What are the 12 Laws of the Universe? (A Complete Guide)

In this post, learn about the 12 Laws of the Universe and how they can help you create a life of true joy, love, freedom, and abundance.

What Are the 12 Laws of the Universe?

You’ve likely heard of the Law of Attraction. The belief that like attracts like has inspired millions (judging by the over 30 million copies of The Secret that have been sold) to take control of their lives through the power of their own vibration.

In the most basic sense, the Law of Attraction works like this: if you approach your daily life emitting feelings of joy, love, and positivity, you receive experiences in your life that mirror these emotions.

But if you’re constantly negative and believe that nothing ever works out for you, you’ll continue to receive experiences that reflect this belief.

Essentially, your outward world reflects your inner energy.

Most people learn about the Law of Attraction and stop there. But this is a mistake.

Because the Law of Attraction is only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

You see, the Law of Attraction is just one of just one of 12 spiritual laws that are all inextricably linked. When you live in alignment with all 12 of these laws, you feel a greater sense of purpose and are able to see how all experiences serve your highest good. These laws also guide you in creating your truest, most authentic, most abundant life.

For instance, the Law of Attraction doesn’t really work if you’re not also taking meaningful action to create the life you want to live. You can’t just sit around wishing for good things to show at your doorstep. That’s where the Law of Inspired Action comes in. (More on this below.)

Just as I discussed in my post on the 12 Laws of Karma, these laws aren’t mean to restrict or limit your freedom. It’s actually the very opposite. They’re meant to set you free.

When you live in alignment with the 12 universal laws, you feel a deeper sense of empathy and compassion for others. You understand your own power in creating the fulfilling life you desire, and you’re able to feel deeper gratitude and appreciation for all that you have. You feel aligned with your purpose and are able to navigate the balance between work and rest.

These 12 universal laws help you to create more joy, love, peace, and prosperity in your daily life.

Below, I go in-depth on each of the 12 Laws of the Universe and how they can serve you in your daily life. As you read through these laws, I encourage you to approach them with an open heart and open mind. You might even choose to journal about each of these laws and how they connect to your own life.

The 12 Laws of the Universe

Law of Divine Oneness

The Law of Divine Oneness states that everything and everyone is intrinsically connected to one another as we all come from the same source.

You have a substantial impact on the world with every word you say, thought you think, belief you hold, and action you take. Sometimes, you’ll gain an understanding of how your words and actions affect others, and other times, you may never fully become aware of how something you said or did had a ripple effect in the universe.

This is the foundational law of the universe, and it’s rooted in empathy and compassion. As you gain awareness of how you’re intrinsically connected to all beings, you cultivate more empathy for others. You’re able to release anger and negative feelings toward another because you inherently understand that they are no different from you. We are all one.

Law of Vibration

The Law of Vibration states that everything and every being is in a constant state of vibration, always emitting frequencies and energies that often aren’t seen on the surface. Everything is always in constant motion.

Take a look around you: every object you can see is emitting a certain frequency. Some are higher frequencies and some are lower. Next time you walk outside, look up at the sky. The sun carries its own energy. So do the cars on the road. And the trees. And even the phone and wallet you’re carrying.

Now look within. You, too, are emitting a vibrational frequency. This frequency can and often does change. And once you understand that you possess your own vibrational frequency, you realize you have the power to tune your frequency to a higher vibration.

The vibrational frequency you emit has a profound effect on your daily experience. When you operate at a higher frequency, you invite a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment into your world.

Law of Correspondence

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “The universe continues to deliver to you the same lesson until you learn it”? The Law of Correspondence states that patterns continue to repeat in the universe on both grand and small scales.

Look at recurring patterns in your own life. Do you feel like you continually have bad luck with dating? Have you tried and tried to be successful in a specific endeavor to no avail? Do you ever feel like the universe is out to get you?

The patterns we experience are directly correlated to our inner worlds. This means that what you’re experiencing in your outer world is a mirror of your own inner world. You have the power to change your lived experiences in your outer world by changing your inner world.

