The 7 Universal Laws, Explained Simply
The 7 universal laws are seven principles from The Kybalion, a 1908 book that presents the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus: mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, and gender. Together they explain why what you think and feel shapes what comes back to you, which is the heart of manifesting.
Key takeaways
The seven laws are mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, and gender.
They come from The Kybalion (1908), which presents the Hermetic teachings of Hermes Trismegistus.
The law of vibration is where the law of attraction lives: you match what you send.
Use them one at a time: start with your thoughts, then your feeling, then let it come.
What are the 7 universal laws?
They are the seven Hermetic principles set out in The Kybalion, published in 1908 under the name "Three Initiates" and presented as the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. Each law is one short idea about how life works, and together they read like a map of manifesting.
Other teachers have their own lists, and some add the law of attraction. This page covers the seven from The Kybalion, in their classic order.
1. The law of mentalism
"The All is Mind; the Universe is Mental." Everything begins as thought. For manifesting, it means your inner world comes first: change the thought and you change the signal you send. A line like "I shape my reality with my thoughts" puts this law into one sentence.
2. The law of correspondence
"As above, so below; as below, so above." What is inside you is mirrored outside you. A messy, anxious inner world tends to show up as a messy, anxious week. Tend the inside, the feeling you wake up with and the story you tell about yourself, and the outside starts to follow.
3. The law of vibration
"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates." Everything is energy in motion, your thoughts and feelings too. This is where the law of attraction lives: you draw in what matches the energy you send. Saying "I am a match for everything I want" and feeling it is using this law. To lift your energy, see simple ways to raise your vibration.
4. The law of polarity
"Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites..." Hot and cold are the same thing at different ends. So are lack and plenty, fear and trust. That means you never have to jump from one to the other. You slide along the line, one better feeling at a time.
5. The law of rhythm
"Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall..." Life moves in waves. A slow week is a tide going out, not a sign that it is not working. Keep your signal steady through the low tide, and if you feel stuck, read why manifestation can feel stuck.
6. The law of cause and effect
"Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause; everything happens according to law..." Nothing comes from nowhere. Your repeated thoughts, words and small actions are causes, and they add up. That is why a line like "Whatever I focus on grows" is worth saying every day.
7. The law of gender
"Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles..." Here it does not mean men and women. It means two kinds of energy in everyone: the energy that acts and the energy that receives. In manifesting, you set the intention and take a step, then you relax and let it come. That second half is letting go without giving up.
How to use the 7 universal laws to manifest, step by step
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Start with the thought (mentalism)
Write down what you want as a short present tense line. The thought is the first cause.
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Feel it until you match it (vibration)
Say the line and feel it as already true for a minute. The feeling is the energy you send.
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Slide from the opposite (polarity)
Notice where you are on the line, lack or plenty, fear or trust, and move one step toward the good end.
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Act, then receive (gender)
Take one small step, then relax and let it come. Don't keep pushing.
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Stay steady through the tides (rhythm)
Keep your line going on slow days too. Tides come back in.
12 affirmations to live the 7 laws
Love & Relationships
“Love feels safe to me.”
“My love life is beautiful.”
“Every day I feel more loved.”
Money & Abundance
“Good money comes in every week.”
“I let money be easy.”
“I receive more than enough.”
Career & Purpose
“My work comes easily to me.”
“I am a success.”
“I am braver every day.”
Health & Wellness
“Rest is good for me.”
“Nothing can disturb my calm.”
“I feel so relaxed.”
The law of attraction and the 7 universal laws
The law of attraction is not one of the seven in The Kybalion, but many teachers see it inside the law of vibration: like energy meets like energy. Other teachers, like Neville Goddard, speak of assumption instead. If you want the difference between attraction and assumption, it is a short read. And to keep your signal steady every day, Amplify sends your desires into the universe, even while you sleep.
Tips for living the 7 universal laws
One law a week
Pick one law and notice it every day for a week. Seven weeks later, you know them by heart.
Start with vibration
If you only use one, use the law of vibration. How you feel is the signal you send.
Use polarity on bad days
Don't jump from dread to joy. Reach for a slightly better feeling, then the next one.
Trust the tide
The law of rhythm says low times pass. Keep going and don't judge the practice by one slow week.
The 7 universal laws: frequently asked questions
Mentalism, correspondence, vibration, polarity, rhythm, cause and effect, and gender. They are the seven Hermetic principles from The Kybalion, and each one describes how energy and thought shape life.
