Chasing Infinity, The Balance of Life Through the Hermetic Principles of THE ALL, Polarity

and Sacred Geometry by Frater Dave Holt LVX SEMPER CRESCENTE

In studying the Monad and ancient mathematical symbols and the archetypes of creation, nature,
art, science and architecture, I found an interesting idea. It seems that the first three symbolic
symbols, which all numbers and shape, originated from, were being described by the seven
Hermetic principles, the universal principles of all of life, in the book the Kybalion.

The ancient Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, Asians and the Persians understood how numbers were
more than quantities and their geometric shapes were found throughout nature, that they were in
fact, the building blocks of all creation. From the oldest drawings by humans depicting animals
and nature, all of humanity in every age has shown reverence to nature by attempting to imitate it
in art, architecture and science.

Today for the sake of time, we will only be going over two of the Hermetic principles found in the
Kybalion, specifically, the Hermetic principles of THE ALL and Polarity, and for the sake of time,
touching briefly upon the other five equally important principles. Any one of these Hermetic
principles and how they relate to life could easily be a paper in themselves. I will be briefly
discussing the Monad and Dyad, although the Triad and Tetrad play an equally important role in
that of creation, according to Sacred Geometry.
The Kybalion states; The Hermetists believe and teach that THE ALL, "in itself," is and must ever
be UNKNOWABLE. They regard all the theories, guesses and speculations of the theologians and
metaphysicians regarding the inner nature of THE ALL, as but the childish efforts of mortal minds
to grasp the secret of the Infinite. Such efforts have always failed and will always fail, from the
very nature of the task. One pursuing such inquiries travels around and around in the
labyrinth of thought, until he is lost to all sane reasoning, action or conduct, and is utterly
unfitted for the work of life. We will get back to this last sentence in a moment. (1)

The Monad, in Sacred Geometry is the ultimate symbol of all of creation, since all other shapes
come from it and all numbers. The Monad also represents the number One. Some of the most
intelligent people in history have written about the Monad, entire books, have been dedicated to it.
Really studying this symbol is an amazing journey into many interesting fields of exploration,
Sacred Geometry, Symbolic Math, Hermetics and its relation to nature, religion, art, architecture
and science. (2)

If we represent the Hermetic idea of THE ALL as the Monad. We can understand why THE ALL
and the Monad would both be Infinite and unknowable. The number pi (symbol: ) is a
mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and is
approximately equal to 3 to a series of never ending numbers. The ratio and diameter of the circle
is always Pi, an Infinite, unknowable number. Its mathematically impossible to figure out Pi,
although brilliant people have tried, no one has succeeded and many have gone mad trying.

Notice this sentence from the Kybalion, I mentioned before about trying to discover THE ALL; One
pursuing such inquiries travels around and around in the labyrinth of thought, until he is
lost to all sane reasoning, action or conduct, and is utterly unfitted for the work of life.(3)
Traveling around is in a circle, which would mean trying to figure out something Infinite and
without end, unknowable, Pi. This is why the Kybalion says THE ALL is unknowable, because I
believe and its my opinion, the closer we come to the mind of THE ALL in human form, the more
unstable we become. It is not within the human intellect to comprehend THE ALL, God, or
whatever you want to call a Supreme Being of ALL Creation.

There is an excellent documentary called; dangerous Knowledge, that looks at four brilliant
mathematicians Georg Cantor, Ludwig Boltzmann, Kurt Gdel and Alan Turing whose genius
has profoundly affected us, but which tragically drove them insane and eventually led to them all
committing suicide. Georg Cantor, believed he was Gods messenger and was eventually driven
insane trying to prove his theories of infinity. Ludwig Boltzmanns struggle to prove the existence
of atoms and probability eventually drove him to suicide. Kurt Gdel, the introverted confidant of
Einstein, proved that there would always be problems which were outside human logic. His life
ended in a sanatorium where he starved himself to death. And finally, Alan Turing, the great
Bletchley Park code breaker, father of computer science, died trying to prove that some things are
fundamentally unprovable. All these Scientists were mathematically chasing Infinity. (4)
There is also a film called Pi, written and directed by Darren Aronofsky back in 1998. Its in black
and white and its about is a man whose obsessive pursuit of Pi leads to severely self-destructive
behavior. I highly recommend watching this film and studying it metaphorically after hearing this
paper. (5)

