An Introduction to Hermetic PhilosophyHermetic Philosophy: is a body of Sacred Knowledge that has been passed down through themystic and occult traditions of Humanity for thousands of years. It can be definitively tracedback as far as the oldest dynasties of Egypt, though it may be much older even than this. It'sname is taken from the Great Sage, Hermes Trismegistus, called the Thrice Great Hermes.Though his life story is lost to history, Hermes was so great a scholar that his philosophyinfluenced the whole of civilization during his lifetime. In the mythology of ancient cultures, heis as much as synonymous with the Gods of Wisdom, Magic, Writing, and all forms ofScholarship.Hermetic Philosophy is expressed through seven core Principles, or Universal Laws.The Seven Hermetic Principles are relevant to each and every philosophy, art, and science yetdeveloped by humanity. These Laws reflect and express the methods by which all NaturalForces act and interact. They are completely non-secular and non-denominational, in that theyare applicable equally to people of all Faiths and Cultures.Collectively, the Universal Laws of Hermes form what may be considered a Key to theTemple of Knowledge, which resides within all of us. The Master Key of Hermetic Philosophyopens the doors for people of all perspectives and world views to live more fully in alignmentwith their own values, ethics, and beliefs. These teachings are for all Humanity, a rule-book forthe Universe, allowing you to play your own role more consciously and more presently. Inattaining Knowledge of Universal Law, one is empowered to work with the Law to the benefit ofthemselves and others, accelerating evolution and helping to move us all toward the HigherPlanes of Being.1: The ALL and the Principle of Mentalism:The Universe is Mental held in the Mind of The ALL.The Hermetic Masters state that the Universe is a creation held entirely within anInfinite Living Mind, which they refer to as The ALL. Every single phenomena and event,perceivable to us or not, which occurs in the Universe may be considered to be the thoughts andfeelings of The ALL. Each and every one of us is as a character in the imagination of a Mindthat encompasses our entire Reality.In saying that All is Mind, the Hermetic Masters are expressing that the true nature ofenergy, matter, and life in the Universe is in fact Mental activity emanating from a single sourcewhich is SPIRIT. By it's very nature, The ALL is Pure SPIRIT; unknown and unknowable,undefined and undefinable.This Principle of Mentalism may lead some to look at the Universe as something of anIllusion, but this sort of thinking is a pitfall on the Path of Knowledge. While The ALL, which isby definition outside of the Universe as we perceive it, may experience the Universe as thoughts,we who are living within it are subject to its Laws. Knowledge of Mentalism is fundamental tounderstanding the Laws of the Universe, and how they act on our lives, and yet ultimately wemust act in accordance with Law. To illuminate this concept, the Hermetic Masters state:Keep your mind ever on the Star, but let your eyes watch over your footsteps, lest youfall into the mire by reason of your upward gaze. Remember the Divine Paradox, that while theUniverse IS NOT, still IT IS.2: The Principle of Correspondence:As above, so below; as below, so above.The Hermetic Masters state that while there are virtually infinite planes of life and beingin the Universe, ranging from the most base matter to the most highly developed Spirits, they allact in accordance with Law. Each of these Planes of Correspondence represents a unique degreeof the manifestation of life, and each experiences the Law in terms relative to that degree. So,while every being in the Universe appears to grow, develop, and act in vastly different ways,they are all actually following the same Law.This Principle relates how the same struggles and the same processes are happening onevery plane of being. As the Angel struggles to exemplify itself, so does Humanity struggle toexemplify itself. As a dog may bark or paw to express itself, so may a human speak or write toexpress itself. As a predator must have meat to thrive, so must a plant have minerals andsunlight to thrive.As one attains Understanding of this Principle, they will realize that Ascending to theHigher Planes of Being represents not escape from the challenges of the Lower, but rather anopportunity to face those challenges in a Higher way.The other primary application of the Principle of Correspondence is in relation toMental processes and Understanding. The Hermetic axiom, As above, so below, may beapplied to one's reasoning. Armed with the Understanding that the same Laws apply on everylevel of being, one may extend their reasoning from the Lower Planes to the Higher. Bystudying the way that Law acts on a level being that the student is capable of grasping, they mayextrapolate how the same process may play out on a Higher Plane that would usually be beyondtheir grasp.If one seeks to know the Mind of a Higher Being, they may learn by examining theknowledge they possess of their own Mind. If