AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
The ancient notion that the cosmic spectrum is divided into two halves is consistent with modern theory. Over the course of the twentieth century, two great empirical theories have emerged: quantum theory and general relativity.
Quantum theory deals with the microscopic half of the universe, the realm of the elementary parts (or particles) of creation, and general relativity deals with the macroscopic half, the realm of cosmological wholes. Unfortunately, these two theories do not converge. In fact, they are fundamentally incompatible, both conceptually and mathematically—which is one of the reasons why theorists are now seeking a unified theory that might overcome this theoretical dichotomy between the small-scale and large-scale laws of nature.
The ancients also recognized that the laws of nature that govern the upper, macroscopic half of the universe (dominated by nonlocal, synthesizing laws) are different from those that govern the lower, microscopic half (dominated by local, analyzing laws). Rather than emphasize their differences, however, they chose to emphasize their similarities through the principle “as above, so below.” This notion pertains to a hidden symmetry between the analytic and synthetic powers of consciousness: Although the two are opposite in function, the strengths of each are balanced around the scale of the half measure. This means for any given scale above the half measure, there will always be a corresponding scale below so that the strength of the synthetic power above and the strength of the analytic power below are equal in magnitude. In other words, the magnitude above will correspond to the magnitude below.
This principle was designed to illuminate a fundamental balance in nature, which is required to uphold the integrity of the universe over a vast spectrum of space-time scales. This characterizes the balance within the divine mind—the mind of God, who represents the Father of the universe.
The Rig Veda puts it this way: “He who knows the Father of this [universe] as that which is Below associated with that which is Above, and that which is Above associated with that which is Below, he as it were, has the mind of a sage.”4Compare this estimation to a passage taken from the Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina), which is considered the oldest and most authoritative of the Hermetic texts: “That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, in the accomplishment of the miracle of one thing.... It is the Father of every completed thing in the whole world.”
The principle “as above, so below” was a general theoretical notion that once pervaded the ancient world, from India to Egypt, and persisted for thousands of years. We can even include in the mix Taoist China, where the same theoretical principle was professed from the earliest periods. This principle suggests that there is a similarity or symmetry between the large-scale and small-scale laws of nature. Yet this does not mean that what is above is exactly the same as what is below. The analytic and synthetic powers associated with the matched pairs of scales are obviously different with respect to their functions—but they are similar with respect to their strengths.
In order to unify the two sets of laws under a single theoretical umbrella, we must consider both their differences and similarities using a balanced process of analysis and synthesis. It was on the basis of this type of knowledge, born of both analysis and synthesis, that the ancient science was formulated.