The 7 Hermetic Principles: Mentalism & Correspondence

3 minutes • 479 words

Table of contents

1. The Principle of Mentalism
2. The Principle of Correspondence

“The Principles of Truth are Seven. The knower of these has the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."—The Kybalion

The 7 Hermetic Principles which is the basis or the entire Hermetic Philosophy are:

1. The Principle of Mentalism

“THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."—The Kybalion.

THE ALL is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward manifestations of:

the Material Universe
Life
Matter
Energy
all that is apparent to our material senses

The All is SPIRIT which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE. It is a UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND.

All the phenomenal world or universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL, subject to the Laws of Created Things.

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.”

This Principle establishes the Mental Nature of the Universe. It easily explains all of the varied mental and psychic phenomena.

This enables the individual to readily:

grasp the laws of the Mental Universe
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 this Master-Key, he can unlock the many doors of the mental and psychic temple of knowledge.

This Principle explains the true nature of:

Energy
Power
Matter

It explains why and how all these are subordinate to the Mastery of Mind.

Hermetic Master

“He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery.”

Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible.

2. The Principle of Correspondence

“As above, so below; as below, so above."—The Kybalion.

There is always a Correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life.

This lets us solve many dark paradoxes, and hidden secrets of Nature.

There are planes beyond our knowing, but when we apply the Principle of Correspondence to them we are able to understand much that would otherwise be unknowable to us. This Principle is of universal application and manifestation, on the various planes of the material, mental, and spiritual universe—it is an Universal Law.

The ancient Hermetists considered this Principle as one of the most important mental instruments by which man was able to pry aside the obstacles which hid from view the Unknown. Its use even tore aside the Veil of Isis to the extent that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be caught.

Just as a knowledge of the Principles of Geometry enables man to measure distant suns and their movements, while seated in his observatory, so a knowledge of the Principle of Correspondence enables Man to reason intelligently from the Known to the Unknown. Studying the monad, he understands the archangel.