The Kybalion states;The first of the Seven Hermetic Principles is the Principle of Mentalism, the
axiom of which is "THE ALL is Mind; the Universe is Mental," which means that the Underlying
Reality of the Universe is Mind; and the Universe itself is Mentalthat is, "existing in the Mind of
THE ALL."(6)

Under and behind all outward appearances or manifestations, there must always be a Substantial
Reality. This is the Law. Man considering the Universe, of which he is a unit, sees nothing but
change in matter, forces, and mental states. He sees that nothing really IS, but that everything is
BECOMING and CHANGING. Nothing stands still-everything is being born, growing, dying-the
very instant a thing reaches its height, it begins to declinethe law of rhythm is in constant
operationthere is no reality, enduring quality, fixity, or substantiality in anything nothing is
permanent but Change. (7)
"The Universe is Mentalheld in the Mind of THE ALL."The Kybalion. (8)

What came first the circle or the dot? How are the circle and the dot, related?

How is it possible to get the dot inside the circle without breaking the circles diameter?
As stated before, the Monad in Sacred Geometry represents the number One. The number One in
ancient mathematics cannot be cannot be added to itself, subtracted from itself, divided or
multiplied by itself. The Monad therefore shows again, the same mathematical characteristic as
THE ALL.
The Kybalion states; Man CREATES MENTALLY! And in so doing he uses no outside materials,
nor does he reproduce himself, and yet his Spirit pervades the Mental Creation.(9) Everything we
see around us that we call reality came from a thought from THE ALL brought down to a Finite
material level.

The point within the circle was the Egyptian, Chinese and Mayan symbol for light. (10)

In many myths, the universal creating process begins with an expansion from a divine center, like
the very first Biblical command; Let there be Light. In Hindu mythology, the dimensionless
Brahma speaks aloud the word aham, I Am, a word made of the first, middle, and final letters of
the Sanskrit alphabet, which represents the circles three parts, the center, the radius, and the
circumference, and our own spiritual center, psychological reaches, and outer material form. The
opening compass represents the first manifestation of Gods light and the Brahmas voice,
illuminating and vibrating the universe into existence, as expanding states of self awareness,
which we call, nature. (11)
When we look at these ideas, we can see how everything started from the thought of I AM?
becoming I AM which was followed by Light.
The Infinite and finite question we should be asking ourselves is, I AM, what? If your definition is
religious, political, family oriented, cultural, gender or social, then look deeper within.
Principle of Polarity manifests when THE ALL begins to Createhearken to it for it points the
difference between half-wisdom and wisdom. (12)
When the Monad has thought the vesica piscis (Latin for fishs bladder) is created . From this
shape, a triangle, square, and pentagon can be produced. And the relationship between these
figures justifies the existences of all further number and shape principles. (13)

We can see when the Monad creates the Vesica Piscis and balance is created. We can also see
why in Latin is means fishs bladder and it became the Christian fish symbol, many centuries
later.

"THE ALL creates in its Infinite Mind countless Universes, which exist for aeons of Timeand yet,
to THE ALL, the creation, development, decline and death of a million Universes is as the time of
the twinkling of an eye."The Kybalion (14)
"The Infinite Mind of THE ALL is the womb of Universes."The Kybalion (15)
In the Vesica Piscis, we can see the womb of the Universes and if we add as horizontal line
between the points and add diagonal line, we get the center point of the womb of the Universes
and the Christian cross symbol.

You will notice that this center point within the Vesica Piscis is contained by the two center points
of the Monad.

In my opinion, the Vesica Piscis becomes the Dyad and creates the Hermetic idea of Polarity.
When I found this, I later thought about the idea that; the center point within the circle is Infinite
because it is the line, without boundaries, never ending but when the line meets the centers of two
Monads, Infinite thinks about Infinite and becomes contained Finite and Nature, thus Polarity is
created. Both Monads are circles, therefore, as I have shown Infinite creating Infinite from thought.
The great Fourth Hermetic Principlethe Principle of Polarity embodies the truth that all
manifested things have "two sides"; "two aspects"; "two poles"; a "pair of opposites," with manifold
degrees between the two extremes. (16)
On the Physical Plane, they illustrate the Principle by showing that Heat and Cold are identical in
nature, the differences being merely a matter of degrees. (17)
Hot

