The Middle Pillar: The Balance Between Mind and Magic

Very interesting book.

I’ll begin by saying that I found Israel Regardie’s description of the middle pillar exercise in his Foundations of Practical Magic easier to follow. In that book he explains succinctly how to do it and how it can be used for self-healing, healing and manifesting. In Part I of this book we get a lot more detail about the principles behind the exercise itself and the tree of life, as well as additional exercises that the reader is advised to master before doing the middle pillar. Chic and Sandra Cicero also give a useful biography of Israel Regardie. I don’t think I had fully appreciated before that Israel Regardie made a living as a psychotherapist. I also didn’t know that he was born in Britain and once worked for the notorious Aleister Crowley. The Ciceros are well-versed in the history and the Golden Dawn community and they knew Dr Regardie personally. Their account of his life adds to the value of this book. The Ciceros have also published many books on the Golden Dawn system and in Part II they give an account of the connection between psychology and Golden Dawn magic. This kind of account – focusing mainly on the work of Freud, Jung and Reich – helps to support the rational-scientific argument for the validity of magic. However, this book was first published thirty years ago. Since then psychology and neuroscience have advanced considerably, so some of this material seems quite dated now. Once or twice the authors lament the parlous state of the world in 1996. Well, it’s a lot worse in 2026. There is also a section comparing the tree of life sephiroth and the now popular chakra system. It is easy to make superficial comparisons between the two and this book helps clarify the similarities and the all-important differences. Another valuable feature of Part II is the inclusion of several alternative versions of the middle pillar and other key exercises. These cater for practitioners who are perhaps not comfortable with the Golden Dawn versions. You will treasure this book if you have read any of Israel Regardie’s books and want to understand more about the middle pillar and related exercises and how you can include them in your own meditation or manifesting/magical programme.

FANTASTIC good Book IT is one of the Best Isoteric books that Are so EASY to understand I recomend it

This book along with another was ordered as part of my studies. I will only be able to submit my findings at the end of my studies, once I have read them both, completed all the exercises, and used the knowledge gained. Please ask me again in 6 months.

For the serious student this book is more than just a leasurely read. This is not just bedtime reading. This is part of a journey. It is the elements of a new life! I started doing the Middle Pillar meditations and feel the changes taking place in my life. I also bought the CD's with him giving guided exercises in breathing, the Middle Pillar and other exercises. It is awesome. Studying the Mysteries is a journeyand should be treated as such. This book is a valued item in my library. Expect to have your horizons broadened and your old wineskins changed! It is powerful and transforming. Len [...]

Good.

Good starter book for those on the esoteric path. Israel Regardie is a little verbose but Chick Cicero has edited it into a readable format. If you are new in this area of research, it will take a little perseverance to plough through but it is worthwhile at the end. Recommended.

amazing book wih the answers i have searched for

Comprei juntamente com o "the tree of life" e "garden of pomegranates". Infelizmente o "The Middle Pillar" parece ter sido impresso em baixa qualidade/resolução, como se fosse uma copia de uma edição antiga (o que não é o caso), mal editada. De forma que as letras meio borradas cansam a vista durante a leitura. Desconfio que a amazon br está vendendo uma impressão de baixa qualidade ( mass print ) do livro pelo preço da impressão convencional. Fora isso o conteúdo do livro é ótimo.

Very good work! Since trends in psychotherapy have changed over the years he is still way ahead of the game,focusing on Carl Jung and the theories that he taught. It's actually half Regardie, the other half further explication by the editors. The result is like two books in one, the second expanding upon the first,and they do an excellent job in updating this classic from almost 70 years ago,in 1945. As a fairly new student I am using this,along with a few other books as a study guide,and instead of study guide,I have read the whole book in a week..so now I can begin using it as a guide. Kabbalah can be confusing to new users. Loving it.

Great source of information

One of the best books ever read personally. Any serious seeker of the light must put his/her hand on this book. Can't recommend it enough, I have learnt alot

Very clear explanations of the meaning behind the rituals and the profound consciousness to be gained, and very clear directions of how to do the rituals, meditations, visualisations. Excellent! Thanks to Israël Regardie for his work.