Calliope's Magic Library

Callie Reads... The Kybalion 02: chapter 2

Fuck William Walker Atkinson keeps writing

The Seven Hermetic Principles, upon which the entire Hermetic Philosophy is based, are as follows:
  1. The Principle of Mentalism.
  2. The Principle of Correspondence.
  3. The Principle of Vibration.
  4. The Principle of Polarity.
  5. The Principle of Rhythm.
  6. The Principle of Cause and Effect.
  7. The Principle of Gender.

These Seven Principles will be discussed and explained as we proceed with these lessons. A short explanation of each, however, may as well be given at this point.

If some of these sound like basic principles of physics and others sound like culturally-coded assumptions, you're right!

This Principle embodies the truth that "All is Mind." It explains that THE ALL (which is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward manifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of "The Material Universe"; the "Phenomena of Life"; "Matter"; "Energy"; and, in short, all that is apparent to our material senses) is SPIRIT which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be considered and thought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. It also explains that all the phenomenal world or universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL, subject to the Laws of Created Things, and that the universe, as a whole, and in its parts or units, has its existence in the Mind of THE ALL, in which Mind we "live and move and have our being."

Restatement, in vague terminology, of most of western philosophy's take on the Christian god and the universe, via Platonism.

This is, however, more than just a really vague restatement, though it certainly is that. The terms are themselves carefully chosen to be vague, to avoid any commitment to a religion, despite this being a fundamental restatement of Christianity's position -- some forms of Platonism as well, but "God made the universe" is, you know not exactly setting the world on fire.

But it's couched in such a way as to sound scientific, because remember we're kind of still riding the tail end of Mentalism, so "Mind" instead of "God" sounds good. It doesn't mean anything significantly different than you'd find in, say, Spinoza, and in fact isn't nearly as carefully put-together as Spinoza's non-existent, non-non-existent pantheistic god.

An understanding of this great Hermetic Principle of Mentalism enables the individual to readily grasp the laws of the Mental Universe, and to apply the same to his well-being and advancement. The Hermetic Student is enabled to apply intelligently the great Mental Laws, instead of using them in a haphazard manner. With the Master-Key in his possession, the student may unlock the many doors of the mental and psychic temple of knowledge, and enter the same freely and intelligently.

HOW?

One of the old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago: "He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery." And these words are as true today as at the time they were first written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of The Temple.

WHOMST? Sauce, WWA? Sauce?

Never trust anyone who puts things in quotation marks without citing where they're coming from.

The Principle of Correspondence

"As above, so below; as below, so above."--The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that there is always a Correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life. The old Hermetic axiom ran in these words: "As above, so below; as below, so above."

Restatement of the Emerald Tablet. I have to take a moment to recognize how poorly written this is. The section opens with a pull-quote (again, from a book that doesn't exist), and then quotes it again within two sentences.

Also, that's not from the fucking book that doesn't exist; it's from an actual document.

So this is working to claim that the Emerald Tablet was actually quoting from "The Kybalion," a book that doesn't exist. Appeal to authority, as well as poor argumentation and bland restatement.

Its use even tore aside the Veil of Isis to the extent that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be caught.

Neith. The inscription he's thinking of in Egypt is misattributed to Isis; it's actually Neith. But he doesn't have any wherewithal here, because he's just cribbing from Blavatsky again.

The Principle of Vibration "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."--The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is in motion"; "everything vibrates"; "nothing is at rest"; facts which Modern Science endorses, and which each new scientific discovery tends to verify.

This is his strongest appeal to science as "authority that isn't religion" so far. The fact that everything is in motion -- which fucking Plato talked about -- isn't particularly scientific, except insofar as we know now that particles are always in motion. But it's not science, it's fucking nature. Science then goes on to do something with that information.

Also, there's a false equivalence: motion doesn't mean "vibration." This is probably also cribbed from Blavatsky and Leadbeater, and it's one of the more pernicious things this book introduced to occultism, because it provides a "scientific" means of arguing some people just "aren't on my level." If the vibes aren't right, skip out.

If you've ever felt a surge of annoyance at anyone saying, wearing, or putting up a sign that read "good vibes only," this is basically the source of the bullshit.

This Principle explains that the differences between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and even Spirit, result largely from varying rates of Vibration. From THE ALL, which is Pure Spirit, down to the grossest form of Matter, all is in vibration--the higher the vibration, the higher the position in the scale. The vibration of Spirit is at such an infinite rate of intensity and rapidity that it is practically at rest--just as a rapidly moving wheel seems to be motionless. And at the other end of the scale, there are gross forms of matter whose vibrations are so low as to seem at rest.