Cold

What is hot or cold is really only a matter of our perspective, both hot and cold are the same thing.
There is no absolute standard-all is a matter of degree. There is no place on the thermometer
where heat ceases and cold begins. It is all a matter of higher or lower vibrations. The very terms
"high" and "low," which we are compelled to use, are but poles of the same thing-the terms are
relative. So with "East and West"travel around the world in an eastward direction, and you reach
a point which is called west at your starting point, and you return from that westward point. Travel
far enough North, and you will find yourself traveling South, or vice versa. Light and Darkness are
poles of the same thing, with many degrees between them. The musical scale is the same
starting with "C" you move upward until you reach another "C" and so on, the differences between
the two ends of the board being the same, with many degrees between the two extremes.
Good and Bad are not absolutewe call one end of the scale Good and the other Bad, or one
end Good and the other Evil, according to the use of the terms. (18)

And so it is on the Mental Plane. "Love and. Hate" are generally regarded as being things
diametrically opposed to each other; entirely different; irreconcilable. But we apply the Principle of
Polarity; we find that there is no such thing as Absolute Love or Absolute Hate, as distinguished
from each other. The two are merely terms applied to the two poles of the same thing. Beginning
at any point of the scale we find "more love," or "less hate," as we ascend the scale; and "more
hate" or "less love" as we descend this being true no matter from what point, high or low, we may
start.(19)
Therefore, what is good or bad, right or wrong, is only a matter of our perspective of life, which is
based upon our environmental and cultural conditioning since we were children.
The key is to keep our personal awareness in life in a high thinking, high conscious state.
One of the main problems with the world today, is that many people are living most of their lives in
a low thinking and low unconscious or low conscious and high not thinking states, living in a preenvironmental and cultural programmed automaton state.
Thinking and not-thinking are the same thing, so are conscious and unconscious, only separated
by degrees of thought.
Today, many people say and think, I am God. According to Polarity Infinite and Finite are the same
thing, only separated be degrees. So does polarity tell us we are a God?
The Kybalion states; Do not make the mistake of supposing that the little world you see around
youthe Earth, which is a mere grain of dust in the Universeis the Universe itself. There are
millions upon millions of such worlds, and greater. And there are millions of millions of such
Universes in existence within the Infinite Mind of THE ALL. And even in our own little solar system
there are regions and planes of life far higher than ours, and beings compared to which we earthbound mortals are as the slimy life-forms that dwell on the ocean's bed when compared to Man.
There are beings with powers and attributes higher than Man has ever dreamed of the gods'
possessing. And yet these beings were once as you, and still lowerand you will be even as they,
and still higher, in time, for such is the Destiny of Man as reported by the Illumined. (20)

When I have thought about these ideas, I understood the dot as being an entire inward, internal
universal Infinite pattern of the WHOLE, the circle, constantly creating universe after universe with
a high archetypical purpose. We are just one of the universes, created by thought and since
everything is created with the same thought, everything while appearing materially different is the
same. The actual knowledge and purpose of creation is unknown and as we have seen, the closer
approached the more unbalanced and insane we become.
To really understand the principle of Polarity, we need to understand Polarization.
The "Art of Polarization" becomes a phase of "Mental Alchemy" known and practiced by the
ancient and modern Hermetic Masters. An understanding of the Principle will enable one to
change his own Polarity, as well as that of others, if he will devote the time and study necessary to
master the art.(21)
The highest response to anger is hate if left unbalanced. They Kybalion says; 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.
This Principle and that of Polarity have been closely studied by the Hermetists, and the methods
of counteracting, neutralizing, and USING them form an important part of the Hermetic Mental
Alchemy. (22)
When we feel a negative thought like anger, that is the time to act, before we react to it. I was
once told; the best response to anything in life is to think slowly and carefully and respond even
slower. When we polarize the negative emotion of anger and the high degrees of anger leading
to hatred and move it to a state of happiness, we dont have the physical, emotional and karma
damage done by the anger and hatred.
Besides learning to use the fundamental principles of Mental Transmutation or Mental Alchemy,
using the Hermetic Principle of Polarity and polarization, the principle of polarity has a much
higher purpose.
The Kybalion states; By an understanding of the practice of Polarization, the Hermetists rise to a
higher plane of Causation and thus counter-balance the laws of the lower planes of Causation. By
rising above the plane of ordinary Causes they become themselves, in a degree, Causes instead
of being merely Caused. By being able to master their own moods and feelings, and by being able
to neutralize Rhythm, as we have already explained, they are able to escape a great part of the
operations of Cause and Effect on the ordinary plane. The masses of people are carried along,
obedient to their environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; the effects
of inherited tendencies; the suggestions of those about them; and other outward causes; which
tend to move them about on the chess-board of life like mere pawns. (23)
Rising above these influencing causes, the advanced Hermetists seek a higher plane of mental
action, and by dominating their moods, emotions, impulses and feelings, they create for
themselves new characters, qualities and powers, by which they overcome their ordinary
environment, and thus become practically players instead of mere Pawns.
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.

