Integrating The Kybalion, Part 2: Reflections
"That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like that to which is above, to accomplish the miracles of one thing." (Steele, Singer, and Trismegistus, 1928, 486) Let the power of these divinely poetic, sacred words sink in. Reflect on what was ascertained in our previous discussion of the laws of assumption and mentalism. Recall what Joseph Murphy wrote, "Whatever you claim mentally and feel as true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring forth into your experience."
The Paris Catacombs | Photo Curtesy of Shutterstock
Perdita Weeks' character shares in the movie As Above So Below,-
"That phrase is believed to be the key to all magic. It means that what is within me is outside of me. As it is on earth, so it is in heaven. As I am, so are my cells, so are my atoms, so is God. Basically, as I believe the world to be, so it is."
I found this film before my spiritual journey. There was something to this phrase that just stuck in my mind, like an everlasting whisper that had always been with me. Memories of the movie's trailer from when it first came out remained from childhood television. Echoes of the bellowing depths of the Paris catacombs circled my mind in imagery and sound as I stared at the cover in Vintage Stock. Bought it, watched it, loved it ever since. A couple of years later, I would understand the true synchronicity of this purchase as I began to read The Kybalion and slowly but surely got into The Hermetica.
In the last essay, we covered my journey beginning to integrate The Kybalion's first law, the Law of Mentalism, through the lens of the new thought movement. Now, we move into the Law of Correspondence. Connecting the universe outside of us to ourselves, Atkinson wrote the following on the three planes of correspondence in The Kybalion,
"I. The Great Physical Plane
II. The Great Mental Plane
III. The Great Spiritual Plane
These Divisions are more or less artificial and arbitrary, for the truth is that all of ` the three divisions are but ascending degrees of the great scale of Life."
While this breakdown may be "more or less artificial and arbitrary," "it still holds vital keys to understanding. Continuing, Atkinson concludes this chapter by stating
"According to the Principle of Correspondence, which embodies the
truth: 'As Above so Below; as Below so Above,' all of the Seven
Hermetic Principles are in full operation on all of the many planes,
Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. The principle of Mental Substance of
course applies to all the planes, for all are held in the Mind of THE ALL.
The Principle of Correspondence manifests in all, for there is
correspondence, harmony, and agreement between the several
planes."
It is one thing to read all of this and understand that there is divine co-creation energy in everything that has ever and will ever exist. The laptop I'm typing on, the wooden desk it's sitting on, the smart device you're reading this on, you, me, our seating, this room, everything. It's another level of cognizance to even begin to discern the true depths of that statement and how it connects everything. The profound and sacred correspondence between you and the universe around you.
Sunlight glaring through a forrest of trees | Image curtesy of iStock
The further I have come to observe and recognize the connection rooted in my subconscious, flowing through the tall, thick, curving, wooden trunk of my egoic consciousness, to the branches of external reality- the swifter the universal macrocosm and microcosm have responded. My mind's eye and that in which it beholds began to be reflected externally in such an abrupt, straightforward manner.
It started with things that would immediately catch my attention. A beautifully colored green and black salamander on my porch door, making itself known as I take my dog out after performing a tarot reading for myself. This scenario, and ones of an eerily similar fashion, would repeat itself over time. Three giant snake-like earthworms inching across my patio. Fuzzy, blue, gray, and green jumping spiders on each outside door knob everywhere I went for a week. A huge white owl on the hunt late at night, catching its prey mid-road, staring right at me as I bring my car to a halt driving home from stargazing. All specific, personal, divinatory, spiritual synchronicities. Appearing only when mattering most, when I was ready to receive the message they brought. Each carried a different personal message, with the same root- see how reality reflects the mind? See how reality can bend and change, rapidly, purely from the subconscious? There was a power in that which both thrilled and scared me. Seeing such a concept not only occur but grow right before my eyes so quickly, so consistently.
Last fall, deep into personal shadow work guided by hermeticism, I noticed how my reality was reflected through all life, not just the spiritual synchronicities the universe made clear to me. As I grew through my mental and physical healing journey, the way the world interacted with me changed. How I had started to comfort and respect myself internally began to be reflected in me; I was allowed to take up space and time without worrying about the unfamiliar. Social anxiety gradually took a step back as understanding and care took a stride forward. This change was especially noticeable if I had to go inside a store for medications or otherwise. The waters of my subconscious had calmed, flowing through me to reality outside of me. There wouldn't be any traffic on the road; store aisles would be unbusy, everyone out would act spatially aware, and even a fortuitous connection would present itself. Stuff such as unique specific compliments that were spiritual, intellectual, or emotional rather than physical. Or strangers not shying away from the harsh realities of what they were experiencing that day as I made small talk. Quick trips that were once anxiety-inducing began to be, well, not so bad after all. Get in, get some different air, get out, jam in my car, and get home.