one seeks Understanding of a Higher Plane, theymay learn by examining their knowledge of a Lower Plane. Rather than attempting to reasonaccording to what is not known, the wise student reasons according to what is known. Bystudying that which is known, utilizing Arts and Sciences which operate within the Plane ofCorrespondence the student occupies, one may ,reason intelligently from the Known to theUnknown.In simplest terms, the Hermetic Masters have divided the Planes of Correspondence intoThree Great Planes, though even they will concede that these divisions are not absolute rules, asit is nearly impossible to discern where the High end of a Lower Plane meets the Low end of aHigher Plane. Seen objectively, the Three Great Planes will be seen to merge seemlessly, oneinto the other without break. While more detailed information on the Three Great Planes andtheir various divisions is given in The Kybalion, they are as follows:I: The Great Physical Plane: Comprised of all the forms of matter which are consideredinanimate by the Minds of most of Humanity, ranging from sub-atomic particles, to minerals, tocrystals and gemstones.II: The Great Mental Plane: Comprised of all the forms of life which are considered tobe animate, living things by the Minds of most of Humanity, ranging from the simplest mono-cellular organisms and plants, to all the Animal Kingdoms, to Humanity itself.III: The Great Spiritual Plane: Comprised of all the forms of spirits which areconsidered to be advanced beyond the state of physical form as understood by the Mind ofHumanity, from Ascendant Masters, to Elementals and Angels, to Cosmic Beings which couldbe considered as Gods.3: The Principles of Vibration, Polarity, and Rhythm:Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like andunlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; alltruths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.Everything flows out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; thependulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure ofthe swing to the left; rhythm compensates.These three Universal Laws are so intrinsically linked that it is most effective to discussthem and reflect upon them as a unified whole.The Hermetic Masters explain that absolutely all forms of matter, energy, and life in theUniverse are in constant motion or Vibration. It is the rate of Vibration, and the spectrum acrosswhich a thing vibrates, that defines its basic state or composition. The Higher the rate ofVibration, and the wider the vibrational spectrum, the more refined or advanced a given item orstate is considered to be on the Planes of Correspondence. While a lump of granite is Vibratingat a lower rate and on a more narrow spectrum, as compared to a Human Being Vibrating at ahigher rate on a wider spectrum, both are composed of the same fundamental material; SPIRIT.The Principle of Vibration is expanded by the Principle of Polarity, which explains thatall states of Vibration are composed of two poles of being, a pair of opposites, which areidentical in Nature, and vary only by degree. This is particularly applicable to our own Mentaland Emotional processes. In attaining understanding of the Principles of Vibration and Polarity,one may bear witness to what state of Vibration they are in and also where they are in relation tothe two poles of that state. Once one grasps that there is an opposite pole to the perceivablenegative state they are in, it is possible for one to take action, Mentally shifting themselves fromone pole to the other. Courage and Fear, for example, are simply two poles of being along thesame spectrum. If one is experiencing a state of Fear, they may see that their Fear is just onepoint on a spectrum which includes Courage. Knowing that Fear and Courage are one and thesame, differing only by degree, one may Polarize themselves from one to the other.Building further on the Principles of Vibration and Polarity is the Principle of Rhythm.This Law states that while all things are in Vibration, and each rate of Vibration has twoopposite, yet identical poles, all things also are constantly involved in a Rhythmic swing fromone pole to the other and back again. This is likened to a pendulum swinging back and forth.When one is ignorant of the pendulum swing of Rhythm, they are operating on the Lower, orSubconscious Plane. On this Lower Plane, one is carried helplessly back and forth with noawareness or control over their mood or Mental state. To put the Principle of Rhythm intoaction, one focuses their awareness on the pendulum swing, noticing where they are between thetwo poles of a vibration, and makes a decision as to what state they desire to maintain. Once onecan bring this awareness into their being, it becomes possible to move onto the Higher, orConscious Plane, where one is witness to the swing of Rhythm. On this Higher Plane, one maychoose which state they desire and when the pendulum inevitably swings away from that state,they may allow it to swing beneath them, moving away only on the Lower Plane. This meansthat while the pendulum swing of Rhythm is always in action unconsciously, a