What the Kybalion and ancient geometric shapes are telling us is that we can transmute our
feelings, emotional states and passion at will. This would mean the ability of total self control.
"Rhythm may be neutralized by an application of the Art of Polarization."
The Kybalion.(24)
By using polarization to neutralize the Hermetic Principle of Rhythm, we can use polarity to rise
above the Rhythm and Vibration of the pendulum of life. Ugliness, beauty, hatred, love, peace,
war, exists now and will always exist in our world because of polarity. The drama of life severely
affects people and their ability to think.
Many people today think that life is tough and the world is changing in a negative way but fail to
see that this is the principle of polarity in action and it has always been this way. We see how
nature has been trying to balance our attempts to abuse and destroy it. The large natural disasters
we are seeing are natures way of using polarization to bring back a balance of polarity. Many
negative things we see happening to people and groups of people are karmically related. Whether
we think something is just or unjust, its just our perspective based upon our pre-conditioned
thinking. How can someone claim the world is unjust and unfair, it is only a persons perspective of
the world, that makes it so. The more reactive we become to the drama of life, the more we lose
our sense of direction and become unbalanced and as the Kybalion says; we then move about on
the chess-board of life like mere pawns. We play the game of life being moved about this way and
that way by stronger influences and powers and wills. We are used by the Principle of Cause and
Effect, instead of using it and are slaves on the lower planes of life. We need to ask ourselves the
real question; are we really living life by reacting to the negativity in it? What about karma? I dont
believe that God makes mistakes; therefore, everything has a purpose, no matter how cruel or
horrible it is, it has a purpose. Remember, light and dark are the same things and in the Bible it
states; I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all
these things. (25)
There is a little circle within which human reason must move. It cannot go beyond. Every attempt
to go beyond is impossible, yet it is beyond this circle of reason that there lies all that humanity
holds most dear. All these questions, whether there is an immortal soul, whether there is a God,
whether there is any supreme intelligence guiding this universe or not, are beyond the field of
reason. Reason can never answer these questions. All our ethical theories, all our moral attitudes,
all that is good and great in human nature, have been moulded upon answers that have come
from beyond the circle.(26)
There is only One real Truth and it is deep within each of us. It is up to us to explore and know the
Truth for ourselves, until we do this, all our knowledge and beliefs, are just the opinions and
intellect of other people and their experiences.

References
The Kybalion: A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece by The Three
Initiates 1,3,6,7,8,9,10,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Here Im referencing the following books and article for examples: 2
ISIS Unveiled Part 1 by H. P. Blavatsky
The Monadology by Gottfried Leibniz
Monads, Centers of Consciousness By G. de Purucker
Dangerous Knowledge / BBC United Kingdom August 8, 2007 Directed by David Malone 4
Google, the name of this film and you can watch it for free on the Internet.
Pi / Live Entertainment USA July 10 1998 Directed & Written by Darren Aronofsky 5
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and
Science by Michael S. Schneider 11,13
Divine Proportion: (Phi) In Art, Nature, and Science by Priya Hemenway 15
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these
things. 31
Isaiah 45:7
Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda 26
This verse is from the King James Bible (Cambridge & American ED) In later years, it has been
changed in a number of versions of the Bible; the New International Version (2011), New Living
Translation (2007), English Standard Version (2001), New American Standard Bible (1995),
Holman Christian Standard Bible (2009), International Standard Version (2012), King James
2000 Bible (2003) and others.
The LORD creating evil has been turned into creating disasters or calamity. Most of modern
Christianity, has re-written much of the Bible, losing its original intent and meaning.
I talked about this book in closing. If I could, I would personally make sure every Mason who
received their Third Degree, got a copy of this book.
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and
Science by Michael S. Schneider

Chasing Infinity, The Balance of Life Through the Hermetic Principles of THE
ALL, Polarity and Sacred Geometry
by Frater Dave Holt LVX SEMPER CRESCENTE
Given to the College, Phoenix, Arizona on June 22, 2013

The Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis