according to the Principle\nof Correspondence, which embodies the truth: \"As Above so Below; as\nBelow, so Above,\" all of the Seven Hermetic Principles are in full\noperation on all of the many planes, Physical Mental and Spiritual. The\nPrinciple of Mental Substance of course applies to all the planes, for\nall are held in the Mind of THE ALL. The Principle of Correspondence\nmanifests in all, for there is a correspondence, harmony and agreement\nbetween the several planes. The Principle of Vibration manifests on all\nplanes, in fact the very differences that go to make the \"planes\" arise\nfrom Vibration, as we have explained. The Principle of Polarity\nmanifests on each plane, the extremes of the Poles being apparently\nopposite and contradictory. The Principle of Rhythm manifests on each\nPlane, the movement of the phenomena having its ebb and flow, rise and\nflow, incoming and outgoing. The Principle of Cause and Effect manifests\non each Plane, every Effect having its Cause and every Cause having its\neffect. The Principle of Gender manifests on each Plane, the Creative\nEnergy being always manifest, and operating along the lines of its\nMasculine and Feminine Aspects.\n\n\"As Above so Below; as Below, so Above.\" This centuries old Hermetic\naxiom embodies one of the great Principles of Universal Phenomena. As we\nproceed with our consideration of the remaining Principles, we will see\neven more clearly the truth of the universal nature of this great\nPrinciple of Correspondence.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX\n\nVIBRATION\n\n    \"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything\n    vibrates.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Third Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Vibration--embodies\nthe truth that Motion is manifest in everything in the Universe--that\nnothing is at rest--that everything moves, vibrates, and circles. This\nHermetic Principle was recognized by some of the early Greek philosophers\nwho embodied it in their systems. But, then, for centuries it was lost\nsight of by the thinkers outside of the Hermetic ranks. But in the\nNineteenth Century physical science re-discovered the truth and the\nTwentieth Century scientific discoveries have added additional proof of\nthe correctness and truth of this centuries-old Hermetic doctrine.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings are that not only is everything in constant\nmovement and vibration, but that the \"differences\" between the various\nmanifestations of the universal power are due entirely to the varying\nrate and mode of vibrations. Not only this, but that even THE ALL, in\nitself, manifests a constant vibration of such an infinite degree of\nintensity and rapid motion that it may be practically considered as at\nrest, the teachers directing the attention of the students to the fact\nthat even on the physical plane a rapidly moving object (such as a\nrevolving wheel) seems to be at rest. The Teachings are to the effect\nthat Spirit is at one end of the Pole of Vibration, the other Pole being\ncertain extremely gross forms of Matter. Between these two poles are\nmillions upon millions of different rates and modes of vibration.\n\nModern Science has proven that all that we call Matter and Energy are\nbut \"modes of vibratory motion,\" and some of the more advanced\nscientists are rapidly moving toward the positions of the occultists who\nhold that the phenomena of Mind are likewise modes of vibration or\nmotion. Let us see what science has to say regarding the question of\nvibrations in matter and energy.\n\nIn the first place, science teaches that all matter manifests, in some\ndegree, the vibrations arising from temperature or heat. Be an object\ncold or hot--both being but degrees of the same things--it manifests\ncertain heat vibrations, and in that sense is in motion and vibration.\nThen all particles of Matter are in circular movement, from corpuscle to\nsuns. The planets revolve around suns, and many of them turn on their\naxes. The suns move around greater central points, and these are\nbelieved to move around still greater, and so on, ad infinitum. The\nmolecules of which the particular kinds of Matter are composed are in a\nstate of constant vibration and movement around each other and against\neach other. The molecules are composed of Atoms, which, likewise, are in\na state of constant movement and vibration. The atoms are composed of\nCorpuscles, sometimes called \"electrons,\" \"ions,\" etc., which also are\nin a state of rapid motion, revolving around each other, and which\nmanifest a very rapid state and mode of vibration. And, so we see that\nall forms of Matter manifest Vibration, in accordance with the Hermetic\nPrinciple of Vibration.\n\nAnd so it is with the various forms of Energy. Science teaches that\nLight, Heat, Magnetism and Electricity are but forms of vibratory motion\nconnected in some way with, and probably emanating from the Ether.\nScience does not as yet attempt to explain the nature of the phenomena\nknown as Cohesion, which is the principle of Molecular Attraction; nor\nChemical Affinity, which is the principle of Atomic Attraction; nor\nGravitation (the greatest mystery of the three), which is the principle\nof attraction by which every particle or mass of Matter is bound to\nevery other particle or mass. These three forms of Energy are not as yet\nunderstood by science, yet the writers incline to the opinion that these\ntoo are manifestations of some form of vibratory energy, a fact which\nthe Hermetists have held and taught for ages past.\n\nThe Universal Ether, which is postulated by science without its nature\nbeing understood clearly, is held by the Hermetists to be but a higher\nmanifestation of that which is erroneously called matter--that is to\nsay, Matter at a higher degree of vibration--and is called by them \"The\nEthereal Substance.\" The Hermetists teach that this Ethereal Substance\nis of extreme tenuity and elasticity, and pervades universal space,\nserving as a medium of transmission of waves of vibratory energy, such\nas heat, light, electricity, magnetism, etc. The Teachings are that The\nEthereal Substance is a connecting link between the forms of vibratory\nenergy known as \"Matter\" on the one hand, and \"Energy or Force\" on the\nother; and also that it manifests a degree of vibration, in rate and\nmode, entirely its own.\n\nScientists have offered the illustration of a rapidly moving wheel, top,\nor cylinder, to show the effects of increasing rates of vibration. The\nillustration supposes a wheel, top, or revolving cylinder, running at a\nlow rate of speed--we will call this revolving thing \"the object\" in\nfollowing out the illustration. Let us suppose the object moving slowly.\nIt may be seen readily, but no sound of its movement reaches the ear.\nThe speed is gradually increased. In a few moments its movement becomes\nso rapid that a deep growl or low note may be heard. Then as the rate is\nincreased the note rises one in the musical scale. Then, the motion\nbeing still further increased, the next highest note is distinguished.\nThen, one after another, all the notes of the musical scale appear,\nrising higher and higher as the motion is increased. Finally when the\nmotions have reached a certain rate the final note perceptible to human\nears is reached and the shrill, piercing shriek dies away, and silence\nfollows. No sound is heard from the revolving object, the rate of motion\nbeing so high that the human ear cannot register the vibrations. Then\ncomes the perception of rising degrees of Heat. Then after quite a time\nthe eye catches a glimpse of the object becoming a dull dark reddish\ncolor. As the rate increases, the red becomes brighter. Then as the\nspeed is increased, the red melts into an orange. Then the orange melts\ninto a yellow. Then follow, successively, the shades of green, blue,\nindigo, and finally violet, as the rate of sped increases. Then the\nviolet shades away, and all color disappears, the human eye not\nbeing able to register them. But there are invisible rays emanating from\nthe revolving object, the rays that are used in photographing, and other\nsubtle rays of light. Then begin to manifest the peculiar rays known as\nthe \"X Rays,\" etc., as the constitution of the object changes.\nElectricity and Magnetism are emitted when the appropriate rate of\nvibration is attained.\n\nWhen the object reaches a certain rate of vibration its molecules\ndisintegrate, and resolve themselves into the original elements or\natoms. Then the atoms, following the Principle of Vibration, are\nseparated into the countless corpuscles of which they are composed. And\nfinally, even the corpuscles disappear and the object may be said to Be\ncomposed of The Ethereal Substance. Science does not dare to follow the\nillustration further, but the Hermetists teach that if the vibrations be\ncontinually increased the object would mount up the successive states of\nmanifestation and would in turn manifest the various mental stages, and\nthen on Spiritward, until it would finally re-enter THE ALL, which is\nAbsolute Spirit. The \"object,\" however, would have ceased to be an\n\"object\" long before the stage of Ethereal Substance was reached, but\notherwise the illustration is correct inasmuch as it shows the effect of\nconstantly increased rates and modes of vibration. It must be\nremembered, in the above illustration, that at the stages at which the\n\"object\" throws off vibrations of light, heat, etc., it is not actually\n\"resolved\" into those forms of energy (which are much higher in the\nscale), but simply that it reaches a degree of vibration in which those\nforms of energy are liberated, in a degree, from the confining\ninfluences of its molecules, atoms and corpuscles, as the case may be.\nThese forms of energy, although much higher in the scale than matter,\nare imprisoned and confined in the material combinations, by reason of\nthe energies manifesting through, and using material forms, but thus\nbecoming entangled and confined in their creations of material forms,\nwhich, to an extent, is true of all creations, the creating force\nbecoming involved in its creation.\n\nBut the Hermetic Teachings go much further than do those of modern\nscience. They teach that all manifestation of thought, emotion, reason,\nwill or desire, or any mental state or condition, are accompanied by\nvibrations, a portion of which are thrown off and which tend to affect\nthe minds of other persons by \"induction.\" This is the principle which\nproduces the phenomena of \"telepathy\"; mental influence, and other forms\nof the action and power of mind over mind, with which the general public\nis rapidly becoming acquainted, owing to the wide dissemination of\noccult knowledge by the various schools, cults and teachers along these\nlines at this time.