What is As Above So Below?
“As above, so below” is a popular modern paraphrase of the second verse of the Emerald Tablet, a short Hermetic text which first appeared in an Arabic source from the late eighth or early ninth century. The original reads: “That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.” The verse refers to the structural similarities (or ‘correspondences’) between the macrocosm (the universe as a whole, understood as a great living being) and the microcosm (the human being, understood as a miniature universe).
This principle asserts that patterns, laws, and structures operating at cosmic scales are reflected in smaller systems—including the human body, psyche, and immediate environment. What is as above so below meaning centers on this fundamental interconnection: to understand the universe is to understand oneself, and vice versa. The concept became central to alchemy, astrology, Hermetic philosophy, and later Western occultism.
Origins & Lineage
The oldest version of the Emerald Tablet is found as an appendix in an encyclopaedic treatise on natural philosophy compiled in Arabic in the late eighth or early ninth century, bearing the title Book of the Secret of Creation and the Craft of Nature. The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Tabula Smaragdina, is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, the mythic figure who bridges the wisdom of the Egyptian god Thoth and the Greek god Hermes. Beginning from the first century BCE onwards, Greek texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth, appeared in Greco-Roman Egypt.
The Tablet was originally written in Arabic, before being translated to Latin in the 12th century by Hugo of Santalla. This type of view is found in many philosophical systems world-wide, the most relevant here being ancient Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, where notable proponents included Anaximander (c. 610 – c. 546 BCE), Plato (c. 428 or 424 – c. 348 BCE), the Hippocratic authors (late fifth or early fourth century BCE and onwards), and the Stoics (third century BCE and onwards).
The co-founder of the Theosophical Society, Helena Blavatsky produced exegetical interpretations of the Tablet. She also popularized a paraphrase of the second verse of the vulgate: “as above, so below”. The anonymous author of the Kybalion (1908, ‘Three Initiates’, perhaps William W. Atkinson, 1862–1932) associated the phrase more closely with the philosophical mentalism of the ancient Greek Hermetica.
How It’s Practiced
As above so below is not a technique but a contemplative lens applied across multiple disciplines. In alchemy, practitioners viewed the transformation of base metals into gold as mirroring the inner purification of the soul. Alchemists attempt to take common, coarse, material things and transform them into spiritual, pure, and rarefied things. Allegorically, this was often described as turning lead into gold, but the actual purpose was spiritual transformation.
In astrology, planetary movements “above” were understood to influence human affairs “below.” In meditation and contemplative practice, the principle invites seekers to observe how external conditions reflect internal states. Carl Jung saw the axiom “as above, so below” to mean that the unconscious and the cosmos operate by the same laws. Modern practitioners apply the concept through shadow work, dreamwork, synchronicity observation, and mapping personal experiences onto archetypal or cosmic patterns.
Hermetic study groups and esoteric schools often use the Emerald Tablet as a meditation object, contemplating each verse to unlock insights into consciousness and cosmology. The principle also appears in energy work traditions that map celestial bodies or elements onto chakras and subtle anatomy.
As Above So Below Today
The phrase has permeated popular culture, psychology, and contemporary spirituality far beyond its Hermetic origins. The phrase as above, so below (a paraphrase of its second verse) has become a popular maxim. It has also been taken up by Jungian psychologists, artists, and figures of pop culture, cementing its status as one of the best-known Hermetica.
Seekers encounter the concept in Jungian analysis and depth psychology, where it underpins the study of archetypes and the collective unconscious. It appears in yoga philosophy when teachers describe the correspondence between breath and cosmos, or in mindfulness circles exploring how inner awareness shifts outer perception. Esoteric study groups devoted to the Kybalion, Hermeticism, or Western mystery traditions treat it as a cornerstone teaching. Tarot readers, astrologers, and modern alchemists routinely invoke the principle when interpreting symbolic systems.
Retreat centers and wisdom schools occasionally offer courses on Hermetic philosophy, the Emerald Tablet, or correspondence theory. The phrase also appears in music, film, literature, and visual art as shorthand for mystical interconnection.
Common Misconceptions
As above so below is often reduced to vague cosmic fluff or used to justify magical thinking without rigor. It does not mean “if you think positive thoughts, the universe will reward you”—that conflates correspondence with manifestation ideology. The principle is descriptive (patterns repeat across scales) rather than prescriptive (wishing makes it so).
It is also not pantheism in the sense that “everything is God.” Hermetic thought distinguishes between levels of reality while asserting their structural mirroring. The original Arabic of the verse does not mention that what is above and what is below are “as” or “like” each other, but rather that they are “from” each other. This shifts emphasis from mere analogy to ontological relationship.
Finally, the Emerald Tablet is not ancient Egyptian scripture, despite Renaissance beliefs. Scholars believe the Emerald Tablet was composed between the 6th-8th centuries CE, likely in Arabic-speaking regions, though it may draw on earlier Greek Hermetic sources. It’s not actually ancient Egyptian, though it claims to transmit Egyptian wisdom through the figure of Hermes Trismegistus.
How to Begin
For those curious about as above so below for beginners, start by reading a reliable translation of the Emerald Tablet in full—it is fewer than 15 lines. The translation by Dennis William Hauck or the scholarly work by Florian Ebeling offer historical context. The Kybalion (1908) remains the most accessible introduction to Hermetic principles, though it reflects early 20th-century New Thought more than classical Hermeticism.
For deeper study, explore the Corpus Hermeticum, particularly the Poimandres, translated by Brian Copenhaver or G.R.S. Mead. Carl Jung’s writings on alchemy, especially Psychology and Alchemy, trace how the principle influenced Western thought and depth psychology. Contemporary teachers like Richard Smoley and courses offered through organizations such as the Philosophical Research Society provide grounded introductions to Hermetic study.
Practically, begin observing correspondences in daily life: notice how your inner emotional weather mirrors external conditions, how societal conflicts reflect personal inner divisions, how the structure of a tree resembles a river delta or the branching of lungs. This attentive noticing is the foundation of Hermetic seeing.