Writing “Sigh” in a diary | Gif courtesy of Giphy
Then, my dating life got more interesting. Situationship after situationship, upon meeting, it was as if I had, and I mean literally, created them myself. Attractive, intelligent, fun, communicative, caring, mutual interests, the works. Conversations and interactions that reflected personal fantasies to the detail played out like I was in a movie. We'd start seeing each other and getting to know each other. Only to then hit a misalignment in emotional space, by the fault of all parties involved. Uniquely co-partnered dances of anxieties, triggers, honesty, accountability, and whether the other would accept the inviting hand of growth being presented. Each connection ending, in essence, the same way. I knew there were still subconscious roots at play from within me.
My parents split my sophomore year of college during Thanksgiving break. It was no surprise; I always knew it would happen. However since, like clockwork, a chronic illness flare-up has occurred yearly every winter. This past season was no different; it was maybe the worst of the last ten years. My place wasn't handling the cool weather too well either, with power surges bringing life to a halt at the worst times possible. As I reflected on life's ups and downs over the last couple of months, I turned to the wisdom of what I had grown to learn.
Reminded of Neville Goddard's popular conceptual teaching, Everyone is You Pushed Out, I read and listened to his November 1959 lecture titled The Law. Jumping right into it, Neville shares that "the whole vast world is no more than man's imagining pushed out…everything is responding to an activity in man, which is Imagination." Defined as a "creation of the mind," the meaning of imagination contains within it the key to understanding the hermetic law of correspondence (Merriam-Webster). If, per the law of mentalism, everything is part of and exists in the living mind of The All (Atkinson)- the mind within us is innately connected to the living mind around us. The nature of all planes of life, explained above by Atkinson as physical, mental, and spiritual, can be found in all of existence to varying degrees.
Contruction cones directing traffic | Photo courtesy of iStock
Thinking back to the recent dive into the waters of my subconscious, the depths of my mind, I once again pondered the status of my inner roadways. Realizing the degree of construction still afoot, the confusing and concerning reflections from all those situationships was now evident. As my mental roadways are cleaned up of previous crashes (Astraluna, 2024), cars containing manifestations and desires from my imagination are bound to make it to their destination quicker. However, once stuck in a seemingly never-ending traffic jam, these drivers could still be operating from an unhealthy emotional space to make it where they're going. I decided to take a break from dating and prayed for clarity concerning my physical health to better care for myself. (The word "prayed" here, and all versions of the word pray used hereafter, are used in a spiritual, non-denominational, non-religious sense.)
Not even a week later, I got my answer. Twelve years in with three chronic illnesses, I met with a new physical therapist. She went through the problem areas I told her about- knees, back, and hips. When we got to my hips, she showed me how tight and uneven they were. She said she wanted to guide me through dropping my pelvic floor, if I was ok with that, of course. Remembering my years of competitive dance before the onset of my disabilities, as well as the years of yoga since, I thought nothing of it and told her to go on. The next thing I knew, I felt my whole body shift like never before. While I had read articles and journals on how the hips and kidneys are biologically linked to fight-or-flight trauma, I hadn't realized how much trauma had stored in itself this area of my body [(Ishler, 2021), (Laue and Cutler, 1997)]. It really is true, the body remembers (Rothschild, 2017). As the appointment came to a close, she went over how to stand and walk while supporting myself properly. Slowly, I walked to my car, feeling my circulatory system to a whole new degree. The entire drive home, and since, all that's run through my mind has been pure astonishment at the dualistic, simple, yet complex nature of this personal biological breakthrough.
"Ask, and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you" (Luke 11:9). What shocked me more than the biology of the breakthrough itself was how swift my prayer for clarity was answered. Despite desperately craving its ease, I hadn't anticipated such a clear path forward. "'Will comes to be from deliberation, Asclepius, and the very act of willing comes from will'" (Copenhaver and Trismegistus 1992, 83). Between past trauma and chronic illnesses, I had grown to deliberate proper comfort breathing its warmth into my life increasingly. Placing this capacity outside of myself met me with the same lack of energy. Only when taking back and owning the power of personal solace was I able to get the relief I had longed for. The openness and belief that grew within reflected back to me. "'Such, then, are the original things, the primeval things, the sources or beginnings of all, as it were, for all are in them or through them or from them…as the sun lights up the world, so the human mind shines with the light of consciousness,'" (Copenhaver and Trismegistus 1992, 77).
Mary Poppins “you find the fun and snap the job’s a game” | Gif courtesy of stydixa on Tumblr
As my root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras navigate an unblocked space, the once lazy river of my subconscious is excitedly picking up speed (Astraluna 2024). Curves and bends that had me gripping the raft for dear life become not just tolerable but interestingly pleasing, begetting gifts of knowledge. The integration of wisdom acts like the spoonful of sugar ever so sweetly sung about by the absolute treasure Julie Andrews. Riding the thrilling wave of mental expansion, I surrender to the journey, ready for the universe's reflections to meet me along the way.
Sources
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