12 Universal Laws

12 Universal Laws is a New Age collection of concepts that, depending on the interpretation, can work as guidelines toward absolute spiritual enlightenment or base consumerist material acquisition. They are general enough that they can be applied to anyone's experiences given enough time and internalized enough that any apparent failure in their action could be attributed to not believing enough or failing to wait long enough for them to kick into effect.

The Laws
Unlike the 10 Commandments the 12 Universal Laws are typically descriptive instead of proscriptive, but with the strong implication that you need to attune yourself and gain awareness of these laws to have a more successful life. Various authors have different arrangements of the twelve laws and some have shortened or expanded lists but 12 seems to be the typical number.

Law of Universal/Divine Oneness
''The idea that everything is connected, not just actions but feelings, ideas and beliefs. Every little thing affects every little thing'' A handy catch-all philosophy which can't really be proven or disproven. It emphasizes the reader's importance and covers the way that any of the following laws can be functional or applicable in one's life. The mysterious nature of the The Law of Divine Oneness is frequently emphasized. Even though your every word, thought and action affect everything, maybe someone else's word, thought or action rendered the visible effects of your influence null and void.

Law of Vibration
All things in the universe are vibrating, so you want to vibrate at a higher frequency. This law is usually stated with the fact that everything is vibrating. Vibration on the molecular level is simply heat and nothing can exist at zero Kelvin in this New Age universe. It quickly diverges into definitions of vibration which are inaccurate, vague and unquantifiable. This is, of course, new age vibrations. These sort of "vibes" are something you can cultivate through a positive attitude and the very belief that you are vibrating at a higher frequency. Vibrations, you see, attract similar vibrations. If you're vibrating at a high frequency you attract other high frequency people. Pleasant emotions are apparently high vibration and bitter emotions are low vibration. Since none of this can be measured, if you were a pleasant, emotionally-positive person in a dysfunctional family you're probably just not really putting out the right vibrations. The vibrations know when you're pretending.

Law of Action/Inspired Action
All of these laws are totally real, but you still won't have an effect on anything until you start physically doing stuff in a logically consequential manner. The law that's most likely to be true, while providing an escape hatch when any of the other laws is in question. Your dreams and vibes and emotions are all very important and can affect things, but the universe will not pay attention until you actually take visible steps to affect things.

Law of Correspondence
Open to interpretation? Some interpretations of the Law of Correspondence hint at a fractal nature of the universe where patterns are repeated on different scales and noticing them grants you access to sympathetic magic where changes in the smaller pattern can cause change in the larger ones. Other interpretations espouse a dualistic philosophy where real world actions have an effect on the "etheric". Other interpretations are reflexively emotional (if you think about bad stuff you will be in a bad mood).

Law of Cause and Effect
Instant karma's gonna get you, gonna knock you right in the head… This is typically described as non-reincarnational karma with all of the pleasant and unpleasant implications that the concept of karma carries. As it lacks a carry-over into future reincarnations it acts as a justification for unethical deeds: you are a good person as long as you have not received any consequences for your actions. Likewise it implies that a string of ill happenstance is deserved by anyone who receives it, even if the reason is not apparent. The universe is supposed to be smart enough to make these judgements.

Law of Compensation
Karma, but more so! The Law of Compensation is also subject to multiple interpretations. In some cases it's an escape hatch for the Law of Cause and Effect, stating that if bad things happen to you even after you've done good things it's because you had the wrong attitude. The 12 Universal Laws aren't sketchy, it's your viiiiibes that failed. Vibe harder next time. Some authors will be forward enough to say that the Law of Compensation is exactly what it sounds like: big money! big prizes! The universe will send you stuff in the form of donations, gifts and inheritances for your good vibes. Sometimes it's just the Law of Cause and Effect, but slightly reworded.

Law of Attraction
It's the secret behind The Secret. Between the Law of Cause and Effect, the Law of Compensation and the Law of Attraction all possible bases are covered regarding why things happen to the people to whom things happen. Unlike the Law of Cause and Effect, which addresses actual actions the Law of Attraction exists as a purely mental process and things happen because people believed or did not believe hard enough.

Law of Transmutation of Energy
Change is the only constant. Possibly the most reasonable and grounded of the 12 Laws, despite its odd sounding name. Things change, you must learn to accept change, you can change yourself for the better. Some versions go into the more obscure concept of changing your vibrations, which typically boils down to maintaining a positive attitude.

Law of Relativity
''No, not that one. More like the broad philosophical concept of relativism.'' Another mostly sensible idea, the Law of Relativity states that the "universe" will give you challenges, but you have to keep a sense of perspective because there are plenty of people who have had harder times than you have. The "universe" does this to toughen you up. This is all fine and good as long as you're not one of the people who are having harder times. Somewhere there has to be a lower tier to this.

Law of Polarity
For every thingy, there is an anti-thingy. Everything has an opposite: night has day, heat has cold, sadness has happiness. Just tilt toward the good one of these two things, but this is highly simplified. In space, up and down, night and day are meaningless. Human emotions can be complicated, multilayered affairs where pleasure and pain commingle. Can water be the opposite of fire when fires produces water vapor as a side effect of hydrogen oxidation? What is the opposite of a complex, concrete object like a forklift?

Law of Rhythm
You ever notice how some stuff happens multiple times? Many things happen in cycles. How this applies to a follower of the 12 Universal Laws is open to interpretation. Sometimes it's stated as a continuation on the Law of Transmutation of Energy because everything is changing, but it can change back too. Sometimes it's presented as an assurance for the goal oriented: you're in a bad/unsuccessful/unproductive spot, which means you'll come into a good/successful/productive spot. Sometimes it's presented as advice: one has to align their habits with the seasons and cycles of the day to improve their vibrations.

Law of Gender
For every thingy, there is an anti-thingy but have you tried both of them together? Using popular derivatives of the concept of yin and yang, the Law of Gender claims that the Law of Polarity is only a partial explanation of balance. The correct balance of "masculine" and "feminine" principles are more effective at goal achievement and spiritual health. It's sound enough in practice as excess and overspecialization are not really useful or healthy. The Law of Gender can even apply to a person's literal gender affiliation, where the advice seems to be "If you feel like you're the acting as the wrong gender, try a more suitable one". Again, sound enough advice.