The Middle Pillar Today

The Middle Pillar has recently taken on an entirely new meaning in my life, which I would like to share with you this week.

Those of you who study and work with the Kabbalah know that the Middle Pillar on the Tree of Life is also known as the Pillar of Equilibrium.  It is the unifier, if you will, of the opposing sides of the Tree – force (archetypal masculine energies) and form (archetypal feminine energies).  It balances and embraces both approaches of the side pillars – unifying our faith and spirituality with our intellect and mind.

In our current climate of political unrest we are observing many people express emotion, attempting to gain a foothold on a new and unsolid foundation that has not been built by them.  While at the same time, we see these same actions, literally turning other people’s dreams and solid foundations into ashes.  One thing that life has taught me is that change is a consistent in this life.  But this current rate of change is breathtakingly rapid.  And alarmingly so for many parts of our established society.

We need change – that is certainly true.  There is so much that is not right.  So much that is not equitable.  So much that is not just.  And we don’t need to refer to skin color to make this point.  If you have been following my conversations, you already know the important factor I am going to talk about – the crux of the issue as I see it – is how we each treat ourselves.

The continuum of unkindness leading to bullying leading to brutality, and the fear that instigates this behavior begins within each of us and how we treat ourselves, which then replicates out into our world.  It does not begin outside of us.  When most people really hear and recognize their own self-dialogue when for example, they feel they have made an error, it is beyond harsh – in fact so much worse than they would every talk to another person.  Although this is a small example – and most people do this multiple times every day to themselves, with little or no awareness.  How we treat ourselves (and our inner child) cannot be changed by a political system, by a socio-economic system, by an employer, by a health-care system…  You get the picture.  If we want true lasting change, as adults, we have to change within ourselves.

In order to make this inner change, we each have to honestly re-examine ourself, our behavior and our results in our life.  What is working and what is not – by our own standards, not by what the world tells us:

• Am I fulfilled?
• Do I have joy?
• Do I have peace of mind?
• Am I able to sustain health?
• Do I give and receive love in friendships, with family, with my significant other?
• Am I a contributing member to society in a meaningful way to me?

We have become a world of avoiders and doers.  Avoiding what we don’t want to deal with and doing everything and anything other than what really matters.  Sure, a lot of us are really good people who do a lot of good things for other people.  But has that been enough?  Based on results, apparently not.  And, based on results, apparently our collective focus has been in the wrong place.  I would say to you that as a world-wide culture we have not been interested in empowering people to be, do, have their best.  Rather, we have created a system of havoc – the have’s and have not’s – and as a result of mis-placed guilt and misunderstanding, we have enabled the the very people we have wanted to assist, resulting in their disempowerment!  We have limited their ability to grow and become empowered humans.  Many of these same people are now demanding that they become empowered – but at someone else’s expense – the only way they know how!  And as the peaceful demonstrations are taking place, so much is being destroyed that constitute the foundation, dreams, hard work, and livelihood of others.

Ok – these are my thoughts – I own them, and I acknowledge that this is at best an intrinsically basic version of what really is.

Again, I want to bring this back to you and me, and our lives and what needs to change.  We all want change – we see it needs to happen.  But change from ‘guilt’ is not sustainable.  I suggest that we each ask and answer the following questions:

• What do I need to change in my life?
• What “stone or stones are yet left unturned” that I know need to be addressed for me to be more truly who I am meant to be/become?
• What do I need to sacrifice that no longer serves me – vs. asking someone else to sacrifice?
• Where have I been enabling myself to not be all of who I am?  (No one can change that for you except you.)
• What would my inner child (or rebellious teenager) be demonstrating about if I would/could only hear and give it voice?

And this is where we come back to the Middle Pillar – the place of equilibrium.  The pendulum would seem to be swinging wildly and erratically right now – both socially and politically – to the left and to the right.  I know that many citizens feel this adjustment long over-due.  I’m not contesting the timing.  What I am stating is, that for this pendulum to come into balance – even a new, much needed balance –enough of us must find the Middle Pillar in our own lives right now.  What/where is that place in your life where you still do not have equilibrium?  I know mine.  It was just recently clarified for me – I had a new, wonderfully fulfilling, romantic relationship suddenly, inexplicably, end.  No fault, no blame, just over.  Breathtakingly, and painfully, over.  Much like what is happening to a lot of the familiar world that we have known – gone – never to return.  Almost overnight!

As I turned inside to restore some peace of mind for my sadness, and to help understand if possible “what in the world was happening in my world” and “what my part was in this”, what I have come to understand is that women in particular need to understand how to re-balance the Middle Pillar in our lives – from our full feminine aspect.  We need to balance the Middle Pillar our grief, in our loss, in our joy, in our creation, in our co-creation, with and without our partners.  We as women, must balance and rebalance our Middle Pillar.  As we do this both our inner worlds will stabilize, regaining sanity, stability, and peace.  And this will be reflected to all outside of us.

I invite each of you to focus with me on staying in balance with the Middle Pillar.  I trust you will find the results almost immediate, as I have.  If you would like assistance with this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

As well, I will be premiering for the first time online the 7-week series The Tree of Health, Vitality and Wholeness: The Art of Thriving vs. Surviving, exploring Kabbalah, what it is and what it has to say about having more vitality and true health in your life.  This teaching and conversation will be very helpful as we re-enter life and work after the period of isolation.

I am holding you in my heart.