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The Kybalion

The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy, originally pub- 2 The seven Principles


lished in 1908 by a person or persons under the
pseudonym of the Three Initiates, is a book claiming The book devotes a chapter to each of its seven Princi-
to be the essence of the teachings of Hermes Trismegis- ples, or axioms:
tus.

2.1 Principle of Mentalism


1 General description
The Principle of Mentalism embodies the idea that All is
Mind. Everything that happens has to be result of men-
tal state which precedes it. For anything to exist, thoughts
had to form rst, then form physical reality or manifesta-
tion after.

2.2 Principle of Correspondence

The Principle of Correspondence embodies the idea that


there is always a correspondence between the laws of phe-
nomena of the various planes of being and life.[1] As
above, so below; as below, so above. This principle states
that there is a harmony which can be made, agreement
and correspondence between these planes, delineated as:

The Great Physical Plane

The Great Mental Plane

The Great Spiritual Plane

2.3 Principle of Vibration

The Principle of Vibration embodies the idea that mo-


tion is manifest in everything in the Universe, that nothing
rests, and everything moves, vibrates, and circles.[2] This
principle explains that the dierences between dierent
manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and even Spirit,
are the result of only dierent vibrations.[3] The higher
The French cover of the book
a person is on the scale, the higher the rate of vibration
The Kybalion was rst published in 1908 by the Yogi will be. Here, The All is said to be at an innite level of
Publication Society and is now in the public domain, as vibration, almost to the point of being at rest. There are
well as circulating the worldwide web. Purportedly based said to be millions upon millions of varying degrees be-
upon ancient Hermeticism, its philosophies, in conjunc- tween the highest level, The All, and the objects of the
tion with others, have become founding pillars within the lowest vibration.[4]
New Thought movement of our modern age. The book Mental Transmutation is described as the practical appli-
early on makes the claim that it makes its appearance in cation of this principle. To change ones mental state is to
ones life when the time is appropriate and includes ax- change vibration. One may do this by an eort of Will, by
ioms and insights similar to those found in the book of means of deliberately xing the attention upon a more
Proverbs. desirable state.[5]

