As above, so below is a Hermetic saying that the same pattern repeats at every scale of existence, so the sky, your body, your mind and your everyday life mirror one another. It traces back to the Emerald Tablet, a short text attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, and it became the principle of correspondence in The Kybalion in 1908. In practice it invites you to read your inner world and your outer world as two views of one thing.
Key Takeaways
- Meaning: the same patterns repeat from the cosmos down to your daily life, so one level can teach you about another.
- Origin: a short form of a line in the Emerald Tablet, credited to Hermes Trismegistus, with early versions in early medieval Arabic texts.
- The Kybalion: the 1908 book made it the principle of correspondence, one of seven Hermetic principles.
- Evidence: self-similar patterns in nature are real; a meaningful link between levels is a philosophical claim, not a proven law.
- Use it: treat your outer life as feedback, make small inner changes, and let nature’s cycles guide your pace.
What Does “As Above, So Below” Mean?
The phrase says that there is a correspondence between the high and the low, the large and the small, the unseen and the seen. What is true of the heavens has a counterpart in the earth. What is true in your inner life has a counterpart in your outer life. Understand one, and you gain a way to understand the other.
Think of how a single pattern can show up everywhere. A river delta, the branches of a tree and the airways in your lungs all split and split again in a similar way. The Hermetic thinkers took that kind of echo and made it a principle: nature repeats its designs, so the part can teach you about the whole.
| Question | Quick answer |
|---|---|
| What does it mean? | The same pattern repeats at every scale; the outer and inner worlds mirror each other |
| Where is it from? | The Emerald Tablet, attributed to Hermes Trismegistus |
| Which book made it famous? | The Kybalion (1908), by “Three Initiates” |
| What is it called in Hermetic teaching? | The principle of correspondence |
| Common variant | “As within, so without” |
| Is it proven? | Patterns across scales are real; a deeper link is philosophy |
Looking for the movie? The 2014 horror movie As Above, So Below borrows the phrase for a story set in the catacombs of Paris. This guide is about the spiritual idea behind the words.
Where “As Above, So Below” Comes From
The saying belongs to Hermeticism, a philosophical and spiritual tradition built on writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure who merges the Greek god Hermes with the Egyptian god Thoth. The tradition took shape in Greek-speaking Egypt in the early centuries of the common era, and its texts are collected in works such as the Corpus Hermeticum.
The famous line sits inside the Emerald Tablet (also called the Tabula Smaragdina), a compact, cryptic text that alchemists treasured. A classic English rendering, associated with Isaac Newton’s translation, reads: “That which is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is like that which is below, to do the miracles of one only thing.” The short form “as above, so below” is a later, memorable summary of that idea.
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| Early centuries CE | Hermetic writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus take shape in Greek-speaking Egypt |
| Early medieval period | The earliest known versions of the Emerald Tablet appear in Arabic texts |
| 12th to 13th centuries | The Tablet reaches Europe in Latin and becomes a core text of alchemy |
| 1463 | Marsilio Ficino translates the Corpus Hermeticum into Latin, sparking Renaissance Hermeticism |
| Late 1600s | Isaac Newton privately translates the Emerald Tablet |
| Mid-1800s | Éliphas Lévi popularizes occult imagery tied to the phrase, including his Baphomet drawing |
| 1908 | The Kybalion presents correspondence as one of seven Hermetic principles |
For a closer look at the tablet itself, see our Emerald Tablet study guide. If you are comparing it with the other famous “tablets” of Hermetic lore, our guide to the Emerald Tablets of Thoth explains how the two texts differ.
The Kybalion and the Principle of Correspondence
The Kybalion appeared in 1908, credited to “Three Initiates.” It is widely attributed to William Walker Atkinson, a Chicago lawyer and New Thought author. It presents seven principles as the heart of Hermetic wisdom, and it gives correspondence its modern wording: as above, so below; as below, so above.
A fair note on history. The Kybalion is a 20th-century book. Scholars of ancient Hermetic texts do not treat it as a genuine Egyptian or Greek source, and it should be read as a New Thought interpretation of Hermetic ideas. Its value for most readers is practical and philosophical, which is exactly how this guide uses it.