\n\nEvery thought, emotion or mental state has its corresponding rate and\nmode of vibration. And by an effort of the will of the person, or of\nother persons, these mental states may be reproduced, just as a musical\ntone may be reproduced by causing an instrument to vibrate at a certain\nrate--just as color may be reproduced in the same may. By a knowledge of\nthe Principle of Vibration, as applied to Mental Phenomena, one may\npolarize his mind at any degree he wishes, thus gaining a perfect\ncontrol over his mental states, moods, etc. In the same way he may\naffect the minds of others, producing the desired mental states in them.\nIn short, he may be able to produce on the Mental Plane that which\nscience produces on the Physical Plane--namely, \"Vibrations at Will.\"\nThis power of course may be acquired only by the proper instruction,\nexercises, practice, etc., the science being that of Mental\nTransmutation, one of the branches of the Hermetic Art.\n\nA little reflection on what we have said will show the student that the\nPrinciple of Vibration underlies the wonderful phenomena of the power\nmanifested by the Masters and Adepts, who are able to apparently set\naside the Laws of Nature, but who, in reality, are simply using one law\nagainst another; one principle against others; and who accomplish their\nresults by changing the vibrations of material objects, or forms of\nenergy, and thus perform what are commonly called \"miracles.\"\n\nAs one of the old Hermetic writers has truly said: \"He who understands\nthe Principle of Vibration, has grasped the scepter of Power.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X\n\nPOLARITY\n\n    \"Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything\n    has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same;\n    opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;\n    extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes\n    may be reconciled.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Fourth Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Polarity embodies\nthe truth that all manifested things have \"two sides\"; \"two aspects\";\n\"two poles\"; a \"pair of opposites,\" with manifold degrees between the\ntwo extremes. The old paradoxes, which have ever perplexed the mind of\nmen, are explained by an understanding of this Principle. Man has always\nrecognized something akin to this Principle, and has endeavored to\nexpress it by such sayings, maxims and aphorisms as the following:\n\"Everything is and isn't, at the same time\"; \"all truths are but\nhalf-truths\"; \"every truth is half-false\"; \"there are two sides to\neverything\"--\"there is a reverse side to every shield,\" etc., etc.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings are to the effect that the difference between\nthings seemingly diametrically opposed to each other is merely a matter\nof degree. It teaches that \"the pairs of opposites may be reconciled,\"\nand that \"thesis and anti-thesis are identical in nature, but different\nin degree\"; and that the \"universal reconciliation of opposites\" is\neffected by a recognition of this Principle of Polarity. The teachers\nclaim that illustrations of this Principle may be had on every hand, and\nfrom an examination into the real nature of anything. They begin by\nshowing that Spirit and Matter are but the two poles of the same thing,\nthe intermediate planes being merely degrees of vibration. They show\nthat THE ALL and The Many are the same, the difference being merely a\nmatter of degree of Mental Manifestation. Thus the LAW and Laws are the\ntwo opposite poles of one thing. Likewise, PRINCIPLE and Principles.\nInfinite Mind and finite minds.\n\nThen passing on to the Physical Plane, they illustrate the Principle by\nshowing that Heat and Cold are identical in nature, the differences\nbeing merely a matter of degrees. The thermometer shows many degrees of\ntemperature, the lowest pole being called \"cold,\" and the highest\n\"heat.\" Between these two poles are many degrees of \"heat\" or \"cold,\"\ncall them either and you are equally correct. The higher of two degrees\nis always \"warmer,\" while the lower is always \"colder.\" There is no\nabsolute standard-all is a matter of degree. There is no place on the\nthermometer where heat ceases and cold begins. It is all a matter of\nhigher or lower vibrations. The very terms \"high\" and \"low,\" which we\nare compelled to use, are but poles of the same thing-the terms are\nrelative. So with \"East and West\"--travel around the world in an\neastward direction, and you reach a point which is called west at your\nstarting point, and you return from that westward point. Travel far\nenough North, and you will find yourself traveling South, or vice versa.\n\nLight and Darkness are poles of the same thing, with many degrees\nbetween them. The musical scale is the same--starting with \"C\" you move\nupward until you reach another \"C\" and so on, the differences between\nthe two ends of the board being the same, with many degrees between the\ntwo extremes. The scale of color is the same-higher and lower vibrations\nbeing the only difference between high violet and low red. Large and\nSmall are relative. So are Noise and Quiet; Hard and Soft follow the\nrule. Likewise Sharp and Dull. Positive and Negative are two poles of\nthe same thing, with countless degrees between them.\n\nGood and Bad are not absolute--we call one end of the scale Good and the\nother Bad, or one end Good and the other Evil, according to the use of\nthe terms. A thing is \"less good\" than the thing higher in the scale;\nbut that \"less good\" thing, in turn, is \"more good\" than the thing next\nbelow it--and so on, the \"more or less\" being regulated by the position\non the scale.\n\nAnd so it is on the Mental Plane. \"Love and. Hate\" are generally\nregarded as being things diametrically opposed to each other; entirely\ndifferent; unreconcilable. But we apply the Principle of Polarity; we\nfind that there is no such thing as Absolute Love or Absolute Hate, as\ndistinguished from each other. The two are merely terms applied to the\ntwo poles of the same thing. Beginning at any point of the scale we find\n\"more love,\" or \"less hate,\" as we ascend the scale; and \"more hate\" or\n\"less love\" as we descend this being true no matter from what point,\nhigh or low, we may start. There are degrees of Love and Hate, and there\nis a middle point where \"Like and Dislike\" become so faint that it is\ndifficult to distinguish between them. Courage and Fear come under the\nsame rule. The Pairs of Opposites exist everywhere. Where you find one\nthing you find its opposite-the two poles.\n\nAnd it is this fact that enables the Hermetist to transmute one mental\nstate into another, along the lines of Polarization. Things belonging to\ndifferent classes cannot be transmuted into each other, but things of\nthe same class may be changed, that is, may have their polarity changed.\nThus Love never becomes East or West, or Red or Violet-but it may and\noften does turn into Hate and likewise Hate may be transformed into\nLove, by changing its polarity. Courage may be transmuted into Fear, and\nthe reverse. Hard things may be rendered Soft. Dull things become Sharp.\nHot things become Cold. And so on, the transmutation always being\nbetween things of the same kind of different degrees. Take the case of a\nFearful man. By raising his mental vibrations along the line of Fear-\nCourage, he can be filled with the highest degree of Courage and\nFearlessness. And, likewise, the Slothful man may change himself into an\nActive, Energetic individual simply by polarizing along the lines of the\ndesired quality.\n\nThe student who is familiar with the processes by which the various\nschools of Mental Science, etc., produce changes in the mental states of\nthose following their teachings, may not readily understand the\nprinciple underlying many of these changes. When, however, the Principle\nof Polarity is once grasped, and it is seen that the mental changes are\noccasioned by a change of polarity-a sliding along the same scale-the\nhatter is readily understood. The change is not in the nature of a\ntransmutation of one thing into another thing entirely different-but is\nmerely a change of degree in the same things, a vastly important\ndifference. For instance, borrowing an analogy from the Physical Plane,\nit is impossible to change Heat into Sharpness, Loudness, Highness,\netc., but Heat may readily be transmuted into Cold, simply by lowering\nthe vibrations. In the same way Hate and Love are mutually transmutable;\nso are Fear and Courage. But Fear cannot be transformed into Love, nor\ncan Courage be transmuted into Hate. The mental states belong to\ninnumerable classes, each class of which has its opposite poles, along\nwhich transmutation is possible.\n\nThe student will readily recognize that in the mental states, as well as\nin the phenomena of the Physical Plane, the two poles may be classified\nas Positive and Negative, respectively. Thus Love is Positive to Hate;\nCourage to Fear; Activity to Non-Activity, etc., etc. And it will also\nbe noticed that even to those unfamiliar with the Principle of\nVibration, the Positive pole seems to be of a higher degree than the\nNegative, and readily dominates it. The tendency of Nature is in the\ndirection of the dominant activity of the Positive pole.\n\nIn addition to the changing of the poles of one's own mental states by\nthe operation of the art of Polarization, the phenomena of Mental\nInfluence, in its manifold phases, shows us that the principle may be\nextended so as to embrace the phenomena of the influence of one mind\nover that of another, of which so much has been written and taught of\nlate years. When it is understood that Mental Induction is possible,\nthat is that mental states may be produced by \"induction\" from others,\nthen we can readily see how a certain rate of vibration, or polarization\nof a certain mental state, may be communicated to another person, and\nhis polarity in that class of mental states thus changed. It is along\nthis principle that the results of many of the \"mental treatments\" are\nobtained. For instance, a person is \"blue,\" melancholy and full of fear.\nA mental scientist bringing his own mind up to the desired vibration by\nhis trained will, and thus obtaining the desired polarization in his own\ncase, then produces a similar mental state in the other by induction,\nthe result being that the vibrations are raised and the person polarizes\ntoward the Positive end of the scale instead toward the Negative, and\nhis Fear and other negative emotions are transmuted to Courage and\nsimilar positive mental states. A little study will show you that these\nmental changes are nearly all along the line of Polarization, the change\nbeing one of degree rather than of kind.