One of the key Hermetic Principles is: As Above So Below. I was thinking about the state of our world and then I remembered this principle, and I began to wonder.

The world has always been a mess. It is a mess that we human beings have created and kept on escalating to even bigger and higher levels of messy. According to the concept of “As Above So Below”, then it also means that this mess just got way more messier!

As always, I use my Tarot Cards to help me make sense of this mess. Let’s explore these thought processes, shall we!

I’ve always wondered about my identity, my purpose, and my path in life. This wondering has led me down many roads during this lifetime.

Initially, I tried running away and escaping from these thoughts by drowning myself in alcohol and getting high on weed. That didn’t work. At All.

Then I tried escaping in the worlds of imagination with stories in books and movies. Sigh. As wonderful as it was, even that didn’t work.

So, I stopped trying to escape from the inevitable clutches of this wondering, and wandered down the paths that would allow me to explore this question, and hopefully, find an answer.

That exploration took me down paths that included (in no particular order) Religion, Spirituality, Past Life Regression, Tarot, Astrology, Palmistry, Mythology, Psychology, Meditation, Creative Visualization, Shadow Work, Journaling, Mantra Chanting, Chakra Cleansing, Reiki, Pranic Healing, Akashic Records, Quantum Something-Or-The-Other — the works.

I learned a bit and a lot about a whole bunch of things. Somehow, messily and interestingly, the dots started to connect in my head. This article is me trying to sort it out on paper, with actual words and stuff. I hope it makes sense to you, and that you resonate with (at least some) of my thoughts.

And since, a lot of my Spiritual Growth inevitably brings me back to my Tarot Cards, I’m going to attempt to use my Tarot Cards combined with my feeble attempts at Storytelling to help with this exploration and explanation. Ready? Here we go!

The Journey of the Soul : As Above So Below

Once upon a time there exists a powerful creative force, a creative energy. The Creative Energy Force. It exists in the vast nothingness of Existence. It is floating about, at peace, and happy as you please. But then, something stirs within this blob of energy. Some sort of awareness starts to tingle. Electrical impulses start to sizzle.

“Who am I?” “What am I?”

This awareness begins to buzz around in that Creative Energy Force and it explodes and shatters into a gazillion tiny bits of itself. All of those little bits are just as powerful as the whole. And each of them is echoing the same thoughts: “Who am I? What am I?”

In order for the Creative Energy Force to understand itself, the process of Creation begins. A Universe starts to form up, within which is a dimension of physical material reality filled with the gazillion tiny bits of the Creative Energy Force in the form of non-living and living beings. Caught in the dimension of material existence, these beings become bound by certain laws of that dimension, such as, cause and effect, and time.

These beings become the vehicles for these tiny bits of the Creative Energy Force. Going forward, let’s just call them Souls for the sake of simplicity. Cause and Effect meant that these Souls get caught up in the cycles of “good” and “bad”, and get born and reborn within various bodies. They learn things, and they do things that keep accumulating their Karma and keep the Soul tied to the material dimension.

Time is a Construct of the Mind

Outside of this material dimension, there is no concept of time. There is no Past, Present, or Future. Everything happens all at once. Within a single moment, as it were — again, I’m using the concept of a moment to explain something that is outside of the purview of time itself.

Time allows for the Souls to make sense of the sequence of events in their journey of learning and doing. It is only via the linear arrangement of the Past, Present, and the Future that we can understand the sequence of events occurring in our lives and histories. This allows us to look at these things in a systematic, orderly, and rational manner.

In effect, via these gazillion Souls, the Creative Energy Force is actually experiencing and learning various things, both good and bad. And it is using these experiences to understand who it is, and what it is — the original questions due to which Creation had actually started.

Back to the Journey

As the Soul learns the lessons, and gathers all the experiences, it adheres to the Karmic Laws of Cause and Effect, so as to help the process and the progress of this journey. These laws give this process a structure that, just like Time, helps the Soul make sense of the experiences and the lessons, and the Journey itself.

