THE KYBALION --- 03 CHAPTER 3. MENTAL TRANSMUTATION

CHAPTER 3. MENTAL TRANSMUTATION

"Mind (as well as metals and elements) may be transmuted,
from state to state; degree to degree; condition to condition;
pole to pole; vibration to vibration. True Hermetic Transmutation
is a Mental Art."--The Kybalion.
As we have stated, the Hermetists were the original alchemists,
astrologers, and psychologists, Hermes having been the founder of these
schools of thought. From astrology has grown modern astronomy; from
alchemy has grown modern chemistry; from the mystic psychology has
grown the modern psychology of the schools. But it must not be
supposed that the ancients were ignorant of that which the modern
schools suppose to be their exclusive and special property. The records
engraved on the stones of Ancient Egypt show conclusively that the
ancients had a full comprehensive knowledge of astronomy, the very
building of the Pyramids showing the connection between their design
and the study of astronomical science. Nor were they ignorant of
Chemistry, for the fragments of the ancient writings show that they were
acquainted with the chemical properties of things; in fact, the ancient
theories regarding physics are being slowly verified by the latest
discoveries of modern science, notably those relating to the constitution
of matter. Nor must it be supposed that they were ignorant of the socalled modern discoveries in psychology--on the contrary, the Egyptians
were especially skilled in the science of Psychology, particularly in the
branches that the modern schools ignore, but which, nevertheless, are
being uncovered under the name of "psychic science" which is perplexing
the psychologists of to-day, and making them reluctantly admit that
"there may be something in it after all."
The truth is, that beneath the material chemistry, astronomy and
psychology (that is, the psychology in its phase of "brain-action") the
ancients possessed a knowledge of transcendental astronomy, called
astrology; of transcendental chemistry, called alchemy; of transcendental
psychology, called mystic psychology. They possessed the Inner
Knowledge as well as the Outer Knowledge, the latter alone being
possessed by modern scientists. Among the many secret branches of
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knowledge possessed by the Hermetists, was that known as Mental
Transmutation, which forms the subject matter of this lesson.
"Transmutation" is a term usually employed to designate the ancient art
of the transmutation of metals--particularly of the base metals into gold.
The word "Transmute" means "to change from one nature, form, or
substance, into another; to transform" (Webster). And accordingly,
"Mental Transmutation" means the art of changing and transforming
mental states, forms, and conditions, into others. So you may see that
Mental Transmutation is the "Art of Mental Chemistry," if you like the
term--a form of practical Mystic Psychology.
But this means far more than appears on the surface. Transmutation,
Alchemy, or Chemistry on the Mental Plane is important enough in its
effects, to be sure, and if the art stopped there it would still be one of the
most important branches of study known to man. But this is only the
beginning. Let us see why!
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 Mental--that is, "existing in the Mind of THE ALL." We
shall consider this Principle in succeeding lessons, but let us see the
effect of the principle if it be assumed to be true.
If the Universe is Mental in its nature, then Mental Transmutation must
be the art of CHANGING THE CONDITIONS OF THE UNIVERSE, along
the lines of Matter, Force and mind. So you see, therefore, that Mental
Transmutation is really the "Magic" of which the ancient; writers had so
much to say in their mystical works, and about which they gave so few
practical instructions. If All be Mental, then the art which enables one to
transmute mental conditions must render the Master the controller of
material conditions as well as those ordinarily called "mental."
As a matter of fact, none but advanced Mental Alchemists have been able
to attain the degree of power necessary to control the grosser physical
conditions, such as the control of the elements of Nature; the production
or cessation of tempests; the production and cessation of earthquakes
and other great physical phenomena. But that such men have existed,
and do exist today, is a matter of earnest belief to all advanced occultists
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of all schools. That the Masters exist, and have these powers, the best
teachers assure their students, having had experiences which justify
them in such belief and statements. These Masters do not make public
exhibitions of their powers, but seek seclusion from the crowds of men,
in order to better work their may along the Path of Attainment. We
mention their existence, at this point, merely to call your attention to the
fact that their power is entirely Mental, and operates along the lines of
the higher Mental Transmutation, under the Hermetic Principle of
Mentalism.
"The Universe is Mental"--The Kybalion.
But students and Hermetists of lesser degree than Masters--the Initiates
and Teachers--are able to freely work along the Mental Plane, in Mental
Transmutation. In fact all that we call "psychic phenomena,"; "mental
influence"; "mental science"; "new-thought phenomena," etc., operates
along the same general lines, for there is but one principle involved, no
matter by what name the phenomena be called.
The student and practitioner of Mental Transmutation works among the
Mental Plane, transmuting mental conditions, states, etc., into others,
according to various formulas, more or less efficacious. The various
"treatments," "affirmations," "denials" etc., of the schools of mental
science are but formulas, often quite imperfect and unscientific, of The
Hermetic Art. The majority of modern practitioners are quite ignorant
compared to the ancient masters, for they lack the fundamental
knowledge upon which the work is based.
Not only may the mental states, etc., of one's self be changed or
transmuted by Hermetic Methods; but also the states of others may be,
and are, constantly transmuted in the same way, usually unconsciously,
but often consciously by some understanding the laws and principles, in
cases where the people affected are not informed of the principles of selfprotection. And more than this, as many students and practitioners of
modern mental science know, every material condition depending upon
the minds of other people may be changed or transmuted in accordance
with the earnest desire, will, and "treatments" of person desiring
changed conditions of life. The public are so generally informed
regarding these things at present, that we do not deem it necessary to
mention the same at length, our purpose at this point being merely to
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show the Hermetic Principle and Art underlying all of these various
forms of practice, good and evil, for the force can be used in opposite
directions according to the Hermetic Principles of Polarity.
In this little book we shall state the basic principles of Mental
Transmutation, that all who read may grasp the Underlying Principles,
and thus possess the Master-Key that will unlock the many doors of the
Principle of Polarity.
We shall now proceed to a consideration of the first of the Hermetic
Seven Principles--the Principle of Mentalism, in which is explained the
truth that "THE ALL is Mind; the Universe is Mental," in the words of
The Kybalion. We ask the close attention, and careful study of this great
Principle, on the part of our students, for it is really the Basic Principle of
the whole Hermetic Philosophy, and of the Hermetic Art of Mental
Transmutation.

