Apahlux.

At the core of every advanced society, one inevitable finds a set of governing beliefs, a sacred code that imbues the devoted seeker with sacred wisdom and tremendous power. You will find that this influence pervades throughout all facets of a particular culture and births timeless traditions and rituals. Nevertheless the eternal core of this truth often remains hidden or obscured, intentionally concealed from those deemed unworthy or impure.

The Hermetic Tradition is particularly powerful revelation that serves as a necessary foundation for all future metaphysical endeavors. Each precept progressively codifies reality in a way that reveals it’s nature and hints at our latent influence over it’s inner workings.

How we interpret these insights and apply them to our lives sets the precedence for our ability to acquire wealth, optimize our health, and access divine truth. Let’s begin.

I. The principle of mentalism.

"The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental." —The Kybalion

Anchor this belief deep within your core. Our minds our emmeshed directly within a universe that is itself a mind. Every thought, emotion, belief we carry radiates outward, into a sea of vibrations, both seen and unseen, that carry out our intent. Meditation and contemplation upon this idea is powerful, it allows us to utilize our mind’s eye to communicate our truest, deepest desires. Our innermost contemplations can be relayed out to a universe that deeply, truly understands us.

II. The principle of correspondence.

"As above, so below; as below, so above." —The Kybalion

This simple law is the mechanism underlying all magical enterprises. It codifies the direct correspondence between our material reality and the unseen world. It’s application is dual in nature. The former part of the principles alludes to the active, generative nature of our minds. Our thoughts and inner contemplations carry a vibrational essence that descend from the most rarified parts of our beings down to our material reality.

This is the phenomenon by which our sustained meditations have the effect of gradually warping and shaping our realities. This is the archetype of the ascetic yogi who, though removed from all material luxuries creates a world of divine bliss and abundance.

It’s reversal is powerful and must be properly grasped to attain the full potency of this principle. Our material world is not crude debris, nor unholy matter. No, it too carries the same vibrational nature of our higher thoughts. The latter half of this principle relates to the science of invocation. Physical correspondences from our material plan can be invoked to align us with our desired mental outcomes, a bedrock skill for all practical magic.

III. The principle of vibration.

"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates." —The Kybalion

This revelation further expounds upon our previous explorations but it contains a significance that is important to isolate. Our perceptual reality is not static. All sounds, colors, emotions, and ideas carry distinct vibratory patterns that generate what we perceive as the greater world. This insight also alludes to the dynamic, changeable nature of our world. By dismissing the illusion of an inert, static reality we can begin to activate our personal will and begin to incite radical change at a moments notice.

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.