Through each Soul, the Creative Energy Force gathers within itself, seemingly endless amounts of experiences and lessons. All of these layer on top of each other in the attempt to answer the fundamental questions about its identity and purpose.

The River Merges with The Ocean

If I had to use a metaphor, I would compare it to the Journey of the Fish swimming in a river. In the beginning the river meanders along its path, slow and steady. The fish swim about happily in it, enjoying their ride. However, as it goes down a sloping bit of land, or inevitably approaches the ocean, the river starts to flow faster. The fish don’t seem to have much control over where they are going and they often don’t have the power to swim against the tide. Those that do, inevitably end up back in the river, or the ocean, sooner or later, taking the long way there via the diversion. Ultimately, all the fish in the river are inexorably pulled into the ocean.

The Souls Merge with Each Other

In quite the same way, the Souls are caught up in the ride, and eventually pulled into the force of the inevitable destination of their journey. They gather experiences and they learn and they keep on going on, till they have experienced and learned enough.

At that time, they merge with each other, and unite back into the Creative Energy Force who now knows its identity and purpose. But, right then, when it merges back into its original form, the need for that identity and purpose disappears, and it is in a state of bliss and peace.

As a side effect of this moment, the material reality which was created just for this purpose, will now cease to exist.

Until, of course, the Creative Energy Force starts to wonder, once again, about its identity and purpose. And the whole process will start all over again.

Most Sources Will Confirm This

Several of the Spiritual and/or Religious sources will confirm that this story is more or less, the gist of the Soul’s Path and Journey.

Bear in mind though, that these Religious and Spiritual Books and Sources were written by us human beings, and therefore are based on our (very human) perceptions and ideas. Therefore, it is no surprise that despite many differences, the core philosophy remains the same!

The Dream of Vishnu : The Dream Within a Dream

Vishnu, in Hindu Mythology, is one of the three forces of Existence. Brahma brings about Creation, Vishnu is all about Preserving and Maintaining, and Shiva is about Destruction. This trio of forces make up the energy base of Existence.

In our myth, Vishnu sleeps on the coils of the Shesh Nag, which floats upon the Anant Sagar. Shesh Nag is depicted as a huge, coiled snake — a beautiful representation of the cyclic (coiled upon itself) nature of Time, which inevitably refreshes itself (when the snake sheds its skin). The Anant Sagar literally translates to the Endless Ocean, which can be equated to the Subconscious.

Laxmi, the Goddess of Material Abundance, the co-creative force that works along with Vishnu, sits by his feet. There, she grounds him to the material reality that they create. Symbolically also, the coming together of the male and female energy is the requirement of beginning any process of creation.

Vishnu, the force of Preserving and Maintaining the Universe, sleeping on the coils of Time itself, now begins to dream. His wife, Laxmi, helps manifest this dream into the material reality. All around them are the waters of the Subconscious, which help this manifestation process by holding and containing the sensory information that emerges during this process.

As Vishnu dreams, a Lotus flower blooms up from his navel. The navel is where the umbilical cord has connected us to our Mother, while we were in her Womb. Don’t you just love this symbolism!

Anyway, when the Lotus flower opens, sitting upon it is a Brahma. When this Brahma opens his eyes, the Universe begins to form. And when this Brahma closes his eyes, the Universe will come to an end. The Lotus flower will then droop, and fall off. After some time, a new Lotus flower will bloom, and sitting in it, will be another Brahma. This process will keep going on endlessly.

Through this myth, we are told about the process of creation of all the worlds that come about in the Universe, and that this process of creation and destruction goes on in an endless loop.

Ultimately though, all of it is but a dream, an illusion, also termed as Maya, and all of Existence is nothing but an emanation of the Divine Creative Forces.

In fact, these deities that cause these forces to unravel (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, etc.,) are also considered to be the emanations of the Divine Creative Force. It is we who have given them names, qualities, forms, so that we may understand them better, and so that we can process the process better.

