The Big Idea
The Three Initiates present a rigorous system of Hermetic philosophy centered on the premise that the universe is entirely mental. Writing from a Masonic temple in 1912, the authors claim to decode the secret teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary sage of Egypt and Greece. The work rejects the idea of chance, replacing it with a universe of strict cause and effect, where everything from subatomic particles to human emotions operates on a scale of vibrations and rhythmic swings. By mastering these seven principles, the student is told they can move beyond being a mere pawn of environment to become a master of their own mental circumstances.
Who's named
- Hermes Trismegistus
The Egyptian 'Master of Masters' to whom the work is dedicated.
- Three Initiates
The anonymous trio responsible for translating the philosophy for modern readers.
- The All
The indefinable, infinite living mind that contains all existing things.
- Thomson J. Hudson
A 19th-century writer cited for his theories on objective and subjective minds.
What it's really about
- Mentalism
- The belief that matter is just a lower form of mind.
- Polarity
- The claim that opposites are identical in nature, differing only in degree.
Why it's memorable
- The image of a cosmic pendulum swinging between poles of joy and sorrow.
- The description of the lips of wisdom being closed to all but understanding ears.
What it concludes
If the universe is mental, then the highest human power is the ability to change one's mental state.
For your book club
- Does the dismissal of 'chance' as unrecognized law leave any room for free will?
- How does the Principle of Correspondence — as above, so below — reconcile modern science with ancient mysticism?