As above, so below and as below, so above. As within, so without and as without, so within. A harmonious energetic relationship connects all levels of reality and spans every facet of the same reality.
The Eastern maxim that is counterpart (or correspondence!) to this axiom states simply: The interior reflects the exterior, and the exterior reflects again the interior. This statement tells us that our minds affect the world around us while the environment and our circumstances have an impact on our minds.
In the same way, all living things, which per animism includes all so-called inanimate objects as well (for everything is alive in animistic philosophy), are energetically connected to one-another and linked by unseen threads to the core of nature and to cosmic forces. Through this matrix of energetic connections, a network of related qualities and similar influences has formed.
Sages, magicians, mystics, and philosophers of the ancient world spent centuries studying and mapping these connections and relationships, and the fruits of their labors exist today as the tables and codices of magical correspondences employed by nearly all systems, schools, and traditions of the arcane studies worldwide.
The term “correspondence” in magical vernacular means both:
- communication (exchange of information) between two or more vessels and
- similarity between, or reflection shared by two or more essences.
Correspondences are the shared frequency and emanations, and therefore attributes that connect something to something else. Such connections may be apparent, such as the sun, the color yellow, alertness, joy, and gold. Other links are more subtle, like a red rose, the sun, the higher self, generosity, protection, and the father. Whether obvious or hidden, the point is these connections exist as channels of energy that can be tapped into and traversed by the mind and subtle forces like magic.
Speaking generally correspondences follow the general categories of animal, vegetable, mineral, spirit, person, place, thing, idea, event, action, experience, or abstract. This is an imperfect list but a workable beginning.
In most of the western traditions and many from the east as well, a baseline hierarchy commonly followed for mapping correspondences includes polarity (aspect of duality), Zodiacal house, planetary sphere, elemental quality, principle, and attitude or disposition. These may be followed or accentuated by such listings as compass direction, season, time of day, animal, plant, crystal or metal, color, sound, fragrance, taste, texture, and finally miscellaneous or abstract reflections. This hierarchy is not perfect nor used by every school or system, but it serves as a good blueprint or mind map to establish the depth this axiom.
There are of course variations arising from cultural and era-specific considerations. Still, the cohesion and commonalities between systems from the west and the east and even between philosophies separated by centuries of change are still most remarkable.
The consistency of these systems of correspondence through the ages is a stout testament to their veracity and efficacy.
I have slapped together a decent foundation for a magical correspondence system you may examine, apply, edit, or reject as you see fit, and this can be accessed here.