Hello, Hivers! Javier here with the new edition of The Orrery. This week I have something special for you: I'll establish a basic connection between Astrology and Hermetic Tradition, a mystical path not unlike Kabbalah or the Vedas, which offers seven great laws whose study and application are extremely useful for self-discovery and increasing our understanding of Reality.
Hermeticism is one of many different paths of knowledge that you can use for your process of healing and awareness. Some might say it's a form of Magic, and yeah, Magic has a nice ring to it, but I've recently stopped using that word in general contexts, because the rational mind has a very strong response to it. It can also be considered a form of Alchemy. Hermetics are inheritors of the wisdom of Thoth, the Ibis-headed Egyptian God of Writing, the Divine Scribe, known by different names in other cultures: He was Enoch and is also identified with Noah in Judaism and Christianity; Idris in Islam; Hermes for the Greeks and Mercury for the Romans. He's also said to have been High Priest of Atlantis, under the name Chequetet Arelich Vomalites, and Imhotep, an Egyptian architect, priest and scientist of surpassing skill. He's given the title "Trismegistus" or Thrice-Great, the meaning of the epithet varies.
We can either presume that this was a single man who lived in several places for a prolonged period of time beyond the currently known biological limits of human life, or more likely a line of men who guarded the same ancient knowledge for thousands of years. Since the record of time breaks down into speculation around 5000 years into the past, we can't be sure when these men were actually active.
In any case, this man or order of men is attributed with the authorship of the Hermetica, a series of writings that delve into the nature of Consciousness and God, which contain the aforementioned Seven Principles. These Principles can be combined with any other practice or tool, they can be connected to the Chakra System and to the Tree of Life, they resonate geometrically and symbolically. And of course, they can be found in Astrology.
The Seven Principles in Astrology
These Laws regulate Dual Reality, none of them has a higher ranking above the others, they're all equally important and they offer a great framework for self-study.
1. The Principle of Mentalism: All is Mind, the Universe is Mental. In Hermeticism, the deepest and highest expression of Oneness is The All. We may call it God, Ein Soph, Brahman, Ra, Light, Love or any other name we choose, it can't be defined anyway. It's perfect, infinite creation. What this Principle means is that this material reality is a dream or illusion the All is projecting with its Mind. It also means that, having being created in image of The All, we have the exact same capacity. We create our own reality with our minds. The way you can apply this Law to Astrology is by realizing that your Chart is a map of your body, your world, your family, your profession and everything else that you think of as your identity, that it can be read as mental constructs. Since you create your reality, knowing this map can allow you to navigate and change it as you see fit. Remember, it's just a bunch of stories, you can rewrite them. But how? Here come the other Principles into play.
2. The Principle of Correspondence: As above, so below; as below, so above. As without, so within; as within, so without. This essentially means that the outside world is a perfect mirror of the inner world, and that whatever exists in the Universe, exists also in us. By knowing ourselves, we know everything around us, and everything around us gives us information about ourselves. Our emotions, thoughts and actions are mirrored by the context we're in, the people we know and the things we do. By paying attention, we can read these inner and outer codes and use them to our advantage. In Astrology and Psychology, this is known as Integration, the process by which the energy of a Sign and a Planet are brought to awareness and can be channeled with increasing effectiveness. The Natal Chart, as I said, is a map of your identity and life cycle, the Above that reflects the Below, so you can find the patterns described by the cosmos in your daily life.
3. The Principle of Vibration: Nothing rests. Everything moves. Everything vibrates. Color, sound, electromagnetic fields, gravity, orbits, flow. They're all examples of vibration. From the smallest grain of sand to the largest black hole, all things are in perpetual vibration at different frequencies. Most of us have limited capacity to observe this, our eyes can't even access but the smallest area of the entire spectrum of Light, and our ears are equally unsuited to detect most frequencies. We can increase our sensibility, though, and here's where Astrology can also play a part. Like all the rest, the Signs, Planets and Houses have their own vibration, and since that corresponds to our bodies and our material contexts, we can actually feel their effect in our mental, emotional and physical systems. The lower the vibration, the less integrated and more imbalanced that aspect of our being is, the heavier related situations feel, the more anger, sorrow and fear are involved. The higher the vibration, the more connected and joyful we are with that aspect of our being. With proper discipline, you can regulate these vibrations to your advantage.
