The Kybalion A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece

A little about the book

The Kybalion describes seven principles that its writers associate with Hermetic philosophy. From mentalism and correspondence to rhythm and polarity, the chapters introduce each principle, then use it to explain the relations the authors see between different levels of experience. Some passages address a student directly, as though passing along a lesson intended for repeated study.

The value of the edition lies partly in what it shows about modern esoteric writing. It gives the authority of an ancient tradition to a system of ideas presented for a twentieth-century audience. Its explanations can be understood as metaphysical claims and as exercises in analogy. Reading it alongside older Hermetic literature can help make the character of its synthesis more visible.

Things You May Not Know About The Kybalion A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece

• Three Initiates is a collective signature. The printed title page gives no individual names for the book’s writers.
• Seven organizing principles. Mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, and gender provide the headings for the system.
• Hermes is the dedicatee. A dedication to Hermes Trismegistus precedes the table of contents.
• A dated source edition. The title pages reproduced in Gutenberg’s text display a 1912 date and name the Yogi Publication Society.
• Principles become lessons. The later chapters return to the initial framework and explain how the authors think it can be used.