The 7 Hermetic Laws
Principles said to govern reality, from the cosmos to the soul
Mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, gender: seven laws. They are not moral commandments or beliefs to adopt, but principles of how reality works — principles the Hermetic tradition claims to have observed at every level of existence.
They are presented in the Kybalion (1908), but their roots reach at least to the Alexandrian Corpus Hermeticum of the second century, and some readers trace them back to the Egyptian wisdom of Thoth. This guide explores each one and its practical application.
I. The law of Mentalism
“The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.”
This law says that the fundamental substance of reality is mental or spiritual. The whole universe is a thought of the All, a primordial Consciousness from which everything proceeds, including matter. This does not mean that the chair you sit on does not exist; it means that behind physical existence lies a conscious reality.
The practical consequence is that what you think deeply and consistently contributes to shaping your reality — not magically, but because thought and action belong to the same process: thought comes before and directs action.
II. The law of Correspondence
“As above, so below; as below, so above.”
The same patterns, structures and laws appear at every level of existence. What you live in external relationships can reflect your relationship with yourself. This is the principle behind astrology, where celestial movements correspond to earthly and psychological dynamics, and behind fractal structures in nature.
When an external problem keeps returning, ask which inner pattern it reflects. Changing something inside can eventually change the outside, and the reverse is also true.
III. The law of Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
Everything has its own frequency of movement. The difference between a solid object and a thought is not one of nature but of frequency: matter vibrates slowly, thought more quickly. Light, sound and emotion are all forms of movement.
For the Hermeticist, emotional states also have a frequency. Meditation, music and contact with nature can change the quality of conscious experience — not as a magic formula, but as a way of changing one’s state.
IV. The law of Polarity
“Everything is dual; everything has poles; opposites are identical in nature, different in degree.”
Heat and cold are two ends of one thermometer. Love and hate are two poles of one emotional continuum. Light and shadow, courage and fear, health and illness are unities seen through their extremes.
When facing a difficult emotion, do not repress it. Recognise that its positive pole lies on the same continuum: fear and courage are not unrelated things. Hermetic transmutation means moving along that continuum through awareness.
V. The law of Rhythm
“Everything flows and ebbs; everything has its tides.”
The universe moves through cycles and oscillations. Tides rise and fall, seasons return, economies expand and contract, moods change and relationships move between closeness and distance. No state is permanent — neither happiness nor suffering.
The Hermetic teacher does not try to stop the pendulum, but not to be carried away by it. Observing rhythm with detachment makes it possible not to overreact in the highs or despair in the lows.
VI. The law of Cause and Effect
“Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; chance is only a name for an unrecognised law.”
Nothing happens by accident. What we call chance is a cause whose chain we cannot see. This does not remove free will; it redefines it. Freedom is not escaping causes, but becoming the cause of one’s own life instead of merely being its effect.
When something happens that you did not want, resist explaining it only as bad luck. Look for causes in choices, habits and unexamined beliefs — not to blame yourself, but to become the author of your causes.
VII. The law of Gender
“Gender is in everything; everything has masculine and feminine principles.”
At every level, complementary principles coexist: an active, initiating principle and a receptive, gestating, creative one. They do not refer to biological sex; they are two poles of one energy. Every act of creation requires both: an idea and the patience for it to mature.
Synthesis — how to use these laws
The seven laws are not independent; they form a coherent system. Mentalism lays the foundation: all is mind. Correspondence describes how planes reflect one another. Vibration shows how reality differentiates, polarity how it forms opposites, rhythm how it oscillates, cause and effect how it unfolds in time, and gender how it creates.
Hermetism does not offer these laws as a system to believe, but as tools of observation. Look at your life through these lenses and see whether they reveal patterns you had not noticed. That is the Hermetic practice.
Frequently asked questions
Are the seven Hermetic laws related to the twelve laws of the universe?
Partly. The twelve laws popularised by New Age teachings draw on Hermetic principles but blend them with Buddhism, New Thought and other traditions. The seven laws of the Kybalion form a more coherent, philosophically rooted system.
Are these laws compatible with modern science?
Some have scientific echoes, such as vibration and natural cycles. Others, such as mentalism, are philosophical positions that science can neither confirm nor disprove. Hermetism is not physics; it is a form of metaphysics.
Can I study Hermetism without believing in the seven laws?
Yes. Hermetism invites observation rather than faith. You can explore the principles as working hypotheses, as lenses for seeing reality differently, without believing in them religiously.
About this page. Hermetism is a living tradition. We discuss it from the outside, as cultural and historical material: we do not teach it or speak for any community. Errors and simplifications are ours — write to us if something feels unfair.