THE KYBALION --- 02 CHAPTER 2. THE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES

CHAPTER 2. THE SEVEN HERMETIC PRINCIPLES

"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these,
understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose
touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open."--The Kybalion.
The Seven Hermetic Principles, upon which the entire Hermetic
Philosophy is based, are as follows:
1. The Principle of Mentalism.
2. The Principle of Correspondence.
3. The Principle of Vibration.
4. The Principle of Polarity.
5. The Principle of Rhythm.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect.
7. The Principle of Gender.
These Seven Principles will be discussed and explained as we proceed
with these lessons. A short explanation of each, however, may as well be
given at this point.
1. The Principle of Mentalism
"THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental."--The Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the truth that "All is Mind." It explains that THE
ALL (which is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward
manifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of "The
Material Universe"; the "Phenomena of Life"; "Matter"; "Energy"; and, in
short, all that is apparent to our material senses) is SPIRIT which in
itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be
considered and thought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING
MIND. It also explains that all the phenomenal world or universe is
simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL, subject to the Laws of Created
Things, and that 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, by establishing the Mental Nature of the
Universe, easily explains all of the varied mental and psychic phenomena
that occupy such a large portion of the public attention, and which,
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without such explanation, are non-understandable and defy scientific
treatment. An understanding of this great Hermetic Principle of
Mentalism enables the individual to readily grasp the laws of the Mental
Universe, and to 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 the Master-Key in
his possession, the student may unlock the many doors of the mental
and psychic temple of knowledge, and enter the same freely and
intelligently. This Principle explains the true nature of "Energy,"
"Power," and "Matter," and why and how all these are subordinate to the
Mastery of Mind. One of the old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago:
"He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well
advanced on The Path to Mastery." And these words are as true today as
at the time they were first written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is
impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of The
Temple.
2. The Principle of Correspondence
"As above, so below; as below, so above."--The Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the truth that there is always a Correspondence
between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and
Life. The old Hermetic axiom ran in these words: "As above, so below; as
below, so above." And the grasping of this Principle gives one the means
of solving many a dark paradox, and hidden secret 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
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intelligently from the Known to the Unknown. Studying the monad, he
understands the archangel.
3. The Principle of Vibration
"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."--The
Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is in motion";
"everything vibrates"; "nothing is at rest"; facts which Modern Science
endorses, and which each new scientific discovery tends to verify. And
yet this Hermetic Principle was enunciated thousands of years ago, by
the Masters of Ancient Egypt. This Principle explains that the differences
between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and even
Spirit, result largely from varying rates of Vibration. From THE ALL,
which is Pure Spirit, down to the grossest form of Matter, all is in
vibration--the higher the vibration, the higher the position in the scale.
The vibration of Spirit is at such an infinite rate of intensity and rapidity
that it is practically at rest--just as a rapidly moving wheel seems to be
motionless. And at the other end of the scale, there are gross forms of
matter whose vibrations are so low as to seem at rest. Between these
poles, there are millions upon millions of varying degrees of vibration.
From corpuscle and electron, atom and molecule, to worlds and
universes, everything is in vibratory motion. This is also true on the
planes of energy and force (which are but varying degrees of vibration);
and also on the mental planes (whose states depend upon vibrations);
and even on to the spiritual planes. An understanding of this Principle,
with the appropriate formulas, enables Hermetic students to control
their own mental vibrations as well as those of others. The Masters also
apply this Principle to the conquering of Natural phenomena, in various
ways. "He who understands the Principle of Vibration, has grasped the
scepter of power," says one of the old writers.
4. The Principle of Polarity
"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its
pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are
identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet;
all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be
reconciled."--The Kybalion.
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This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is dual"; "everything
has two poles"; "everything has its pair of opposites," all of which were
old Hermetic axioms. It explains the old paradoxes, that have perplexed
so many, which have been stated as follows: "Thesis and antithesis are
identical in nature, but different in degree"; "opposites are the same,
differing only in degree"; "the pairs of opposites may be reconciled";
"extremes meet"; "everything is and isn't, at the same time"; "all truths
are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false"; "there are two sides to
everything," etc., etc., etc. It explains that in everything there are two
poles, or opposite aspects, and that "opposites" are really only the two
extremes of the same thing, with many varying degrees between them.
To illustrate: Heat and Cold, although "opposites," are really the same
thing, the differences consisting merely of degrees of the same thing.
Look at your thermometer and see if you can discover where "heat"
terminates and "cold" begins! There is no such thing as "absolute heat"
or "absolute cold"--the two terms "heat" and "cold" simply indicate
varying degrees of the same thing, and that "same thing" which
manifests as "heat" and "cold" is merely a form, variety, and rate of
Vibration. So "heat" and "cold" are simply the "two poles" of that which
we call "Heat"--and the phenomena attendant thereupon are
manifestations of the Principle of Polarity. The same Principle manifests
in the case of "Light and Darkness," which are the same thing, the
difference consisting of varying degrees between the two poles of the
phenomena. Where does "darkness" leave off, and "light" begin? What is
the difference between "Large and Small"? Between "Hard and Soft"?
Between "Black and White"? Between "Sharp and Dull"? Between "Noise
and Quiet"? Between "High and Low"? Between "Positive and Negative"?
