Principles of Magic: Cause and Effect
This post is about the fourth of seven principles of magic that were laid out in The Kybalion. You may wish to read the principles of correspondence, mentalism and vibration.
The Kybalion, purportedly based upon ancient Hermeticism, was first published in 1908. The Kybalion itself claims to have influenced all major religions and philosophies, both ancient and modern.
The Principle of Cause and Effect
“every cause has it’s effect; every effect has it’s cause”
The base of this principle is that nothing happens simply by chance, you can find the root cause if you look closely, and this applies to everyone equally. This Principle is about what you put out (cause) and the result (effect) it has.
Every action you take, whether taken consciously or subconsciously, has consequences and will deliver specific reactions in your life. The same goes for inactions. If every choice has a consequence, you must be careful with your decisions and accept responsibility for your actions. Everything happens for a reason.
It’s the old proverb that says, “What you reap is what you sow,” or Sir Isaac Newton’s third Law of Motion, which states that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
We’re faced every day with decisions that need to be made. It doesn’t matter what decision you make, whatever it is, it becomes the cause. The effect is the result of the decision.
So, how can I use this principle in my Craft?
Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center . Title one column, “Effects” and the other column, “Causes”. Look at your life (or scroll down and sign up to download the FREE worksheet). What you’ll find is that your current reality is direct result of every action and inaction that you’ve taken in your life.
List the realities of your life under the effects column. Think about your relationships, your finances, your career and your health. Next, try to find the exact decision that led to the current state of your relationships, finances, career and health. List these in the causes column next to the effect. For example:
How is your health? Are you eating right and exercising?
Do you feel financially stable? Are your spending habits under control? Do you save some money every paycheck?
A re you in an unsatisfactory relationship? Are you showing your love and affection towards your significant other?
Are you happy where you are in your career? Have you learned new skills necessary to progress?
This may seem familiar. Remember the Principle of Correspondence? It’s a fine line but there is a distinction between these two principles. The Principle of Cause and Effect tells us we can pinpoint a choice we made that led to our current reality, while the Principle of Correspondence tells us that our general attitude effects the way the Universe presents itself to us. Do you see the difference? It’s okay if you don’t, it’s not really necessary to completely understand these principles. It would take many years of study to be a master. The important thing is that you are aware of them, how they effect your life and how you can use them to your advantage.
Determine the Cause & Effect Relationships
In the same way you mapped the causes of your current reality, make a two column chart, which identifies the specific results you’d like to see in your life, then identify the specific choices you will need to make in order to get the results that you want. Guess what! I made a FREE worksheet for this exercise too! You can download it by scrolling down and signing up below.
You need to understand yourself and how you work as a human... Good thing you ALREADY understand yourself and how you work as a human!
You need a solid knowledge of your belief systems... Good thing you ALREADY have a solid knowledge of your belief systems!
You’ve unearthed this stuff about yourself ALREADY. Look at your strengths and weaknesses. How can you use them to your advantage? Look at your goals for your life. What choices can you make now that will lead you to your future goals? Look at your values and interest and motivators. How will these effect your choices?
Now do you see why I made you do all that? Good.
Take massive action!
Half of the battle is just taking some sort of action. The thing that is stopping you from reaching your goals is starting. Taking action can be as simple as believing you can be, do and have whatever your heart desires. Fake it ’til you make it. Simply starting this magic course means you’ve already taken action. Keep doing things like that.
Persevere.
It’s going to take some time to see changes. Your current reality is built on a lifetime of actions and choices, so it may take time to see differences. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It won’t take a lifetime to see changes, but it will take some time. Don’t give up, if you don’t see immediate change. Track your goals. Stay focused – eventually you’ll find your life on the path you desire.
Save your work. Use the first list to remind yourself how not to act lest history repeat itself (just imagine if our world leaders had made lists of their choices, would history repeat itself?). Use the second list to remind yourself of the choices you need to make in the future to get your desired outcomes. Add to and edit these worksheets periodically as the outcomes you foresee for yourself will inevitably change over time.
Ready to get started?
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