Customer Reviews

The Kybalion (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a teacher of the mysteries I always offer a list of suggested reading for the seekers attending the workshops. The Kybalion is always near if not actually the top of the list but I've never had an ISBN for the book since my copy is a 1908 original. In preparing my workshop on Transmutation and Change I decided to search for one of the more current editions of the book to have a standard book number. However finding the listing on Amazon is not as much a difficulty as finding a newer edition that follows the original publication.

The portions I read in this Tarcher/Penquin Ed edition follow word for word the writings I have in hand. It will be the edition that will be noting on my list of suggested reading.

As Lori in Florida wrote in her review; this is not an easy book to read. I cannot recall the number of times I have read and mediated on individual chapters, finally teaching the material at free workshops in an effort to assimilate the information. Yet, the effort is worth the time. The giant picture which is Truth, devoid of egotistical labels such as religion, politics or science has been fractured and scattered all over the planet. Each of the above mentioned disciplines holds one or more pieces of the puzzle and often believes that their small portion alone, is the key to viewing the entire picture. The Kybalion (1908) connects the pieces and allows one to see the greater picture.

This little treasure is something to savor just like fine red wine. The ancient principles explained are principles that we are born knowing - you can just feel it. It is very comforting to be reminded of just where we came from, just why we are here and (thank God) that we will return. It also offers a sort of "road map" for navigating through the human experience by compelling the reader to come up with a personal set of coping skills. Who doesn't need that for living in this place????

After reading this book, I can say this is very insightful guide to the principles underlying hermetic. Each of the seven principles is presented and discussed in an easy to understand manner. However, to apply these principles to your life is another matter. This book is not about the practice of hermetic, but about the primal philosophy that transcend mysticism and religion. It is an invaluable addition to your library, but only if you are ready for it.

The author(s) of this book, who we know only as Three Initiates, starts out describing the fundamentals of the hermetic history and philosophy. Then it briefly introduces the seven principles of hermetic, setting a framework for further discussion:

I. The Principle of Mentalism
II. The Principle of Correspondence
III. The Principle of Vibration
IV. The Principe of Polarity
V. The Principle of Rhythm
VI. The Principle of Cause and Effect
VII. The Principle of Gender

Prior presenting each principle, Three Initiates builds up the necessary knowledge to understand it better. For example, concepts of "Mental Transmutation" and "The All" are discussed before starting with the Principle of Mentalism. Each principle is explained with some detail, and multiple examples.

Finally, Three Initiates advices us against the pursuing Knowledge without expressing it into Action, which otherwise becomes a vain affair. In the last chapter, it summarizes the previously presented principles and briefly explain how to approach them.

This is a book that belongs to every mystical library, but paradoxically, not the first that a new student of hermetic should approach. For that purpose, I would recommend Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon or The New Hermetics: 21st Century Magick for Illumination and Power by Jason Augustus Newcomb. However, the philosophical content in this book is approachable from any mystical foundation, not just hermetics. As such, buy it because eventually you will find it in your path to mysticism.

This book is recommmended as a background source for modern American occultism. It is in the public domain and the entire text can be downloaded without copyright infringement.

As you read this book, you will see topics taken from Vedanta philosophy here, a bit of philosophy from the Trika School of Kashmirn there, a little from Buddism in some places, and, oh yes, a lot taken from the Emerald Tablet. Bt this is OK. This book is a good introduction to the hermetic philosophy, even though it is not an ancient hermetic text, but instead was likely written about a hundred years ago. It is not a challenging, but indeed a pleasant, read. Recommended.

How do we explain things we do not understand? The Initiates do a great job of making esoteric ideas understandable. I especially liked the explanation of how The All "created" the Universe.

The book is simple and timeless, and you can read the book in a day. But to get the most benefit, it is better to let the mind digest it slowly.

This is an accessible and fascinating little book offering an overview of all the main principles of the Western Mystery tradition. Although the authorship was kept secret for many years, at this point most historians of such things believe it was written by William Walker Atkinson in 1908. Atkinson was a Chicago lawyer who wrote a variety of books on occult topics under various names through his Yogi Publication Society, which was based in the Chicago Masonic building for many years. Readers familiar with Masonic teachings, as well as other Western mystic/occult organizations of the period, will recognize much of this material. For a little more on the history and context of the book, check out Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation by Mitch Horowitz.

Anyway, part of what makes this book so unique is it's straightforward organization and to-the-point presentation. It lays out the main principles of the Western mystic Hermetic tradition, and then discusses them all in detail, including 'Planes of Correspondence', 'Vibration', 'Polarity', 'Rhythm', 'Causation', and 'Gender'. Because it is direct and straighforward, it is both a great introduction to the material, and a great book to turn back to over and over. I think it is helped by the fact that it was written anonymously, so it avoids the self-branding and ego-aggrandizement of so many other books on this material.

I highly recommend adding this to your mystic/occult library, if you are interested in such things.

This book is an outstanding achievement, amazing life changing concepts in a very small book. Read it follow its principles and discover an unveiled inner world.

Books such as this trigger me to be thankful that I proceed in the path that I have been given. My only disapointment is that if people were so spiritually gifted then, what have we been doing for all this time since then. It allows me to realize that I do indeed have a lot of work ahead and many changes to be made so that I too can focus and allow myself to become more in touch with higher learning. Certainly to say in the least, this book is inspirational.

If you want to become a more developed person I would suggest getting this book.