\n\nA knowledge of the existence of this great Hermetic Principle will\nenable the student to better understand his own mental states, and those\nof other people. He will see that these states are all matters of\ndegree, and seeing thus, he will be able to raise or lower the vibration\nat will--to change his mental poles, and thus be Master of his mental\nstates, instead of being their servant and slave. And by his knowledge\nhe will be able to aid his fellows intelligently and by the appropriate\nmethods change the polarity when the same is desirable. We advise all\nstudents to familiarize themselves with this Principle of Polarity, for\na correct understanding of the same will throw light on many difficult\nsubjects.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI\n\nRHYTHM\n\n    \"Everything flows out and in; everything has its tides;\n    all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests\n    in everything; the measure of the swing to the right,\n    is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm\n    compensates\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Fifth Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Rhythm-embodies the\ntruth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion; a\nto-and-from movement; a flow and inflow; a swing forward and backward; a\npendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a high-tide and a low-\ntide; between the two-poles manifest on the physical, mental or\nspiritual planes. The Principle of rhythm is closely connected with the\nPrinciple of Polarity described in the preceding chapter. Rhythm\nmanifests between the two poles established by the Principle of\nPolarity. This does not mean, however, that the pendulum of Rhythm\nswings to the extreme poles, for this rarely happens; in fact, it is\ndifficult to establish the extreme polar opposites in the majority of\ncases. But the swing is ever \"toward\" first one pole and then the other.\n\nThere is always an action and reaction; an advance and a retreat; a\nrising and a sinking; manifested in all of the airs and phenomena of the\nUniverse. Suns, worlds, men, animals, plants, minerals, forces, energy,\nmind and matter, yes, even Spirit, manifests this Principle. The\nPrinciple manifests in the creation and destruction of worlds; in the\nrise and fall of nations; in the life history of all things; and finally\nin the mental states of Man.\n\nBeginning with the manifestations of Spirit--of THE ALL--it will be\nnoticed that there is ever the Outpouring and the Indrawing; the\n\"Outbreathing and Inbreathing of Brahm,\" as the Brahmans word it.\nUniverses are created; reach their extreme low point of materiality; and\nthen begin in their upward swing. Suns spring into being, and then their\nheight of power being reached, the process of retrogression begins, and\nafter aeons they become dead masses of matter, awaiting another impulse\nwhich starts again their inner energies into activity and a new solar\nlife cycle is begun. And thus it is with all the worlds; they are born,\ngrow and die; only to be reborn. And thus it is with all the things of\nshape and form; they swing from action to reaction; from birth to death;\nfrom activity to inactivity--and then back again. Thus it is with all\nliving things; they are born, grow, and die--and then are reborn. So it\nis with all great movements, philosophies, creeds, fashions,\ngovernments, nations, and all else-birth, growth, maturity, decadence,\ndeath-and then new-birth. The swing of the pendulum is ever in evidence.\n\nNight follows day; and day night. The pendulum swings from Summer to\nWinter, and then back again. The corpuscles, atoms, molecules, and all\nmasses of matter, swing around the circle of their nature. There is no\nsuch thing as absolute rest, or cessation from movement, and all\nmovement partakes of rhythm. The principle is of universal application.\nIt may be applied to any question, or phenomena of any of the many\nplanes of life. It may be applied to all phases of human activity.\nThere is always the Rhythmic swing from one pole to the other. The\nUniversal Pendulum is ever in motion. The Tides of Life flow in and out,\naccording to Law.\n\nThe Principle of rhythm is well understood by modern science, and is\nconsidered a universal law as applied to material things. But the\nHermetists carry the principle much further, and know that its\nmanifestations and influence extend to the mental activities of Man, and\nthat it accounts for the bewildering succession of moods, feelings and\nother annoying and perplexing changes that we notice in ourselves. But\nthe Hermetists by studying the operations of this Principle have learned\nto escape some of its activities by Transmutation.\n\nThe Hermetic Masters long since discovered that while the Principle of\nRhythm was invariable, and ever in evidence in mental phenomena, still\nthere were two planes of its manifestation so far as mental phenomena\nare concerned. They discovered that there were two general planes of\nConsciousness, the Lower and the Higher, the understanding of which fact\nenabled them to rise to the higher plane and thus escape the swing of\nthe Rhythmic pendulum which manifested on the lower plane. In other\nwords, the swing of the pendulum occurred on the Unconscious Plane, and\nthe Consciousness was not affected. This they call the Law of\nNeutralization. Its operations consist in the raising of the Ego above\nthe vibrations of the Unconscious Plane of mental activity, so that the\nnegative-swing of the pendulum is not manifested in consciousness, and\ntherefore they are not affected. It is akin to rising above a thing and\nletting it pass beneath you. The Hermetic Master, or advanced student,\npolarizes himself at the desired pole, and by a process akin to\n\"refusing\" to participate in the backward swing or, if you prefer, a\n\"denial\" of its influence over him, he stands firm in his polarized\nposition, and allows the mental pendulum to swing back along the\nunconscious plane. All individuals who have attained any degree of self-\nmastery, accomplish this, more or less unknowingly, and by refusing to\nallow their moods and negative mental states to affect them, they apply\nthe Law of Neutralization. The Master, however, carries this to a much\nhigher degree of proficiency, and by the use of his Will he attains\na degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible of belief on the\npart of those who allow themselves to be swung backward and forward by\nthe mental pendulum of moods and feelings.\n\nThe importance of this will be appreciated by any thinking person who\nrealizes what creatures of moods, feelings and emotion the majority of\npeople are, and how little mastery of themselves they manifest. If you\nwill stop and consider a moment, you will realize how much these swings\nof Rhythm have affected you in your life--how a period of Enthusiasm has\nbeen invariably followed by an opposite feeling and mood of Depression.\nLikewise, your moods and periods of Courage have been succeeded by equal\nmoods of Fear. And so it has ever been with the majority of\npersons--tides of feeling have ever risen and fallen with them, but they\nhave never suspected the cause or reason of the mental phenomena. An\nunderstanding of the workings of this Principle will give one the key to\nthe Mastery of these rhythmic swings of feeling, and will enable him to\nknow himself better and to avoid being carried away by these inflows and\noutflows. The Will is superior to the conscious manifestation of this\nPrinciple, although the Principle itself can never be destroyed. We may\nescape its effects, but the Principle operates, nevertheless. The\npendulum ever swings, although we may escape being carried along with\nit.\n\nThere are other features of the operation of this Principle of Rhythm of\nwhich we wish to speak at this point. There comes into its operations\nthat which is known as the Law of Compensation. One of the definitions\nor meanings of the word \"Compensate\" is, \"to counterbalance\" which is\nthe sense in which the Hermetists use the term. It is this Law of\nCompensation to which the Kybalion refers when it says: \"The measure of\nthe swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm\ncompensates.\"\n\nThe Law of Compensation is that the swing in one direction determines\nthe swing in the opposite direction, or to the opposite pole-the one\nbalances, or counterbalances, the other. On the Physical Plane we see\nmany examples of this Law. The pendulum of the clock swings a certain\ndistance to the right, and then an equal distance to the left. The\nseasons balance each other in the same way. The tides follow the same\nLaw. And the same Law is manifested in all the phenomena of Rhythm. The\npendulum, with a short swing in one direction, has but a short swing in\nthe other; while the long swing to the right invariably means the long\nswing to the left.  An object hurled upward to a certain height has an\nequal distance to traverse on its return. The force with which a\nprojectile is sent upward a mile is reproduced when the projectile\nreturns to the earth on its return journey. This Law is constant on the\nPhysical Plane, as reference to the standard authorities will show you.\n\nBut the Hermetists carry it still further. They teach that a man's\nmental states are subject to the same Law. The man who enjoys keenly, is\nsubject to keen suffering; while he who feels but little pain is capable\nof feeling but little joy. The pig suffers but little mentally, and\nenjoys but little--he is compensated. And on the other hand, there are\nother animals who enjoy keenly, but whose nervous organism and\ntemperament cause them to suffer exquisite degrees of pain and so it is\nwith Man. There are temperaments which permit of but low degrees of\nenjoyment, and equally low degrees of suffering; while there are others\nwhich permit the most intense enjoyment, but also the most intense\nsuffering. The rule is that the capacity for pain and pleasure, in each\nindividual, are balanced. The Law of Compensation is in full operation\nhere.\n\nBut the Hermetists go still further in this matter. They teach that\nbefore one is able to enjoy a certain degree of pleasure, he must have\nswung as far, proportionately, toward the other pole of feeling. They\nhold, however, that the Negative is precedent to the Positive in this\nmatter, that is to say that in experiencing a certain degree of pleasure\nit does not follow that he will have to \"pay up for it\" with a\ncorresponding degree of pain; on the contrary, the pleasure is the\nRhythmic swing, according to the Law of Compensation, for a degree of\npain previously experienced either in the present life, or in a previous\nincarnation. This throws a new light on the Problem of Pain.