at "everything is dual"; "everything
has two poles"; "everything has its pair of opposites," all of which
were old Hermetic axioms. It explains the old paradoxes, that have
perplexed so many, which have been stated as follows: "Thesis and
antithesis are identical in nature, but different in degree"; "opposites
are the same, differing only in degree"; "the pairs of opposites may be
reconciled"; "extremes meet"; "everything is and isn't, at the same
time"; "all truths are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false";
"there are two sides to everything," etc., etc., etc. It explains that
in everything there are two poles, or opposite aspects, and that
"opposites" are really only the two extremes of the same thing, with
many varying degrees between them. To illustrate: Heat and Cold,
although "opposites," are really the same thing, the differences
consisting merely of degrees of the same thing. Look at your thermometer
and see if you can discover where "heat" terminates and "cold" begins!
There is no such thing as "absolute heat" or "absolute cold"--the two
terms "heat" and "cold" simply indicate varying degrees of the same
thing, and that "same thing" which manifests as "heat" and "cold"
is merely a form, variety, and rate of Vibration. So "heat" and "cold"
are simply the "two poles" of that which we call "Heat"--and the
phenomena attendant thereupon are manifestations of the Principle of
Polarity. The same Principle manifests in the case of "Light and
Darkness," which are the same thing, the difference consisting of
varying degrees between the two poles of the phenomena. Where does
"darkness" leave off, and "light" begin? What is the difference between
"Large and Small"? Between "Hard and Soft"? Between "Black and White"?
Between "Sharp and Dull"? Between "Noise and Quiet"? Between "High and
Low"? Between "Positive and Negative"? The Principle of Polarity
explains these paradoxes, and no other Principle can supersede it. The
same Principle operates on the Mental Plane. Let us take a radical and
extreme example--that of "Love and Hate," two mental states apparently
totally different. And yet there are degrees of Hate and degrees of
Love, and a middle point in which we use the terms "Like or Dislike,"
which shade into each other so gradually that sometimes we are at a loss
to know whether we "like" or "dislike" or "neither." And all are simply
degrees of the same thing, as you will see if you will but think a
moment. And