Philosophy: The 7 Principles of Magic Every Beginner Should Know
[Updated October 2025]
Magic isn’t just the stuff of folklore and fantasy. It’s a way of seeing and shaping the world. For thousands of years, people have turned to herbs for healing, crystals for protection, and the cycles of the moon and seasons for guidance. At its core, magic is practical: it helps us connect with nature, align with our intentions, and create change.
When we step into witchcraft today, we’re drawing from many traditions—folk practices, ceremonial magic, mysticism, and more. One framework that many modern witches find helpful is known as the Seven Principles of Magic. These principles provide a lens for understanding how magic works, revealing that patterns of thought, energy, cycles, and duality interweave the universe. Learning to move with those patterns makes our practice more intentional and effective.
This guide introduces each of the seven principles and how you can apply them in your own witchcraft practice. Think of it as a roadmap: not the only way to understand magic, but one that has become profoundly influential in modern esotericism.
What Are the 7 Principles of Magic?
The seven principles—Mentalism, Correspondence, Vibration, Polarity, Rhythm, Cause and Effect, and Gender—are most often associated with The Kybalion, published in 1908. Although the authors claimed to be drawing from ancient Hermetic teachings, many scholars argue that these are modern interpretations inspired by Hermetic philosophy rather than direct translations from antiquity.
This has sparked ongoing debate. Some practitioners treat the principles as universal truths, while others view them as a blend of New Thought spirituality and early 20th-century occultism. Still, The Kybalion has undeniably shaped modern esotericism, Pagan thought, and contemporary witchcraft.
Why do they matter for witches today? Whether you see them as ancient wisdom or modern metaphor, the principles offer a practical framework. They remind us that magic isn’t random. It follows patterns and laws of energy. And when we work with those patterns, we align ourselves more fully with the flow of the Universe.
Let’s dive into each one.
1. The Principle of Mentalism 🧠
“The Universe is mind; mind is the Universe.”
Everything begins with thought. Mentalism teaches that the universe itself is a great, living mind. That means our thoughts are not separate from the world around us. They are part of it.
In witchcraft, this principle reminds us that intention is crucial. A spell without focus is just going through the motions. But when you infuse your words, actions, and tools with clear thought and energy, you shape reality.
✨ Practical Application:
Clarify your intention in writing before any spell.
Use affirmations or mantras to align your mental energy.
Create sigils—symbols charged with thought—to anchor intention in the material world.
2. The Principle of Correspondence 🌌
“As above, so below; as within, so without.”
Everything is connected. The microcosm (you) reflects the macrocosm (the universe). The outer world mirrors your inner state, and vice versa.
In witchcraft, correspondence is the bridge between the physical and the spiritual. A crystal, herb, color, or symbol isn’t just a material—it resonates with the energy of a larger archetype, ancestor, deity, or spirit guide. Working with correspondences is a way of aligning with that greater force.
✨ Practical Application:
Choose herbs or crystals tied to a deity or archetype (roses for Aphrodite, obsidian for Hecate).
Use color magic in candles or your altar to channel specific qualities (gold for solar deities, black for ancestral protection).
Incorporate offerings or symbols that link your intention with external energies.
3. The Principle of Vibration 🔮
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”
All things vibrate—dense physical matter, subtle spiritual energy, even your own thoughts. The difference lies in their frequency.
Magic works by shifting vibration. Crystals, herbs, colors, and sounds each carry unique frequencies. When you weave them into spellwork, you’re attuning yourself to the vibration that supports your goal.
✨ Practical Application:
Work with crystals: amethyst for calm, citrine for abundance, obsidian for protection.
Raise energy through sound—chanting, drumming, or singing bowls.
Notice how food, people, and places affect your vibration and adjust accordingly.
4. The Principle of Polarity ⚖️
“Everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites.”
Polarity teaches that opposites are two ends of the same spectrum. Light and dark, joy and sorrow, beginnings and endings; all are connected.
For witches, this principle reminds us not to fear so-called “negative” energy. Darkness isn’t evil; it’s part of the cycle. Shadow work helps us embrace these polarities, allowing us to find balance and growth in both.
✨ Practical Application:
Journal about your shadow and light aspects.
Explore upright vs. reversed tarot card meanings.
Study opposing zodiac pairs (Aries–Libra, Taurus–Scorpio, Gemini–Sagittarius, Cancer–Capricorn, Leo–Aquarius, Virgo–Pisces).
5. The Principle of Rhythm 🌙
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides.”
Life is cyclical. We see rhythm in the turning of the seasons, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the growth and decay of life.
In witchcraft, rhythm reminds us that change is inevitable. Just as winter always gives way to spring, so do our difficult times eventually give way to renewal. Magic is most effective when we move with these tides, rather than resisting them.
✨ Practical Application:
Celebrate seasonal cycles through Wheel of the Year rituals.
Track your personal energy rhythms in a journal.
Work in harmony with the moon’s phases for growth, release, and renewal.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect 🔁
“Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause.”
Nothing happens by chance. Every action creates a ripple, and those ripples shape the future. This is not about punishment; it’s about responsibility.
For witches, this principle highlights the importance of conscious action. When you set an intention or cast a spell, you set causes in motion. Be mindful of the energy you send out, because it will return to you in some form.
✨ Practical Application:
Ask yourself before casting: “What ripple do I want to create?”
Keep a spell journal to observe how intentions unfold.
Practice everyday mindfulness—small choices build significant outcomes.
7. The Principle of Gender 🌗
“Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles.”
This principle isn’t about biological sex—it’s about energy. Masculine and feminine are archetypal forces, representing active and passive, projective and receptive aspects. Both exist in all things, and both are necessary for creation.
In witchcraft, we often see this expressed through god/goddess symbolism, sun and moon energy, and the duality within ourselves. Magic flourishes when these forces are balanced.
✨ Practical Application:
Work with elemental pairs: Fire (active) and Water (receptive), Air (active) and Earth (receptive).
Explore your natal chart to see how active (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) and receptive (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) signs show up in your life.
Harness solar energy for external, projective spells and lunar energy for internal, receptive work.
Bringing It All Together
When you practice witchcraft with these seven principles in mind, you’re not just “doing spells”; you’re weaving yourself into the fabric of the universe. Every choice, every thought, every ritual becomes a conscious act of creation.
Magic isn’t about control; it’s about connection. And when you live in harmony with these laws, your whole life becomes the spell. So the next time you light a candle, stir herbs into a tea, or pull a tarot card, remember: you’re participating in a vast, ancient rhythm.
🌟 Free Download: Principles of Magic Journal
Want to take the 7 Principles beyond theory? I’ve created a printable journal + reference sheet to help you explore each principle more deeply.
Inside you’ll find:
A quick-reference guide to all seven principles
Journal prompts to connect with the teachings
Space to reflect on how each principle shows up
Bring the philosophy off the page and into your everyday witchcraft practice.
🌟 Up next in this series: The Principle of Mentalism. Follow the entire Philosophies of Magic collection:
In magic, “gender” points to complementary creative currents (receptive/projective)—not identity. We blend them in ritual to imagine, gestate, act, and sustain results with care.