\n\nThe Hermetists regard the chain of lives as continuous, and as forming a\npart of one life of the individual, so that in consequence the rhythmic\nswing is understood in this way, while it would be without meaning\nunless the truth of reincarnation is admitted.\n\nBut the Hermetists claim that the Master or advanced student is able, to\na great degree, to escape the swing toward Pain, by the process of\nNeutralization before mentioned. By rising on to the higher plane of the\nEgo, much of the experience that comes to those dwelling on the lower\nplane is avoided and escaped.\n\nThe Law of Compensation plays an important part in the lives of men and\nwomen. It will be noticed that one generally \"pays the price\" of\nanything he possesses or lacks. If he has one thing, he lacks\nanother--the balance is struck. No one can \"keep his penny and have the\nbit of cake\" at the same time Everything has its pleasant and unpleasant\nsides. The things that one gains are always paid for by the things that\none loses. The rich possess much that the poor lack, while the poor\noften possess things that are beyond the reach of the rich. The\nmillionaire may have the inclination toward feasting, and the wealth\nwherewith to secure all the dainties and luxuries of the table, while he\nlacks the appetite to enjoy the same; he envies the appetite and\ndigestion of the laborer who lacks the wealth and inclinations of the\nmillionaire, and who gets more pleasure from his plain food than the\nmillionaire could obtain even if his appetite were not jaded, nor his\ndigestion ruined, for the wants, habits and inclinations differ. And so\nit is through life. The Law of Compensation is ever in operation,\nstriving to balance and counter-balance, and always succeeding in time,\neven though several lives may be required for the return swing of the\nPendulum of Rhythm.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII\n\nCAUSATION\n\n    \"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause;\n    everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a\n    name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of\n    causation, but nothing escapes the Law.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Sixth Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Cause and\nEffect--embodies the truth that Law pervades the Universe; that nothing\nhappens by Chance; that Chance is merely a term indicating cause\nexisting but not recognized or perceived; that phenomena is continuous,\nwithout break or exception.\n\nThe Principle of Cause and Effect underlies all scientific thought,\nancient and modern, and was enunciated by the Hermetic Teachers in the\nearliest days. While many and varied disputes between the many schools\nof thought have since arisen, these disputes have been principally upon\nthe details of the operations of the Principle, and still more often\nupon the meaning of certain words. The underlying Principle of Cause and\nEffect has been accepted as correct by practically all the thinkers of\nthe world worthy of the name. To think otherwise would be to take the\nphenomena of the universe from the domain of Law and Order, and to\nrelegate it; to the control of the imaginary something which men have\ncalled \"Chance.\"\n\nA little consideration will show anyone that there is in reality no such\nthing as pure chance. Webster defines the word \"Chance\" as follows: \"A\nsupposed agent or mode of activity other than a force, law or purpose;\nthe operation or activity of such agent; the supposed effect of such an\nagent; a happening; fortuity; casualty, etc.\" But a little consideration\nwill show you that there can be no such agent as \"Chance,\" in the sense\nof something outside of Law-something outside of Cause and Effect. How\ncould there be a something acting in the phenomenal universe,\nindependent of the laws, order, and continuity of the latter? Such a\nsomething would be entirely independent of the orderly trend of the\nuniverse, and therefore superior to it. We can imagine nothing outside\nof THE ALL being outside of the Law, and that only because THE ALL is\nthe LAW in itself. There is no room in the universe for a something\noutside of and independent of Law. The existence of such a Something\nwould render all Natural Laws ineffective, and would plunge the universe\ninto chaotic disorder and lawlessness.\n\nA careful examination will show that what we call \"Chance\" is merely an\nexpression relating to obscure causes; causes that we cannot perceive;\ncauses that we cannot understand. The word Chance is derived from a word\nMeaning \"to fall\" (as the falling of dice), the idea being that the fall\nof the dice (and many other happenings) are merely a \"happening\"\nunrelated to any cause. And this is the sense in which the term is\ngenerally employed. But when the matter is closely examined, it is seen\nthat there is no chance whatsoever about the fall of the dice. Each time\na die falls, and displays a certain number, it obeys a law as infallible\nas that which governs the revolution of the planets around the sun. Back\nof the fall of the die are causes, or chains of causes, running back\nfurther than the mind can follow. The position of the die in the box;\nthe amount of muscular energy expended in the throw; the condition of\nthe table, etc., etc., all are causes, the effect of which may be seen.\nBut back of these seen causes there are chains of unseen preceding\ncauses, all of which had a bearing upon the number of the die which fell\nuppermost.\n\nIf a die be cast a great number of times, it will be found that the\nnumbers shown will be about equal, that is, there will be an equal\nnumber of one-spot, two-spot, etc., coming uppermost. Toss a penny in\nthe air, and it may come down either \"heads\" or \"tails\"; but make a\nsufficient number of tosses, and the heads and tails will about even up.\nThis is the operation of the law of average. But both the average and\nthe single toss come under the Law of Cause and Effect, and if we were\nable to examine into the preceding causes, it would be clearly seen that\nit was simply impossible for the die to fall other than it did, under\nthe same circumstances and at the same time. Given the same causes, the\nsame results will follow. There is always a \"cause\" and a \"because\" to\nevery event. Nothing ever \"happens\" without a cause, or rather a chain\nof causes.\n\nSome confusion has arisen in the minds of persons considering this\nPrinciple, from the fact that they were unable to explain how one thing\ncould cause another thing--that is, be the \"creator\" of the second\nthing. As a matter of fact, no \"thing\" ever causes or \"creates\" another\n\"thing.\" Cause and Effect deals merely with \"events.\" An \"event\" is\n\"that which comes, arrives or happens, as a result or consequent of some\npreceding event.\" No event \"creates\" another event, but is merely a\npreceding link in the great orderly chain of events flowing from the\ncreative energy of THE ALL. There is a continuity between all events\nprecedent, consequent and subsequent. There is a relation existing\nbetween everything that has gone before, and everything that follows. A\nstone is dislodged from a mountain side and crashes through a roof of a\ncottage in the valley below. At first sight we regard this as a chance\neffect, but when we examine the matter we find a great chain of causes\nbehind it. In the first place there was the rain which softened the\nearth supporting the stone and which allowed it to fall; then back of\nthat was the influence of the sun, other rains, etc., which gradually\ndisintegrated the piece of rock from a larger piece; then there were the\ncauses which led to the formation of the mountain, and its upheaval by\nconvulsions of nature, and so on ad infinitum. Then we might follow up\nthe causes behind the rain, etc. Then we might consider the existence of\nthe roof In short, we would soon find ourselves involved in a mesh of\ncause and effect, from which we would soon strive to extricate\nourselves.\n\nJust as a man has two parents, and four grandparents, and eight\ngreat-grandparents, and sixteen great-great-grandparents, and so on\nuntil when, say, forty generations are calculated the numbers of\nancestors run into many millions--so it is with the number of causes\nbehind even the most trifling event or phenomena, such as the passage of\na tiny speck of soot before your eye. It is not an easy matter to trace\nthe bit of soot hack to the early period of the world's history when it\nformed a part of a massive tree-trunk, which was afterward converted\ninto coal, and so on, until as the speck of soot it now passes before\nyour vision on its way to other adventures. And a mighty chain of\nevents, causes and effects, brought it to its present condition, and the\nlater is but one of the chain of events which will go to produce other\nevents hundreds of years from now. One of the series of events arising\nfrom the tiny bit of soot was the writing of these lines, which caused\nthe typesetter to perform certain work; the proofreader to do likewise;\nand which will arouse certain thoughts in your mind, and that of others,\nwhich in turn will affect others, and so on, and on, and on, beyond the\nability of man to think further-and all from the passage of a tiny bit\nof soot, all of which shows the relativity and association of things,\nand the further fact that \"there is no great; there is no small, in the\nmind that causeth all.\"\n\nStop to think a moment. If a certain man had not met a certain maid,\naway back in the dim period of the Stone Age--you who are now reading\nthese lines would not now be here. And if, perhaps, the same couple had\nfailed to meet, we who now write these lines would not now be here. And\nthe very act of writing, on our part, and the act of reading, on yours,\nwill affect not only the respective lives of yourself and ourselves, but\nwill also have a direct, or indirect, affect upon many other people now\nliving and who will live in the ages to come. Every thought we think,\nevery act we perform, has its direct and indirect results which fit into\nthe great chain of Cause and Effect.\n\nWe do not wish to enter into a consideration of Free Will, or\nDeterminism, in this work, for various reasons. Among the many reasons,\nis the principal one that neither side of the controversy is entirely\nright-in fact, both sides are partially right, according to the Hermetic\nTeachings. The Principle of Polarity shows that both are but Half-Truths\nthe opposing poles of Truth. The Teachings are that a man may be both\nFree and yet bound by Necessity, depending upon the meaning of the\nterms, and the height of Truth from which the matter is examined. The\nancient writers express the matter thus: \"The further the creation is\nfrom the Centre, the more it is bound; the nearer the Centre it reaches,\nthe nearer Free is it.