What is Hermetic philosophy?

Short answer: Hermeticism is a tradition of spiritual philosophy attributed to the legendary sage Hermes Trismegistus. Established Its core texts were written in Greek-speaking Egypt in the first centuries CE. The popular "seven principles" come from The Kybalion, a book published in 1908.

Where it comes from

The Corpus Hermeticum, a set of Greek dialogues from roughly the 1st to 3rd centuries CE, teaches that the divine Mind (Nous) is the source of all things and that human beings can know it through purification and contemplation. Rediscovered and translated in Renaissance Florence, these texts shaped European magic, alchemy and philosophy for centuries. Renaissance scholars believed they were older than Moses; in 1614 Isaac Casaubon showed they were much later. Established

The seven principles of the Kybalion

Mentalism: "The All is Mind."
Correspondence: "As above, so below."
Vibration: nothing rests; everything moves.
Polarity: opposites are two ends of one thing.
Rhythm: everything swings like a pendulum.
Cause and effect: nothing happens by chance.
Gender: active and receptive principles in everything.

Contemplative The Kybalion is a modern New Thought text rather than an ancient one, but its principles have become a useful way into Hermetic ideas.

Science and symbol

Speculative Claims that the principle of vibration is "proven by quantum physics" stretch the physics: in science, vibration and frequency have precise meanings that don't map onto emotional states or thoughts. The principles are most useful as lenses for reflection, not as physical laws.

Using the principles as practice

Polarity: when stuck in fear, look for the courage at the other end of the same line.
Rhythm: notice moods rising and falling, and practice not being carried by every swing.
Correspondence: ask how an inner pattern is being reflected in your outer life, and vice versa.

Emerging Psychological research on reappraisal and emotional regulation supports the value of deliberately reframing feelings, which echoes the Hermetic idea of "mental transmutation".

About the labels

The Journey In tags every claim: Established backed by strong research, Emerging early or mixed evidence, Contemplative meaningful in a tradition but not a scientific claim, and Speculative symbolic or unproven. This page is general information, not medical or mental-health advice.

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