The underlying text from which "The Secret" was distilled is found in the writings of William Walker Atkinson. Atkinson authored The Kybalion under the pseudonym "The Three Initiates" in 1909. At the same time he authored The Arcane Formulas, which followed the chapter headings of The Kybalion and provided a series of practical exercises for a student desiring to incorporate the Hermetic Arts of Transmutation into their mental practices. For the first time, this annotated version of The Kybalion and The Arcane Formulas are combined in one volume.