As Above So Below: Meaning, Origin & Movie Explained

You’ve probably heard someone say “as above, so below” and wondered whether it’s a Bible verse, a witch’s incantation, or something else entirely. The short answer is that a single short phrase has traveled from an ancient alchemical tablet through occult revival movements all the way to a claustrophobic horror movie—and it’s none of the things most people assume. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly where it came from, why spiritual practitioners use it, and how it ended up inside a found-footage nightmare in the Paris catacombs.

Origin of the phrase ‘as above so below’: Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, circa 8th century CE ·
Release year of the film ‘As Above, So Below’: 2014 ·
Rotten Tomatoes critic score for the film: 26% ·
Rotten Tomatoes audience score for the film: 37% ·
Setting of the film: Paris Catacombs ·
Director of the film: John Erick Dowdle

Here are the key facts about the phrase and the film:

What does the saying ‘as above so below’ mean?

Origins in the Emerald Tablet

• The phrase traces back to the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, a short Hermetic text first appearing in Arabic sources around the 8th century CE (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• The original Arabic reads in part: “Inna al-aʿlā min al-asfal wa-l-asfal min al-aʿlā” — “That which is above is from that which is below, and that which is below is from that which is above” (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• A 2019 article on Hermeticism notes “the line is typically shortened to ‘As above, so below'” (occult resource Arnemancy).

Hermetic principle of correspondence

• The line expresses the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm: the universe mirrors the human, and vice versa (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• This macrocosm/microcosm reading “treats the universe as a great living being and the human being as a miniature universe” (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• The principle became central to alchemy, where transformations in the laboratory mirrored spiritual changes in the practitioner.

Modern occult and new age usage

• Adopted during the 19th-century occult revival, the phrase now appears in Wicca, neopaganism, and new age spirituality (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• It’s often expanded to “as above, so below, as within, so without” — linking inner consciousness to outer reality.
• The phrase affirms that a practitioner’s intention can influence the larger universe through sympathetic magic.

Bottom line: The phrase is a Hermetic principle of correspondence, not magic words. Seekers of meaning find a structured philosophy; casual users find a poetic slogan.

Is there a Bible verse that says ‘as above so below’?

Misattribution to Proverbs 23:7

• No canonical Bible verse contains the exact phrase “as above so below” (online Bible study tool BibleStudyTools).
• A common online claim mistakenly attributes it to Proverbs 23:7, which actually says “for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (King James Version).
• The similarity — both dealing with inner states mirroring outer reality — likely fuels the confusion.

What Proverbs 23:7 actually says

• Proverbs 23:7 (KJV): “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”
• The verse warns about a person who offers hospitality insincerely — not about cosmic correspondence.
• The phrase “as a man thinketh” became popular through James Allen’s 1902 self-help book “As a Man Thinketh,” not through alchemy.

The implication: Christians searching for the phrase in scripture will not find it, and the confusion stems from a modern paraphrase.

Why do witches say as above so below?

Usage in Wiccan and neopagan rituals

• In modern Wicca and neopagan practice, the phrase affirms the connection between the practitioner’s intention and the universe (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• It appears in ritual invocations as a principle of sympathetic magic: a candle’s flame “above” corresponds to the practitioner’s will “below.”
• The phrase entered Wicca through the 19th-century occult revival, which revived Hermetic texts as spiritual source material.

Symbolic meaning in spellwork

• When a witch says “as above so below” during a spell, they assert that their symbolic action (e.g., tying a knot) will produce a real-world result.
• The phrase creates a closed loop of correspondence: the ritual (above) must match the intent (below) for magic to function.
• It appears in Wiccan Rede variations and circle-casting ceremonies, often paired with “as within, so without.”

Connection to Hermetic traditions

• Wicca’s adoption of the phrase is a direct borrowing from Hermeticism via organizations like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888).
• The Golden Dawn synthesized Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and ceremonial magic — and from there the phrase entered broader occult usage.
• Modern witches rarely cite the Emerald Tablet directly, but the principle remains structurally identical to the original Hermetic idea.

The pattern: Witches adopt the phrase as a tool for intention, detached from its alchemical roots, while critics see that detachment as a loss.

Is the movie ‘As Above, So Below’ worth watching?