The seven Hermetic principles at a glance
| Principle | The idea in plain words | How it connects to “as above, so below” |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mentalism | “The All is Mind.” Reality is mental at its root | If mind runs through everything, the same mind shapes both levels |
| 2. Correspondence | “As above, so below” | The principle itself: patterns link the levels |
| 3. Vibration | “Nothing rests; everything moves” | Every level is movement at a different rate |
| 4. Polarity | Everything has its opposite | Opposites such as high and low are two ends of one thing |
| 5. Rhythm | Everything flows out and in | Tides, seasons and moods follow similar swings |
| 6. Cause and Effect | Every cause has its effect | Inner causes ripple outward through your life |
| 7. Gender | Masculine and feminine principles exist in all things | The same two energies appear at every scale |
How correspondence works with the other six principles
- With Mentalism: if mind is the common thread, then a shift in the mind at the small scale is the lever you actually hold.
- With Vibration: each level moves at its own pace, so a slow outer change often follows a faster inner one.
- With Polarity: high and low are poles of one line, which is why the saying holds both directions at once.
- With Rhythm: the same ebb and flow shows up in tides, seasons and moods, so you can plan around it.
- With Cause and Effect: your inner causes show up as outer effects, and noticing the effect points you back to the cause.
- With Gender: the pairing of active and receptive energies appears at each scale, from nature to personality.
See the principle brought to life
Our team reviewed The Kybalion: Ancient Wisdom, a series on Next Level Soul TV that walks through the seven principles one at a time and hands each to a practitioner. In the correspondence episode, an alchemy researcher explains that the basic theory of creation is the same throughout the universe, and that alchemy tries to replicate it on a very small scale. He describes a talisman as a made object that works as a focal point for intent. Read the full review of The Kybalion series or find it on Next Level Soul TV.
Now on Next Level Soul TV
The Kybalion: Ancient Wisdom
See the seven Hermetic principles brought to life. This Next Level Soul TV series takes them one at a time, then hands each to a practitioner who works with it: a medium, an alchemist, a hypnotherapist, a tarot reader and more. As above, so below is the second principle, correspondence, and it is the heart of this guide. Watch the trailer below.
Microcosm and Macrocosm: The Human as a Small Universe
Behind the saying is an old idea called the microcosm and macrocosm. The human being is a small universe (the microcosm), and the cosmos is a large human being (the macrocosm). If that is true, then studying the heavens tells you about yourself, and studying yourself tells you about the heavens. Many traditions used this logic.
| Tradition or practice | How it uses “as above, so below” |
|---|---|
| Astrology | Planetary cycles are read as mirrors of personal and collective cycles. See our guide to astrology |
| Alchemy | Changing metal in the lab is paired with changing the self; inner and outer work go together |
| The four elements | Earth, air, fire and water describe both nature and temperament. See The Four Elements of Nature |
| Sacred geometry | Repeating shapes and ratios link natural forms at many scales. See Sacred Geometry and the Flower of Life |
| Chakras | Energy centers in the body are matched with cosmic colors and tones. See Chakra Colors and Meanings |
| Sacred architecture | Temples and pyramids are often described as models of the cosmos. See the Great Pyramid of Giza |
Other traditions voice a similar thought in their own words. The Lord’s Prayer asks for the divine will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). A Sanskrit saying often rendered as “as in the body, so in the cosmos” appears in Indian yoga and Vedic writing. Kabbalah describes parallel higher and lower worlds. These are different systems with different meanings, and it helps to let each speak for itself rather than forcing them into one box.
Is “As Above, So Below” Scientific?
It helps to separate what we can observe from what the tradition claims.
| What science supports | What remains philosophy |
|---|---|
| Self-similar patterns repeat across scales in branching rivers, trees, lungs and coastlines (the study of fractals) | That patterns at one level cause or reveal events at another |
| The same physical laws govern small and large systems | That planetary positions mirror personal events |
| Habits and attitudes shape behavior, and behavior shapes outcomes | That thought alone reshapes outer reality |
One popular picture, the atom as a tiny solar system, is an old model that physics has since replaced, so it is best left out of any serious argument for the principle. A grounded way to hold correspondence is as a lens. It trains you to look for patterns and to ask what a situation is showing you. Whether the lens reveals something metaphysical is for you to test in your own life.
