22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
~Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)
The biblical account of Jesus walking on water, found in the Gospels, is often seen as a miracle showcasing divine authority. However, when viewed through the Hermetic Principle of Rhythm, as outlined in the Kybalion, this narrative becomes a powerful metaphor and parable for mastering life’s inevitable ups and downs. The Principle of Rhythm reveals that all things oscillate like a pendulum—between joy and sorrow, courage and fear, enthusiasm and despair. The Hermetic Law of Neutralization offers a way to transcend these swings by ascending to a higher plane of consciousness, where emotional and circumstantial storms pass beneath without disrupting one’s inner calm and connection to truth. Jesus’ serene walk across the turbulent waters symbolizes this mastery of self, achieved through inner work and intellectual discipline, enabling one to navigate life’s turmoil with unshakable poise.
The Principle of Rhythm is well understood by modern science, and is considered a universal law as applied to material things. But the Hermetists carry the principle much further, and know that its manifestations and influence extend to the mental activities of Man, and that it accounts for the bewildering succession of moods, feelings and other annoying and perplexing changes that we notice in ourselves. But the Hermetists by studying the operations of this Principle have learned to escape some of its activities by Transmutation.
The Hermetic Masters long since discovered that while the Principle of Rhythm was invariable, and ever in evidence in mental phenomena, still there were two planes of its manifestation so far as mental phenomena are concerned. They discovered that there were two general planes of Consciousness, the Lower and the Higher, the understanding of which fact enabled them to rise to the higher plane and thus escape the swing of the Rhythmic pendulum which manifested on the lower plane. In other words, the swing of the pendulum occurred on the Unconscious Plane, and the Consciousness was not affected. This they call the Law of Neutralization. Its operations consist in the raising of the Ego above the vibrations of the Unconscious Plane of mental activity, so that the negative-swing of the pendulum is not manifested in consciousness, and therefore they are not affected. It is akin to rising above a thing and letting it pass beneath you. The Hermetic Master, or advanced student, polarizes himself at the desired pole, and by a process akin to “refusing” to participate in the backward swing, or, if you prefer, a “denial” of its influence over him, he stands firm in his polarized position, and allows the mental pendulum to swing back along the unconscious plane. All individuals who have attained any degree of self-mastery, accomplish this, more or less unknowingly, and by refusing to allow their moods and negative mental states to affect them, they apply the Law of Neutralization. The Master, however, carries this to a much higher degree of proficiency, and by the use of his Will he attains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible of belief on the part of those who allow themselves to be swung backward and forward by the mental pendulum of moods and feelings.
The importance of this will be appreciated by any thinking person who realizes what creatures of moods, feelings and emotion the majority of people are, and how little mastery of themselves they manifest. If you will stop and consider a moment, you will realize how much these swings of Rhythm have affected you in your life — how a period of Enthusiasm has been invariably followed by an opposite feeling and mood of Depression. Likewise, your moods and periods of Courage have been succeeded by equal moods of Fear. And so it has ever been with the majority of persons — tides of feeling have ever risen and fallen with them, but they have never suspected the cause or reason of the mental phenomena. An understanding of the workings of this Principle will give one the key to the Mastery of these rhythmic swings of feeling, and will enable him to know himself better and to avoid being carried away by these inflows and outflows. The Will is superior to the conscious manifestation of this Principle, although the Principle itself can never be destroyed. We may escape its effects, but the Principle operates, nevertheless. The pendulum ever swings, although we may escape being carried along with it.
~The Kybalion
Carl Jung’s concept of the tension of opposites refers to the dynamic interplay between conflicting aspects of the psyche, such as conscious and unconscious, good and evil, or masculine and feminine, which creates psychological energy and growth. This tension is essential for individuation, as integrating these opposites leads to a balanced and whole Self.
John Locke’s law of reason refers to a universal moral code discoverable through rational thought, guiding individuals towards understanding principles of justice, cooperation, and self-preservation. It’s essentially a natural law accessible to all capable of logical reasoning, independent of divine revelation or societal dictates.