The Kabbala Tree of Life : Descending and Ascending

Of late, I’ve been studying the connection of the Kabbala Tree of Life and Tarot. So, my knowledge is pretty surface level and through the lens of the Tarot. I hope I don’t goof up here, and if I do, please let me know what and where, so I can rectify. That being said, here’s my take on the story with the Tree of Life.

First off, the Tree of Life is only the diagrammatic depiction of the process of the Creation. An actual “Tree” doesn’t exist in the Universe. This is a diagram that Scholars have used to help understand the Creation process and Creation itself. With that out of the way, let’s look at this journey.

At first, there is nothingness, a void, the Unmanifest — Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur. These are the veils that separate the Universe from the Creative Energy Force from which it has emerged. All this energy forms Keter, a brilliant white light — the first step in the process in which the manifestation begins. This is pure energy.

From here, the energy transforms into the Sephira of Chokmah, the Will to Force, the Primal Masculine urge to start formation. This energy is dynamic and unorganized. It is balanced in the Sephira of Binah, the Primal Feminine energy of Creation. Chokmah is the impetus for Creation and Binah is the Great Womb where this Creation will take shape to be born. It is in Binah where the unorganized force of Chokmah will be organized. The Primal Masculine will merge with the Primal Feminine.

Interestingly, this pattern is repeated throughout the Tree of Life: the Masculine forces being unorganized and uncontrolled, and the Feminine forces being the organizers and controlling energies. These two energies work together to create the balanced Sephirot, which is a reflection of Keter. As one descends down the Tree the energy is more manifest, and as one ascends the Tree, the energy is more unmanifest.

From Binah, the energy moves to Chesed, becoming an unending and endless outpouring of love and loving kindness. The framework of manifestation is built and created here. That energy is controlled and directed in Geburah, where the unnecessary aspects of the creation framework are discarded. This energy then transforms into Tipareth where it becomes the balanced force of harmony, the seat of Christ – Krishna – Buddha Consciousness. It is also here that we find the Higher Consciousness, along with healing and redemption.

From Tipareth, the energy moves to Netzach, where it wants to bring about and manifest creative things. Here is where you find Art and Music, and Feelings and Instincts. This is where the Group Mind of Mankind is formed. All this energy is again balanced out with the organizing capabilities of Hod. Everything is systemized. Feelings are balanced with Intellect. Art is balanced with Science. And the Group Mind is balanced by the Individual Mind. The unexpressable aspects of Art and Music find expression through Logic and Reason. Hod is also where Languages are formed.

All of this energy goes to Yesod, where it finds a balanced expression within the Human Subconscious. Here is the storehouse of the images within our consciousness. Here you will also find the impulses and dreams and psychic energies, just prior to material manifestation. This energy, finally, moves towards Malkuth, the material world in which we reside. The process of manifestation is now complete. The energy of Keter, having transitioned through various stages and undergone the processes of materialization, has now fully manifested into a tangible form.

As the energy of Keter descends into Malkuth, it also starts to ascend back to Keter, going back the way it descended. This process keeps happening continually, and endlessly.

As the Universe is created, it is also destroyed and returned to the energetic form from which it emerged. And then, from that energetic space, it descends into material reality once more. Over and over again, this process continues on.

Back to the Journey Again

As you can see, this journey feels similar to the Journey of the Soul that I had described earlier. Interestingly enough, both of these two big Spiritual and Religious and Knowledge bases that have influenced me have a similar story to tell.

The story may vary, the metaphors may differ, but both these journeys parallel each other. Both essentially detail the process of creation of the Universe from a Creative Energy Force. And once the Universe is created, it is also inevitably destroyed. After that, the creation returns back to the original energetic form. Only to start all over again.