“As Within, So Without”: The Inner Version
Many modern teachers pair the saying with “as within, so without,” which turns the cosmic map into a personal one. The movement runs in two directions, and both are worth knowing.
| Direction | What it means | A grounded example |
|---|---|---|
| Outer to inner | Your surroundings and repeating events give you information about your inner state | A home that stays cluttered when you are overwhelmed |
| Inner to outer | Your attention, mood and beliefs shape what you notice, choose and how others respond | Expecting rejection makes you guarded, and guardedness changes how people meet you |
The mechanism here is ordinary and powerful. Attention is selective, so what you expect shapes what you notice, and what you notice shapes what you do. That is a practical form of correspondence you can test without any leap of faith. It also comes with a warning. Treating every event as a mirror can become a way to dodge real problems, which is a pattern we cover in our guide to spiritual bypassing.
The Symbols: Hexagram, Hand Gesture and the Magician
Because the idea is about two levels meeting, its symbols tend to join an upward and a downward shape.
- The six-pointed star (hexagram): an upward triangle for fire and ascent set over a downward triangle for water and descent. Together they show the two directions joined.
- The hand gesture: one hand raised and one lowered. It appears on the Magician card of the Rider-Waite tarot and in Éliphas Lévi’s 1856 Baphomet drawing, where it points to balance between opposites.
- The Magician card: a figure with one hand lifted toward the sky and one pointing to the ground, standing as a channel between the two.
Some people link these symbols to dark meanings because of how the Baphomet name was used in history and pop culture. The phrase itself comes from Hermetic philosophy and is about balance and correspondence. For more on how to read symbols with care, see our guide to spiritual symbols and their meanings.
How to Use “As Above, So Below” in Daily Life
The principle becomes useful when you turn it into a small practice. Here are six ways, each with the mechanism behind it.
| Practice | What to do | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Read the mirror | Notice a pattern that keeps repeating in your relationships or work and ask what part of it is yours to change | Repeated outer events often point to repeated inner habits |
| 2. Change one small thing | Fix one corner of your space or one habit, then watch the effect | A small shift in the pattern can ripple into larger ones |
| 3. Follow natural cycles | Match your effort to the season, the week or the moon rather than pushing flat out | Rhythm is built into everything, including your energy |
| 4. Set an intention with an object | Choose a simple object as a focal point for one clear intention, as the alchemist in the Kybalion series describes | A physical anchor makes an inner commitment easier to return to |
| 5. Meditate on the whole | Sit with a guided meditation and feel yourself as part of a larger pattern. Browse our meditations | Calm attention lets you see patterns you miss when busy |
| 6. Observe nature | Take a ten-minute walk and look for patterns that repeat: branching, spirals, waves | It trains your eye to see structure at many scales |
Three everyday examples
- The overwhelmed week: your calendar is packed and your mind feels the same. Clear one hour on the calendar and notice whether your thinking clears too.
- The repeating conflict: you keep meeting the same kind of boss. Ask what you do first in those meetings, then change that one move.
- The winter slump: your energy drops with the dark months. Instead of fighting the dip, schedule lighter work and more rest, as the season itself does.
A ten-minute “above and below” practice
- Look at the sky or a plant for two minutes and name one pattern you see.
- Close your eyes and ask where that same pattern shows up in your body or your week.
- Write one sentence about what it suggests.
- Choose one small action that fits the pattern, and do it today.
A grounded caution. Correspondence does not mean every hardship is your fault, and it is not a substitute for medical, legal or mental health care. Use it to gain insight and agency, not self-blame.
