The Hermetic Laws
The eternal principles that govern the universe
"As above, so below; as within, so without—to accomplish the miracle of one thing." — Hermes Trismegistus
The Eight Fundamental Principles
The Hermetic principles are the fundamental laws that govern all planes of existence. Handed down from ancient Egypt, these principles teach us how the cosmos functions in its totality. Principles 1 to 8 correspond to the gates; Gate 9 (Divine) is the synthesis beyond the eight laws.
Principle of Consciousness
Mentalism
The Universe is Mental — the ALL manifests through living motion.
"The Universe is Mental—the ALL manifests through living motion."
All reality arises from a living Universal Mind, a primordial Breath that imprints its trace in the invisible to give birth to the visible.
- The universe is a dream in motion
- We are sparks of a unified cosmic fire
Principle of Equivalence
Correspondence
As above, so below.
"As above, so below; as within, so without—to accomplish the miracle of one thing."
The same laws govern all planes of existence, from the most subtle to the most dense. Each part contains the whole, and the whole is present in each part.
- Analogy is the key to understanding
- The microcosm reflects the macrocosm
Principle of Oscillation
Vibration
Nothing rests; everything vibrates.
"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."
Everything is in constant motion; nothing is still. Matter, energy, and even thought are manifestations of different vibrational frequencies.
- Vibrational frequency and its effects
- The transformation of states
Principle of Polarity
Polarity
Everything is dual; everything has two poles.
"Everything is dual; everything has two poles; everything has its pair of opposites."
Opposites are merely the two extremes of the same thing, separated by varying degrees. Hot and cold, light and dark, love and hate are but variations of one phenomenon.
- Yin-yang duality and magnetic polarity
- The transmutation of negative into positive states
Principle of Rhythm
Rhythm
Everything flows, everything has its tides.
"Everything flows, everything has its tides; all things rise and fall."
Rhythm is the measure of movement between the poles. Everything that exists is subject to cycles of ebb and flow, action and rest.
- Natural cycles and the seasons
- Phases of growth and decline
- The perpetual pendulum of life
Principle of Causality
Cause and Effect
Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause.
"Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause."
Chance does not exist; it is only a law unrecognized. Every action produces a corresponding reaction; every thought creates a reality.
- The law of karma and cycles of consequence
- Causal chains and action-reaction
Principle of Orientation
Gender
Gender is in all things; everything has masculine and feminine.
"Gender is in all things; everything has its masculine and feminine principles."
The balance between masculine and feminine forces is the key to all creation. These two complementary aspects are found in every manifestation.
- Yin-yang duality and magnetic polarity
- The union of complements for creation
Principle of Veil
The Veil — TORIS Complement
Point of presence, living threshold: the centre from which movement becomes habitable.
"The Veil is not a wall; it is the living threshold where inner and outer touch without consuming each other."
After passing through Consciousness, Equivalence, Vibration, Polarity, Rhythm, Cause and Effect, and Direction, we return to the Veil: not to escape movement, but to inhabit it. The Veil is that point of presence which makes movement habitable — a sensitive membrane, a limit that reveals as much as it distinguishes. It suggests innocence regained, silence, the harmony of the threshold.
- The living threshold: interface between visible and invisible
- Second innocence, simplicity regained; the deep present
The Veil names what some called balance or threshold: limit and passage, innocence regained, harmony. Linked to 9 in sacred arithmetic.
"The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of Understanding." — The Kybalion