You have probably heard the law of attraction before. But did you know this is part of a set of universal laws that both magicians and spiritual people use?
Some people, such as author Shannon Kaiser and social worker Vasavi Kumar, categorize these laws as 12 universal laws, and some, like Hermes Trismegistus, count 7 principles, which are mostly similar.
Here, I will try to unify them while explaining what they are and how to use them:
Where do the 7 principles of Hermeticism come from?
The seven principles are the foundation of Hermeticism, a branch of spiritual philosophy dating back as early as the first century A.D. They were outlined by famed author Hermes Trismegistus, who is believed to have written the Emerald Tablet and the Corpus Hermeticum (two highly influential, ancient teachings).
His work would go on to influence both ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures, with both adopting him as a god of wisdom. (In Greece, he was called Hermes; in Egypt, Thoth.) He was known in his time as a great master of the universe and is said to have lived for thousands of years.
Over time, the seven hermetic principles were passed down by word-of-mouth from teacher to student, and eventually, one day in the early 20th century, the teachings were compiled into a book called The Kybalion, written by “The Three Initiates.” Today, they remain an occult source of wisdom, separate from any real religion but powerful nonetheless.
Where do the 12 universal laws come from?
The 12 universal laws are thought to be intrinsic, unchanging laws of our universe that ancient cultures have always intuitively known.
The laws are often associated with Ho’oponopono, a meditation for freedom originating in ancient Hawaiian culture.
The list of ancient laws has withstood the test of time as both Kaiser, Kumar and plenty of others around the world still work with it today. “All of the laws are about mastering your life with love and joy,” Kaiser explains.
1. Divine Oneness
The first and most foundational law of the universe used in many spiritual practices is the Law of Divine Oneness, which highlights the interconnectedness of all things. It says that beyond our senses, every thought, action, and event is in some way connected to anything and everything else.
How to apply it:
Kaiser notes this one can come off a bit heady, but applying it in real life entails being compassionate with others and recognizing that we are all one. She recommends working on this law by asking questions like, “How can I show more compassion and acceptance toward those I don’t understand?” or “What would love do?”
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
In my first book, “Awakening,” from the series of “Stories of Souls,” this law is used even in inner battles with entities or dark forces. This means when you face a dark force, you can simply emit it into yourself, accepting it as a part of divine oneness. Since every dark or satanic force drives from separation from this, either they integrate and stop harming you, or they will cease to exist.
2. Mentalism
“The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental.” —The Kybalion
The principle of mentalism states that the universe is akin to a mental projection. In the basics of manifestation, we all see this principle as it is all about using your thoughts to shape your reality. For anything to be, a thought must precede it. Through this principle, it’s believed that God is consciousness or thought, and the universe is a manifestation of the mind of God. Using this law, we, too, can harness the power of our minds to create the life we want.
How to apply it:
Consider the initial thought that led you to be able to read this on whatever device you’re on. Or even the thought that is most influencing your mood right now. When we recognize how much our thoughts manifest every day, whether internally as a physiological or emotional state or externally, as the things we do or places we go, we see that when we can control our mind, we control our lives. We can get better at this through spiritual practices such as meditation, which help us train the mind.
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
A spiritual warrior must master his/her mind. When you are able to conquer the mind, then you will be able to conquer the world. Spiritual warriors also master techniques such as mind projection to identify the danger of dark forces around.
3. Correspondence
This law states that patterns repeat throughout the universe, and on a personal level, our reality is a mirror of what’s happening inside us at that moment.
“As above, so below; as below, so above.” —The Kybalion
We’ve all heard this quote before, but maybe you never knew it was Hermes who first coined it. It’s closely related to the first principle of mentalism and states that what we hold in our thoughts and minds will become our reality. It explains the many planes of existence, including those of lower and higher vibrational frequencies, and how they’re connected.
How to apply it:
Applying this law is all about understanding your connection to the world around you and how you’re showing up for yourself and the universe through your thoughts and, subsequently, your actions. When we have a firm grasp on how we’re interacting with life and how it’s affecting us, we can recognize and break patterns, live in alignment with our highest good, and feel harmonious with everything there is.
