Esoteric knowledge foundations were laid some 6,000 years ago by Hermes Trismegistus (Greek Hermes Trismegistus – Thrice-Great Hermes) in ancient Egypt. Seven of his basic principles on which his studies are based have reached us.

Thoth "The scrivener of gods", lived in ancient Egypt, and was contemporary to Avraam and as the legend says was his mentor. Some sources claim that Thoth was born in ancient Atlantida thirty-six thousand years ago. Many years after he left that level of life (according to tradition he lived 300 years of flesh and bones) Egyptians divinized him and pronounce him one of their gods called Thoth. Later, people in ancient Greece recognize him as one of their Gods calling him "Hermes - the god of wisdom". Thoth is also identified with the Roman god Mercurius. All of the basic and fundamental conceptions and studies that are in the base of esoteric knowledge of every people can be dated back to Hermes. From the land of Gang many profound occultists headed to the land of Egypt and praised the Master. Hermes is founder of Egypt, of science and enlightment. A king, a legislator and highest priest .The first compositions in astrology, alchemy, occultism a re created by Hermes. They form a specific religious-philosophic movement called Hermetism.

I. The Principle of Mentalism

"All is mind: the World is Mental"

That principle embodies the truth that "All is mind". It means that ALL which is a substantial reality, at the bottom of all outer phenomena and activities that we know by the names "Material World", "Life phenomena", "Matter", "Energy", in other words all that is observable for our material senses is Spirit which in its essence is unknown and indistinguishable but which can be seen and accepted as a universal, infinite, living mind. It also explains that the whole phenomenal world or universe is simply a mental creation of the whole, subordinated to the created things and that the world as a whole and all its parts or particles possess their own living in the mind of ALL in which mind we "live, move and possess our own being".

II. The principle of correspondence

"As above, so below; as below, so above""
The Principle of Correspondence embodies the idea that there is always a correspondence between the laws of phenomena of the various "planes" of being and life. There are levels that are beyond our perception but when we apply The Principle of Correspondence we will be able to understand much of what is imperceptible.

III. The Principle of Vibration

"Nothing rests, and everything moves, vibrates."

That principle embodies the truth that "everything is moving", "everything vibrates", "nothing is at rest" – facts which contemporary science confirms and each scientific breakthrough proves. It explains that discrepancies between the different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind and even Spirit are a result mainly of the different vibration frequencies. From ALL, which is the pure Spirit, down to the roughest form of matter everything vibrates – the more intensive the vibration is, the higher its place in the scale is.  Spirit vibration has such an immense power and frequency that in practice it is at rest – like a high speed wheel that seems to be immovable. On the other end of the scale are the rough matter forms, which have so slow vibrations that they seem to be immovable. Millions of vibrations with different frequencies are situated between these two poles. From the particle and the electron, the atom and the molecule, to the worlds and universes, everything vibrates.  That is true for the energy level and power (that are nothing but different vibration frequencies|), and the mental levels, whose states depend on the vibration.

IV. The Principle of Polarity

"Everything is dual; each thing possesses two poles; everything has its own opposition, what is different and what is equal is one and the same thing; oppositions are the same in nature, however different in degree; oppositions attract each other; all truths are half truths, all paradoxes can  be reconciled."
That principle embodies the truth that "everything has a double nature", "everything has two poles", "everything has its opposition". It explains the old paradoxes that have confused so many people being formulated in the following way: "Thesis and anti thesis are equal in nature, however they differ in degree"; "oppositions are equal in nature, but  differing in degree"; "a couple of oppositions can be reconciled"; "oppositions attract each other", "everything both exists and does not exist in one and the same moment"; "all truths are nothing but half truths"; "every truth is half false" ; "there are two truths about everything existing" and so on and so on… That principle explains that there are two poles in everything or two opposite aspects and that these oppositions are really two utter moments of one and the same thing with a number of intermediate moments between them. For example: heat and cold even though opposite are in fact one and the same thing, as difference between then is expressed only in the different degrees. Look at the thermometer and try to find out where heat ends and cold starts! There isn’t such a thing as absolute heat or absolute cold – the two terms heat and cold simply illustrate different degrees of one and the same thing which expresses itself in heat or cold. That is simply a form of Vibration. So heat and cold are just the two poles of what we call heat – and the phenomena that are connected to it are expressions of the opposition principle.

V. The Principle of Rhythm

"Everything there is manifested a measured motion, a to and fro, a flow and inflow, a swing backward and forward, a pendulum-like movement."

That principle embodies the truth that there is a monotonous movement in everything – to and fro, flow and inflow, a swing forth and back movement, ebb and flow; the highest and lowest point of the wave - between two poles that exist according to the opposition principle, mentioned above. There is always and action and counter action, movement forth and back, ascending and descending. That exists in the phenomena of the World, stars, cosmos, people, animals, mind, energy and matter.  That principle lying in the bottom of worlds creation and demolition, in the upbringing and downturn of people, in the living of all things and finally in human mental states.

VI. The Principle of Cause and Effect

"Every cause has its effect; each effect has its cause; everything happens according to the principle; Accident is nothing but the name of the principle which is not known; there are many levels of cause but nothing slips the principle."

That principle embodies the fact that there is a cause of every effect and effect of every cause. It explains that "everything happens in accordance to the principle", "that nothing never ever happens without reason, that chance does not exist, and although different levels of cause and effect exist the above mentioned predominates over the lower levels and nothing can ever slip from the law.

VII. Principle of Gender

"Gender is everywhere; every thing possesses Masculine and Feminine principle; gender is manifested at all levels."

That principle embodies the truth that gender is manifested in everything – masculine and feminibe principle function uninterruptedly. The principle is displayed as a sex at the physical level, at the higher levels it accepts finer forms, but the principle always remains the same. Everything and every individual contain the two elements in it. Everything with masculine gender possesses feminine features, and vice versa everything with feminine gender possesses masculine features.  

All these examples make us summarise and confirm what has long ago been realised by the human genius, namely that the part is contained the whole and the whole is contained in the part.