\"\n\nThe majority of people are more or less the slaves of heredity,\nenvironment, etc., and manifest very little Freedom. They are swayed by\nthe opinions, customs and thoughts of the outside world, and also by\ntheir emotions, feelings, moods, etc. They manifest no Mastery, worthy\nof the name. They indignantly repudiate this assertion, saying, \"Why, I\ncertainly am free to act and do as I please--I do just what I want to\ndo,\" but they fail to explain whence arise the \"want to\" and \"as I\nplease.\" What makes them \"want to\" do one thing in preference to\nanother; what makes them \"please\" to do this, and not do that? Is there\nno \"because\" to their \"pleasing\" and \"Wanting\"? The Master can change\nthese \"pleases\" and \"wants\" into others at the opposite end of the\nmental pole. He is able to \"Will to will,\" instead of to will because\nsome feeling, mood, emotion, or environmental suggestion arouses a\ntendency or desire within him so to do.\n\nThe majority of people are carried along like the falling stone,\nobedient to environment, outside influences and internal moods, desires,\netc., not to speak of the desires and wills of others stronger than\nthemselves, heredity, environment, and suggestion, carrying them along\nwithout resistance on their part, or the exercise of the Will. Moved\nlike the pawns on the checkerboard of life, they play their parts and\nare laid aside after the game is over. But the Masters, knowing the\nrules of the game, rise above the plane of material life, and placing\nthemselves in touch with the higher powers of their nature, dominate\ntheir own moods, characters, qualities, and polarity, as well as the\nenvironment surrounding them and thus become Movers in the game, instead\nof Pawns-Causes instead of Effects. The Masters do not escape the\nCausation of the higher planes, but fall in with the higher laws, and\nthus master circumstances on the lower plane. They thus form a conscious\npart of the Law, instead of being mere blind instruments. While they\nServe on the Higher Planes, they Rule on the Material Plane.\n\nBut, on higher and on lower, the Law is always in operation. There is no\nsuch thing as Chance. The blind goddess has been abolished by Reason. We\nare able to see now, with eyes made clear by knowledge, that everything\nis governed by Universal Law-that the infinite number of laws are but\nmanifestations of the One Great Law-the LAW which is THE ALL. It is true\nindeed that not a sparrow drops unnoticed by the Mind of THE AL--that\neven the hairs on our head are numbered--as the scriptures have said\nThere is nothing outside of Law; nothing that happens contrary to it.\nAnd yet, do not make the mistake of supposing that Man is but a blind\nautomaton-far from that. The Hermetic Teachings are that Man may use Law\nto overcome laws, and that the higher will always prevail against the\nlower, until at last he has reached the stage in which he seeks refuge\nin the LAW itself, and laughs the phenomenal laws to scorn. Are you able\nto grasp the inner meaning of this?\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII\n\nGENDER\n\n    \"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine\n    and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all\n    planes.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe great Seventh Hermetic Principle--the Principle of Gender-embodies\nthe truth that there is Gender manifested in everything-that the\nMasculine and Feminine principles are ever present and active in all\nphases of phenomena, on each and every plane of life. At this point we\nthink it well to call your attention to the fact that Gender, in its\nHermetic sense, and Sex in the ordinarily accepted use of the term, are\nnot the same.\n\nThe word \"Gender\" is derived from the Latin root meaning \"to beget; to\nprocreate; to generate; to create; to produce.\" A moment's consideration\nwill show you that the word has a much broader and more general meaning\nthan the term \"Sex,\" the latter referring to the physical distinctions\nbetween male and female living things. Sex is merely a manifestation of\nGender on a certain plane of the Great Physical Plane--the plane of\norganic life. We wish to impress this distinction upon your minds, for\nthe reason that certain writers, who have acquired a smattering of the\nHermetic Philosophy, have sought to identify this Seventh Hermetic\nPrinciple with wild and fanciful, and often reprehensible, theories and\nteachings regarding Sex.\n\nThe office of Gender is solely that of creating, producing, generating,\netc., and its manifestations are visible on every plane of phenomena. It\nis somewhat difficult to produce proofs of this along scientific lines,\nfor the reason that science has not as yet recognized this Principle as\nof universal application. But still some proofs are forthcoming from\nscientific sources. In the first place, we find a distinct manifestation\nof the Principle of Gender among the corpuscles, ions, or electrons,\nwhich constitute the basis of Matter as science now knows the latter,\nand which by forming certain combinations form the Atom, which until\nlately was regarded as final and indivisible.\n\nThe latest word of science is that the atom is composed of a multitude\nof corpuscles, electrons, or ions (the various names being applied by\ndifferent authorities) revolving around each other and vibrating at a\nhigh degree and intensity. But the accompanying statement is made that\nthe formation of the atom is really due to the clustering of negative\ncorpuscles around a positive one---the positive corpuscles seeming to\nexert a certain influence upon the negative corpuscles, causing the\nlatter to assume certain combinations and thus \"create\" or \"generate\" an\natom. This is in line with the most ancient Hermetic Teachings, which\nhave always identified the Masculine principle of Gender with the\n\"Positive,\" and the Feminine with the \"Negative\" Poles of Electricity\n(so called).\n\nNow a word at this point regarding this identification. The public mind\nhas formed an entirely erroneous impression regarding the qualities of\nthe so-called \"Negative\" pole of electrified or magnetized Matter. The\nterms Positive and Negative are very wrongly applied to this phenomenon\nby science. The word Positive means something real and strong, as\ncompared with a Negative unreality or weakness. Nothing is further from\nthe real facts of electrical phenomenon. The so-called Negative pole of\nthe battery is really the pole in and by which the generation or\nproduction of new forms and energies is manifested. There is nothing\n\"negative\" about it. The best scientific authorities now use the word\n\"Cathode\" in place of \"Negative,\" the word Cathode coming from the Greek\nroot meaning \"descent; the path of generation, etc,\" From the Cathode\npole emerge the swarm of electrons or corpuscles; from the same pole\nemerge those wonderful \"rays\" which have revolutionized scientific\nconceptions during the past decade. The Cathode pole is the Mother of\nall of the strange phenomena which have rendered useless the old\ntextbooks, and which have caused many long accepted theories to be\nrelegated to the scrap-pile of scientific speculation. The Cathode, or\nNegative Pole, is the Mother Principle of Electrical Phenomena, and of\nthe finest forms of matter as yet known to science. So you see we are\njustified in refusing to use the term \"Negative\" in our consideration of\nthe subject, and in insisting upon substituting the word \"Feminine\" for\nthe old term. The facts of the case bear us out in this, without taking\nthe Hermetic Teachings into consideration. And so we shall use the word\n\"Feminine\" in the place of \"Negative\" in speaking of that pole of\nactivity.\n\nThe latest scientific teachings are that the creative corpuscles or\nelectrons are Feminine (science says \"they are composed of negative\nelectricity\"-we say they are composed of Feminine energy). A Feminine\ncorpuscle becomes detached from, or rather leaves, a Masculine\ncorpuscle, and starts on a new career. It actively seeks a union with a\nMasculine corpuscle, being urged thereto by the natural impulse to\ncreate new forms of Matter or Energy. One writer goes so far as to use\nthe term \"it at once seeks, of its own volition, a union,\" etc. This\ndetachment and uniting form the basis of the greater part of the\nactivities of the chemical world. When the Feminine corpuscle unites\nwith a Masculine corpuscle, a certain process is begun. The Feminine\nparticles vibrate rapidly under the influence of the Masculine energy,\nand circle rapidly around the latter. The result is the birth of a new\natom. This new atom is really composed of a union of the Masculine and\nFeminine electrons, or corpuscles, but when the union is formed the atom\nis a separate thing, having certain properties, but no longer\nmanifesting the property of free electricity. The process of detachment\nor separation of the Feminine electrons is called \"ionization.\" These\nelectrons, or corpuscles, are the most active workers in Nature's field.\nArising from their unions, or combinations, manifest the varied\nphenomena of light, heat, electricity, magnetism, attraction,\nrepulsion, chemical affinity and the reverse, and similar phenomena. And\nall this arises from the operation of the Principle of Gender on the\nplane of Energy.\n\nThe part of the Masculine principle seems to be that of directing a\ncertain inherent energy toward the Feminine principle, and thus starting\ninto activity the creative processes. But the Feminine principle is the\none always doing the active creative work-and this is so on all planes.\nAnd yet, each principle is incapable of operative energy without the\nassistance of the other. In some of the forms of life, the two\nprinciples are combined in one organism. For that matter, everything in\nthe organic world manifests both genders--there is always the Masculine\npresent in the Feminine form, and the Feminine form.  The Hermetic\nTeachings include much regarding the operation of the two principles of\nGender in the production and manifestation of various forms of energy,\netc., but we do not deem it expedient to go into detail regarding the\nsame at this point, because we are unable to back up the same with\nscientific proof, for the reason that science has not as yet progressed\nthus far. But the example we have given you of the phenomena of the\nelectrons or corpuscles will show you that science is on the right path,\nand will also give you a general idea of the underlying principles.