The Principle of Polarity explains these paradoxes, and no other
Principle can supersede it. The same Principle operates on the Mental
Plane. Let us take a radical and extreme example--that of "Love and
Hate," two mental states apparently totally different. And yet there are
degrees of Hate and degrees of Love, and a middle point in which we use
the terms "Like or Dislike," which shade into each other so gradually that
sometimes we are at a loss to know whether we "like" or "dislike" or
"neither." And all are simply degrees of the same thing, as you will see if
you will but think a moment. And, more than this (and considered of
more importance by the Hermetists), it is possible to change the
vibrations of Hate to the vibrations of Love, in one's own mind, and in
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the minds of others. Many of you, who read these lines, have had
personal experiences of the involuntary rapid transition from Love to
Hate, and the reverse, in your own case and that of others. And you will
therefore realize the possibility of this being accomplished by the use of
the Will, by means of the Hermetic formulas. "Good and Evil" are but the
poles of the same thing, and the Hermetist understands the art of
transmuting Evil into Good, by means of an application of the Principle
of Polarity. In short, 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.
5. The Principle of Rhythm
"Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides;
all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in
everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the
measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates."--The
Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested
a measured motion, to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and
forward; a pendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a hightide and low-tide; between the two poles which exist in accordance with
the Principle of Polarity described a moment ago. There is always an
action and a reaction; an advance and a retreat; a rising and a sinking.
This is in the affairs of the Universe, suns, worlds, men, animals, mind,
energy, and matter. This law is manifest in the creation and destruction
of worlds; in the rise and fall of nations; in the life of all things; and
finally in the mental states of Man (and it is with this latter that the
Hermetists find the understanding of the Principle most important). The
Hermetists have grasped this Principle, finding its universal application,
and have also discovered certain means to overcome its effects in
themselves by the use of the appropriate formulas and methods. They
apply the Mental Law of Neutralization. They cannot annul the Pri
BY it. In this and similar methods, consist the Art of the Hermetists. 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. All individuals who have
attained any degree of Self-Mastery do this to a certain degree, more or
less unconsciously, but the Master does this consciously, and by the use
of his Will, and attains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost
impossible of belief on the part of the masses who are swung backward
and forward like a pendulum. 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.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect
"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause;
everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name
for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation,
but nothing escapes the Law."--The Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the fact that there is a Cause for every Effect; an
Effect from every Cause. It explains that: "Everything Happens
according to Law"; that nothing ever "merely happens"; that there is no
such thing as Chance; that while there are various planes of Cause and
Effect, the higher dominating the lower planes, still nothing ever entirely
escapes the Law. The Hermetists understand the art and methods of
rising above the ordinary plane of Cause and Effect, to a certain degree,
and by mentally rising to a higher plane they become Causers instead of
Effects. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to
environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves;
heredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like
pawns on the Chessboard of Life. But the Masters, rising to the plane
above, dominate their moods, characters, qualities, and powers, as well
as the environment surrounding them, and become Movers instead of
pawns. They help to PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE, instead of being played
and moved about by other wills and environment. They USE the
Principle instead of being its tools. The Masters obey the Causation of
the higher planes, but they help to RULE on their own plane. In this
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statement there is condensed a wealth of Hermetic knowledge--let him
read who can.
7. The Principle of Gender
"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine
and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all
planes."--The Kybalion.
This Principle embodies the truth that there is GENDER manifested in
everything--the Masculine and Feminine Principles ever at work. This is
true not only of the Physical Plane, but of the Mental and even the
Spiritual Planes. On the Physical Plane, the Principle manifests as SEX,
on the higher planes it takes higher forms, but the Principle is ever the
same. No creation, physical, mental or spiritual, is possible without this
Principle. An understanding of its laws will throw light on many a
subject that has perplexed the minds of men. The Principle of Gender
works ever in the direction of generation, regeneration, and creation.
Everything, and every person, contains the two Elements or Principles,
or this great Principle, within it, him or her. Every Male thing has the
Female Element also; every Female contains also the Male Principle. If
you would understand the philosophy of Mental and Spiritual Creation,
Generation, and Re-generation, you must understand and study this
Hermetic Principle. It contains the solution of many mysteries of Life.
We caution you that this Principle has no reference to the many base,
pernicious and degrading lustful theories, teachings and practices, which
are taught under fanciful titles, and which are a prostitution of the great
natural principle of Gender. Such base revivals of the ancient infamous
forms of Phallicism tend to ruin mind, body and soul, and the Hermetic
Philosophy has ever sounded the warning note against these degraded
teachings which tend toward lust, licentiousness, and perversion of
Nature's principles. If you seek such teachings, you must go elsewhere
for them--Hermeticism contains nothing for you along these lines. To
the pure, all things are pure; to the base, all things are base.

THE KYBALION --- 01 CHAPTER 1. THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER 1. THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY

"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding"--The Kybalion.

From old Egypt have come the fundamental esoteric and occult teachings which have so strongly influenced the philosophies of all races, nations and peoples, for several thousand years.

Egypt, the home of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, was the birthplace of the Hidden Wisdom and Mystic Teachings.

From her Secret Doctrine all nations have borrowed.

