The Middle Pillar

[Leila Raven]

The Middle Pillar

Use this active meditation for cleansing and balancing the auric body, establishing mental and emotional equilibrium, and increasing vitality

 

• The name of the exercise is taken from the position of the central Sephiroth on the diagrammatic Tree of Life.
• As has been said... "The Secret of Wisdom can be discerned only from the place of balanced power" - that is, from between the pillars of Severity and Mercy. The Middle Pillar positions us at a balanced point, neutralizing to some extent the swing of the psychic pendulum from one extreme to the other.
• In this exercise we will visualize the sephiroth of the middle pillar as part of our bodies, illuminating them in descending order while vibrating the sephiroth's divine name. This establishes balance and fills us with energy.
• Once the middle pillar is 'lit' we will circle the energy around and through our bodies, to cleanse and fortify.
• Think of the names as vibratory rates.
• The exercise can be performed standing, sitting, or lying down. Names can be vibrated aloud or internally.

The Middle Pillar Exercise

Establishing the Pillar

Kether

After a few minutes of relaxation, imagine a sphere of white light just above your head. Vibrate the name Eheieh (pronounced Eh-hey-yay, meaning I am). Keep vibrating this word until it is the only thought in your conscious mind. Then imagine a shaft of light descending from your Kether center to your Daath center at the nape of the neck.

Daath

Form a sphere of light at the Daath center. Vibrate the name YHVH Elohim (pronounced Yode-heh-vav-heh El-oh-heem, meaning Lord of Hosts).

Tiphareth

Bring a shaft of light down from the Daath center to the Tiphareth center around your heart. Form a sphere of light there. Vibrate the name YHVH Eloah ve-Daath (pronounced Yode-heh-vav-heh El-oh-ah v’-Dah-ath, meaning Lord of Knowledge).

Yesod

See the shaft of light descending from Tiphareth into the Yesod center in the genital region. Imagine a sphere of light formed there. Intone the name Shaddai El Chai (pronounced Shah-dye El-Chai meaning Almighty Living God.

Malkuth

Visualize the shaft of light descending from Yesod into your Malkuth center at the feet and ankles. Vibrate the name Adonai ha-Aretz (pronounced Ah-doe-nye ha-Ah-retz, meaning Lord of Earth).

Visualize the Middle Pillar complete.

Circulating the light

Then circulate the light you have brought down through the Middle Pillar around the outside of your body to strengthen your aura (Perform each circulation a number of times.):

Circulation One: Side to Side

Using the cycles of rhythmic breathing, bring the light down one side of the body and up the other, from Kether to Malkuth and back to Kether. Exhale and visualize the light descending the left side of the body. Inhale and imagine the light ascending the right side of the body back to Kether.

Circulation Two: Front to Back

After performing this for a short space of time, imagine the ribbon of light descending from Kether down the front of your body to Malkuth and rising up your back, returning again to Kether.

Circulation Three: The Shower of Light

Still employing rhythmic breathing, visualize the sphere of Malkuth, then see the shaft of light rising up the Middle Pillar in the center of your body. When it reaches Kether, imagine a shower of light cascading down the outside of your body as it descends to Malkuth again. Circulate the light in this manner for some time. 

Circulation Four: The Ascending Spiral

Then see the light rise again in a ribbon that spirals around the outside of your body from Malkuth to Kether.

Closing

Finally focus some of the energy back into your Tiphareth center, the seat of equilibrium and balance.

__________________________________________________________

Often, the Middle Pillar is combined with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

To do this:

• Perform the opening Kabalistic Cross
• Formulate the Pentagrams
• Call the Archangels
• Perform the Middle Pillar exercise
• Perform the closing Kabalistic Cross

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

The Kabalistic Cross

Face east. Perform the Kabalistic Cross as follows:

Imagine a sphere of light just above the crown of your head.

Touch the forehead and vibrate Ateh (Thou Art, or, Unto Thee)
Bring hand down the body. At about the level of the genitals, indicate the feet and vibrate Malkuth (The Kingdom)
Imagine a shaft of light descending from the Crown Sphere to the feet where another sphere expands just under your feet.

Touch the right shoulder and vibrate Ve-Geburah (and The Power)
Imagine a 6 inch sphere of brilliant white light appear just next to the right shoulder.

Touch the left shoulder and vibrate Ve-Gedulah (and The Glory)
Imagine a shaft of light emerge from the right Sphere and cross your breast to expand and form another Sphere at your left shoulder.

Clasp the hands before you and vibrate Le-Olam (For Ever)
Imagine clearly the cross of light as it extends through your body.

Amen.

The Pentagrams

Draw, in the air facing east, a banishing Earth Pentagram (Begin at the lower left corner and trace clockwise).  Bringing your hand to the center of the Pentagram, vibrate the Name Y H V H (pronounced Yahd Hey Vau Hey)

Trace a semicircle before you as you turn toward the south. Again trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center of it, and vibrate the Name Adonai, (pronounced Ah-Do-Neye)

Again, trace the semicircle with the dagger to the west, trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center, and vibrate the Name Eheieh, (pronounced Eh-Hey-Yay)

Then, turn towards the north, trace the circle, trace the Pentagram, bring your hand to the center and vibrate the Name AGLA, (pronounced either Ah-Gah-Lah or Atah Gibor Le-Olahm Adonai) Return to the EAST, completing tracing the circle of Light, bringing your hand to the center of the east Pentagram.

