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The Principle of Rhythm

“Everything flows, out and in; all things rise and fall.”

Between the two poles of everything there is a measured, pendulum-like swing. The measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; tides come in and go out. Mastery lies in not being carried away by the backward swing.

Also known as

The same law appears across traditions under different names.

  • “Cyclic Progression”· Theosophical (Hodson)
  • “The ebb and flow of the Tao”· Taoist
  • “To everything there is a season”· Christian (Ecclesiastes 3)

How to apply it

  • When you feel a low tide, remember it is rhythmic — wait, don't act on it as if it were permanent.
  • Refuse to be swept fully into a high so the answering low is gentler.
  • Build steady routines that ride the cycles instead of fighting them.

From the source

“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything.”
— The Kybalion, Ch. II
“The measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”
— The Kybalion, Ch. XI

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