India, Persia, Chaldea, Medea, China, Japan, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and other ancient countries partook liberally at the feast of knowledge which the Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis so freely provided for those who came prepared to partake of the great store of Mystic and Occult Lore which the masterminds of that ancient land had gathered together.

In ancient Egypt dwelt the great Adepts and Masters who have never been surpassed, and who seldom have been equaled, during the centuries that have taken their processional flight since the days of the Great Hermes. In Egypt was located the Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics.

At the doors of her Temples entered the Neophytes who
afterward, as Hierophants, Adepts, and Masters, traveled to the four
corners of the earth, carrying with them the precious knowledge which
they were ready, anxious, and willing to pass on to those who were ready
to receive the same. All students of the Occult recognize the debt that
they owe to these venerable Masters of that ancient land.
But among these great Masters of Ancient Egypt there once dwelt one of
whom Masters hailed as "The Master of Masters." This man, if "man"
indeed he was, dwelt in Egypt in the earliest days. He was known as
Hermes Trismegistus. He was the father of the Occult Wisdom; the
founder of Astrology; the discoverer of Alchemy. The details of his life
story are lost to history, owing to the lapse of the years, though several of
the ancient countries disputed with each other in their claims to the
honor of having furnished his birthplace--and this thousands of years
ago. The date of his sojourn in Egypt, in that his last incarnation on this
planet, is not now known, but it has been fixed at the early days of the oldest dynasties of Egypt--long before the days of Moses.

The best authorities regard him as a contemporary of Abraham, and some of the
Jewish traditions go so far as to claim that Abraham acquired a portion
of his mystic knowledge from Hermes himself.
As the years rolled by after his passing from this plane of life (tradition
recording that he lived three hundred years in the flesh), the Egyptians
deified Hermes, and made him one of their gods, under the name of
Thoth. Years after, the people of Ancient Greece also made him one of
their many gods--calling him "Hermes, the god of Wisdom." The
Egyptians revered his memory for many centuries-yes, tens of centuries-
- calling him "the Scribe of the Gods," and bestowing upon him,
distinctively, his ancient title, "Trismegistus," which means "the thricegreat"; "the great-great"; "the greatest-great"; etc. In all the ancient
lands, the name of Hermes Trismegistus was revered, the name being
synonymous with the "Fount of Wisdom."
Even to this day, we use the term "hermetic" in the sense of "secret";
"sealed so that nothing can escape"; etc., and this by reason of the fact
that the followers of Hermes always observed the principle of secrecy in
their teachings. They did not believe in "casting pearls before swine," but
rather held to the teaching "milk for babes"; "meat for strong men," both
of which maxims are familiar to readers of the Christian scriptures, but
both of which had been used by the Egyptians for centuries before the
Christian era.
And this policy of careful dissemination of the truth has always
characterized the Hermetics, even unto the present day. The Hermetic
Teachings are to be found in all lands, among all religions, but never
identified with any particular country, nor with any particular religious
sect. This because of the warning of the ancient teachers against allowing
the Secret Doctrine to become crystallized into a creed. The wisdom of
this caution is apparent to all students of history. The ancient occultism
of India and Persia degenerated, and was largely lost, owing to the fact
that the teachers became priests, and so mixed theology with the
philosophy, the result being that the occultism of India and Persia has
been gradually lost amidst the mass of religious superstition, cults,
creeds and "gods." So it was with Ancient Greece and Rome. So it was
with the Hermetic Teachings of the Gnostics and Early Christians, which were lost at the time of Constantine, whose iron hand smothered
philosophy with the blanket of theology, losing to the Christian Church
that which was its very essence and spirit, and causing it to grope
throughout several centuries before it found the way back to its ancient
faith, the indications apparent to all careful observers in this Twentieth
Century being that the Church is now struggling to get back to its ancient
mystic teachings.
But there were always a few faithful souls who kept alive the Flame,
tending it carefully, and not allowing its light to become extinguished.
And thanks to these staunch hearts, and fearless minds, we have the
truth still with us. But it is not found in books, to any great extent. It has
been passed along from Master to Student; from Initiate to Hierophant;
from lip to ear. When it was written down at all, its meaning was veiled
in terms of alchemy and astrology so that only those possessing the key
could read it aright. This was made necessary in order to avoid the
persecutions of the theologians of the Middle Ages, who fought the
Secret Doctrine with fire and sword; stake, gibbet and cross. Even to this
day there will be found but few reliable books on the Hermetic
Philosophy, although there are countless references to it in many books
written on various phases of Occultism. And yet, the Hermetic
Philosophy is the only Master Key which will open all the doors of the
Occult Teachings!
In the early days, there was a compilation of certain Basic Hermetic
Doctrines, passed on from teacher to student, which was known as "THE
KYBALION," the exact significance and meaning of the term having been
lost for several centuries. This teaching, however, is known to many to
whom it has descended, from mouth to ear, on and on throughout the
centuries. Its precepts have never been written down, or printed, so far
as we know. It was merely a collection of maxims, axioms, and precepts,
which were non-understandable to outsiders, but which were readily
understood by students, after the axioms, maxims, and precepts had
been explained and exemplified by the Hermetic Initiates to their
Neophytes. These teachings really constituted the basic principles of
"The Art of Hermetic Alchemy," which, contrary to the general belief,
dealt in the mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the
Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of
the changing of one kind of metal into another. The legends of the "Philosopher's Stone" which would turn base metal into Gold, was an
allegory relating to Hermetic Philosophy, readily understood by all
students of true Hermeticism.
In this little book, of which this is the First Lesson, we invite our
students to examine into the Hermetic Teachings, as set forth in THE
KYBALION, and as explained by ourselves, humble students of the
Teachings, who, while bearing the title of Initiates, are still students at
the feet of HERMES, the Master. We herein give you many of the
maxims, axioms and precepts of THE KYBALION, accompanied by
explanations and illustrations which we deem likely to render the
teachings more easily comprehended by the modern student,
particularly as the original text is purposely veiled in obscure terms.
The original maxims, axioms, and precepts of THE KYBALION are
printed herein, in italics, the proper credit being given. Our own work is
printed in the regular way, in the body of the work. We trust that the
many students to whom we now offer this little work will derive as much
benefit from the study of its pages as have the many who have gone on
before, treading the same Path to Mastery throughout the centuries that
have passed since the times of HERMES TRISMEGISTUS--the Master of
Masters--the Great-Great. In the words of "THE KYBALION":
"Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those
ready for his Teaching open wide."--The Kybalion.
"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh
the lips to fill them with Wisdom."--The Kybalion.
So that according to the Teachings, the passage of this book to those
ready for the instruction will attract the attention of such as are prepared
to receive the Teaching.

