The Kybalion for Witches

The Kybalion for Witches; Rituals, Magick and Witchcraft with the Seven Hermetic Principles
Claudiney Prieto
Llewellyn Publications
ISBN 978-0-7387-8178-5
$27.99

Every modern Wiccan or Pagan should understand Hermeticism because its concepts undergird the modern occult, Wiccan and Pagan movements. Unfortunately, Hermeticism is a branch of the occult that can be particularly overwhelming. Developed before the fall of Rome, its corpus of texts often seem archaic and obscure despite its fundamental principles being simple and familiar—even identifying which texts are important can be a challenge for a beginner, and meaningfully contextualizing and interpreting them is no small feat even for an experienced occultist. Enter, in 1908, The Kybalion by New Thought Movement leader William Walter Atkinson and two others, written under the pseudonym “Three Initiates” and published by the Masonic Lodge of Chicago. The Kybalion de-emphasized ideas unpalatable to modern people, such as the need to be liberated from the curse of the physical body, and synthesized the Hermetic tradition into seven basic principles. These were influenced by other occult movements of the time, but mostly rendered ancient occult principles accessible to the modern, turn-of-the-century reader. What a breakthrough! No wonder these ideas became so incredibly widespread.

However, 118 years have passed, language and cultural frameworks change and what seemed fresh, modern and highly readable then has now become another archaic tome in the Hermetic collection, albeit one a bit more accessible than its fellows. Enter, in 2026, The Kybalion for Witches. Prieto has managed to do for The Kybalion what The Kybalion did for Hermeticism, and provides an excellent history of and introduction to Hermeticism as a whole on the way. Moreover, Prieto is far more open about his agenda and influences than Atkinson was, and does a much better job providing context and presenting ideas within their own history.

The Kybalion for Witches is really two—perhaps even three—books in one. The first half of the book presents the full text of the Kybalion section by section, each followed by Prieto’s commentary and interpretation. The pages of the original Kybalion text are delineated by black bars on the sides of the page, easily distinguishable from Prieto’s writing, which is clearly labelled as his own explanation. His commentary elucidates the original text, making it easy to understand and connects the ideas of The Kybalion with their historical counterparts within the broader framework of Hermetic thought. Prieto also brings to bear the lens of a practicing Witch and occultist, further illuminating each section with modern practices and providing suggestions for practical application within magical and ritual work.  

The second half of the book is a detailed handbook of Hermetic praxis. Prieto guides the reader in bridging abstract theory to meaningful practice, with chapters on each of the seven Hermetic principles. He provides exercises, rituals and workable guidance that are invaluable for a reader of any level of experience. A text that simultaneously teaches ancient occult philosophy and magical technique—and does both well—is a rare thing indeed. The Kybalion for Witches is a must read.