"As Above, So Below" in Alchemy, Christianity, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Islam, Judaism, Jungian Psychology, Kabbalism, the Occult, Quantum Physics, Stoicism, and Thelema

Introduction: The Architecture of Reality

The human intellect, throughout the varied epochs of its development, has persistently sought a unifying theory—a master key that unlocks the relationship between the visible and the invisible, the finite and the infinite, the transient and the eternal. Among the myriad philosophical propositions and mystical maxims that have emerged from this quest, none has proven as resilient, as versatile, or as universally pervasive as the Hermetic axiom: "As Above, So Below."

Frequently described as a sacramental phrase, a mystic formula, or a fundamental law of analogical correspondence, the saying suggests a profound, symmetric resonance between different planes of existence. It posits that the structure of the cosmos (the macrocosm) is intimately reflected in the structure of the individual (the microcosm), and conversely, that the inner workings of the human soul can influence the trajectory of the stars. From its earliest identifiable roots in the alchemical laboratories of the Islamic Golden Age to its dogmatic applications in Christian ecclesiology, and from the esoteric lodges of Victorian London to the quantum physics laboratories of the 21st century, this axiom has served as the intellectual bridge between the seen and the unseen worlds.

This blog article is an exhaustive analysis of the origin, history, and evolution of this saying. It traces the genealogy of the phrase from the cryptic Arabic manuscripts of the Kitab sirr al-khaliqa through the Latin translations of the High Middle Ages, examining its pivotal role in the worldviews of Kabbalists, Sufis, Gnostics, and Orthodox Christians. Furthermore, it explores the radical reinterpretations of the axiom in the Left Hand Path and the Typhonian tradition, before concluding with its surprising resurgence in the frameworks of analytical psychology and quantum mechanics. By examining the chronological development and the cross-cultural permeation of this idea, we reveal a persistent human intuition: that reality is not a collection of fragmented parts, but a seamless, self-referential whole.

Deciphering the Adamic, Angelic, Celestial, Demonic, Enochian, and Primordial Otherworldly Alphabets, Languages, Scripts, Symbols, Tongues, and Writings

1. Introduction: The Quest for the Adamic Tongue

The history of Western esotericism is intrinsically linked to the history of language. Since the early days of the Renaissance, philosophers, magicians, and theologians have sought to recover the lingua adamica—the primordial language spoken by Adam in the Garden of Eden. This search is not merely linguistic but ontological; the premise holds that the original language of humanity possessed an inherent power to define and control reality, a power lost during the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. In this worldview, to speak the true name of a thing is to command it. This report provides an exhaustive examination of the three primary "spirit languages" that have emerged from this quest: the Enochian language of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley, the Celestial and Malachim scripts cataloged by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, and the modern Language of Enns utilized in Theistic Demonolatry.

Furthermore, this analysis explores the complex mythological substructures that support these linguistic systems. We investigate the cryptic narratives of Lilith and Naamah, who would have spoken the Adamic language and still would to this day, and the specific legends regarding their interactions with biblical patriarchs such as Solomon and Enoch. By synthesizing historical data, linguistic analysis, and esoteric folklore, we aim to disentangle the constructed from the received, and the ancient from the modern, providing a definitive account of how humanity has attempted to speak with the divine and the infernal.

The Origin of "Do As Thou Wilt" from Saint Augustine to the Hell Fire Club to Crowley to Wicca to Led Zeppelin

The aphorism "Do as thou wilt"—variously rendered as Fay ce que vouldras, Dilige et quod vis fac, or the Law of Thelema—represents one of the most enduring and protean concepts in Western intellectual history. While popularly associated with the 20th-century occultist Aleister Crowley and the countercultural movements of the 1960s, the phrases' lineage stretches back over a millennium and a half, traversing the theological disputes of late antiquity, the allegorical literature of the Italian Renaissance, the humanist utopias of early modern France, and the libertine political satires of Georgian England. This report provides a comprehensive, diachronic analysis of the mantra’s origins, tracing the evolution of "Will" (Voluntas, Thelema) from a faculty requiring divine subjugation to a concept of ultimate individual sovereignty. By synthesizing data from theological treatises, architectural allegories, and esoteric manuscripts, this analysis demonstrates that the mantra has never served as a simple license for hedonism; rather, it has historically functioned as a conditional imperative, where the liberty to "do as one wills" is predicated on a specific internal state—whether that be Divine Grace, Aristocratic Honor, or Magickal Alignment.

The Light and the Shadow: A Typological Study of the Theotokos and the Daemonotokos

Introduction: The Twin Mirrors of the Feminine

In the vast architecture of spiritual history, two figures stand as the ultimate poles of the feminine archetype: the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary) and the Daemonotokos (Lilith). To understand them fully, one must view them not merely as adversaries in a moral war, but as Type and Anti-Type—mirror images that define one another across the chasm of history.

For the Orthodox Christian, the Theotokos is the summit of creation, the "New Eve" who heals the ancient wound through obedience and grace. For the Lilithian or modern devotee of the Dark Feminine, Lilith is the "First Eve," the icon of radical autonomy who refused to be subjugated, choosing the wilderness over servitude.

This analysis explores the profound typology between the Mother of God and the Mother of Demons, tracing their relationship through the mists of Jewish mysticism, the philosophy of the Divine Sophia, and the Jungian integration of the psyche.

The Types of God the Son/Son of God vs. the Dark Mirror or Anti-Types of Lilith the First Woman

Lilith is mentioned throughout history, most famously from the world's oldest story in Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree (from 2100 BC), the Book of the Prophet Esaias/Isaiah: Hebrew Tanakh Version (from 740 BC), the Testament of (King) Solomon (from 100 AD), the Apocalypse of Baruch (from 100 AD), the Alphabet of (Jesus) Ben Sira(ch) (from 900 AD), the Jewish Midrash Sefir ha-Zohar (a.k.a. The Book of Splendor or the Book of Radiance) (from 1240 AD), the (Greater) Key of King Solomon (from 1350 AD), the Dominican Malleus Maleficarum: The Hammer of Witches (from 1486 AD), Goethe's Faust (from 1808 AD), one of the first worldwide best-selling fantasy novels, George MacDonald's Lilith (from 1895 AD), Bernard Shaw's Back to Methuselah: A Metabiological Pentateuch (from 1921 AD), Charles Williams' Descent into Hell (from 1937 AD), and Donald Tyson's Liber Lilith: A Gnostic Grimoire (from 2024). But until now I have never seen anyone compare her Lilithian typology to that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Son of Man, and God the Son. So here is a brief comparison and contrasting of His saviour types vs. her Lilithian shadow or anti-types when held up to a dark mirror. If you do not own all of the above books, I highly recommend getting them in hardcover, even if you are not interested in the history of Lilith as she is seen by the world over the last 5,000+ years, as they also tell the history of human worldviews through these absolute classic books of literature. 

The RC Deep Dive Podcast

I've been blessed to be able to help out with a group of vintage RC car hobbyists with a new daily podcast about radio controlled cars called the RC Deep Dive. Here is the announcement that they have been making after posting our 100th episode yesterday, so I wanted to share it here too: 

Our new podcast, The RC Deep Dive, just posted its 101st episode, so we thought we would dare to come announce our podcast to the RC hobbyist community! After 101 episodes, we want your questions and topic ideas for future podcasts. Our focus is on vintage, classic, rere (re-release), and modern RC cars, buggies, trucks, and vans. We review RC model vehicles, hop-ups, and give you advice on how to fix, upgrade, repair, and improve your radio-controlled vehicles and teach you about the history of the RC hobbyist community and culture. We are all about that RC life!