\n\nSome leading scientific investigators have announced their belief that\nin the formation of crystals there was to be found something that\ncorresponded to \"sex-activity\" which is another straw showing the\ndirection the scientific winds are blowing. And each year will bring\nother facts to corroborate the correctness of the Hermetic Principle of\nGender. It will be found that Gender is in constant operation and\nmanifestation in the field of inorganic matter, and in the field of\nEnergy or Force. Electricity is now generally regarded as the\n\"Something\" into which all other forms of energy seem to melt or\ndissolve. The \"Electrical Theory of the Universe\" is the latest\nscientific doctrine, and is growing rapidly in popularity and\ngeneral acceptance. And it thus follows that if we are able to discover\nin the phenomena of electricity-even at the very root and source of its\nmanifestations a clear and unmistakable evidence of the presence of\nGender and its activities, we are justified in asking you to believe\nthat science at last has offered proofs of the existence in all\nuniversal phenomena of that great Hermetic Principle-the Principle of\nGender.\n\nIt is not necessary to take up your time with the well known phenomena\nof the \"attraction and repulsion\" of the atoms; chemical affinity; the\n\"loves and hates\" of the atomic particles; the attraction or cohesion\nbetween the molecules of matter. These facts are too well known to need\nextended comment from us. But, have you ever considered that all of\nthese things are manifestations of the Gender Principle? Can you not see\nthat the phenomena is \"on all fours\" with that of the corpuscles or\nelectrons? And more than this, can you not see the reasonableness of the\nHermetic Teachings which assert that the very Law of Gravitation-that\nstrange attraction by reason of which all particles and bodies of matter\nin the universe tend toward each other is but another manifestation of\nthe Principle of Gender, which operates in the direction of attracting\nthe Masculine to the Feminine energies, and vice versa? We cannot offer\nyou scientific proof of this at this time-but examine the phenomena in\nthe light of the Hermetic Teachings on the subject, and see if you have\nnot a better working hypothesis than any offered by physical science.\nSubmit all physical phenomena to the test, and you will discern the\nPrinciple of Gender ever in evidence.\n\nLet us now pass on to a consideration of the operation of the Principle\non the Mental Plane. Many interesting features are there awaiting\nexamination.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV\n\nMENTAL GENDER\n\nStudents of psychology who have followed the modern trend of thought\nalong the lines of mental phenomena are struck by the persistence of the\ndual-mind idea which has manifested itself so strongly during the past\nten or fifteen years, and which has given rise to a number of plausible\ntheories regarding the nature and constitution of these \"two minds.\" The\nlate Thomson J. Hudson attained great popularity in 1893 by advancing\nhis well-known theory of the \"objective and subjective minds\" which he\nheld existed in every individual. Other writers have attracted almost\nequal attention by the theories regarding the \"conscious and\nsubconscious minds\"; the \"voluntary and involuntary minds\"; \"the active\nand passive minds,\" etc., etc. The theories of the various writers\ndiffer from each other, but there remains the underlying principle of\n\"the duality of mind.\"\n\nThe student of the Hermetic Philosophy is tempted to smile when he reads\nand hears of these many \"new theories\" regarding the duality of mind,\neach school adhering tenaciously to its own pet theories, and each\nclaiming to have \"discovered the truth.\" The student turns back the\npages of occult history, and away back in the dim beginnings of occult\nteachings he finds references to the ancient Hermetic doctrine of the\nPrinciple of Gender on the Mental Plane-the manifestation of Mental\nGender. And examining further he finds that the ancient philosophy took\ncognizance of the phenomenon of the \"dual mind,\" and accounted for it by\nthe theory of Mental Gender. This idea of Mental Gender may be explained\nin a few words to students who are familiar with the modern theories\njust alluded to. The Masculine Principle of Mind corresponds to the\nso-called Objective Mind; Conscious Mind; Voluntary Mind; Active Mind,\netc. And the Feminine Principle of Mind corresponds to the so-called\nSubjective Mind; Sub-conscious Mind; Involuntary Mind; Passive Mind,\netc. Of course the Hermetic Teachings do not agree with the many modern\ntheories regarding the nature of the two phases of mind, nor does it\nadmit many of the facts claimed for the two respective aspects--some of\nthe said theories and claims being very far-fetched and incapable of\nstanding the test of experiment and demonstration.  We point to the\nphases of agreement merely for the purpose of helping the student to\nassimilate his previously acquired knowledge with the teachings of the\nHermetic Philosophy. Students of Hudson will notice the statement at the\nbeginning of his second chapter of \"The Law of Psychic Phenomena,\" that:\n\"The mystic jargon of the Hermetic philosophers discloses the same\ngeneral idea\" i.e., the duality of mind. If Dr. Hudson had taken\nthe time and trouble to decipher a little of \"the mystic jargon of the\nHermetic Philosophy,\" he might have received much light upon the subject\nof \"the dual mind\"--but then, perhaps, his most interesting work might\nnot have been written. Let us now consider the Hermetic Teachings\nregarding Mental Gender.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachers impart their instruction regarding this subject by\nbidding their students examine the report of their consciousness\nregarding their Self. The students are bidden to turn their attention\ninward upon the Self dwelling within each. Each student is led to see\nthat his consciousness gives him first a report of the existence of his\nSelf-the report is \"I Am.\" This at first seems to be the final words\nfrom the consciousness, but a little further examination discloses the\nfact that this \"I Am\" may be separated or split into two distinct parts,\nor aspects, which while working in unison and in conjunction, yet,\nnevertheless, may be separated in consciousness.\n\nWhile at first there seems to be only an \"I\" existing, a more careful\nand closer examination reveals the fact that there exists an \"I\" and a\n\"Me.\" These mental twins differ in their characteristics and nature, and\nan examination of their nature and the phenomena arising from the same\nwill throw much light upon many of the problems of mental influence.\n\nLet us begin with a consideration of the Me, which is usually mistaken\nfor the I by the student, until he presses the inquiry a little further\nback into the recesses of consciousness. A man thinks of his Self (in\nits aspect of Me) as being composed of certain feelings, tastes likes,\ndislikes, habits, peculiar ties, characteristics, etc., all of which go\nto make up his personality, or the \"Self\" known to himself and others.\nHe knows that these emotions and feelings change; are born and die away;\nare subject to the Principle of Rhythm, and the Principle of Polarity,\nwhich take him from one extreme of feeling to another. He also thinks of\nthe \"Me\" as being certain knowledge gathered together in his mind, and\nthus forming a part of himself. This is the \"Me\" of a man.\n\nBut we have proceeded too hastily. The \"Me\" of many men may be said to\nconsist largely of their consciousness of the body and their physical\nappetites, etc. Their consciousness being largely bound up with their\nbodily nature, they practically \"live there.\" Some men even go so far as\nto regard their personal apparel as a part of their \"Me\" and actually\nseem to consider it a part of themselves. A writer has humorously said\nthat \"men consist of three parts--soul, body and clothes.\" These\n\"clothes conscious\" people would lose their personality if divested of\ntheir clothing by savages upon the occasion of a shipwreck. But even\nmany who are not so closely bound up with the idea of personal raiment\nstick closely to the consciousness of their bodies being their \"Me\" They\ncannot conceive of a Self independent of the body. Their mind seems to\nthem to be practically \"a something belonging to\" their body-which in\nmany cases it is indeed.\n\nBut as man rises in the scale of consciousness he is able to disentangle\nhis \"Me\" from his idea of body, and is able to think of his body as\n\"belonging to\" the mental part of him. But even then he is very apt to\nidentify the \"Me\" entirely with the mental states, feelings, etc., which\nhe feels to exist within him. He is very apt to consider these internal\nstates as identical with himself, instead of their being simply \"things\"\nproduced by some part of his mentality, and existing within him--of him,\nand in him, but still not \"himself.\" He sees that he may change these\ninternal states of feelings by all effort of will, and that he may\nproduce a feeling or state of an exactly opposite nature, in the same\nway, and yet the same \"Me\" exists. And so after a while he is able to\nset aside these various mental states, emotions, feelings, habits,\nqualities, characteristics, and other personal mental belongings--he is\nable to set them aside in the \"not-me\" collection of curiosities and\nencumbrances, as well as valuable possessions. This requires much mental\nconcentration and power of mental analysis on the part of the student.\nBut still the task is possible for the advanced student, and even those\nnot so far advanced are able to see, in the imagination, how the process\nmay be performed.\n\nAfter this laying-aside process has been performed, the student will\nfind himself in conscious possession of a \"Self\" which may be considered\nin its \"I\" and \"Me\" dual aspects. The \"Me\" will be felt to be a\nSomething mental in which thoughts, ideas, emotions, feelings, and other\nmental states may be produced. It may be considered as the \"mental\nwomb,\" as the ancients styled it-capable of generating mental offspring.\nIt reports to the consciousness as a \"Me\" with latent powers of creation\nand generation of mental progeny of all sorts and kinds. Its powers of\ncreative energy are felt to be enormous. But still it seems to be\nconscious that it must receive some form of energy from either its \"I\"\ncompanion, or else from some other \"I\" ere it is able to bring into\nbeing its mental creations. This consciousness brings with it a\nrealization of an enormous capacity for mental work and creative\nability.\n\nBut the student soon finds that this is not all that he finds within his\ninner consciousness. He finds that there exists a mental Something which\nis able to Will that the \"Me\" act along certain creative lines, and\nwhich is also able to stand aside and witness the mental creation. This\npart of himself he is taught to call his \"I.