And, likewise, when the pupil is ready to receive the truth, then will this little book come to him, or her.

Such is The Law.

The Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, in its aspect of The Law of Attraction, will bring lips and ear together--pupil and book in company.

So mote it be!

THE KYBALION --- 00 CONTENTS & INTRODUCTION

THE KYBALION A STUDY OF THE HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY
OF ANCIENT EGYPT AND GREECE

BY
THREE INITIATES
"THE LIPS OF WISDOM ARE CLOSED, EXCEPT TO THE
EARS OF UNDERSTANDING"

 CONTENTS

Introduction
Chapter 1. The Hermetic Philosophy
Chapter 2. The Seven Hermetic Principles
Chapter 3. Mental Transmutation
Chapter 4. The All
Chapter 5. The Mental Universe
Chapter 6. The Divine Paradox
Chapter 7. "The All" In All
Chapter 8. Planes Of Correspondence
Chapter 9. Vibration
Chapter 10. Polarity
Chapter 11. Rhythm
Chapter 12. Causation
Chapter 13. Gender
Chapter 14. Mental Gender
Chapter 15. Hermetic Axioms

INTRODUCTION

We take great pleasure in presenting to the attention of students and investigators of the Secret Doctrines this little work based upon the world-old Hermetic Teachings.

There has been so little written upon this subject, not withstanding the countless references to the Teachings in the many works upon occultism, that the many earnest searchers after the Arcane Truths will doubtless welcome the appearance of this present volume.

The purpose of this work is not the enunciation of any special philosophy or doctrine, but rather is to give to the students a statement of the Truth that will serve to reconcile the many bits of occult knowledge that they may have acquired, but which are apparently opposed to each other and which often serve to discourage and disgust the beginner in the study.

Our intent is not to erect a new Temple of Knowledge, but rather to place in the hands of the student a Master-Key with which he may open the many inner doors in the Temple of Mystery through the main portals he has already entered.

There is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by th and thus the Secret Doctrine was firmly established.

From other lands also came the learned ones, all of whom regarded Hermes as the Master of Masters, and his influence was so great that in spite of the many wanderings from the path on the part of the centuries of teachers in these different lands, there may still be found a certain basic resemblance and correspondence which underlies the many and often quite divergent theories entertained and taught by the occultists of these different lands today.

The student of Comparative Religions will be able to perceive the influence of the Hermetic Teachings in every religion worthy of the name, now known to man, whether it be a dead religion or one in full vigor in our own times.

There is always certain correspondence in spite of the contradictory features, and the Hermetic Teachings act as the Great Reconciler.

The lifework of Hermes seems to have been in the direction of planting the great Seed-Truth which has grown and blossomed in so many strange forms, rather than to establish a school of philosophy which would dominate, the world's thought.

But, nevertheless, the original truths taught by him have been kept intact in their original purity by a few men each age, who, refusing great numbers of half-developed students and followers, followed the Hermetic custom and reserved their truth for the few who were ready to comprehend and master it.

From lip to ear the truth has been handed down among the few.

There have always been a few Initiates in each generation, in the various lands of the earth, who kept alive the sacred flame of the Hermetic Teachings, and such have always been willing to use their lamps to re-light the lesser lamps of the outside world, when the light of truth grew dim, and clouded by reason of neglect, and when the wicks became clogged with foreign matter.

There were always a few to tend faithfully the altar of the Truth, upon which was kept alight the Perpetual Lamp of Wisdom.

These men devoted their lives to the labor of love which the poet has so well stated in his lines:

"O, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after age in its dark cavern--in its holy temples cherished.Fed by pure ministers of love--let not the flame die out!"

These men have never sought popular approval, nor numbers of followers.

They are indifferent to these things, for they know how few there are in each generation who are ready for the truth, or who would recognize it if it were presented to them.

They reserve the "strong meat for men," while others furnish the "milk for babes."

They reserve their pearls of wisdom for the few elect, who recognize their value and who
wear them in their crowns, instead of casting them before the materialistic vulgar swine, who would trample them in the mud and mix them with their disgusting mental food.

But still these men have never forgotten or overlooked the original teachings of Hermes, regarding the passing on of the words of truth to those ready to receive it, which teaching is stated in The Kybalion as follows: "Where fall the footsteps of the Master, the ears of those ready for his Teaching open wide."

And again: "When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to fill them with wisdom."

But their customary attitude has always been strictly in accordance with the other Hermetic aphorism, also in The Kybalion: "The lips of Wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding."

There are those who have criticized this attitude of the Hermetists, and who have claimed that they did not manifest the proper spirit in their policy of seclusion and reticence.

