
Hermetic Principles

I’ve been reflecting on the Kybalion, a book of axioms originally derived from the philosophical system of hermeticism. Built on the foundational teachings of the legendary figure Hermes Trismegistus who is said to be the combination of the Greek God Hermes and the Egyptian God, Thoth.
The kybalion guides the reader through the 7 hermetic principles which have been curated by hermetic devotees over millennia. I’ve taken away some important messages that quickly and effortlessly enhanced my perspective on some already long-built understandings, of which I regularly teach my psychotherapy clientele.
Below I write a summary of the 3rd (Vibration), 4th (Polarity) and 5th (Rhythm) principles and how they might be applied to life.
To begin we take a look at vibration and the significance of all it encompasses in day-to-day life.
The surging of the wellness, spirituality and consciousness movement has gifted us many beautiful things, along with phrases and ideas that social media has liked and clung to.
Words like frequency or vibe come out in common vernacular these days, and having wandered my way along the often isolating journey of awakening for some time now, I am delighted to hear some perhaps previously abstract learnings finding their way into normal conversations.
It’s important to note that although the term ‘vibe’ has come from the word vibration, the words don’t engage the same level of meaning. While ‘vibe’ may appropriately describe a cool new cafe, ‘vibration’ can be applied to reflect deeper meaning.
To explain the hermetic understanding, we can apply all physical matter to a class and spectrum of vibration, and in doing so a simple explanation of basic physics is helpful.
If we look at matter from a molecular level, we see the building blocks of all that makes up our conscious awareness.
For example, the form of an atom includes a nucleus, which is a mixture of protons and neutrons (the ratio of each depending on the element’s identity), with electrons orbiting around the nucleus.

For centuries, certain occult groups have understood that matter is built on these structural principles. With advancements in technology and accumulating evidence, scientific understanding has come to agree.
It is now understood that all matter is manifest at varying rates of vibration and that the density of an object is dependent on its rate of vibration.
For example, you and the thing you sit on are made of the same basic atomic structure, the independent vibrational frequency of each of you being the factor that provides contrast for our perception.
To elaborate we can consider the vibration of our human form. We have a frequency at which our body vibrates and a frequency at which our mind operates.
Moreover, extending beyond our physical body is an electromagnetic field vibration invisible to the human eye but physically measurable.

Examining temperature will enhance the explanation of each three of the above hermetic principles.
Heat and cold are the same thing (temperature), just at a different degree of vibration. And so, silence and noise are the same thing (sound), at a differing level of vibration. White and black and so on. With closer examination, you will see this rule applies to all of life.
The point of this post is to identify, align and connect this understanding of vibration with our cognitive behaviour and as a result our inward and outward interaction with the world.
With this explanation outlined, we can agree that if there is a vibration for everything, and for everything a vibration, it is reasonable to conclude that the very words you speak carry a vibration, and beyond that, the very thoughts you think have a vibration.
There is a vibration for happiness, and a vibration for sadness, both the same thing on opposing ends of the same spectrum. Again the rule applies to love and hate, courage and fear and so on.
Not only do the words and thoughts you think and speak vibrate outward to the fields of those around you, but they also vibrate inward directly affecting how you feel at a tangible level. You can see examples of vibration in this image.

Another sentiment coming from the wellness movement is “your thoughts create your reality.” Most accept a general understanding of this fact but potentially miss the link to the literal vibration of the thoughts themselves. Although we may feel victim to things like depression and anxiety, how much influence have our own words and thoughts had on their onset? Or for those we look up to and admire that require less effort to feel joy and gratitude, how much influence have their own words and thoughts had on their joy?
This brings me to the principle of polarity which I like to explain using the Taoist Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. A globally recognised symbol, however, the deeper meanings are not as widely taught or understood.
Though the general Western understanding is “the good in the bad and the bad in the good,” the actual meaning of the Yin refers to the shady side of a hill, while the yang refers to the sunny side.
For me, the most important part of the symbol is the backwards ’S’ shaped line separating both sides, which signifies the truth “two opposites or polarities can’t be separated”, and in reality, they are two sides of a singular and overriding whole.
The symbol then represents the duality of life, but also its overriding and underlying non-duality.

With an acquired knowledge of duality and non-duality, we find again rules that apply throughout observable life. Duality & non-duality are best represented in my opinion by Rupert Spira who said “Duality is the experience of separateness. Non-duality is the experience of interconnectedness.”
To shine a brighter light on this subject I love using the analogy of the flower and the bee taught by Alan Watts. At a material level, when we observe a flower and a bee, we can see that these are two separate, independent things or organisms.
However, on closer examination, we can see that in truth the flower can’t exist without the bee’s role in pollination, and without the pollen, the bees can’t produce honey.
We can see then that from a unified viewpoint, these two are not different organisms but instead a singular organism, interdependent as opposed to independent.
Considering this, Duality is believing the bee and the flower are separate while Non-Duality is knowing that they can’t be.
This understanding links back to the atomic structure of all within your awareness: duality is the belief that you are separate from what you observe, while non-duality is knowing that you can’t be.
It’s this reason that brings greater weight to the philosophy connected to yin and yang as it represents the truth of polarity which is that two opposing sides complete a singular whole, one side gives life to the other, which gives life to the whole.
The high and low, the back and front, the happy and sad, all make up a singular whole. We can’t know how ‘happiness’ feels unless we know how its contrasting pole ‘sadness’ feels.
This brings me to the last point of rhythm. Rhythm is the reason I believe the ’S’ that separates yin from yang to be the most valuable part of the symbol. When you turn an ’S’ on its side you get a wavy line which I use to represent the natural up-and-down rhythm and experience of life, as seen below.

As you might recognise, it is no more than a simple vibration as seen in the image earlier and bear in mind this is no coincidence.
If you take a moment to reflect on your journey through life you will recognise it has been a beautiful flow of ups and downs, from good to bad, happy to sad and back again. If we apply that wavy line in the middle of the yin and yang to the timeline of your life we can observe that it fits in with a natural rhythm.
Understanding the truth that life will always include this rhythm reduces the severity of the downswing when it comes, to which some could say, does that then reduce the shine of the upswing?
For some time I believed to an extent that it would, but in reading the seven hermetic principles I learned it didn’t have to. If we recognise and accept the reality that sad and bad will come, we can anticipate and prepare for it instead of falling victim to this natural swing.
With enough awareness and discipline, we can learn to stay at the higher vibration of the upswing and remain there while the natural rhythm swings back to the lower vibration of its downswing.
We can uncouple and detach from that natural rhythm and become a witness to the pendulum if we practice dedication to maintaining the vibration we choose to emit internally and externally.
Although the force of the emotional tide we are exposed to as people can be overwhelming, it is you who is the master of your mind. And if not you, then who or what else? The tide comes in and the tide goes out, but the boat still floats.

With a focus on mind-body integration, Riley leads the psychotherapy and hypnotherapy services at Nature of Wellness. His innovative approach blends traditional therapeutic techniques with cutting-edge practices, providing clients with powerful tools for self-discovery and growth.