The “storms” of life, represented by the churning waters, reflect the tension of opposites described by Carl Jung—a conflict between one’s internal order and the external realities that typically contradict it. Internally, we are able to be guided by what the New Testament calls the “law written on our hearts,” akin to John Locke’s “law of reason” or the Logos, the divine principle of order, organization, and truth. Externally, we face the world’s mass order that collides with our internal states—societal pressures, expectations, unchallenged premises, biases, and fear based messaging promoting intellectual and emotional drama—that create mental and emotional tempests within and around us, threatening to overwhelm the Self. By applying the Law of Neutralization, one can “walk on water,” maintaining integrity by refusing to be swept away by external turbulence, much like Jesus standing firm amidst the waves.
Shadow work is the process of consciously exploring and integrating the repressed, unconscious aspects of one’s psyche, such as fears, traumas, or undesirable traits. It aims to foster self-awareness and personal growth by confronting and resolving these hidden elements through introspection and reason.
Shadow work, a cornerstone of Jung’s individuation process, is essential for achieving this transcendence. By confronting repressed fears, insecurities, and traumas, individuals illuminate the unconscious, loosening the grip of rigid personal narratives. This process fosters intellectual empathy and autonomy, allowing one to rise above the lower plane of reactive emotions. Like Jesus calming the storm, shadow work neutralizes the internal pendulum’s swing, enabling a shift to the higher plane of consciousness described in the Kybalion. Integrating the anima or animus—the contrasexual archetype within—further balances masculine and feminine energies, fostering wholeness and a state of poise that mirrors Jesus’ steady steps across the waves.
Jung’s concept of individuation is the psychological process of integrating the conscious and unconscious aspects of the self to achieve wholeness and self-realization. It involves confronting and assimilating the shadow, anima/animus, and other archetypes to align with the true Self, distinct from societal or collective influences. It is a state of being fully psychologically differentiated and autonomous.
Jung’s anima, the unconscious feminine aspect in men, and animus, the unconscious masculine aspect in women, are archetypal energies that shape emotional and relational patterns, often reflecting internalized images of the mother and father. Working through childhood wounds, such as those from parental relationships, involves confronting and integrating these anima/animus dynamics to heal distortions and foster psychological balance.
Jung’s individuation process is not just personal healing but a journey toward aligning with the Self, the divine spark within. This alignment creates a harmonious inner state that resists external discord. Our connection to the Logos is often disrupted by the world’s rigid, dogmatic narratives, which clash with intuitive truth. Through shadow work and anima/animus integration, one strengthens the Will, as the Kybalion describes, to stand firm against these pressures. This inner fortitude allows individuals to “deny” the influence of negative mental states, embodying the Law of Neutralization by refusing to sink into the contradictions, much like Jesus’ refusal to be submerged by the stormy waters.
The seven liberal arts, rooted in classical education, comprise the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), designed to cultivate intellectual and moral virtues for a free, reasoning individual. The trivium specifically focuses on the art of language and thought: grammar provides the structure of language, logic ensures clear and valid reasoning, and rhetoric teaches persuasive and effective communication. Together, these disciplines train the mind to understand, analyze, and express ideas, forming the foundation for critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
The seven liberal arts, particularly the trivium—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—provide an intellectual framework for this mastery. The trivium trains the mind to discern truth through critical thinking and abductive reasoning, fostering creativity and adaptability. Grammar ensures clarity in understanding reality’s structure; logic sharpens the ability to reason through contradictions; and rhetoric empowers one to express truth persuasively. Together, they equip individuals to navigate the “storms” of lies, misinformation, and societal conditioning, like Jesus walking on the top of turbulent waters. Mastering the trivium transforms one into a “liberal artist,” capable of crafting a life of purpose and resilience, unswayed by the pendulum of external circumstances.