Critical reception and audience ratings

• The film holds a 26% critic score and 37% audience score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 79 reviews.
• film critic RogerEbert.com called it “poorly conceived” and “hard to watch,” while wishing he could recommend it more strongly.
• parenting review site Common Sense Media describes it as a “scary but uneven found-footage horror movie.”

Plot summary and setting

• The film follows archaeologist Scarlett Marlowe and her team as they descend into the Paris Catacombs searching for the Philosopher’s Stone (streaming platform Google Play).
• The 93-minute film uses found-footage style, with characters carrying cameras through tight underground passages.
• The Catacombs hold an estimated 6 million human remains, creating a real-world horror backdrop.

Scare factor and found-footage style

• The film is rated R by the MPAA for “Language Throughout and Bloody Violence/Terror” (review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes).
• Viewers who dislike shaky-camera cinematography will struggle with the found-footage format.
• The confined setting creates genuine claustrophobia; some reviews call it the film’s strongest asset.

“Scary but uneven found-footage horror movie.”

— parenting review site Common Sense Media

“I wish I could recommend ‘As Above, So Below’ more strongly… but it’s poorly conceived and hard to watch.”

— film critic RogerEbert.com

Bottom line: The movie divides audiences: claustrophobia fans get genuine scares, while those seeking a polished narrative will be disappointed.

Do Christians believe in as above so below?

Official Christian stance on Hermeticism

• Christianity does not endorse the Hermetic principle of correspondence as doctrine (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• The phrase originates from pagan alchemical texts, not from Jewish or Christian scripture.
• Mainstream Christian theology teaches that God is transcendent — not that the human is a direct mirror of the cosmos.

Distinction from biblical teachings

• While the Bible contains verses about humans being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), this is a theological claim about creation, not a magical correspondence principle.
• Hermeticism’s “as above so below” implies a symmetrical relationship; Christian teaching holds that God alone is sovereign over the universe.
• Using the phrase in prayer or worship would be seen by most Christian leaders as syncretism with occult thought.

Views within different denominations

• Catholic and Orthodox traditions generally view Hermetic philosophy as incompatible with Christian faith.
• Some progressive Protestant circles may treat the phrase as poetic rather than doctrinal, but it carries no official endorsement.
• Evangelical and fundamentalist groups typically classify use of “as above so below” as occult practice to be avoided.

The catch: Christians who use the phrase risk conflating biblical creation theology with pagan alchemical ideas, a mix most denominations reject.

Timeline: The journey of a phrase

• 8th century CE: Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus first appears in Arabic sources, containing the principle “as above so below” (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• 12th century: Emerald Tablet translated into Latin, spreading Hermetic ideas across European alchemy and philosophy.
• 19th century: Occult revival incorporates Hermetic principles into Theosophy, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and early Wiccan traditions.
• 2014: Film ‘As Above, So Below’ released, grossing $41.8 million worldwide on a $5 million budget.

The implication: a phrase that began as encrypted alchemical instruction now serves as everything from a horror movie title to a witch’s affirmation — with most users unaware of the 1,200-year gap between origin and modern usage.

Confirmed facts vs. unclear claims

What we know for sure

• The phrase originates from the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• No Bible verse contains the exact phrase “as above so below.”
• The film ‘As Above, So Below’ is a 2014 found-footage horror film set in the Paris Catacombs (review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes).
• The film received a 26% critic score and 37% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The phrase is used in Wiccan and neopagan rituals (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).

What remains uncertain

• The exact date of the Emerald Tablet’s composition is uncertain (between 6th and 8th centuries CE) (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• The identity of Hermes Trismegistus as a historical author is legendary, not documented.
• Whether the phrase or similar ideas existed in pre-Islamic oral traditions is not verified by any extant source.
• Growing interest in Hermetic principles via spiritual social media (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).
• Continued confusion with Bible verses drives search traffic (reference encyclopedia Wikipedia).

Bottom line: The phrase “as above so below” has a documented 1,200-year history, but the earliest 300 years of that history are historically fuzzy. For anyone writing or speaking about it, the responsible path is to cite the Emerald Tablet as the earliest known source without claiming certainty about how much older the idea might be.

Frequently asked questions

For further exploration of phrase origins, see our article on Bane of My Existence. For more on storytelling in horror, check Best Sci-Fi Short Stories.