The first principle told us that everything is mental. The second principle tells us that everything is connected to everything â that patterns repeat at every level of existence.
"That which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above." These words from the Emerald Tablet are perhaps the most quoted Hermetic statement ever.
đĒ The Universal Mirror
"That which is above is like that which is below, to accomplish the wonders of the One."
â Emerald Tablet of Hermes TrismegistusSumeria: Me and Astrology
The Me â the divine decrees that determine cosmic order â were reflected in the earthly order. What the gods decided above, manifested below. Sumerian astrology was built on this principle: the stars above mirror the fate below.
Egypt: Ma'at
Ma'at â the cosmic order â applied at every level: in the stars, in the kingdom, in the individual. The pharaoh was the mirror of the gods on earth. The temple was a mirror of heaven. The human body was a mirror of the universe.
India: Tat Tvam Asi
"Tat Tvam Asi" â "That art thou." The microcosm (Atman, individual consciousness) is identical to the macrocosm (Brahman, universal consciousness). The small reflects the great. The individual reflects the whole.
Persia: Asha
Asha â cosmic truth and order â manifests at every level of existence. The cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu is reflected in the human struggle between truth and falsehood, light and darkness.
Greece: Harmony of the Spheres
Pythagoras taught that the same mathematical ratios governing music also govern the planets. The Harmony of the Spheres â the same patterns repeat at every level. Plato's World of Ideas is the ultimate correspondence model: the visible world is a reflection of the invisible world of Ideas.
đ Correspondence Across the Traditions
| Tradition | Formulation | Key Concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Sumeria | Me, astrological reflections | Above determines below, stars mirror fate |
| Egypt | Ma'at at all levels | Cosmic order = earthly order = personal order |
| India | Tat Tvam Asi, Atman = Brahman | Microcosm = macrocosm |
| Persia | Asha at all levels | Cosmic struggle = human struggle |
| Greece | Harmony of the Spheres, World of Ideas | Patterns repeat at every level |
| Hermeticism | "As above, so below" | All levels mirror each other |
If everything is connected to everything â above with below, within with without â what does that mean for how you look at your own life?
Correspondence Meditation (5 minutes)
Find three reflections in your life. Three situations where a pattern in the small mirrors the same pattern in the large.
Perhaps your relationship with your body mirrors your relationship with nature. Perhaps your inner dialogue mirrors your outward communication. Perhaps your personal rhythm mirrors the rhythm of the seasons.
This is correspondence in action. What is above, is below. What is within, is without.
Module 7 â The Seven Principles