Abductive reasoning is a form of logical inference that starts with observations and seeks the simplest, most likely explanation, embracing uncertainty and iteration. It thrives on generating and refining hypotheses, often leading to surprising yet plausible conclusions, as seen in Sherlock Holmes’ investigative approach.
Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better. ~Richard Paul
As human thinkers we are governed by our thoughts; as critical thinkers we learn how to govern the thoughts that govern us. ~ Richard Paul & Linda Elder
“The over-whelming preponderance of people have not freely decided what to believe, but, rather, have been socially conditioned (indoctrinated) into their beliefs. They are unreflective thinkers. Their minds are products of social and personal forces they neither understand, control, nor concern themselves with. Their personal beliefs are often based in prejudices. Their thinking is largely comprised of stereotypes, caricatures, oversimplifications, sweeping generalizations, illusions, delusions, rationalizations, false dilemmas, and begged questions. Their motivations are often traceable to irrational fears and attachments, personal vanity and envy, intellectual arrogance and simple-mindedness. These constructs have become a part of their identity.” ~Richard Paul, The Thinker’s Guide to Fallacies: The Art of Mental Trickery and Manipulation
Critical thinking and abductive reasoning, central to the trivium, mirror the iterative process of shadow work and individuation. Abductive reasoning—forming hypotheses from incomplete data and refining them through observation—parallels the Hermetic practice of transmutation, where one tests and elevates mental states to escape rhythmic lows. This intellectual discipline allows individuals to gain perspective on their place within the broader human experience, as Jungian shadow work encourages. By refusing to be anchored to fear-driven narratives, one rises above the unconscious plane, embodying the Kybalion’s teaching of polarization at the desired pole. This is the essence of walking on water: a conscious choice to remain above the fray, grounded in reason and inner truth.
The metaphor of water as a symbol of life’s challenges deepens this interpretation. The turbulent waves represent the mutable realm of human struggles—fear, doubt, mental trickery, and external pressures—that seek to pull us under. In contrast, the heart’s law, aligned with the Logos, is eternal and unyielding. Jesus’ walk on water signifies the triumph of this inner law, a refusal to be governed by external forces. Through shadow work, individuation, and the trivium, one cultivates the Will to uphold this inner sovereignty. As the Kybalion suggests, the pendulum of Rhythm swings regardless, but by polarizing oneself on the higher mental plane, one escapes its pull, standing firm like Jesus amidst the storm.
Ultimately, Jesus walking on water is a timeless parable for mastering life’s rhythmic swings through the Law of Neutralization. By integrating shadow work, anima/animus balance, and the intellectual rigor of the trivium, individuals can rise above the unconscious plane (water), where fear, hyper-controlling order, and chaos reign, to an internal state of psychological firmness and poise. This journey aligns the Self with the Logos, harmonizing internal beliefs and patterns with divine truth. In doing so, one learns to walk on water—not as a defiance of nature, but as a testament to the power of consciousness (the individual Will) to transcend life’s storms, embodying the Hermetic wisdom that to rise above is to let the tumult pass beneath.
Did you enjoy the article? Show your appreciation and buy me a coffee:
Bitcoin: bc1q0dr3t3qxs70zl0y5ccz7zesdepek3hs8mq9q76
Doge: DBLkU7R4fd9VsMKimi7X8EtMnDJPUdnWrZ
XRP: r4pwVyTu2UwpcM7ZXavt98AgFXRLre52aj
MATIC: 0xEf62e7C4Eaf72504de70f28CDf43D1b382c8263F
THE UNITY PROCESS: I’ve created an integrative methodology called the Unity Process, which combines the philosophy of Natural Law, the Trivium Method, Socratic Questioning, Jungian shadow work, and Meridian Tapping—into an easy to use system that allows people to process their emotional upsets, work through trauma, correct poor thinking, discover meaning, set healthy boundaries, refine their viewpoints, and to achieve a positive focus. You can give it a try by contacting me for a private session.