If your life has felt particularly chaotic recently, consider the ways in which you may be experiencing chaos within. To release the external chaos and invite more peace into your life, seek to cultivate peace inside you first.

Law of Attraction

Chances are, you may already know a bit about the Law of Attraction as this is undoubtedly the most well-known of the universal laws. The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like; the vibrations, beliefs, and emotions we put out into the world are what we receive in our lived experiences.

If you approach your daily life emitting feelings of joy, love, and positivity, you receive experiences in your life that mirror these emotions. But if you maintain a negative attitude in which you always consider yourself the victim and claim that nothing ever works out for you, you’ll continue to receive experiences that reflect this belief.

I do always think it’s important to note that the Law of Attraction is not an invitation to engage in toxic positivity. You do not have to force yourself to suppress negative emotions and pretend you’re happy when you’re feeling sad or disappointed or angry.

You can feel sad sometimes but still believe in your heart that everything is working out for your highest good. You can have a bad day while also knowing that it will pass. When you experience these emotions, explore them with gentleness and compassion, and ask yourself, “What can I learn from this experience? In what ways is this experience serving my highest good?”

You May Also Like: What Does It Mean to Manifest Something? (An Introductory Guide to Manifestation)

Law of Inspired Action

The Law of Inspired Action is inextricably connected to the Law of Attraction and is often the overlooked step that may cause some to claim that the Law of Attraction “doesn’t work.”

The Law of Inspired Action states that you must take real, actionable, inspired steps in order to achieve your goals and invite your manifestations into your life.

But what exactly is an inspired step? An inspired step is action derived from your inner knowing. It’s when something deep within calls you to take action, even when it doesn’t make sense. Inspired action is based on surrendering to the guidance of the universe and listening to the call of your inner knowing.

Let’s use dating as an example. You want to attract love into your life, so you choose to vibrate at the frequency of joy, love, and all the positive feelings you associate with finding the love of your life. You go out every weekend, believing this is the best way to meet someone.

However, deep down, your inner knowing is telling you to sign up for an online dating website.

You resist the idea because you really wanted to meet someone “the old fashioned way.” Going out every weekend is an action, but signing up for that online dating profile would be inspired action because it stems from a deep inner knowing within.

Law of Perpetual Transmutation of Energy

This one has arguably the most confusing title, so let’s break it down:

Perpetual: constant, everlasting, without end
Transmutation: the act of changing/being changed from one form into another

The Law of Perpetual Transmutation states that energetically, everything in the universe is constantly fluctuating and changing from one form to another. Most of the time, you don’t see these changes because they’re happening at a cellular level.

Here’s what you need to know about this law: your vibrational frequency has the power to affect another’s, and another’s vibrational frequency can affect yours. If a coworker comes to your cubicle and starts complaining, their negativity can affect your own energy. You don’t see your energy changing, but you can feel it; one moment, you were having a great day, and the next, you feel frustrated and dejected. On the other hand, your positive energy can lift up your coworker’s and help their day become a little brighter.

The key here is understanding how another’s energy can affect your own and vice versa; once you understand this power, you can use it to protect yourself from negative energy and uplift those around you.

Law of Cause and Effect

This law is exactly as it sounds, and if you’re familiar with Newton’s Third Law of Motion, you’re likely already putting the pieces together. The Law of Cause and Effect states that all actions have corresponding reactions, or consequences. (The word “consequences” tends to have a negative connotation, but consequences can be positive, too).

When you donate money to a person or organization in need with a sincere heart, this kindness will come back to you, even though you may not always see it right away. Similarly, if you lie, cheat, or steal, you will eventually feel these effects, even if not immediately.

This law is directly tied to the Great Law, the first of the 12 Laws of Karma.

Law of Compensation

The Law of Compensation is often tied to the phrase, “You reap what you sow.” This can have both a positive and negative connotation, and the idea is pretty closely tied to the concepts in the Law of Attraction and the Law of Cause and Effect. (What you put out is what you receive.)

So how does this law differ from the other laws it’s connected to?