But a moment's glance back over the pages of history will show the wisdom of the Masters, who knew the folly of attempting to teach to the world that which it was neither ready or willing to receive.

The Hermetists have never sought to be martyrs, and have, instead, sat silently aside with a pitying smile on their closed lips, while the "heathen raged noisily about them" in their customary amusement of putting to death and torture the honest but misguided enthusiasts who imagined that they could force upon a race of barbarians the truth capable of being understood only by the elect who had advanced along The Path.

And the spirit of persecution has not as yet died out in the land. There are certain Hermetic Teachings, which, if publicly promulgated, would bring down upon the teachers a great cry of scorn and revilement from the multitude, who would again raise the cry of "Crucify! Crucify."

In this little work we have endeavored to give you an idea of the fundamental teachings of The Kybalion, striving to give you the working Principles, leaving you to apply therm yourselves, rather than attempting to work out the teaching in detail.

If you are a true student, you will be able to work out and apply these Principles--if not, then you must develop yourself into one, for otherwise the Hermetic Teachings will be as "words, words, words" to you.

THE THREE INITIATES.

The Science of Being Well By Wallace Delois Wattles --- 17 CHAPTER 17. A SUMMARY OF THE SCIENCE OF BEING WELL

CHAPTER 17. A SUMMARY OF THE SCIENCE OF BEING WELL

Health is perfectly natural functioning, normal living. There is a Principle of
Health in the universe; it is the Living substance, from which all things are
made.
This Living Substance permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the
universe. In its invisible state it is in and through all forms; and yet all forms
are made of it.
To illustrate: Suppose that a very fine and highly diffusible aqueous vapor
should permeate and penetrate a block of ice. The ice is formed from living
water, and is living water in form; while the vapor is also living water,
unformed, permeating a form made from itself. This illustration will explain
how Living Substance permeates all forms made from It; all life comes from
It; it is all the life there is.
This Universal Substance is a thinking substance, and takes the form of its
thought. The thought of a form, held by it, creates the form; and a thought
of a motion causes the motion. It cannot help thinking, and so is forever
creating; and it must move on toward fuller and more complete expression
of itself. This means toward more complete life and more perfect
functioning; and that means toward perfect health.
The power of the living substance must always be exerted toward perfect
health; it is a force in all things making for perfect functioning.
All things are permeated by a power which makes for health.
Man can relate himself to this power, and ally himself with it; he can also
separate himself from it in his thoughts.
Man is a form of this Living Substance, and has within him a Principle of
Health. This Principle of Health, when in full constructive activity, causes all
the involuntary functions of man's body to be perfectly performed.
71
Man is a thinking substance, permeating a visible body, and the processes of
his body are controlled by his thought.
When man thinks only thoughts of perfect health, the internal processes of
his body will be those of perfect health. Man's first step toward perfect
health must be to form a conception of himself as perfectly healthy, and as
doing all things in the way and manner of a perfectly healthy person. Having
formed this conception, he must relate himself to it in all his thoughts, and
sever all thought relations with disease and weakness.
If he does this, and thinks his thoughts of health with positive FAITH, man
will cause the Principle of Health within him to become constructively active,
and to heal all his diseases. He can receive additional power from the
Universal Principle of Life by faith, and he can acquire faith by looking to this
Principle of Life with reverent gratitude for the health it gives him. If man
will consciously accept the health which is being continually given to him by
the Living Substance, and if he will be duly grateful, he will develop faith.
Man cannot think only thoughts of perfect health unless he performs the
voluntary functions of life in a perfectly healthy manner. These voluntary
functions are eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping. If man thinks only
thoughts of health, has faith in health, and eats, drinks, breathes, and sleeps
in a perfectly healthy way, he must have perfect health.
Health is the result of thinking and acting in a Certain Way; and if a sick man
begins to think and act in this Way, the Principle of Health within him will
come into constructive activity and heal all his diseases. This Principle of
Health is the same in all, and is related to the Life Principle of the universe; it
is able to heal every disease, and will come into activity whenever man
thinks and acts in accordance with the Science of Being Well. Therefore,
every man can attain to perfect health.

The Science of Being Well By Wallace Delois Wattles --- 16 CHAPTER 16. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS

