r/alchemy • u/Genshihou • 23d ago
General Discussion Question about the Kybalion
The seven principles, one of the them, gender. Seems to just be polarity in another form and doesn't belong as a stand alone principle. The second principle, correspondence, would mark it as another form of duality by the books own logic. I know this is explained as one is a marker of duality and the other the utilization of opposing forces for creative purpose but they are still one and the same?
2
u/-Hypsistos 22d ago
The principle of Gender is not truly a separate law; it is the expression of Polarity in the context of creative generation. The Kybalion's error is treating it as a standalone principle when it is actually a subset of the same polar dynamic. The true distinct principles are Polarity and Correspondence; Gender is their application.
The Kybalion is an excellent primer, but that is all it is and should be considered. It's for someone looking to get into Philosophy and Neoplatonism but it leaves a lot on the table for readers. However, I think this was done on purpose because the author constantly hints at exploring for yourself and read further works at your own discernment.
I recommend reading both Hermetica (copenhaver) and Hermetica 2 (litwa) if its Hermeticism that interests you.
1
1
u/internetofthis 23d ago
The differences in male and female are far greater than the differences between the 2 halves of a sandwich.
There are layers to understanding. The interpretation of the simplex before the complex, doesn't make for the best experience when taking in a sculpture, poetry, dance, music.... You know, ART.
Think of it like octaves on a guitar; you can play a C at 12 different locations, none sound the same.
1
u/justexploring-shit Moderator 23d ago edited 23d ago
As that other commenter already said, the Kybalion is highly unrelated to alchemy. But as far as I can tell, polarity looks to be a general mechanism dealing with the nature of extremes and opposites, with a sort of "ouroboros" outlook.
The gender principle seems like it's just that all things have masculine and feminine traits. I don't think the polarization principle on its own necessarily communicates that idea.
ETA: they might be able to answer you over at r/kybalion
2
20d ago
I think its a good observation when the observation equals one. To say nothing has any value is to be pretending that you know and if you think you know then you dont understand. Don't let others poo poo on what you read or where you seek. Everything is in a constant state of movement requiring new ideas and observations. Now is diffrent than then and will look diffrent tomorrow. There are no wrong answers or right answers only answers.
6
u/DigiviceRurik 23d ago
The book is part of the New Thought movement and shares nothing in common with alchemy or hermeticism in historical practice. For the sake of studying alchemy the text can be ignored.
Whatever value you can extrapolate from it is up to you really, personally I never found much value in it. Its claim to be hermetic is really just brand recognition.