by Julie Telgenhoff
The Kybalion and the Seven Principles of Life
Some books arrive at exactly the right moment. Not because we are searching desperately for answers, but because we are ready to recognize them.
The Kybalion was one of those books for me.
First published in 1908 by authors calling themselves The Three Initiates, The Kybalion presents seven universal principles said to govern not only the material world, but consciousness itself. Whether one views these principles as ancient wisdom or modern synthesis, their relevance is difficult to dismiss once they are understood.
What stood out to me immediately was not mysticism or abstraction, but practical order — a framework that explained why life unfolds the way it does, and how balance, awareness, and responsibility determine our experience within it.
Below are the seven principles, not as beliefs to adopt, but as laws to observe.
The Seven Hermetic Principles
1. The Principle of Mentalism
“The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.”
This principle suggests that reality begins in consciousness. Thought precedes form. Inner state precedes outer experience.
This does not imply fantasy or denial of reality — it points to responsibility. The quality of one’s inner world directly influences how life is perceived, interpreted, and responded to.
2. The Principle of Correspondence
“As above, so below; as below, so above.”
Patterns repeat across scales — within the self, relationships, systems, and the world at large. Understanding this principle allows us to stop seeing life as random and start recognizing reflection.
When chaos exists inwardly, it tends to express outwardly. When clarity is restored within, external order often follows.
3. The Principle of Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
Everything is in motion, even when it appears still.
This explains emotional states, mental shifts, and the temporary nature of circumstances.
Understanding vibration allows one to avoid identifying permanently with pain, fear, or success — all are states, not identities.
4. The Principle of Polarity
“Everything is dual; everything has poles.”
Hot and cold, light and dark, joy and sorrow — these are not separate things, but degrees of the same spectrum.
This principle is essential for balance. Life does not require living at extremes. Mastery comes from remaining centered — not denying experience, but not being ruled by it either.
Remaining in the mid-pole allows clarity, emotional stability, and discernment even during difficult events.
5. The Principle of Rhythm
“Everything flows, out and in.”
Life moves in cycles. Expansion and contraction. Gain and loss. Ease and difficulty.
When this principle is understood, despair loses its permanence. Even when life feels heavy or unfair, rhythm reminds us that conditions change — just as they always have.
Balance is not resisting rhythm, but moving with it consciously.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect
“Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause.”
Nothing happens by chance. What we experience is the result of prior causes — whether known or unseen.
This principle removes the victim hood without assigning blame. It empowers responsibility. When we understand cause and effect, we regain agency over how we think, act, and respond.
7. The Principle of Gender
“Gender is in everything.”
This refers not to biology, but to the presence of both receptive and expressive forces in all creation — the feminine and masculine principles that allow manifestation.
Creation requires both: intention and receptivity, action and gestation, structure and flow.
Why These Principles Matter
- These principles are not moral rules.
- They do not demand belief.
- They operate regardless of acknowledgment — much like gravity.
Understanding them does not eliminate difficulty, but it does eliminate confusion.
It provides a stable internal reference point that prevents emotional extremes, reactive living, and loss of self during change.
For seekers, this knowledge offers something rare: grounded clarity without dogma.
Closing Thought
- Balance is not passivity.
- Awareness is not detachment.
- Responsibility is not punishment.
When we stop swinging between extremes — blaming fate on one side and controlling everything on the other — we find the middle ground where life becomes navigable.
The principles in The Kybalion do not ask us to escape the world, but to understand it — and ourselves — more clearly.
Understanding them does not eliminate difficulty, but it does cancel confusion. It provides a stable internal reference point that prevents emotional extremes, reactive living, and loss of self during change.
This (audio) book outlines the core principles of Hermetic philosophy, presenting seven universal laws that govern reality and it offers practical wisdom for understanding and mastering the mental and spiritual aspects of life.
This is by far the best (audio) book to accelerate your growth if you choose to implement these great works into your daily life.
