The Kybalion (full title: The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece) is a book first published in 1908 by "Three Initiates." This group is often linked to William Walker Atkinson, a key figure in the New Thought movement. The book claims to share the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary teacher from ancient times.

The Kybalion includes ideas found in older Hermetic writings, such as the belief that the mind shapes reality, the phrase "as above, so below," and the idea that all things have opposite forces. However, the book is more influenced by modern occult writers, especially those connected to the New Thought movement. It is considered a modern Hermetic text and has had a major impact on New Age communities since the 20th century.

Title

The word Kybalion appears to be similar to an ancient Greek term, but it does not have a known meaning in that language. It was probably created to give the impression that it is very old, even though it is not.

Seven Hermetic principles

A key idea in the book is that there are "seven Hermetic principles, upon which the entire Hermetic philosophy is based." These are, as stated in the book:

• The principle of mentalism
• "The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental."

• The principle of correspondence
• "As above, so below; as below, so above." This principle shows that there is always a connection between the rules and events in different levels of existence and life.

• The principle of vibration
• "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."

• 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 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 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 principle of gender
• "Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes."

Relation to ancient and medievalHermetica

According to author Mitch Horowitz, the idea that the mind is the main cause of things, described by the Kybalion's first principle, was influenced by similar ideas found in ancient Greek Hermetica texts.

Nicholas E. Chapel explains that some concepts in the Kybalion, such as the idea that the mind shapes reality, the phrase "as above, so below" from the Emerald Tablet, and the belief that everything exists in pairs of opposite forces, have roots in ancient and medieval Hermetic writings. However, other ideas, like the principle of vibration (which comes from the philosophy of David Hartley, 1705–1757), are not connected to Hermeticism.

Chapel also notes that there are major differences between the Kybalion and traditional Hermetica texts. For example, the Kybalion does not focus on religious ideas, while the Hermetica strongly emphasizes theology. Additionally, the Kybalion highlights the practitioner's ability to change their mental state, whereas the Hermetica focuses on respecting and uniting with the divine. Chapel concludes that the Kybalion is more influenced by ideas from the New Thought movement of the early 20th century and does not fully represent the broader history of Hermetic philosophy.