I like to think of it as this: compensation can come in many forms, both good and bad. And often, what may appear good on the surface can really be a negative thing, and what can appear negative on the surface can be a positive thing.

For instance, say you’ve been trying to manifest a specific job. If you don’t get the job, you may feel like your manifestation has failed, but what if this job wasn’t as good as it seemed? The universe may be saving you from negative experiences and toxic energy tied to this job.

Or maybe you do get the job, but you lied and deceived in order to get it. Soon, you realize that the job that you believed would change your life is changing it, but it’s for the worse rather than for the better.

Again, this comes back to the idea that you reap what you sow. Did you lie and deceive to get that job? You may still get it, but it won’t be the glamorous and awesome position you believed it to be.

Law of Relativity

The Law of Relativity states that everything is neutral. When we label something as good or bad, rich or poor, or enough or not enough, it’s only because our perspective is influenced by our personal experiences and relationships.

For instance, one person may think making $20 an hour is a huge amount because they have only made lesser amounts in the past, and they’ve adapted their lifestyle to fit their average paychecks. However, for another, $20 an hour could be a huge pay decrease because they’ve always made significantly more, and they’ve adapted their lifestyle to higher paychecks.

For one person, an 1,800 square-foot house could be considered huge because they grew up in smaller houses, but for another, 1,800 square feet might be deemed small because they’ve always had twice the space.

So is $20 an hour a lot or a little? Is 1,800 square feet big or small? Neither—they’re both neutral.

The labels we put on these experiences are relative to our personal lived experiences.

The important thing here is to remain mindful of your biases and the labels you put on different experiences. When you’re slipping into a state of feeling like you don’t have enough, you can shift your perspective and view your situation from someone who has less than you. This can help you see that you do, in fact, have plenty, allowing you to feel more gratitude and appreciation in your daily life.

Cover of Zanna Keithley's "This Is How You Find Your Way" with text around it that says "My book is now available" and "Order on Amazon today"

Law of Polarity

The Law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite, and the existence of these opposites is vital in helping us to gain a deeper perspective of our own lives.

This law is all about embracing contrast in your life; the bad times help you to appreciate the good. A bad relationship may help you to appreciate a good one (and to know what you’re looking for moving forward). Rainy days help you appreciate the sunny ones, and too much sun can help you appreciate the rain.

I always think of the quote, “In order to love your life, you can’t hate the experiences that shaped you.” For instance, in my own personal life, I’ve had past failures and rejections as a writer that felt really difficult at the time. However, living through these experiences has made me appreciate my successes even more. And I don’t hate that I had these experiences, because I understand that they all served my growth.

Law of Rhythm

The Law of Rhythm states that everything comes in cycles, and nothing stays in one state forever. This can most easily be seen in the changing of seasons. Summer eventually gives way to fall, which turns into winter, which turns into spring, and eventually, it’s summer again.

This also manifests in ways that aren’t always as easy to see unless you step back to get a wider perspective. Are you experiencing hardships in your life? Those hardships won’t last forever. When you understand that this is just where you are in a cycle, and that this hardship isn’t a permanent state, you’re able to cultivate more calmness and peace within.

It’s also important to pay attention to your own inner rhythm, and to flow with this rhythm instead of against it. For instance, maybe you’re feeling tired and need a break from the stress of daily life. Instead of trying to ignore these feelings, you can choose to accept your own inner rhythm, possibly by taking a social media break and instead spending time in nature.

Law of Gender

The Law of Gender states there are two types of energy: masculine and feminine. In order to live a fulfilling, joyful, purpose-driven life, we must achieve a balance between these two energies.

Masculine energy is tied to hustling, achieving, and doing. Feminine energy is tied to surrendering, allowing, and just being. Neither energy is better or worse than the other. When you find a balance between the two, you’re able to live your truest, most authentic life.

Here, it’s also important to listen to your inner rhythm. For instance, if you’ve been in hustle mode for too long, your inner being may tell you it’s time to step back for a while and allow yourself to just be.

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