Kaiser’s mantra for this law? It’s happening for you, not to you. “If our life is chaotic and fearful,” she says, “it’s because there is chaos and fear within. If our life seems calm and grounded, it is because we feel peace within.”
In any troubling situation, she suggests asking what the situation can show you about yourself and what requires healing within.
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
Spiritual worriers know that any struggle or battle in the physical world has already started in spiritual and mental states. So, in order to face any battle or challenge, first try to face it in your mind, spiritually, and last, physically. A full-on battle can be in all three planes, but you may finish it in the first two before coming to the physical ground.
4. Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.” —The Kybalion.
Yes, believe it or not, the idea of “vibes” has been around for a long, long time. The principle of vibration states that all things, both physical matter and spiritual energy, hold a certain vibration. Science tells us atoms are in constant motion and vibration at a subatomic level, as is the universe itself. Even our hearts, as they beat, give off different vibrations depending on our emotional state.
This law says that our vibrational frequency can inform our lived experience. And when we’re “vibing high,” we’re able to avoid low-level frequencies that don’t serve us.
How to apply it:
If you feel the need to elevate your frequency, there are lots of great practices to do, including yoga, sound bathing, and chakra work.
However, on a basic level, to apply this principle, you want to not only do things but think thoughts that allow you to be in a state of ease where your body is vibrating at a most positive level. You might be noticing all of these laws are deeply interwoven. With this principle, we acknowledge that we have the power to control our vibration rather than our vibration controlling us.
5. Law of Attraction
Undoubtedly the most talked about universal law, the law of attraction, is often used in manifestation. It says that like attracts like, and you get what you focus on. Not only that, but you have to believe what you’re seeking is possible to obtain.
It is similar to the law of vibration in this way: it’s important to learn how to vibrate at a level that attracts what you’re seeking.
How to apply it:
If you want love but do not give love, for example, you’re sending the universe a message about your priorities. If you repeat an affirmation but don’t believe what you’re saying, it’s useless. “When we focus on what we want versus what we don’t want, it will show up in our life,” says Kaiser.
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
Thankfully, the law of attraction can be slower on the physical plane since there is time involved. However, since spiritual warriors may be present on other planes, such as astral, where manifestation can be instantaneous, you need to master what exactly you want or believe before manifesting it. Otherwise, you can accidentally manifest many unwanted things or beings, as is thought in a few chapters of my book “Awakening”. For this reason, I strongly recommend going to other planes together with a guide who is experienced and you can trust.
6. Inspired Action
Closely related to the law of attraction, the law of inspired action is all about taking those real, actionable steps to invite what we want into our lives. Often, the inspiration comes from within. “Inspired action is that gentle, internal nudge,” Kumar says. “It’s not always a plan of action.”
How to apply it:
Practicing this law is all about slowing down, getting quiet, and creating space for internal guidance. When we let go of our need to arrange and control how things will work out and are instead open to all possibilities, it makes room for new ways of achieving goals that we might not have considered otherwise.
7. 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 Kybalion.
The law of polarity explains that seemingly opposite things are actually one and the same at varying degrees. A simple example of this is hot and cold. Cold is just the absence of heat, and they’re both one thing: temperature. Physical matter and spiritual energy are the same thing, with spiritual energy vibrating at a much higher level, such that it can’t be perceived by our senses. Love and hate are two ways of experiencing the same thing: a relationship toward something. This is the foundation of alchemy, or the ability to “transmute” your experiences at will.
How to apply it:
Applying the principle of polarity takes a degree of mental stamina and involves shifting the way you look at something, potentially completely on its head. Take the hate you may feel for someone: Is there any way you can shift it to feelings of love, for example? Any time a lower vibrational emotion is bringing you down, can you recognize it, feel it, and transmute it to a more positive one?
8. 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 Kybalion.
Closely related to the principle of polarity, the fifth principle states that between the opposing poles, there exists an inherent rhythm. The tides move in and out. We inhale and exhale. Everything is in motion. Nature has its seasons, and so, too, do we. Understanding this principle allows us to recognize our life’s—and the universe’s—natural rhythms so we can actually work with them rather than having them work against us.
Kumar notes, “We expect ourselves to be one way all the time, whether we’re thinking about our health or even productivity,” but this is not sustainable.