1
2 3 AUTHORSHIP

2.4 Principle of Polarity work of generating new thoughts, concepts, and ideas, in-
cluding the work of the imagination.[17]
The Principle of Polarity embodies the idea that every-
The Masculine principle is always in the direction of giv-
thing is dual, everything has two poles, and everything
ing out or expressing, and contents itself with the Will
has its opposite.[6] All manifested things have two sides,
in its varied phases.[18]
two aspects, or two poles.[7] Everything is and isn't at
the same time, all truths are but half truths and every truth It is said that there must be a balance in
is half false, there are two sides to everything, opposites these two forces. Without the Feminine, the
are identical in nature, yet dierent in degree, extremes Masculine is apt to act without restraint, or-
meet, and all paradoxes may be reconciled.[8] der, or reason, resulting in chaos. The Fem-
inine alone, on the other hand, is apt to con-
stantly reect and fail to actually do anything,
2.5 Principle of Rhythm
resulting in stagnation. With both the Mas-
culine and Feminine working in conjunction,
The Principle of Rhythm embodies the idea that in ev-
there is thoughtful action that breeds success,
erything there is manifested a measured motion, a to and
which points out that both the Feminine and
from, a ow and inow, a swing backward and forward, a
[9] the Masculine fulll each other.[19]
pendulum-like movement. This principle explains that
there is rhythm between every pair of opposites, or poles,
and is closely related to the Principle of Polarity.[10] It
can be seen that this Principle enables transition from one 3 Authorship
pole to the other, and not necessarily poles of extreme op-
posites. The Three Initiates who authored The Kybalion chose
to remain anonymous. As a result, a great deal of specu-
lation has been made about who actually wrote the book.
2.6 Principle of Cause and Eect The most common proposal is that The Kybalion was
authored by William Walker Atkinson, either alone or
The Principle of Cause and Eect explains that there is with others, such as Paul Foster Case and Elias Gewurz.
a cause for every eect, and an eect for every cause.[11] Atkinson was known to use many pseudonyms, and to
It also states that there is no such thing as chance, that self-publish his works.
chance is merely a term indicating extant causes not rec-
ognized or perceived.[12] The Principle is claried in the Also suggestive is that among his earliest published
chapter Causation. pseudonymous and anonymous works may have been a
series entitled The Arcane Teachings with its rst edi-
tion published prior to 1909 and the second edition pub-
2.7 Principle of Gender lished in 1909. The Arcane Teachings bears many super-
cial similarities to The Kybalion The Kybalion explores
The Principle of Gender embodies the idea that gender seven Hermetic Principles while The Arcane Teach-
is manifested in everything.[13] The authors state that this ings examines seven Arcane Laws, The Kybalion claims
does not relate explicitly to the commonly understood no- to be an elucidation of an ancient, unpublished Her-
tion of sex, but rather "... to beget; to procreate, to gen- metic text of the same name, while The Arcane Teach-
erate, to create, or to produce... in general.[14] Gender ings claims to reveal the wisdom of an ancient, unpub-
is manifested as the Feminine and Masculine principles, lished scroll of occult aphorisms, and both books describe
and manifests itself on all planes. three Great Planes of reality which are further subdi-
vided into seven lesser planes. Both books also describe
Mental Gender is described as a Hermetic concept which three of the lesser planes as astral black keys analogous
relates to the feminine and masculine principles. It does to the black keys on a piano, and inhabited by elemental
not refer to someones physical sex, nor does it suggest spirits. And, both books describe the process of Mental
that someone of a certain physical sex necessarily has a Alchemy in great detail, and in nearly complete agree-
matching mental gender. Ideally, one wants to have a bal- ment with each other. There are other similarities, and
anced mental gender.[15] some argue that the The Arcane Teachings might have
The concept put forth in The Kybalion states that gender been Atkinsons rst draft of material which later be-
exists on all planes of existence (Physical, Mental, and came The Kybalion. Atkinson also attempted to describe
Spiritual), and represents dierent aspects on dierent the workings of the universe in terms of a set of laws in his
planes. It is also stated that everything and everyone con- last manuscript The Seven Cosmic Laws, written in 1931
tains these two elements or principles.[16] and published posthumously in 2011.
The Feminine principle is always in the direction of re- A common theory is that Atkinson co-wrote the book
ceiving impressions, and has a much more varied eld of with Paul Foster Case and Michael Whitty. This the-
operation than the Masculine. The Feminine conducts the ory is often held by members of Builders of the Adytum
3