\" He is able to rest in its\nconsciousness at will. He finds there not a consciousness of an ability\nto generate and actively create, in the sense of the gradual process\nattendant upon mental operations, but rather a sense and consciousness\nof an ability to project an energy from the \"I\" to the \"Me\"--a process\nof \"willing\" that the mental creation begin and proceed. He also finds\nthat the \"I\" is able to stand aside and witness the operations of the\n\"Me's\" mental creation and generation. There is this dual aspect in the\nmind of every person. The \"I\" represents the Masculine Principle of\nMental Gender-the \"Me\" represents the Female Principle. The \"I\"\nrepresents the Aspect of Being; the \"Me\" the Aspect of Becoming. You\nwill notice that the Principle of Correspondence operates on this plane\njust as it does upon the great plane upon which the creation of\nUniverses is performed. The two are similar in kind, although\nvastly different in degree. \"As above, so below; as below, so above.\"\n\nThese aspects of mind-the Masculine and Feminine Principles-the \"I\" and\nthe \"Me\"-considered in connection with the well-known mental and psychic\nphenomena, give the master-key to these dimly known regions of mental\noperation and manifestation. The principle of Mental Gender gives the\ntruth underlying the whole field of the phenomena of mental influence,\netc.\n\nThe tendency of the Feminine Principle is always in the direction of\nreceiving impressions, while the tendency of the Masculine Principle is\nalways in the direction of giving, out or expressing. The Feminine\nPrinciple has much more varied field of operation than has the Masculine\nPrinciple. The Feminine Principle conducts the work of generating new\nthoughts, concepts, ideas, including the work of the imagination. The\nMasculine Principle contents itself with the work of the \"Will\" in its\nvaried phases. And yet, without the active aid of the Will of the\nMasculine Principle, the Feminine Principle is apt to rest content with\ngenerating mental images which are the result of impressions received\nfrom outside, instead of producing original mental creations.\n\nPersons who can give continued attention and thought to a subject\nactively employ both of the Mental Principles-the Feminine in the work\nof the mental generation, and the Masculine Will in stimulating and\nenergizing the creative portion of the mind. The majority of persons\nreally employ the Masculine Principle but little, and are content to\nlive according to the thoughts and ideas instilled into the \"Me\" from\nthe \"I\" of other minds. But it is not our purpose to dwell upon this\nphase of the subject, which may be studied from any good text-book upon\npsychology, with the key that we have given you regarding Mental Gender.\n\nThe student of Psychic Phenomena is aware of the wonderful phenomena\nclassified under the head of Telepathy; Thought Transference; Mental\nInfluence; Suggestion; Hypnotism, etc. Many have sought for an\nexplanation of these varied phases of phenomena under the theories of\nthe various \"dual mind\" teachers. And in a measure they are right, for\nthere is clearly a manifestation of two distinct phases of mental\nactivity. But if such students will consider these \"dual minds\" in the\nlight of the Hermetic Teachings regarding Vibrations and Mental Gender,\nthey will see that the long sought for key is at hand.\n\nIn the phenomena of Telepathy it is seen how the Vibratory Energy of the\nMasculine Principle is projected toward the Feminine Principle of\nanother person, and the latter takes the seed-thought and allows it to\ndevelop into maturity. In the same way Suggestion and Hypnotism\noperates. The Masculine Principle of the person giving the suggestions\ndirects a stream of Vibratory Energy or Will-Power toward the Feminine\nPrinciple of the other person, and the latter accepting it makes it its\nown and acts and thinks accordingly. An idea thus lodged in the mind of\nanother person grows and develops, and in time is regarded as the\nrightful mental offspring of the individual, whereas it is in reality\nlike the cuckoo egg placed in the sparrows nest, where it destroys the\nrightful offspring and makes itself at home. The normal method is for\nthe Masculine and Feminine Principles in a person's mind to co-ordinate\nand act harmoniously in conjunction with each other, but, unfortunately,\nthe Masculine Principle in the average person is too lazy to act-the\ndisplay of Will-Power is too slight-and the consequence is that such\npersons are ruled almost entirely by the minds and wills of other\npersons, whom they allow to do their thinking and willing for them.\nHow few original thoughts or original actions are performed by the\naverage person? Are not the majority of persons mere shadows and echoes\nof others having stronger wills or minds than themselves? The trouble is\nthat the average person dwells almost altogether in his \"Me\"\nconsciousness and does not realize that he has such a thing as an \"I.\"\nHe is polarized in his Feminine Principle of Mind, and the Masculine\nPrinciple, in which is lodged the Will, is allowed to remain inactive\nand not employed.\n\nThe strong men and women of the world invariably manifest the Masculine\nPrinciple of Will, and their strength depends materially upon this fact.\nInstead of living upon the impressions made upon their minds by others,\nthey dominate their own minds by their Will, obtaining the kind of\nmental images desired, and moreover dominate the minds of others\nlikewise, in the same manner. Look at the strong people, how they manage\nto implant their seed-thoughts in the minds of the masses of the people,\nthus causing the latter to think thoughts in accordance with the desires\nand wills of the strong individuals. This is why the masses of people\nare such sheeplike creatures, never originating an idea of their own,\nnor using their own powers of mental activity.\n\nThe manifestation of Mental Gender may be noticed all around us in\neveryday life. The magnetic persons are those who are able to use the\nMasculine Principle in the way of impressing their ideas upon others.\nThe actor who makes people weep or cry as he wills, is employing this\nprinciple. And so is the successful orator, statesman, preacher, writer\nor other people who are before the public attention. The peculiar\ninfluence exerted by some people over others is due to the manifestation\nof Mental Gender, along the Vibrational lines above indicated. In this\nprinciple lies the secret of personal magnetism, personal influence,\nfascination, etc., as well as the phenomena generally grouped under the\nname of Hypnotism.\n\nThe student who has familiarized himself with the phenomena generally\nspoken of as \"psychic\" will have discovered the important part played in\nthe said phenomena by that force which science has styled \"Suggestion,\"\nby which term is meant the process or method whereby an idea is\ntransferred to, or \"impressed upon\" the mind of another, causing the\nsecond mind to act in accordance therewith. A correct understanding of\nSuggestion is necessary in order to intelligently comprehend the varied\npsychical phenomena which Suggestion underlies. But, still more is a\nknowledge of Vibration and Mental Gender necessary for the student of\nSuggestion. For the whole principle of Suggestion depends upon the\nprinciple of Mental Gender and Vibration.\n\nIt is customary for the writers and teachers of Suggestion to explain\nthat it is the \"objective or voluntary\" mind which make the mental\nimpression, or suggestion, upon the \"subjective or involuntary\" mind.\nBut they do not describe the process or give us any analogy in nature\nwhereby we may more readily comprehend the idea. But if you will think\nof the matter in the light of the Hermetic Teachings you will be able to\nsee that the energizing of the Feminine Principle by the Vibratory\nEnergy of the Masculine Principle Is in accordance to the universal laws\nof nature, and that the natural world affords countless analogies\nwhereby the principle may be understood. In fact, the Hermetic Teachings\nshow that the very creation of the Universe follows the same law, and\nthat in all creative manifestations, upon the planes of the spiritual,\nthe mental, and the physical, there is always in operation this\nprinciple of Gender-this manifestation of the Masculine and the Feminine\nPrinciples. \"As above, so below; as below, so above.\" And more than\nthis, when the principle of Mental Gender is once grasped and\nunderstood, the varied phenomena of psychology at once becomes capable\nof intelligent classification and study, instead of being very much in\nthe dark. The principle \"works out\" in practice, because it is based\nupon the immutable universal laws of life.\n\nWe shall not enter into an extended discussion of, or description of,\nthe varied phenomena of mental influence or psychic activity. There are\nmany books, many of them quite good, which have been written and\npublished on this subject of late years. The main facts stated in these\nvarious books are correct, although the several writers have attempted\nto explain the phenomena by various pet theories of their own. The\nstudent may acquaint himself with these matters, and by using the theory\nof Mental Gender he will be able to bring order out of the chaos of\nconflicting theory and teachings, and may, moreover, readily make\nhimself a master of the subject if he be so inclined. The purpose of\nthis work is not to give an extended account of psychic phenomena but\nrather to give to the student a master-key whereby He may unlock the\nmany doors leading into the parts of the Temple of Knowledge which he\nmay wish to explore. We feel that in this consideration of the teachings\nof The Kybalion, one may find an explanation which will serve to clear\naway many perplexing difficulties--a key that will unlock many doors.\nWhat is the use of going into detail regarding all of the many features\nof psychic phenomena and mental science, provided we place in the hands\nof the student the means whereby he may acquaint himself fully regarding\nany phase of the subject which may interest him. With the aid of The\nKybalion one may go through any occult library anew, the old Light from\nEgypt illuminating many dark pages, and obscure subjects. That is the\npurpose of this book. We do not come expounding a new philosophy, but\nrather furnishing the outlines of a great world-old teaching which will\nmake clear the teachings of others-which will serve as a Great\nReconciler of differing: theories, and opposing doctrines.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV\n\nHERMETIC AXIOMS\n\n    \"The possession of Knowledge, unless accompanied by a\n    manifestation and expression in Action, is like the\n    hoarding of precious metals-a vain and foolish thing.