The Journey of the Soul As Told by The Tarot Cards : As Above So Below

Of course, it is possible to depict this journey in the Tarot Cards! Why would any of you doubt that? For me, my Tarot Cards are the visual storytellers! Let me show + tell you the story!

Also, in this storytelling I shall be placing all the cards in their original spots. This means that The Fool goes back to its original spot, after Judgement, and before The World card. (This placement is clearly mentioned in the Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A. E. Waite.) Also, Justice and Strength go back to their original spots, as Major Arcana 8 and 11 respectively. You’ll see why it makes sense in a bit.

Without any further ado, here’s a story that tells you how, through different experiences, a Soul came to realize its purpose and its path and its place in the bigger scheme of things.

The Soul’s Journey to the Truth, In the Material World

The Magician: I was a creative person, a person who took charge of everything. I could make things happen, merely by desiring them! The High Priestess: I wanted to go deeper, to find out more about this ability and this knowledge that I possessed. As I looked at the source of all my knowledge, I found my ego quietened. The Empress: As my ego dissolved, and my internal balance steadied, I had a strong urge to use my creative energies to bring forth material abundance in the world. The Emperor: That material abundance needed a stable and solid world, a structure within which it could settle. The Hierophant: And that stable world needed an even bigger systematic force to guide it and to systemize it with a set of rules. The Lovers: Within that world, I needed a partner to help me with my endeavors of creation. Meeting such a co-creator gave me the energy to go forward in my quest. The Chariot: I set forth on my journey towards discovering my true potential in this material world. Justice: Through trial and error, ups and downs, I found the balance that I was looking for, and was content. The Hermit: All of this brought about a period of deep introspection about the journey I’ve taken so far. What have I learned? What have understood? Something had started to change within me — my understanding of the world had somehow started to shift. The Wheel of Fortune: Looking at the conventional wisdom of the Spiritual texts available to me, it became clear that ultimately I was caught up in a cyclical journey, a karmic journey fueled by the laws of cause and effect. Strength:This opened up a deep well of compassion, giving me the ability to forgive myself and others, and to let go of my ego. The Hanged Man:This changed perspective also allowed me to go deep within and explore my Subconscious, and understand the meaning of the symbols and imagery that dominated my mental framework. Death: Everything that I had held on to — all my ideas, concepts, frameworks — everything slowly started to dissolve. Nothing remained. I began to die to my old self. Temperance: The transition began. As the old self began to dissolve, I began searching for a new version of my self. The Devil: Alas, I found that I was still stuck in the material prison of this world. My physical body and the needs of that body trapped me and tied me to this illusory reality. It was so tempting to drop my hard-won wisdom and to give in to the pleasures on offer. The Tower: However, forces beyond my comprehension stepped in and took over. The flash of lightning burst through this darkened night — and all the structures that held me captive broke apart and crumbled to dust. Although everything was destroyed, I was also freed from the clutches of this dark night. My soul was now free from the prison of the physical body. The Star: The stars shone bright in the sky, guiding me, aligning me to my True North, as it were. I knew I was being guided by unseen Divine forces, and that I had to let go of all that I had held on to and be completely free of all my attachments to the material world. I now had the opportunity of a new start. The Moon: Although I was free of all the trappings of all the frameworks of the material reality, I was still lost and confused. I wondered if everything that I had seen and perceived was real or an illusion. What was this new reality that I had started to see? It was confusing, but the only way out was to face my fears, and to really look at the truth. The Sun: The last little bits of the soul’s trappings of the material world were finally gone, and I was free as a child, ready to take on the adventure once again. But this time, with clarity and a purity of purpose. I was happy to go upon this adventure once again. Judgement: All of my Karmas, my actions were weighed in, and my path forward was now decided and laid out. In this in-between space, bound by the laws of cause and effect, I chose to go forward and learn some more, experience some more. The Fool: Carrying all my experiences and wisdom with me, I decided to jump right in, and chart another journey through this material world. This time it would be with a bit more awareness. The World: Time and time again, this journey has brought me to this spot, where I have gone with the flow of the Universe. Today, I embody the Universe! As I dance to the tune of Universal Music, I become one with the energy of Existence itself! The Magician:As the bliss of this dance sets in, I realize that I am the force of Creation! I can make things happen, merely with my Will.