CHAPTER 16. SUPPLEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONS

In forming a conception of health, it is necessary to think of the manner in
which you would live and work if you were perfectly well and very strong; to
imagine yourself doing things in the way of a perfectly well and very strong
person, until you have a fairly good conception of what you would be if you
were well. Then take a mental and physical attitude in harmony with this
conception; and do not depart from this attitude.
You must unify yourself in thought with the thing you desire; and whatever
state or condition you unify with yourself in thought will soon become
unified with you in body. The scientific way is to sever relations with
everything you do not want, and to enter into relations with everything you
do want. Form a conception of perfect health, and relate yourself to this
conception in word, act, and attitude.
Guard your speech; make every word harmonize with the conception of
perfect health. Never complain; never say things like these: "I did not sleep
well last night;" "I have a pain in my side;" "I do not feel at all well to-day,"
and so on.
Say "I am looking forward to a good night's sleep to- night;" "I can see that I
progress rapidly," and things of similar meaning. In so far as everything
which is connected with disease is concerned, your way is to forget it; and in
so far as everything which is connected with health is concerned, your way
is to unify yourself with it in thought and speech.
This is the whole thing in a nutshell: make yourself one with Health in
thought, word, and action; and do not connect yourself with sickness either
by thought, word, or action.
Do not read "Doctor books" or medical literature, or the literature of those
whose theories conflict with those herein set forth; to do so will certainly
undermine your faith in the Way of Living upon which you have entered, and
cause you to again come into mental relations with disease.
65
This book really gives you all that is required; nothing essential has been
omitted, and practically all the superfluous has been eliminated. The Science
of Being Well is an exact science, like arithmetic; nothing can be added to
the fundamental principles, and if anything be taken from them, a failure will
result. If you follow strictly the way of living prescribed in this book, you will
be well; and you certainly CAN follow this way, both in thought and action.
Relate not only yourself, but so far as possible all others, in your thoughts,
to perfect health. Do not sympathize with people when they complain, or
even when they are sick and suffering. Turn their thoughts into a
constructive channel if you can; do all you can for their relief, but do it with
the health thought in your mind.
Do not let people tell their woes and catalogue their symptoms to you; turn
the conversation to some other subject, or excuse yourself and go. Better
be considered an unfeeling person than to have the disease thought forced
upon you.
When you are in company of people whose conversational stock-in-trade is
sickness and kindred matters, ignore what they say and fall to offering a
mental prayer of gratitude for your perfect health; and if that does not
enable you to shut out their thoughts, say good-bye and leave them.
No matter what they think or say; politeness does not require you to permit
yourself to be poisoned by diseased or perverted thought. When we have a
few more hundreds of thousands of enlightened thinkers who will not stay
where people complain and talk sickness, the world will advance rapidly
toward health. When you let people talk to you of sickness, you assist them
to increase and multiply sickness.
What shall I do when I am in pain? Can one be in actual physical suffering
and still think only thoughts of health?
Yes. Do not resist pain; recognize that it is a good thing. Pain is caused by an
effort of the Principle of Health to overcome some unnatural condition; this
you must know and feel. When you have a pain, think that a process of
healing is going on in the affected part, and mentally assist and cooperate
66
with it. Put yourself in full mental harmony with the power which is causing
the pain; assist it; help it along.
Do not hesitate, when necessary, to use hot formulations and similar means
to further the good work which is going on. If the pain is severe, lie down
and give your mind to the work of quietly and easily co-operating with the
force which is at work for your good. This is the time to exercise gratitude
and faith; be thankful for the power of health which is causing the pain, and
be certain that the pain will cease as soon as the good work is done. Fix your
thoughts, with confidence, on the Principle of Health which is making such
conditions within you that pain will soon be unnecessary. You will be
surprised to find out how easily you can conquer pain; and after you have
lived for a time in this Scientific Way, pains and aches will be things unknown
to you.
What shall I do when I am too weak for my work? Shall I drive myself
beyond my strength, trusting in God to support me? Shall I go on, like the
runner, expecting a "second wind"?
No; better not. When you begin to live in this Way, you will probably not be
of normal strength; and you will gradually pass from a low physical condition
to a higher one. If you relate yourself mentally with health and strength, and
perform the voluntary functions of life in a perfectly healthy manner, your
strength will increase from day to day; but for a time you may have days
when your strength is insufficient for the work you would like to do. At such
times rest, and exercise gratitude.
Recognize the fact that your strength is growing rapidly, and feel a deep
thankfulness to the Living One from whom it comes. Spend an hour of
weakness in thanksgiving and rest, with full faith that great strength is at
hand; and then get up and go on again. While you rest do not think of your
present weakness; think of the strength that is coming.
Never, at any time, allow yourself to think that you are giving way to
weakness; when you rest, as when you go to sleep, fix your mind of the
Principle of Health which is building you into complete strength.
67
What shall I do about the great bugaboo which scares millions of people to
death every year - Constipation?
Do nothing. Read Horace Fletcher on "The A B Z of Our Own Nutrition," and
get the full force of his explanation of the fact that when you live on this
scientific plan you need not, and indeed cannot, have an evacuation of the
bowels every day; and that an operation in from once in three days to once
in two weeks is quite sufficient for perfect health.
The gross feeders who eat from three to ten times as much as can be
utilized in their systems have a great amount of waste to eliminate; but if
you live in the manner we have described it will be otherwise with you.
If you eat only when you have an EARNED HUNGER, and chew every
mouthful to a liquid, and if you stop eating the instant you BEGIN to be
conscious of an abatement of your hunger, you will so perfectly prepare
your food for digestion and assimilation that practically all of it will be taken
up by the absorbents; and there will be little - almost nothing - remaining in
the bowels to be excreted.
If you are able to entirely banish from your memory all that you have read in
"doctor books" and patent medicine advertisements concerning
constipation, you need give this matter no further thought at all. The
Principle of Health will take care of it.
But if your mind has been filled with fear-thought in regard to constipation,
it may be well in the beginning for you to occasionally flush the colon with
warm water. There is not the least need of doing it, except to make the
process of your mental emancipation from fear a little easier; it may be
worthwhile for that.
And as soon as you see that you are making good progress, and that you
have cut down your quantity of food, and are really eating in the Scientific
Way, dismiss constipation from your mind forever; you have nothing more
to do with it. Put your trust in that Principle within you which has the power
to give you perfect health; relate It by your reverent gratitude to the
Principle of Life which is All Power and go on your way rejoicing.
What about exercise?
68
Every one is the better for a little all-round use of the muscles every day; and
the best way to get this is to do it by engaging in some form of play or
amusement. Get your exercise in the natural way; as recreation, not a forced
stunt for health's sake alone. Ride a horse or a bicycle; play tennis or
tenpins, or toss a ball.
Have some avocation like gardening in which you can spend an hour every
day with pleasure and profit; there are a thousand ways in which you can
get exercise enough to keep your body supple and your circulation good,
and yet not fall into the rut of "exercising for your health." Exercise for fun
or profit; exercise because you are too healthy to sit still, and not because
you wish to become healthy, or remain so.
Are long continued fasts necessary?
Seldom, if ever. The Principle of Health does not often require twenty,
thirty, or forty days to get ready for action; under normal circumstances,
hunger will come in much less time. In most long fasts, the reason hunger
does not come sooner is because it has been inhibited by the patient
himself. He begins the fast with the FEAR if not actually with the hope that it
will be many days before hunger comes; the literature he has read on the
subject has prepared him to expect a long fast, and he is grimly determined
to go to a finish, let the time be as long as it will. And the sub-conscious
mind, under the influence of powerful and positive suggestion, suspends
hunger.
When, for any reason, nature takes away your hunger, go cheerfully on with
your usual work, and do not eat until she gives it back. No matter if it is two,
three, ten days or longer; you may be perfectly sure that when it is time for
you to eat you will be hungry; and if you are cheerfully confident and keep
your faith in health, you will suffer from no weakness or discomfort caused
by abstinence. When you are not hungry, you will feel stronger, happier, and
more comfortable if you do not eat than you will if you do eat; no matter
how long the fast.
And if you live in the scientific way described in this book, you will never
have to take long fasts; you will seldom miss a meal, and you will enjoy your
69
meals more than ever before in your life. Get an earned hunger before you
eat; and whenever you get an earned hunger, eat.