(B.O.T.A.), the Mystery School later founded by Case, 5 Derivative works


though the group doesn't publicly make this claim itself.
This story appears to have originated with a B.O.T.A. Doreen Virtue, PhD wrote a book called Divine Magic:
splinter group, the Fraternity of the Hidden Light.[20] The Seven Sacred Secrets of Manifestation (A New Inter-
Along these lines, much has been made about Paul Fos- pretation of the Classic Hermetic Manual The Kybalion),
ter Cases being a Freemason, and that The Kybalions in 2006, presenting a modern version of The Kybalion
publisher, the Yogi Publication Society, gave its ad- with companion meditative CD. In her view, one can
dress as Masonic Temple, Chicago IL on the books learn to master ones moods, release negativity, manifest
frontispiece. However, Chicago's Masonic Temple was higher levels of abundance, and attract new opportuni-
also the citys rst skyscraper, housing dozens of stores ties into ones life with the aid of the teachings of The
and small businesses without any Masonic aliations, Kybalion.
and named for the Masonic Lodge which nanced much Another loosely derivative work has emerged from an es-
of its construction and met in its top few oors.[21] oteric organization by the name of Summum which, con-
Other names speculatively mentioned as co-authors of sidering The Kybalion to be antiquated and incomplete,
The Kybalion include Harriet Case (Paul Foster Cases rewrote the text to incorporate a grand principle, their
wife at the time), Mabel Collins (a prominent Theosoph- Principle of Creation. Summum describes this as the
ical writer), Claude Bragdon (an architect, Theosophist, foundation underlying the existence of The All, and the
and writer on mystic geometry"), and Claude Alexan- source from which the seven Principles emanate.
der (a well-known stage magician, mentalist, proponent
of crystal gazing, and New Thought author). Ann Davies,
who succeeded Paul Foster Case as head of the B.O.T.A., 6 Languages
is often mentioned as a possible Kybalion contributor, but
she was born in 1912four years after the books rst The Builders of the Adytum consider The Kybalion an
publication. essential foundation of their beliefs, and have translated
The introduction for a 2011 edition of The Kybalion the original text into Spanish, French, and German.[23]
published by Tarcher/Penguin presents an argument that A translation of the original text into French was com-
William Walker Atkinson was the sole author of the pleted by Andr Durville.[24] The Kybalion itself claims
work, including evidence such as the 1912 edition of to have inuenced all major religions and philosophies
Whos Who in America, which attributes Atkinson as ancient and modern alike.[25]
the author, and a 1917 French language edition of
The Kybalion in which the translators introduction at-
tributes the work to the American psychic master W.W. 7 See also
Atkinson.[22]
However The Kybalion and the Arcane Teachings have Emerald Tablet (of Hermes Trismegistus)
strong contradictions and even attacks between some of
their core teachings, and this added to both having been Gnosticism
published in a very close period of time (rst edition of Hermetica
The Arcane Teachings years before 1909, second edition
in 1909 and third edition in 1911) make the hypothesis of Magic (paranormal)
Atkinsons authorship of the Kybalion very inconsistent.
Occultism

8 Notes
[1] Kybalion page 28
4 Inuences [2] Kybalion page 137

[3] Kybalion page 30


The works of the English philosopher Herbert Spencer
are referred to approvingly in The Kybalion as showing an [4] Kybalion page 31
understanding of hermetic principles; and Spencer him- [5] Kybalion page 214
self is eulogised as a reincarnation of the 5th century BCE
Greek philosopher Heraclitus; who is in turn described [6] Kybalion page 32
as being a reincarnation of a still more ancient, Egyptian
[7] Kybalion page 149
philosopher. No other writers are similarly referenced or
endorsed within the text. [8] Kybalion pages 149-150
4 10 EXTERNAL LINKS

[9] Kybalion page 36

[10] Kybalion page 159

[11] Kybalion page 38

[12] Kybalion page 171

[13] Kybalion pages 39-40

[14] Kybalion page 183

[15] Three Initiates pp. 193-211

[16] (Three Initiates page 40)

[17] (Three Initiates p. 203)

[18] (Three Initiates page 203)

[19] (Three Initiates pp. 203-4)

[20] Clark, P. (2013).Paul Foster Case. His Life and Works.


Covina CA: Fraternity of the Hidden Light, 23. See also
http://www.lvx.org/Archive/biblio.pdf for more informa-
tion.

[21] Emporis GmbH. Masonic Temple, Chicago - 102685 -


EMPORIS. emporis.com. Retrieved 5 June 2015.

[22] Amazon.com: The Kybalion: The Denitive Edition


(9781585428748): William Walker Atkinson, Three Ini-
tiates, Philip Deslippe: Books. amazon.com. Retrieved
5 June 2015.

[23] B.O.T.A. Builders of the Adytum. www.bota.org. Re-


trieved 2017-01-08.

[24] initis, Trois; Durville, Andr (1997-03-01). Le Kybalion


: Etude sur la philosophie hermtique de l'ancienne Egypte
et de l'ancienne Grce. Paris: Librairie du Magntisme.
ISBN 9782913695009.

[25] The Kybalion, p. 12, Biblio Bazaar LLC, 2008 ISBN 978-
0-554-35434-7

9 References
The Kybalion Online Text

10 External links
The Kybalion - Audiobook at ThoughtAudio.com

The Kybalion: A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy


of Ancient Egypt and Greece at Project Gutenberg

The Kybalion Resource Page


Summum and The Kybalion
5

11 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses


11.1 Text
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11.2 Images
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