The Soul’s Journey in the Flow of the Universe

After that exciting journey of the Soul in the Material World, let’s look at another version of the story. Here, we shall see the journey of a Soul, as it goes through different lifetimes, and accumulates lessons and wisdom. Now, each card can be likened to a lifetime and The World card can represent the end of a major Karmic Cycle.

The Magician: I am amazing and powerful and I can transform the energies of the Universe and manifest things into reality with the power of my Will. The High Priestess: As I delve deep into the secrets of the Unconscious, I discover the truths hidden within the stories of the Myths and the words of the Mystical texts. The Empress: As the deep knowledge of the Universe unfolds within me, I realize my true creative potential, and in this manifest world, I am able to bring forth abundance and prosperity. The Emperor: I realize that I must work hard to accomplish a stable and secure journey for myself. After all, the road to realization isn’t easy or simple. The Hierophant: It would be a good idea to systemize the process, don’t you think? So let me make it formal, and set down the rules by which one can attain the best from this journey of experiences in the manifest world. The Lovers: Ah! What an interesting journey it is when I meet someone who is also on the same path as I! It is such a comfort to have someone along with me on this journey! The Chariot: I have found success and satisfaction in this material plane, and this soul journey continues onward. Justice: Good and bad experiences both come at me, and I find a way to balance them out. Ultimately it is all about doing the right thing, and seeing the big picture. The Hermit: What a journey it has been! But now it is time to reflect and regroup. What have I learned so far from this process? What wisdom can I share with others on a similar path? The Wheel of Fortune: Ultimately, it is all about cause and effect, isn’t it? My journey through all these manifest lifetimes follows the rules set in motion a long time ago. I reap what I sow. Strength: As I understand more and more, I am able to harness my compassion and let go of my ego. The Hanged Man: This different approach towards my journey is opening me up to the wisdom of the Subconscious world. Death: All of my old ways of handling my journey are ending. I can feel them detaching from me, leaving me bereft but also lighter. Temperance: I feel the change! I am transforming into something more powerful. And although I now have more of these so-called abilities, my detachment from the ego helps me remain steadfast and serene on my path. The Devil: Oh, but what is this? I am still caught up in the pleasures that the physical realm offers. Why can’t I seem to disconnect from these totally? Why am I still moored in this physical reality? The Tower: Suddenly, I feel the realization shock me! I am stuck here, because I haven’t fully detached from my attachments to this material realm. That shock jolts me out of this space! The material reality has been destroyed. And I am finally set free! The Star: Here, in the space where I can be my most authentic self, pure energy, I let go of all the remaining attachments and am ready for the next stage of my journey. The Moon: Confusions and fears come at me. As ready as I am to move forward, I am afraid of what lies ahead. The unknown scares me. I decide to face my fears and find out what lies ahead. The Sun: My courage is rewarded, and I find myself cleansed as I return to a state of pure innocence. Judgement: Finally, the time has come! I am to return to the Creative Energy Force and find completion! The Fool: Together with all my experiences and knowledge, I jump right in! My job is complete. I finally return to the Creative Energy Force with the knowledge and experience that I had set out to receive. The World: How beautiful is this Union with the Creative Energy Force! I am back together, united again with all the other parts of myself. All of us are not separate any more! We are happy, blissful, joyful in our union. The Magician: As the peace centers within my self, a realization dawns upon me: I am creative and powerful, and have the ability to manifest whatever I desire simply by willing it into Reality.