person with theproper awareness of this Principle will be able to choose what state of Consciousness theymaintain.4: The Principle of Cause and Effect:Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens accordingto Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, butnothing escapes the Law.According to the Hermetic Masters, all phenomena in the Universe are part of a single,interconnected chain or pattern or Causes and Effects. One thing will always lead to another,which will always lead to another. So-called 'Randomness', or 'Chance', does not exist.Everything has a Cause, and in fact is related to a virtually infinite chain of Causality stretchingaway behind it out of memory. While some phenomena may seem utterly random, this seemingis merely the result of a pattern of Causes and Effects too fine or complex to be perceivedconsciously by the Mind of Humanity.When examining the Principle of Cause and Effect, we can see in a new light thatabsolutely everything is perfect. The pattern of Causality is inviolable, and therefore every eventhappening NOW is precisely the only possible way for that event to occur. Expanding upon that,the chain of Effects stretching away into our 'future' is a direct result of the Causes we arecreating Now, though the pattern itself is immeasurably complex, and therefore appearsUnknowable.On the Lower, Subconcsious Plane, this may seem like predestination, as if everythingis playing out completely beyond our control. If one operates from this Lower Plane, they willremain in a state of Effect, they will be acted upon in the Universe, swept along withoutvolition. To apply the Principle of Cause and Effect, one may move onto the Higher, ConsciousPlane of Action. By studying the Causes acting upon you, and the Effects of your own actions, itbecomes possible move into a state of Cause in your own life. Awareness of Causality createsthe choice, or Free Will, to be the agent of Cause in your own affairs, to decide consciouslywhich Effects you will put in motion through your actions.Causality is omnipresent, operating as totally on the Higher Plane as the Lower. Thosewho have attained mastery in applying this Law are always still subject to Effect. The Wisdomof Hermes compels the student to seek mastery over their own Life, knowing that they willalways be subject to Law. Even the beings of the Highest Planes of Spirit, who could beconsidered 'Gods', are subject to Causality, merely on a Higher Plane of being.The Masters do not escape the Causation of the higher planes, but fall in with thehigher laws, and thus master circumstances on the lower plane. They thus form a conscious partof the Law, instead of being mere blind instruments.5: The Principle of Gender:Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles;Gender manifests on all planes.The Hermetic Masters state that manifest in everything, in all phenomena, on everyplane of life, are the two Genders, Masculine and Feminine. Gender is inherent in the process ofcreation and generation, and both elements are mutually necessary for the process to occur.While the word Gender is in common usage to denote the sexes, male and female, this is merelyone, simple expression of Universal Law. From the simplest atoms and elementary particles tothe Highest forms of Life and Spirit, the Masculine and Feminine elements are responsible forgeneration, and present in the thing generated.The Masculine and Feminine Principles are the fundamental expression of dualism inaction and form. They are Yin and Yang, positive and negative, proton and electron, inward andoutward motion, evolution and involution. The Principle of Gender explains that the FemininePrinciple is responsible for the vast majority, the primary work, of any creative process. It is theFeminine which draws the Masculine into itself and transforms an impulse or spark into a fullyformed substance, idea, or being. Yet, in its basic state, the Feminine element is dormant,existing in a state of waiting or potential. The Masculine element is responsible for initiating thecreative process, sending an impulse or directing energy toward the Feminine so that the workcan begin.Once a new form has been created in this process, the Principle of Gender remainsactive and present in the form itself. The Feminine Principle becomes rooted firmly in the coreof the form, being the center from which all growth emerges. The Masculine Principle becomesthe action or motion of the form, its expression in the Universe.The Principle of Gender is manifest in all of our Mental processes as well. TheFeminine Principle represents our creative potential, the container within us from which we mayproduce. The Masculine Principle represents the spark, the impulse, the initiation of an idea.For one to write a book or form a theory, first the Masculine Principle must initiate the processwith a spark of inspiration. From there, the Feminine Principle absorbs the spark, becomesinpired, and carries the initial idea through to fruition. On a smaller scale, this is how all of ourthoughts and feelings are formed, by the interaction inherent to the Principle of Gender.