VII. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER. The Kybalion

This Principle embodies the truth that there is GENDER manifested in everything–the

Masculine and Feminine Principles ever at work. This is true not only of the Physical Plane,

but of the Mental and even the Spiritual Planes. On the Physical Plane, the Principle

manifests as SEX, on the higher planes it takes higher forms, but the Principle is ever the

same. No creation, physical, mental or spiritual, is possible without this Principle. An

understanding of its laws will throw light on many a subject that has perplexed the minds of

men. The Principle of Gender works ever in the direction of generation, regeneration, and

creation. Everything, and every person, contains the two Elements or Principles, or this great

Principle, within it, him or her. Every Male thing has the Female Element also; every Female

contains also the Male Principle. If you would understand the philosophy of Mental and

Spiritual Creation, Generation, and Re-generation, you must understand and study this

Hermetic Principle. It contains the solution of many mysteries of Life. We caution you that

this Principle has no reference to the many base, pernicious and degrading lustful theories,

teachings and practices, which are taught under fanciful titles, and which are a prostitution of

the great natural principle of Gender. Such base revivals of the ancient infamous forms of

Phallicism tend to ruin mind, body and soul, and the Hermetic Philosophy has ever sounded

the warning note against these degraded teachings which tend toward lust, licentiousness,

and perversion of Nature's principles. if you seek such teachings, you must go elsewhere for

them–Hermeticism contains nothing for you along these lines. To the pure, all things are

pure; to the base, all things are base.