The Seven Hermetic Principles: The Principle of Rhythm

 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." - The Kybalion

In the previous section, we introduced the concept of a trampoline when discussing the interplay between the mental and emotional state of elation, and its counter-state, depression. For this example, let's imagine the trampoline as a measuring tool and as analogy to explain the Principle of Rhythm. By measuring the impact of depression, one is able to calculate the height of its rebound, of elation.

Depression

late Middle English: from Old French depresser, from late Latin depressare, frequentative of deprimere ‘press down’.

Elation 

 

late Middle English: from Old French elacion, from Latin elat- ‘raised’, from the verb efferre (see elate).

Rhythm's pendulum, however, seldom reaches the extreme end of each pole. Such manifestations of extremes are infrequent, although not impossible*, and are considerably challenging to establish to begin with. Regardless, the pendulum must swing toward one pole and correspondingly fluctuate back towards the other.

[* Author's note: Referring to personal experiences, having lived a life marked by very visible and apparent extremes. But such examples are, thankfully, the exception and not the rule.]

Rhythm is the compensatory movement between positive and negative poles, as previously covered in the section above. Just like our bodies have their own biorhythms to maintain or establish homeostasis, so, too, are all things governed by this Principle of Rhythm. This applies, even, to objects seemingly at rest. The only constant is change. Entropy ensures this.

The universe unfolds in patterns, patterns of action and reaction, of forward and backward movement, of rising and falling. This pattern is omnipresent, from the colossal bodies of celestial giants all the way down to the most minute of creatures. All forms of energy, from the densest to the most subtle, adhere to the swinging of the pendulum—thoughts and emotions included. The Principle of Rhythm is present in the birth and the death of planets, the growth and the decline of nations, and in all of nature's cycles.

The physical universe undergoes entropy and decay, with matter consuming matter and receiving as consumption. We fill ourselves only to be emptied, and we give of ourselves to serve others who then provide us with feedback. Order emerges from chaos, only to be undone again, driven by the swinging pendulum and the cycles of growth. Once generated or born, objects and beings begin to degenerate, and upon ceasing to exist, they are eventually replaced by another form (reincarnation).

Chaos is not just disorder; it's actually a higher order, containing all potential in a neutral state, encompassing all pasts, presents, and future growth cycles.

In the grand scheme of things, events unfold in a manner that are inherently interconnected with that which came before and with that which follows. What might be perceived as two seemingly distinct and isolated occurrences, actually stem from the same underlying rhythm, expressing itself through its contrasting facets.

The Principle of Rhythm and the Law of Compensation aren't always so obvious. Especially when we are in the midst of dealing with one leg of an axis. Take, for example, someone who has just received a devastating diagnosis. It's cancer. They've just been diagnosed with cancer, and the way to treat that cancer is to have their reproductive organs taken out. This also means that they will lose their ability to reproduce. In this example, we will say that, thanks to the cancer, they won't be having any biological children of their own. This might seem pretty darn unfair to a person who has always dreamed of having a large family, and whose ancestral lineage and passing on their genetic legacy is very important to them.

What they don't know, and what they can't possibly know from within the frame they are currently operating, is that something equally as great as it was devastating is taking shape on the leg of that same axis. Something that can only emerge as a result of that loss. Perhaps the individual goes on to give birth to something else, imparting their legacy in an entirely different way. Something that the world has never seen before, which wouldn't exist if the person had devoted all of their time and energy solely to raising a family. Or, perhaps, they'll go on to adopt a child whose quality of life would've suffered under different circumstances.

"I was always pulled back; I was always pulled out and forced to sit with my own revelations. Even when I didn't want to be. Even when I wanted to be a part of a big group, or part of a community, or this or that. Saturn would remove me, isolate me, and make me look deeper. Against my own consent. I didn't want it, but it was enforced. And I know why now." - Shannon Port from Art of the Feminine

Before continuing, it must be stated that this should not serve as some sort of superficial spiritual platitude to invalidate the very real loss that a person has to endure as a consequence of such catastrophic news. Just because we acknowledge that 'everything happens for a reason' does not mean that we should try to bypass grieving when we encounter loss. Suppressing emotions and forcing positivity can backfire if we don't allow our emotions to flow naturally, rising and receding in their own time. At their own pace. Within their own natural rhythm.

Whenever we try to choke down an emotional release, we are putting ourselves into a sympathetic response. This is activating fight or flight, which releases stress hormones. And when we habitually try to stuff down our emotions, especially the negative ones, we are chronically manufacturing the bodies' stress hormones. This will only lead to disease. By feeling whatever needs to felt, as it arises, we are, instead, putting ourselves into a parasympathetic state. Tears release oxytocin and help us to self-regulate, returning to a state of calm and relaxation.

It can, however, serve to remind us that hardship cannot last forever. That we will eventually move through whatever trials we are facing, and we can eventually choose to redirect our focus toward the opposite pole once we've coped with the inevitable emotional fallout that unwelcome news stirs within us. In other words: If you've had double the trouble, you'll eventually get double the fun. But it might require keen observation on our part to recognize the recompense as it begins to unfold in our lives.

Before concluding, there is another example of the Law of Compensation that is worth a quick mention.

A Glance at Baba Vanga and the Law of Compensation

Baba Vanga was a blind Bulgarian mystic, made famous by her uncanny powers of divination and paranormal prowess of psychic forecasting. As a child, she had a proclivity for healing and playing doctor. Although born prematurely, she was not blind initially. But, at around the age of twelve, she was caught in a tornado that had lifted her into the air and had deposited her into a nearby field.

pic.twitter.com/85TyrGqK6E

— HermaJestar (@HermaJestar) October 1, 2023

The debris from the storm caused her to lose her eyesight, rendering her blind. As she approached young adulthood, she contracted pleurisy and nearly died. In place of these losses and hardships, she began to develop gifts. Her curse had become a blessing, even if it wasn't visible at first. She was then able to tap into the Akashic field and extract information. That information translated into healing and soothsaying for the many people she helped.

It's important to recognize that she'd always had that inclination toward helping and healing others. This was an innate ability she'd carried with her long before she lost her eyesight. Maybe, if she'd never lost her external vision, she would have gone on to practice medicine. But, her external vision, once lost, transformed into insight. And with something lost, something gained.

Stay tuned for The Principle of Cause and Effect followed by The Principle of Gender!