\n    Knowledge, like wealth, is intended for Use. The Law of\n    Use is Universal, and he who violates it suffers by\n    reason of his conflict with natural forces.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe Hermetic Teachings, while always having been kept securely locked up\nin the minds of the fortunate possessors thereof, for reasons which we\nhave already stated, were never intended to be merely stored away and\nsecreted. The Law of Use is dwelt upon in the Teachings, as you may see\nby reference to the above quotation from The Kybalion, which states it\nforcibly. Knowledge without Use and Expression is a vain thing, bringing\nno good to its possessor, or to the race. Beware of Mental Miserliness,\nand express into Action that which you have learned. Study the Axioms\nand Aphorisms, but practice them also.\n\nWe give below some of the more important Hermetic Axioms, from The\nKybalion, with a few comments added to each. Make these your own, and\npractice and use them, for they are not really your own until you have\nUsed them.\n\n    \"To change your mood or mental state--change your\n    vibration.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nOne may change his mental vibrations by an effort of Will, in the\ndirection of deliberately fixing the Attention upon a more desirable\nstate. Will directs the Attention, and Attention changes the Vibration.\nCultivate the Art of Attention, by means of the Will, and you have\nsolved the secret of the Mastery of Moods and Mental States.\n\n    \"To destroy an undesirable rate of mental vibration,\n    put into operation the principle of Polarity and\n    concentrate upon the opposite pole to that which\n    you desire to suppress. Kill out the undesirable by\n    changing its polarity.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThis is one of the most important of the Hermetic Formulas. It is based\nupon true scientific principles. We have shown you that a mental state\nand its opposite were merely the two poles of one thing, and that by\nMental Transmutation the polarity might be reversed. This Principle is\nknown to modern psychologists, who apply it to the breaking up of\nundesirable habits by bidding their students concentrate upon the\nopposite quality. If you are possessed of Fear, do not waste time trying\nto \"kill out\" Fear, but instead cultivate the quality of Courage, and\nthe Fear will disappear. Some writers have expressed this idea most\nforcibly by using the illustration of the dark room. You do not have to\nshovel out or sweep out the Darkness, but by merely opening the shutters\nand letting in the Light the Darkness has disappeared. To kill out a\nNegative quality, concentrate upon the Positive Pole of that same\nquality, and the vibrations will gradually change from Negative to\nPositive, until finally you will become polarized on the\nPositive pole instead of the Negative. The reverse is also true, as many\nhave found out to their sorrow, when they have allowed themselves to\nvibrate too constantly on the Negative pole of things. By changing your\npolarity you may master your moods, change your mental states, remake\nyour disposition, and build up character. Much of the Mental Mastery of\nthe advanced Hermetics is due to this application of Polarity, which is\none of the important aspects of Mental Transmutation. Remember the\nHermetic Axiom (quoted previously), which says:\n\n    \"Mind (as well as metals and elements) may be transmuted\n    from state to state; degree to degree, condition to\n    condition; pole to pole; vibration to vibration.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nThe mastery of Polarization is the mastery of the fundamental principles\nof Mental Transmutation or Mental Alchemy, for unless one acquires the\nart of changing his own polarity, he will be unable to affect his\nenvironment. An understanding of this principle will enable one to\nchange his own Polarity, as well as that of others, if he will but\ndevote the time, care, study and practice necessary to master the art.\nThe principle is true, but the results obtained depend upon the\npersistent patience and practice of the student.\n\n    \"Rhythm may be neutralized by an application of the Art\n    of Polarization.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nAs we have explained in previous chapters, the Hermetists hold that the\nPrinciple of Rhythm manifests on the Mental Plane as well as on the\nPhysical Plane, and that the bewildering succession of moods, feelings,\nemotions, and other mental states, are due to the backward and forward\nswing of the mental pendulum, which carries us from one extreme of\nfeeling to the other. The Hermetists also teach that the Law of\nNeutralization enables one, to a great extent, to overcome the operation\nof Rhythm in consciousness. As we have explained, there is a Higher\nPlane of Consciousness, as well as the ordinary Lower Plane, and the\nMaster by rising mentally to the Higher Plane causes the swing of the\nmental pendulum to manifest on the Lower Plane, and he, dwelling on his\nHigher Plane, escapes the consciousness of the swing backward. This is\neffected by polarizing on the Higher Self, and thus raising the mental\nvibrations of the Ego above those of the ordinary plane of\nconsciousness. It is akin to rising above a thing and allowing it to\npass beneath you. The advanced Hermetist polarizes himself at the\nPositive Pole of his Being-the \"I Am\" pole rather than the pole of\npersonality and by \"refusing\" and \"denying\" the operation of Rhythm,\nraises himself above its plane of consciousness, and standing firm in\nhis Statement of Being he allows the pendulum to swing back on the Lower\nPlane without changing his Polarity. This is accomplished by all\nindividuals who have attained any degree of self-mastery, whether\nthey understand the law or not. Such persons simply \"refuse\" to allow\nthemselves to be swung back by the pendulum of mood and emotion, and by\nsteadfastly affirming the superiority they remain polarized on the\nPositive pole. The Master, of course, attains a far greater degree of\nproficiency, because he understands the law which he is overcoming by a\nhigher law, and by the use of his Will he attains a degree of Poise and\nMental Steadfastness almost impossible of belief on the part of those\nwho allow themselves to be swung backward and forward by the mental\npendulum of moods and feelings.\n\nRemember always, however, that you do not really destroy the Principle\nof Rhythm, for that is indestructible. You simply overcome one law by\ncounter-balancing it with another and thus maintain an equilibrium. The\nlaws of balance and counter-balance are in operation on the mental as\nwell as on the physical planes, and an understanding of these laws\nenables one to seem to overthrow laws, whereas he is merely exerting a\ncounterbalance.\n\n    \"Nothing escapes the Principle of Cause and Effect,\n    but there are many Planes of Causation, and one may use\n    the laws of the higher to overcome the laws of the\n    lower.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nBy an understanding of the practice of Polarization, the Hermetists rise\nto a higher plane of Causation and thus counter-balance the laws of the\nlower planes of Causation. By rising above the plane of ordinary Causes\nthey become themselves, in a degree, Causes instead of being merely\nCaused. By being able to master their own moods and feelings, and by\nbeing able to neutralize Rhythm, as we have already explained, they are\nable to escape a great part of the operations of Cause and Effect on the\nordinary plane. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to\ntheir environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than\nthemselves; the effects of inherited tendencies; the suggestions of\nthose about them; and other outward causes; which tend to move them\nabout on the chess-board of life like mere pawns. By rising above these\ninfluencing causes, the advanced Hermetists seek a higher plane of\nmental action, and by dominating their moods, emotions, impulses and\nfeelings, they create for themselves new characters, qualities and\npowers, by which they overcome their ordinary environment, and thus\nbecome practically players instead of mere Pawns. Such people help to\nplay the game of life understandingly, instead of being moved about this\nway and that way by stronger influences and powers and wills. They use\nthe Principle of Cause and Effect, instead of being used by\nit. Of course, even the highest are subject to the Principle as it\nmanifests on the higher planes, but on the lower planes of activity,\nthey are Masters instead of Slaves. As The Kybalion says:\n\n    \"The wise ones serve on the higher, but rule on the lower.\n    They obey the laws coming from above them, But on their\n    own plane, and those below them they rule and give orders.\n    And, yet, in so doing, they form a part of the Principle,\n    instead of opposing it. The wise man falls in with the Law,\n    and by understanding its movements he operates it instead\n    of being its blind slave. Just as does the skilled swimmer\n    turn this way and that way, going and coming as he will,\n    instead of being as the log which is carried here and\n    there--so is the wise man as compared to the ordinary\n    man--and yet both swimmer and log; wise man and fool,\n    are subject to Law. He who understands this is well on\n    the road to Mastery.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nIn conclusion let us again call your attention to the Hermetic Axiom:\n\n    \"True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental Art.\"--The Kybalion.\n\nIn the above axiom, the Hermetists teach that the great work of\ninfluencing one's environment is accomplished by Mental Power. The\nUniverse being wholly mental, it follows that it may be ruled only by\nMentality. And in this truth is to be found an explanation of all the\nphenomena and manifestations of the various mental powers which are\nattracting so much attention and study in these earlier years of the\nTwentieth Century. Back of and under the teachings of the various cults\nand schools, remains ever constant the Principle of the Mental Substance\nof the Universe. If the Universe be Mental in its substantial nature,\nthen it follows that Mental Transmutation must change the conditions and\nphenomena of the Universe. If the Universe is Mental, then Mind must be\nthe highest power affecting its phenomena. If this be understood then\nall the so-called \"miracles\" and \"wonder-workings\" are seen plainly for\nwhat they are.\n\n    \"THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental.\"--The Kybalion.\n\n                                       FINIS","title":"The Kybalion: A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":33895}