The Science of Being Well By Wallace Delois Wattles --- 15 CHAPTER 15. SLEEP

CHAPTER 15. SLEEP

Vital power is renewed in sleep. Every living thing sleeps; men, animals,
reptiles, fish, and insects sleep, and even plants have regular periods of
slumber. And this is because it is in sleep that we come into such contact
with the Principle of Life in nature that our own lives may be renewed.
It is in sleep that the brain of man is recharged with vital energy, and the
Principle of Health within him is given new strength. It is of the first
importance, then, that we should sleep in a natural, normal, and perfectly
healthy manner.
Studying sleep, we note that the breathing is much deeper, and more
forcible and rhythmic than in the waking state. Much more air is inspired
when asleep than when awake, and this tells us that the Principle of Health
requires large quantities of some element in the atmosphere for the
purpose of renewal. If you would surround sleep with natural conditions,
then, the first step is to see that you have an unlimited supply of fresh and
pure air to breathe.
Physicians have found that sleeping in the pure air of out-of-doors is very
efficacious in the treatment of pulmonary troubles; and, taken in connection
with the Way of Living and Thinking prescribed in this book, you will find
that it is just as efficacious in curing every other sort of trouble. Do not take
any half- way measures in this matter of securing pure air while you sleep.
Ventilate your bedroom thoroughly; so thoroughly that it will be practically
the same as sleeping out of doors. Have a door or window open wide; have
one open on each side of the room, if possible. If you cannot have a good
draught of air across the room, pull the head of your bed close to the open
window, so that the air from without may come fully into your face.
No matter how cold or unpleasant the weather, have a window open, and
open wide; and try to get a circulation of pure air through the room. Pile on
the bedclothes, if necessary, to keep you warm; but have an unlimited
62
supply of fresh air from out of doors. This is the first great requisite for
healthy sleep.
The brain and nerve centers cannot be thoroughly vitalized if you sleep in
"dead" or stagnant air; you must have the living atmosphere, vital with
nature's Principle of Life. I repeat, do not make any compromise in this
matter; ventilate your sleeping room completely, and see that there is
circulation of outdoor air through it while you sleep.
You are not sleeping in a perfectly healthy way if you shut the doors and
windows of your sleeping room, whether in winter or summer. Have fresh
air. If you are where there is no fresh air, move. If your bedroom cannot be
ventilated, get into another house.
Next in importance is the mental attitude in which you go to sleep. It is well
to sleep intelligently, purposefully, knowing what you do it for. Lie down
thinking that sleep is an infallible vitalizer, and go to sleep with a confident
faith that your strength is to be renewed; that you will awake full of vitality
and health. Put purpose into your sleep as you do into your eating; give the
matter your attention for a few minutes, as you go to rest. Do not seek your
couch with a discouraged or depressed feeling; go there joyously, to be
made whole.
Do not forget the exercise of gratitude in going to sleep; before you close
your eyes, give thanks to God for having shown you the way to perfect
health, and go to sleep with this grateful thought uppermost in your mind. A
bedtime prayer of thanksgiving is a mighty good thing; it puts the Principle
of Health within you into communication with its source, from which it is to
receive new power while you are in the silence of unconsciousness.
You may see that the requirements for perfectly healthy sleep are not
difficult. First, to see that you breathe pure air from out of doors while you
sleep; and, second, to put the Within into touch with the Living Substance
by a few minutes of grateful meditation as you go to bed. Observe these
requirements, go to sleep in a thankful and confident frame of mind, and all
will be well. If you have insomnia, do not let it worry you.
63
While you lie awake, form your conception of health; meditate with
thankfulness on the abundant life which is yours, breathe, and feel perfectly
confident that you will sleep in due time; and you will.
Insomnia, like every other ailment, must give way before the Principle of
Health aroused to full constructive activity by the course of thought and
action herein described.
The reader will now comprehend that it is not at all burdensome or
disagreeable to perform the voluntary functions of life in a perfectly healthy
way. The perfectly healthy way is the easiest, simplest, most natural, and
most pleasant way. The cultivation of health is not a work of art, difficulty,
or strenuous labor.
You have only to lay aside artificial observances of every kind, and eat, drink,
breathe, and sleep in the most natural and delightful way; and if you do this,
thinking health and only health, you will certainly be well.