The Archangels

Extend the arms in the form of a cross, say:

Before me (then vibrate) Raphael

Behind me (then vibrate) Gabriel

At my right hand (then vibrate) Michael

At my left hand (then vibrate) Ariel

About me flames the pentagrams, and in the column shines the six-rayed star.

At this point, perform the Middle Pillar exercise

Repeat the Kabalistic Cross

_________________________________________________________________

Adding Color

Once the ritual becomes familiar, try adding color to the spheres. While white light contains all colors within it, visualizing the spheres in color can strengthen the individual energy of each.

Colors in the Middle Pillar

Kether – White

Daath – Lavender or grey

Tiphareth - Yellow

Yesod – Violet

Malkuth – Traditionally a swirl of russet, olive, citrine and black. Or simply brown.

Colors in the LBR

Ateh – White

Malkuth – Brown, or russet – olive - citrine – black

Ve-Geburah – Red

Ve – Gedula – Blue

Le-Olam – Yellow

Visualize the complete cross in white.

East - a yellow pentagram

South – a red pentagram

West – a blue pentagram

North – a green pentagram

[22vkvs27ucy3h]

Hi Bother BhDa

There seems to be a correlation between Daath and Yesod and I agree with you that there are sexual connotations in both.

I wonder though why Daath is often regarded as an "evil" sephirah and should be left alone, while Yesod is not. Daath is also regarded as the doorway to the qlipothic ("imbalanced," "evil") forces, found at the backside of the Tree of Life. Although the correspondences are open-ended and not rigidly exclusive, I am still quite confused about the two.

Perhaps you have some thoughts on the matter. Thanks.

[22vkvs27ucy3h]

Thank you for your comments. 

I can understand the distinction which you make between the qlipoth and the demons of Jewish or Christian mysticism.

In my understanding, the qlipoth are once structured forces but are now in the process of disintegration, ergo "shells" or "imbalanced" forces like food being digested, a decaying corpse, or a disintegrating leaf. Presumably, they are forces being liberated from the shackles of structure and form and are once again free for re-structuring and re-formation. Daath is allegedly the portal to access these forces, just as the throat is the entrance to access the masticated and deconstructed food material in our stomachs, which are hidden from plain view but are responsible for our outward form, structure and appearance.

 Demons, on the other hand, are structured and organized forces designed for specific "evil" functions or activities.

Some "black" magickians claim that working with qlipothic forces is "better" than working with "primary" or "virgin" forces because the qlipothic forces already have "experience" with structure and form whereas the primary have none.

I am particularly intrigued why Daath, which you yourself pointed out is not a product of the parzufim and so strictly speaking is not a sephirah, is considered as one. Further, the physical correspondence of Daath is the throat, whereas the physical correspondence of Yesod is the genitals. So what does "The Word made Flesh" really mean? Which is often descriptive of Christ, Jesus Christ or perhaps a Christ consciousness.

These are of course my rambling thoughts which you may or may not further comment on. But many thanks again for your reply.

 

[2914ywxbv5p54]

It has always been my thought that Da'ath, being knowledge, represents the entrance to the abyss because, and I think I'm agreeing with you here, knowledge without Wisdom (Chochmah) and Understanding (Binah) can and has lead to evil (wrongful thought/action).

 

To take this a step further, if you go up from Malkuth, and it's my opinion that while we seek 'enlightenment' from Keter down, we have a tendency to live from Malkuth up, then the things we learn and experiences we have in the lower triangles lead us up out of the abyss to Da'at, and if we temper that knowledge with the upper triangles of Keter, Binah and Chochmah, we are closer to the true understanding of ALL.

 

This is some of my thoughts on it, anyway. =}

[2914ywxbv5p54]

Thank you so much for this, Leila. While I work with the Tree of Life almost every day, I've never worked solely with the Middle Pillar...silly me, really, as it makes perfect sense.

 

This could be the kick in the metaphoric arse I've been needing.

[Leila Raven]

Glad you found it of interest. :)

[Light Seeker]

Greetings, this is a great presentation of the Middle Pillar, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and how they appear on the Tree of Life. I think too that it is very unique how each Esoteric Order or religious group puts their interpretation on the tree of life.

The correspondences on the Tree of Life are numerous. The correspondences, as far as I can see, in my Order and on my low level, are based on the tetragrammaton. These two rituals are what are supposed to be done before doing a reading of "The book of Tarot".

In Freemasonry, the left and right pillars on the Tree of Life are in reference to the legendary King Solomon's Temple. The subject of all degrees that I am both in and that surpass by knowledge as a member.

In Judaism, the Tree of Life is something that very much is in reference with the Zohar. One of the major texts in the canon of the "literal kabbalah".

I have found that all three groups mentioned have some how used the tetragrammaton in some form or fashion to allude to a teaching presented in a ritual, interpretation of a sacred text, or some other greater teachings. The ultimate belief, I suppose, being to connect back to God--who ever that is understood to be by you yourself.

Note: Leila Raven, if you are still following the post, I hope to receive a response from you. It is very nice to be able to communicate with another initiate. Thanks for the post!