The Emerald Tablet

"As above, so below; as below, so above." This foundational axiom of Hermeticism comes from the Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina), attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. The text describes the unity of the microcosm and macrocosm, the process of alchemical transmutation, and the fundamental truth that all of creation reflects a single divine pattern. It has influenced Western esotericism for over a thousand years.