4. 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. This is a critical Law to understand. From Oneness came Duality, the illusion of separation, of two things opposing each other. They're in reality one and the same, but perspective changes their appearance. Evil and Good, Light and Dark, Left and Right, High and Low, Hot and Cold, Hard and Soft. These false divisions allow us to compare and thus reach the center by experiencing two extremes of the Pendulum, and reconcile the paradox that breaks them apart in our perception. In Astrology, you can see this Principle in the relationship between opposing Signs and Houses. For instance, Virgo and Pisces are the exact same energy, but seen from completely different points of view: Magic, Mystery, Service, Memory, Dreams, from an emotional and collective perspective (Pisces) or from a methodic and personal one (Virgo). You can shift the polarity of any situation or connection and see a side of the same Truth that was hidden from the other polarity. Do you resist or accept? Do you complain or show gratitude? Your choice.
5. 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. Vibration is oscillation, and everything has its ebb and flow. Energies that are predominant over a period of time eventually decline in favor of others. It happens with everything, and both the Natal Chart and the current Transits help you observe this process at a planetary level, seeing the influences or areas of your life increase and decrease in intensity. Accepting the fact of the highs and the lows lets us connect with constant change and thus, flow more freely and smoothly.
6. 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. We think, speak and act and the Universe replies. Every choice we make has a price and a lesson. Paying the price willingly and receiving the lesson gratefully, opens new possibilities for us. Our every breath ripples through the cosmos and resonates with the stars. Everything has a consequence. In Astrology, the process of integrating energies is also a process of reviewing consequences and lessons. This Principle allows you to see everything as a trade-off, where energy is transformed, passed from one vessel to another, never lost.
7. The Principle of Gender: Gender is in everything; Everything has its masculine and feminine principles; Gender manifests on all planes. Another perspective on Duality, this Principle allows us to see everything as a fundamental interaction of female and male polarities, which must also be brought into balance through the same process of revision, payment, learning and correction. The Planets and Signs also have Gender and thus, they can be used to discern how much female or male vibration is in action in a particular moment or dimension of life. Venus and the Moon, for instance, are female energies, while Leo and Capricorn are male.
Studying and understanding these Principles provides an enormously powerful knowledge that you can use to know yourselves and your surroundings much better and deeper than you can imagine right now. Astrology is a very effective tool to explore that, and you can also do it through oracles and other practices. All ancient civilizations used the same essential codes for the same things, their information can be researched and applied simultaneously to great benefit.
Thank you for reading this very long text! The links to the sources of the images are in the captions. 5% of this post's rewards will go to @alejandramonzon, who just shared a very appropriate article related to this expansive topic
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I really love this simple explanation. The only one i am confused about is gender.. isnt that simply another polarity? AMAZING post and congrats on nice payout too.. well deserved..
Yes, it's another perspective on polarity. Note that each Principle merely expresses Duality through different lenses. The point of Gender is to express Polarity as fundamentally seeking Unity, for male and female energies seek each other. Moreover, two polar opposites are each suffused with their own degree of female and male vibration, as expressed in the Bagua of Taoism, where the black area has a white dot and the white area, a black dot. Also, while the Principle of Polarity allows shifting perspectives, changing Negative to Positive, for instance, Gender cannot be swapped the same way, it can only be acknowledged.
Thank you! I'm also quite astonished and pleased by the payout!
Very interesting, thanks for sharing your knowledge 🙏
My honor and pleasure!
Relly thanks about they mention.
I'm SO glad to colaborate with this wonderful comunity.
Since I was a child I have been passionate about Egyptian culture. Love this post from start to finish, a nutritious read
Muchísimas gracias, Alejandra! Extrañaba tu contenido por la comunidad y de pronto vi tu post y me resultó perfecto considerando el tema de este. Un fuerte abrazo!