"Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites.

Opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree. Extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled."

The Principle of Polarity embodies the truth that all manifested things have "two sides," "two aspects," "two poles," a "pair of opposites," with manifold degrees between the two extremes. All paradoxes are explained by an understanding of this Principle.

Man has always recognized something akin to this Principle and has endeavored to express it by sayings, maxims, and aphorisms: "Everything is and isn't, at the same time"; "all truths are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false"; "there are two sides to everything"; "there is a reverse side to every shield," etc. The Hermetic Teachings attempt to explain that the difference between things that are seemingly diametrically opposed is merely a matter of degree. It teaches that the pairs of opposites may be reconciled and that thesis and anti-thesis are identical in nature, but different in degree. It teaches that the universal reconciliation of opposites is effected by a recognition of this Principle of Polarity. The teachers claim that illustrations of this Principle may be had on every hand, and from an examination into the real nature of anything. They begin by showing that Spirit and Matter are but the two poles of the same thing, the intermediate planes being merely degrees of vibration. They show that THE ALL and The Many are the same, the difference being merely a matter of degree of Mental Manifestation. Thus the LAW and Laws are the two opposite poles of one thing. Likewise, PRINCIPLE and Principles. Infinite Mind and finite minds.

In the Physical Plane they illustrate the Principle by showing that heat and cold are identical in nature with the differences being merely a matter of degrees. The thermometer shows many degrees of temperature. The lowest pole is labeled "cold," and the highest is labeled "heat." Between these two poles are many degrees of "heat" or "cold," call them either and you are equally correct. The higher of two degrees is always "warmer," while the lower is always "colder." There is no absolute standard; all is a matter of degree. There is no place on the thermometer where heat ceases and cold begins. It is all a matter of higher or lower vibrations. The very terms "high" and "low," which we are compelled to use, are but poles of the same thing; the terms are relative. So it is with "East and West." Travel around the world in an eastward direction and you will reach a point which is called west at your starting point. Travel far enough north, and you will find yourself traveling south, or vice versa.

Light and Darkness are poles of the same thing with many degrees between them. So, too is the musical scale. Starting with "C" you move upward until you reach another "C" and so on. The differences between the two ends of the board are the same with many degrees of vibration between the two extremes. The scale of color is another example with higher and lower vibrations being the only difference between high violet and low red. Large and small, noise and quiet, hard and soft, sharp and dull; all measure varying degrees of the same thing. Positive and Negative are two poles of the same thing, with countless degrees between them.

Good and bad are not absolute. We call one end of the scale good and the other bad, or one end Good and the other Evil, according to our own personal definition of the terms. A thing is "less good" than the thing higher in the scale; but that "less good" thing, in turn, is "more good" than the thing next below it - and so on, the "more or less" being regulated by the position on the scale.

And so it is on the Mental Plane. "Love and hate" are generally regarded as being things diametrically opposed to each other - entirely different; irreconcilable. But applying the Principle of Polarity; reveals that there is no such thing as "absolute love" or "absolute Hate." The two are merely terms applied to the two poles of the same emotion. Beginning at any point of the scale is "more love" or "less hate," as we ascend the scale. And "more hate" or "less love" as we descend this being true no matter from what point, high or low, we may start. There are degrees of Love and Hate, and there is a middle point where "Like and Dislike" become so faint that it is difficult to distinguish between them. Courage and Fear come under the same rule. The Pairs of Opposites exist everywhere. Where you find one thing you find its opposite - the two poles. It is Law.

The "Law of Polarity" enables the individual to transmute one mental state into another. Things belonging to different classes cannot be transmuted into each other, but things of the same class may have their polarity changed. Thus Love never becomes East or West or Red or Violet, but it may and often does turn into Hate, and Hate may be transformed into Love by a change in polarity. Courage may be transmuted into fear, and vice-versa. Hard things may be rendered soft. Dull things can become sharp. Hot things can become cold. The transmutation is always between things of the same kind of different degrees. By raising his vibrations, a fearful man can reach the highest degree of fearlessness. The "lazy" may change into active and energetic by polarizing along the lines toward the desired quality.

The student who is familiar with the processes by which the various schools of Mental Science produce changes in the mental states of those following their teachings may not readily understand the principle underlying many of these changes. However, once the Principle of Polarity is once grasped, it is understood that the mental changes com about by a change of polarity. The change is not in the nature of a transmutation of one thing into another thing entirely different, but is a change of degree in the same things, a vastly important difference. It is impossible to change heat into sharpness, loudness, highness, etc. But heat may readily be transmuted into cold simply by lowering the vibrations. In the same way hate and love are mutually transmutable; so are fear and courage. But fear cannot be transformed into love nor courage into hate. The mental states belong to innumerable classes, each class of which has its opposite poles, along which transmutation is possible.

The student will readily recognize that in the mental states, as well as in the phenomena of the Physical Plane, the two poles may be classified as Positive and Negative. Thus love is Positive to hate; courage to fear; activity to non-activity, etc. And it will also be noticed that even to those unfamiliar with the Principle of Vibration that the Positive pole seems to be of a higher degree than the Negative and readily dominates it. The tendency of Nature is in the direction of the dominant activity of the Positive pole.

In addition to the changing of the poles of one's own mental states by the operation of the art of Polarization, the phenomena of Mental Influence in its manifold phases demonstrates that the Principle may be extended  to embrace the phenomena of the influence of one mind over that of another. When it is understood that Mental Induction is possible, that is that mental states maybe produced by "induction" from others, then we can readily see how a certain rate of vibration, or polarization of a certain mental state, may be communicated to another person, and his polarity in that class of mental states thus changed. It is along this principle that the results of many of the "mental treatments" are obtained. For instance, a person is "blue," melancholy and full of fear. A mental scientist bringing his own mind up to the desired vibration by his trained will, and thus obtaining the desired polarization in his own case, then produces a similar mental state in the other by induction, the result being that the vibrations are raised and the person polarizes toward the Positive end of the scale instead toward the Negative, and his fear and other "negative" emotions are transmuted to courage and similar positive mental states. These mental changes are along the line of Polarization and the change is one of degree rather than of kind.

 

Knowledge of the existence of this great Essenic Principle of “Pairs and Opposites” will enable the student to better understand his own mental states and those of other people. He will see that these states are all matters of degree, and seeing thus, he will be able to raise or lower the vibration at will and to change his mental poles. He will become “Master of his mental states” instead of being their servant and slave. And by his knowledge he will be able to aid his fellows intelligently, and by the appropriate methods those he aids will be able to change the polarity when desirable. We advise all students to familiarize themselves with this Principle of Polarity; a deep understanding of “Pairs and Opposites” will reveal the Law at work in all things.

 

Compiled from "The Kybalion"

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