The Second Hermetic Principle: As Above, So Below - Making Magick Practical Part 2

By Michael Wallick

 Part 2 in the Practical Hermetics Series

The second Hermetic principle, “As Above, So Below,” reminds us that what exists on one level of reality also exists on another. The spiritual reflects the material; the inner reflects the outer; the individual reflects the universal. This ancient idea is echoed in many cultures and faiths, but perhaps nowhere more clearly than in the famous story of the two wolves.

One wolf represents all that is good in the human spirit—joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.The other wolf embodies the darker aspects of the self—anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The Battle Within: Dualism Made Practical

God is often associated with the “good wolf”—the higher mind, the elevated self, the soul acting through love and wisdom. The Devil, in contrast, corresponds to the “bad wolf”—the lower mind, driven by base emotion, selfishness, and illusion.

This is dualism: the eternal interplay of opposing forces. Within each of us lies the potential for both creation and destruction, love and hate, compassion and cruelty.

The Second Principle tells us that what we nurture internally will shape our external world. Feed the good wolf, and your world begins to reflect harmony. Feed the bad wolf, and chaos inevitably follows.

Mind and Body: A Two-Way Mirror

Philosopher René Descartes spoke of this duality in his theory of Cartesian Dualism, which holds that the mind and body are distinct but interconnected. Today, science supports this. Countless studies show that mental and emotional states directly influence physical health.

• When we act with kindness and compassion, we foster well-being—not just emotionally, but physically.

• When we dwell in anger, bitterness, or fear, our immune systems weaken, depression deepens, and illness becomes more likely.

As above (mind), so below (body).

Our thoughts are not isolated. They ripple downward into our bodies, outward into our relationships, and upward into the collective consciousness.

The Cost of Harm: Emotional Consequences and Energetic Residue

There’s a proverb I often recall:

“If you seek revenge, dig two graves—one for your enemy, and one for yourself.”

To wish harm on others, even in thought, is to invite harm upon your own spirit. Hate is hate. Harm is harm. The moment we justify cruelty in one case, we make it easier to justify it again—and again. This is how darkness spreads: not all at once, but by small, subtle permissions.

The more often we act from a place of negativity, the more desensitized we become to its consequences. Over time, it becomes easier to lie, to lash out, to betray. The harm we do to others comes back to us in body, mind, and soul.

Why Amulets and Talismans Exist

This is why, across cultures and throughout history, people have used charms, talismans, and amulets to guard against evil. These objects serve as symbolic and spiritual protections against the infiltration of negative forces—both from within ourselves and from the outside world.

But the real amulet, the truest talisman, is your own inner alignment.

• Act with the higher mind.

• Be conscious of what you feed.

• Understand that what you do, think, and feel reflects and shapes the whole.

Because as above, so below.

My business is using symbols to help people feel better and be more successful using the brain’s ability to do what it naturally does and is backed by Neuroscience. Yes, it is magical the things we can achieve if we just hack our brain’s natural capacities.

http://www.occultamagica.net

I invite anyone to debate with me or make an offer for me to speak to any group.

Below are variations of, The Hamsa, or Hand of Fatima.