Weasel words, false equivalency, poor definition of terms, gross oversimplification.

So ok. This is an attempt to describe what we'd now describe as states of matter, right? If it moves fast, it's a gas. If it moves slow, it's a solid. Except "grossest matter" is at the bottom and spirit is at the top.

Aside from perpetuating the Great Chain of Being in an extremely stupid way, it also nullifies the chain part. Nothing is connected to anything else. Everything is just a wheel, spinning at a particular speed and better if it's fast.

Also, you can't tell the difference between fast and slow. So what's the fucking point then?

An understanding of this Principle, with the appropriate formulas, enables Hermetic students to control their own mental vibrations as well as those of others.

HOW?

The Principle of Polarity

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

False dichotomy. Pretty much that's it, this entire "principle" is false dichotomy at work.

This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is dual"; "everything has two poles"; "everything has its pair of opposites," all of which were old Hermetic axioms. It explains the old paradoxes, that have perplexed so many, which have been stated as follows: "Thesis and antithesis are identical in nature, but different in degree"; "opposites are the same, differing only in degree"; "the pairs of opposites may be reconciled"; "extremes meet"; "everything is and isn't, at the same time"; "all truths are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false"; "there are two sides to everything," etc., etc., etc.

Ok, first, FUCK YOU HEGEL.

Second, this mixes a bunch of nonsense, some cliches of the English language, and bullshit racist philosophy to try to prove the false dichotomy.

It's literally saying "everyone says X so X must be true." History would indicate you're wrong there, buddy.

To illustrate: Heat and Cold, although "opposites," are really the same thing, the differences consisting merely of degrees of the same thing. Look at your thermometer and see if you can discover where "heat" terminates and "cold" begins! There is no such thing as "absolute heat" or "absolute cold"--the two terms "heat" and "cold" simply indicate varying degrees of the same thing, and that "same thing" which manifests as "heat" and "cold" is merely a form, variety, and rate of Vibration.

This is a grade school explanation of science -- thermodynamics -- turned sideways to try to prove that all things are the same thing. Except, and this is the thing that occultists always forget when they wander into the weeds like this, is that words mean things because they're contingent on our relativity. So "hot" and "cold" always only existed as descriptions. Something is hot because we feel it's hot, not because there's an "absolute hot."

So this is also a kind of straw man argument, inventing an idea to prove wrong in order to prove his own idea right by juxtaposition.

And you'll note it doesn't prove this point anyway. He lists a bunch of "opposites" that all work this way, and then gestures triumphantly as though he's proven anything other than language doesn't emerge from reality but from the phenomenal existence of humans communicating.

"Good and Evil" are but the poles of the same thing, and the Hermetist understands the art of transmuting Evil into Good, by means of an application of the Principle of Polarity.

WWA performing both-sidesism for fun and profit.

But there's actually something really important here. I've seen interminal arguments about whether the Kybalion is hermetic or not. It's clearly not, here, because to the Hermetic tradition, Good is, and Evil is simply the privation of Good. You can't say they're "the same thing" and be Hermetic.

The Principle of Rhythm

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

This Principle embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion, to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and forward; a pendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a high-tide and low-tide; between the two poles which exist in accordance with the Principle of Polarity described a moment ago.

"Stuff moves," which has been two or three principles already, depending on how you see them.

This is also a great demonstration of his awful writing, where he just thesaurus surfs his way to a long sentence so it seems like he made a point but in fact said nothing.

This law is manifest in the creation and destruction of worlds; in the rise and fall of nations; in the life of all things; and finally in the mental states of Man (and it is with this latter that the Hermetists find the understanding of the Principle most important).

Just note the racist "rise and fall of nations" in passing, and if that rankles you, ask yourself what happened to the people who lived in Rome when it "fell," because I think they kept farming.

He's defined "movement" as "vibration," or more strictly speaking he's defined "vibration" as "movement."

Sorry, ok, so this is set theory, right? He's taking advantage of this to make his terms appear to apply where they don't.

So he's claimed all things vibrate. And then he conflated vibration and motion, even though the word "motion" can mean movement that's not vibration.

But relying on some stuff from science, he can get away with saying everything vibrates.

Now he can say, since he's conflated the terms, that "everything moves."

He also set up the polarity thing already. So now he's got a model where everything moves and everything has a dichotomy. So this is just a restatement of those two: if everything moves and everything has two states (that are secretly a third thing), then by necessity they're going to move between those states.

This principle is padding. He wanted seven.