As Above So Below

This is one of the most interesting and basic principles that was taught via the Tarot Cards. The image of the Magician with one hand pointing upward and the other pointing downward was where I first encountered this principle. Through himself, the Magician was able to transform the creative energies of the Universe into material reality in the form of the flowers on the ground. He knew that ultimately everything was energy even though it changed forms and shapes. So he could transform one form of energy into another.

Later, I also encountered this concept while studying the Kabbala Tree of Life — Keter in Malkuth – the pure unmanifested energy of Keter has manifested in Malkuth in the form of material reality.

This essentially means that what we see in the material world is a manifestation of the Divine, Primordial energies of the unmanifested world.

If Above = Below, then Below = Above.

From one, we can determine the nature of the other.

Our Perception of God : As Above So Below

This can also explain why we believe that the Creative Energy Force is a manifest being, that also looks like us. We call that being (or beings) as God. And while a certain section of the populace (the Abrahamic Religions) believes that this God created us to look like Him, another section of the populace (the Hindu Belief System) believes that we have given human-like forms to the various energetic emanations, and call them Gods.

This is where I connect the Subconscious part from the story of the Dream of Vishnu with the energies of Yesod and subsequently also Tipareth. Yesod is the spot on the Tree of Life that contains the images we see within our consciousness, and our dreams. This is also where the higher consciousness of Tipareth has descended as it moves towards material realization. All the energies we perceive as “Divine” have thus become more real in our perceptions and consciousness in Yesod.

So, while we feel like we can understand the symbolism of the myths and religions in Yesod (or subconscious) we assign those Divine entities a space up above us in Tipareth. However, we forget that both Tipareth and Yesod are reflections of Keter, as it descends into the material world, and finally manifesting in Malkuth.

The very logical (Masculine) approach of the Western world and the very Zen-like (Feminine) approach of the Eastern world ultimately combine to give us an thought and a story -based framework to approach the Soul’s journey in a way that fits in with the belief systems that one follows.

When The World is a Mess : As Above So Below

Coming back full circle to the mess that is our world, I can put together all these ideas and theories and find some sort of a solace, some sort of an explanation. The principle of “As Above So Below” may even offer an explanation as to why this world is such a mess.

The energetic forces of, well, everything — the Universe, Existence, etc., follow the basic journey of Creation, Manifestation, and Destruction, which then leads back to Creation. All of this is an unending and cyclic process.

This process is mirrored in our manifest world as well. Nations, Governments, and all sorts of Systems — all of them are created, manifested, and then destroyed, so that from that destruction, we can seed the new cycle of creation all over again.

As Above So Below. Whatever is above, is also below. Conversely, whatever is below can help us figure out what is above.

In Conclusion

All I can say is this: our entire Existence is set up this way. The world comes into being, the manifest reality is experienced and enjoyed, and then ultimately destroyed. This process continues, unendingly, over and over again.

This energetic flow is similar on the Divine Plane of Existence as well as the Material Plane of Existence because they are, essentially, the same.

That’s how it is all set up.

So if you feel that the World is a mess, well, then that’s how the energies are playing out on the Divine Plane.

As Above So Below.

What Can You and I Do About It?

All we can do is let go of our need to control this process. Instead, when we understand this flow, we should learn from the experience. The more we learn, hopefully, the more compassionate and ego-less we may become. And with that, we will find a way to detach from the process. Alternatively, if detachment is proving to be difficult, then we can just go with the flow and learn as best as we can. Ultimately, the river of Time will carry us to merge with the Ocean of the Creative Energy Force.

And, of course, the process will start all over.

Hopefully, when we meet each other on this journey, we can recognize each other as a fellow Soul, a fellow traveler along the same path, and a part of the same Creative Energy Force. And when we do recognize each other, we treat each other with love and respect and understanding and compassion. Because, we are all similar, and same. We are all parts of the same whole. We are all on the same journey to the same goal. And if we don’t get caught up with the machinations of the material world we live in, then we can find our way back to the state of bliss and joy that we ardently seek through this experience in this reality. Even if it is for a brief moment in Time.