The Ancient Origins of The Law of Attraction

I often find myself talking to others about the power of the Law of Attraction-- the principle of 'like energies can only attract like energies'. In fact, I briefly went over this in my last article, when talking about how important it is to be aware of your thoughts and emotions. However, the Law of Attraction is just one law in a set of laws that govern the Universe. These set of laws go by many names today, including, but not limited to: The 12 Immutable Universal laws, The Spiritual Laws and The Universal Laws of Nature. The Laws may not be called the same thing and some may have more individually specific laws inside them, but they all are very similar.

The first and most important principle is: physical reality is a projection from an interconnected consciousness, which has infinite potential. To put it a different way, physical reality is energy vibrating at different frequencies that our minds perceive as matter. This energetic field, if you will, comes from pure consciousness-- which all religions would refer to as God. The other laws expand on this stating that everything is energy; your thoughts, emotions and even actions are energy that affect other energy. Therefore, what you decide to focus on will attract other energies that are vibrating at the same frequency. This is a very watered down version of this, but I will expand on it in a future article. For the time being, that should give some insight on these laws for those that are unfamiliar.

Many years ago, when I started talking about this with people, I was often told that it was just "New Age mumbo jumbo". This statement always made me laugh because this is a truly ancient teaching. Although the principles are not called their original name, they still date back to Ancient Egypt-- Hardly making them a "new" concept...

The great sage and mystic Hermes Trismegistus, listed the Spiritual Laws that govern the Universe in The Seven Hermetic Principles (later transcribed in The Emerald Tablet Of Hermesand in The Kybalion). These principles are as follows (these are Hermes interpitation of the laws according to the authors of The Kybalion):

1. The Principle of Mentalism: "THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental" when Hermes said "The ALL", he meant the force that manifests the physical Universe (what we would call God today). If this doesn't sound like the first principle of the newer Universal Laws, it should because they are one in the same.
2. The Principle of Correspondence: "As above, so below; as below, so above." Hermes believed there were multiple planes/realms of the material, mental, and spiritual universe; and that there is always a Correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being. Meaning the laws that govern the higher spiritual realm, also govern the lower material realms. This Law is called the same thing in the new 12 Immutable Universal Laws.
3. The Principle of Vibration: "Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates." This states everything that makes up the Universe, from Matter, Energy, Mind and Spirit, is manifested through different levels of vibration. This is one of the Laws that has continuously been proven with modern sciences like Quantum Physics, which I will focus more on in the near future.
4. The Principle of Polarity: "Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes met; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled." This is the yin and yang of the eastern religions. Everything in the Universe, including thought, has its polar opposite. This principle is not only found in the eastern philosophies/religions but is being proven true with Quantum Physics, as well.
5. The Principle of Rhythm: "Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." This incorporates the principles of Vibration, Polarity and even the not yet mentioned 'Cause and Effect', to show there is a rhythm in everything in the Universe and everything goes through cycles.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect: "Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law." If you want to track were the Law of Attraction originated, you found it. It states that nothing ever happens by chance. If something happens to you, you manifested it. If something happens to us as a whole, we manifested it.
   7)The Principle of Gender: "Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes." This principle states that gender (masculine and feminine energies) are manifested in all planes of existence. In the physical plane, it is manifested through the male and female sexes. In the higher planes of existence, this is manifested in different ways, but the principle applies their as well (if it didn't it would break the 2nd principle).

This is a very simplistic look at the most important teaching of Hermes Trismegistus. It didn't take long after I stumbled across The Hermetica in a local family run book store, to realize this man was highly intelligent. He was a very deep thinker that knew things about the universe that science is only just beginning to be able to study today. Through my research on the subject, I strongly believe that there have been advanced or higher spiritual beings that were put on this planet throughout history to teach us. I believe Hermes was one of them and that everyone should take some time to look at his teachings.

Other Places that these Teachings are Found

This is not the only place you find principles found in his work (or The Universal Laws) that make it into the teachings of others from antiquity.

The Buddha said "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become." Not only is this obviously a quote about the Law of attraction, the idea of the mind being everything is the first Hermetic Principle.

Buddhism is not the only modern religion that has quotes that use the Hermetic spiritual principles. They are also found throughout the bible. In Mark 11:24, Jesus says "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." In Mathew 7:7-9 he says (7) "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (9) Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?…" All these biblical quotes spoken by Jesus are about the Law of Attraction and the other Hermetic laws-- with the last sentence clearly stating that God (or the Universe, Creator, Universal Mind, Pure Consciousness or whatever term you want to use) will not give you something different from what you want, when you truly focus on it.

The Law of Attraction was made significantly more popular by the book and documentary The Secret. They claim that the Law of Attraction has been practiced over the centuries by a select few who use it while keeping it hidden from the rest of us. I believe the book is very elementary in regards to the other laws of the universe, which are also important to manifest the things you want in life. I do, however, believe it is a great book for those that are newer to this subject. I also believe they are correct about it being hidden. This is a teaching that was insanely popular in both Greek and Egyptian cultures in antiquity and taught by the likes of Plato.

Yet, the knowledge somehow stopped being passed down except for in Occult orders, amongst Alchemist and Mystics. This is not a coincidence, as I believe Hermes was right when saying nothing happens by chance. Quantum Physics has also been proving a lot of the Hermetic principles to be accurate, yet things like the Laws of Attraction are being propagandized against by both the Main Stream Media and Main Stream Scientific Establishments. I believe this is because, if people knew they are in complete control of their destiny they would not be able to be controlled as easily by the Media and other outside forces.

If you are someone that still thinks this is "New Age mumbo-jumbo" or even unsure about the subject, do a little experiment. Be more conscious of your thoughts, emotions and actions. Every time you find yourself thinking, feeling or acting in a negative/fearful way, force yourself to stop and do the opposite. After a while you will start to see and feel the change in yourself and your environment. At this point you will know Hermes was right-- you create your own destiny; no matter who tries to convince you otherwise.