The Hermetists have grasped this Principle, finding its universal application, and have also discovered certain means to overcome its effects in themselves by the use of the appropriate formulas and methods. They apply the Mental Law of Neutralization. They cannot annul the Principle, or cause it to cease its operation, but they have learned how to escape its effects upon themselves to a certain degree depending upon the Mastery of the Principle.

So this is funny as well as stupid. What he's getting at is something like "achieve inner peace and calm through Kybalionism" but he can't even say that. He says, first, that there's a thing that's a fundamental property of existence and then says his bros, the secret invisible Hermetists that totally exist, "escape its effects." So they die, one assumes. He tries to weasel his way out of that later.

They have learned how to USE it, instead of being USED BY it. In this and similar methods, consist the Art of the Hermetists. The Master of Hermetics polarizes himself at the point at which he desires to rest, and then neutralizes the Rhythmic swing of the pendulum which would tend to carry him to the other pole.

So the "Master" does what?

HOW?

He (it's a he, it always is with WWA) "polarizes himself at the point at which he desires to rest." This is taking language from magnetics, another thing still big at this time in occult circles, usually alongside mesmerism and mentalism. A magnet is polarized, and a piece of metal can be made polarized.

But all that means is that it has two poles. So he's saying the Master proofs himself against moving on the poles by... setting himself up to have poles. Which according to previous sections, he already had, naturally.

The Principle of Cause and Effect

"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law."--The Kybalion.

Isaac Newton you're not, dipshit.

This Principle embodies the fact that there is a Cause for every Effect; an Effect from every Cause. It explains that: "Everything Happens according to Law"; that nothing ever "merely happens"; that there is no such thing as Chance; that while there are various planes of Cause and Effect, the higher dominating the lower planes, still nothing ever entirely escapes the Law.

This is trying to restate Fate in a way that also allows for the reader to think they're going to get a cheat code around it. There's no crazy random happenstance. There's only THE LAW.

The Hermetists understand the art and methods of rising above the ordinary plane of Cause and Effect, to a certain degree, and by mentally rising to a higher plane they become Causers instead of Effects. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; heredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like pawns on the Chessboard of Life.

Said cheat code's promise. He never delivers, of course.

It's also of course insulting that he implies things like your fucking genetics are also something you can just decide to deal with by "becom[ing] Causers instead of Effects." Fuck off, WWA. Fucking Waluigi wannabe.

The Principle of Gender

"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes."--The Kybalion.


On the server, Polyphanes pointed out this is slightly progressive considering the milieu WWA is writing in. He, a dudely dude, could have a feminine aspect?

This is also just a bad version of Jung's idea of the anima and animus, though I realize WWA did this before Jung first published on those ideas. Given the Golden Dawn's idea of godforms, Crowley's genderbending, and even the much older gender fluidity in Christian mysticism (hilariously wrought from its own bad gender take -- we're all marrying Christ and Christ could never be the woman in a relationship, so we must be), this isn't really all that new or shocking.

This Principle embodies the truth that there is GENDER manifested in everything--the Masculine and Feminine Principles ever at work. This is true not only of the Physical Plane, but of the Mental and even the Spiritual Planes. On the Physical Plane, the Principle manifests as SEX, on the higher planes it takes higher forms, but the Principle is ever the same.

So the Sun has a penis. A spiritual penis, but still, "the Principle is ever the same."

No creation, physical, mental or spiritual, is possible without this Principle.

I've seen people quite seriously argue this, as though the "gender" of plants isn't a convenient labeling system we used, or that amoeba somehow don't reproduce just because they don't have genders. This is a false equivalency: since humans are propagated via a method, then everything must be propagated by that method.

Since things are propagated, that proves the method is universal.

Think of it like those old exercises in logical deduction you used to have to do. The distributed middle is broken.

-- Therefore all things have sexual characteristics

Do all things propagate? And what does "propagate" mean? These terms aren't correctly distributed.

Also if you're mad I'm conflating sex and gender, don't be -- that's what WWA is doing.

We caution you that this Principle has no reference to the many base, pernicious and degrading lustful theories, teachings and practices, which are taught under fanciful titles, and which are a prostitution of the great natural principle of Gender.

I.E. Crowley's version of alchemy that's sex magic has a better claim to the term "alchemy" because at least it involves fluids, so WWA must insult it.

If you seek such teachings, you must go elsewhere for them--Hermeticism contains nothing for you along these lines. To the pure, all things are pure; to the base, all things are base.

If you fuck, gtfo.

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#hermeticism #hhol #kybalion #magic #new-thought