How to apply it:
Know that nothing lasts forever, and things are ever-changing. As you get deeper into working with this law, you’ll be able to work with your own emotional states to avoid a dramatic pendulum swing of feelings. It’s thought that eventually, the master will be able to transcend duality completely, but if you’re just getting started, try becoming more aware of your emotional state and using polarity and rhythm to start getting more comfortable with the natural fluxes of your life.
Take note of your inner rhythms and try to work with them instead of fighting them. Feeling run down? Maybe it’s better to give yourself some rest instead of powering through.
9. 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 Kybalion.
Everything is connected through the principle of cause and effect, for each cause of one thing is merely the effect of something else, going back to the very beginning.
Ask yourself, are you a cause? Or are you an effect? This principle is all about acknowledging the effects of our thoughts and behavior and how we may change them to bring about greater effects.
What’s important to note here, according to Kumar, is we often can’t see the effects right away, but they will come back around.
How to apply it:
When something doesn’t go as planned, or you find yourself unhappy, ask yourself, what was the cause? Many times, we find ourselves reacting to the world around us, trapped in a back-and-forth of reacting to our circumstances rather than forging our own path. When we take action to get the effect we want, we move from feeling like a victim to feeling empowered.
“What you put out there may not come back to you at that moment, but that vibration, that energy you put out there, has a ripple effect,” says Kumar. “If you’re coming from a place of anger or resentment, if you put that energy out there, you’ll eventually be affected as a result.”
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
A spiritual warrior, instead of going a victim mentality about the world and saying the world is the cause of everything happening in his/her life, actively becomes the cause to change the world from within and physically. If you truly master the other laws, you will realize how powerful you are in changing the vibration of the world.
10. Gender
“Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes.” —The Kybalion.
The seventh principle states that all things have masculine and feminine qualities. Yes, the two sexes can be thought of as a physical manifestation of this principle, but as we’re all coming to understand, on an internal level, all of us hold both energies. (Think of the left and right brain.)
Masculine and feminine energy exists in not only the physical plane but the mental and spiritual plane as well. The unity of these two energies is essential for creation, and when one has a balance of both, they’re better able to apply all of the principles together for maximum benefit.
How to apply it:
Accept all the parts of yourself, and understand that balance in all is key to self-mastery. Buddha called this the middle way, and it’s all about the balance of masculine and feminine, of heavenly and Earthbound, and of the mind, body, and spirit. When we can achieve this balance within ourselves, we’re well-equipped to harness all of these principles and use them in our lives for good.
11. Perpetual Transmutation of Energy
This law states that, on an energetic level, everything in the universe is constantly evolving or fluctuating. Every action is preceded by a thought, with thoughts themselves having the power to manifest in our physical reality eventually.
Ever been around a negative person and felt your own positivity depleting? That’s one example—but it can also work the other way around: Higher frequencies transmute lower ones when applied with intention.
How to apply it:
Knowing this, we can actively seek to uplift negative energy around us by maintaining positive thoughts and actions.
12. Compensation
The law of compensation relates closely to the law of attraction and the law of correspondence. “You reap what you sow” is the main takeaway, with the law stating your efforts will always come back to you positively. If you are seeking something, you must contribute in some way toward your goal.
How to apply it:
To work with this law in a manner that attracts (or compensates for) love and support, for example, Kaiser suggests asking yourself, “Where am I being called to serve and support others today?”
How to apply it as a spiritual warrior:
A spiritual warrior knows the main reason they exist is to serve. Since they see everyone as parts of God when they defend or protect someone or even when they attack someone to serve them.
13. Relativity
This law suggests that we are inclined to compare things in our world, but in reality, everything is neutral. Relativism exists in all things, and in the end, meaning comes down to our perspective and perception.
How to apply it:
Applying this law can help us understand the tougher parts of our lives with greater compassion. For example, if we’re feeling ungrateful for our living situation, it could be because we’re comparing our arrangements with someone else’s. Instead, we’d be better off appreciating what we have without needing to compare it to something else.
Spiritual Warrior Applications, by: Omid Farshi
Sources:
[1] mbgmindfullness https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-12-universal-laws-and-how-to-practice-them
[2] mbgmindfullness https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/7-hermetic-principles
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