- 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.
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Often, the Middle Pillar is combined with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (see also Site "Rituals")
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
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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
