Middle Pillar is the Spine
There are Two Pillars on the Tree of Life, called the Pillars of Mercy and Severity. Between them, lies the path of moderation... Known as the Pillar of Equilibrium which is the Spine that supports and balances the whole structure. It is the staff of the Caduceus with the coiling serpents as the two pillars of Mercy and Severity.
This Middle Pillar, also known as the Mahalingam or Sushumna in the East, is that which upholds the world... like the Spine and the Brain... and connects the Grounded Root of Creation to the Splendid Crown of Expression.
The Middle Pillar is our main power cable to the Universal Energy. Like a tightrope walker that goes neither to far to the left or right, the middle pillar represents a state of perfect balance and Serenity.
The emblematic pillars of Boaz and in ancient Solomon’s Temple, resonate profoundly within esoteric traditions like Freemasonry, symbolizing far more than mere architectural feats. These pillars encapsulate symbolic and allegorical depths; the names themselves offer a clue. Boaz, translating to "in strength", and Jachin, meaning "he will establish", collectively convey notions of stability and divine permanence. Unlike typical structural pillars, these stood independently in the temple, underlining their symbolic essence over mere functionality.
In the mystical sphere, these pillars embody the essential dualities found throughout esoteric traditions: light versus darkness, masculine against feminine, and activity counteracting passivity. They mirror the Hermetic principle of "As above, so below". Boaz represents the earthly or "below", associated with the Moon, femininity, and passivity.
In contrast, Jachin aligns with the Sun, symbolizing masculinity and activity, representing the "above" or heavenly. In the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, they correspond to the Pillar of Severity and the Pillar of Mercy, united by the central Pillar of Equilibrium.
Within the realms of Freemasonry, these pillars stand as symbols of the craft's inherent spirituality, emphasizing the equilibrium seekers must attain. They act as sentinels to sacred knowledge, urging initiates towards a realization that true wisdom demands a harmonization of life's inherent dualities. The journey towards enlightenment requires understanding these oppositions, a challenge posed to every truth seeker by the silent and steadfast Boaz and Jachin.
The path through the opposites may be termed "The Middle Way" and is seen in many cultures. For example, the Chinese concept of the Tao with its components Yin and Yang; the dictum of Greek philosopher Aristotle to "Know Thyself" springs from Apollonian religion which asserts that "The Mean is Best." This is the basis of the Golden Mean in art and philosophy. In the working of the Tree of Life in Hermetic Qabalism, the mean is symbolized by the Middle Pillar.
More recently the opposites were united in the philosophical formula of Hegel: thesis, antithesis and synthesis. The path through the opposites is also symbolized as walking the razor's edge.
"The Human is the Middle Pillar centered between the Pillar of the Feminine Principle (Boaz) and the Pillar of the Masculine Principle (Jachin). The goal is to balance the Light and Dark, the Masculine and Feminine within, thus reconciling the 7 fold. nature of the Self. This balancing of the opposites within is the Alchemical Wedding, the Magnus Opus of Hermetic Alchemy, and allows the Laws of Nature to unfold without the obstruction of unreconciled emotional trauma.
See Also
369
Dominant
List of Synonyms for Scalar
Mind
Scalar Potential