Common Misreadings
| Misreading | A clearer view |
|---|---|
| “It proves astrology predicts my life” | It is a philosophical lens, not evidence for predictions |
| “Change your thoughts and the world rearranges” | Inner change influences how you act, and your actions shape outcomes. See Manifestation vs Law of Attraction |
| “The Kybalion is ancient Egyptian wisdom” | It is a 1908 book interpreting Hermetic ideas |
| “It is a dark or satanic phrase” | It is Hermetic philosophy about balance and correspondence |
| “Everything outside me is only a mirror of me” | Some of it is, and some of it is simply the world. Discernment matters |
Go Deeper on Next Level Soul
- The Kybalion: Ancient Wisdom: our review of the seven-principle series on Next Level Soul TV.
- Best Hermetic, Esoteric and Mystery School Audiobooks: listen to the classics behind this tradition.
- Mystery Schools of the Ancients Audio Course: a guided listen on the traditions that shaped Hermetic thought.
- Neville Goddard Manifestation: a related teacher on the power of the inner state.
- Best Spiritual Books: 20 essential reads, with where to listen.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Connecting to Your Higher Self
The Hermetic path says the answers are mirrored inside you. Reconnect with your higher self and awaken the clarity and guidance that have always lived within you. Genevieve Taeger teaches it in Connecting to Your Higher Self, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “as above, so below” mean?
It means the same patterns repeat at every scale of reality, so what happens in the heavens, in nature, in your body and in your mind mirror one another. In Hermetic philosophy it is the principle of correspondence, a way of reading the large through the small and the small through the large.
Where does “as above, so below” come from?
The saying is a short form of a line in the Emerald Tablet, a brief text traditionally attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. The earliest known versions survive in early medieval Arabic texts. The popular wording became widespread through Hermetic and occult writers, and especially through The Kybalion in 1908.
Who said “as above, so below”?
No single person is known to have said it. The idea is credited to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus, a figure who blends the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. The exact phrase was shaped over centuries by translators, alchemists and later writers.
What is the full quote of “as above, so below”?
One classic English rendering of the Emerald Tablet reads: “That which is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is like that which is below, to do the miracles of one only thing.” Modern versions often add “as within, so without.”
What is the Hermetic principle of correspondence?
It is the second of the seven Hermetic principles in The Kybalion. It teaches that there is a harmony between the laws and levels of existence, so understanding one level can shed light on another. It is a philosophical idea, not a measured physical law.
Is “as above, so below” in the Bible?
The exact phrase is not in the Bible. A similar theme appears in the Lord’s Prayer, “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and readers often compare the two. The comparison is thematic, since the phrase itself comes from the Hermetic tradition.
Is “as above, so below” the same as the law of attraction?
No. Correspondence says patterns mirror across scales and levels. The law of attraction claims that thoughts draw matching circumstances to you. They can be used together in a personal practice, but they are separate ideas with different histories.
Is “as above, so below” satanic?
No. The phrase predates modern Satanism by well over a thousand years and comes from Hermetic philosophy. It appears in occult art, such as Éliphas Lévi’s 1856 Baphomet drawing, which used it to illustrate balance between opposites. How a person uses the symbol is a separate question from where it came from.
What does the “as above, so below” hand gesture mean?
One hand points up and the other points down to show the link between higher and lower, or heaven and earth. The pose appears in the Magician card of the Rider-Waite tarot and in Lévi’s Baphomet image. In spiritual practice it simply represents channeling and balancing the two.
Is “as above, so below” scientifically proven?
Not as a law. Nature does show self-similar patterns across scales, such as branching in trees, rivers and lungs, and those are well documented. Hermeticism goes further and claims a meaningful link between levels, which is a philosophical claim that science has not tested.
How can I use “as above, so below” in daily life?
Treat your outer life as feedback about your inner state, and treat small inner changes as real influence on your outer life. Practical ways include journaling about repeating patterns, changing one small habit, setting an intention with a simple object, and spending time observing nature’s cycles.
Is the movie “As Above, So Below” about this principle?
The 2014 horror movie borrows the phrase for a story set in the catacombs of Paris, where the descent mirrors a descent into the self. This guide covers the spiritual principle behind the phrase, not the movie.
Sources and Further Reading
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