Jachin and Boaz
Jachin and Boaz are the two bronze pillars that flanked the entrance to Solomon’s Temple, as described in 1 Kings 7:21 and 2 Chronicles 3:17. Within Freemasonry and Hermetic Qabalah, they have become the most iconic symbols of cosmic duality and the initiatory threshold.
- Jachin (יָכִין, “He establishes”): The right-hand pillar, representing the Pillar of Mercy on the Tree_of_Life — active, solar, masculine force (Chesed). Associated with the element of Fire and the principle of expansion.
- Boaz (בֹּעַז, “In strength”): The left-hand pillar, representing the Pillar of Severity — passive, lunar, feminine force (Gevurah). Associated with the element of Water and the principle of contraction.
The Middle Pillar
The esoteric teaching encoded in the twin pillars is that neither pillar alone is complete. The initiate must walk between them — treading the Middle Pillar (the Pillar of Equilibrium) — to achieve balance and pass into the Holy of Holies. This maps directly onto:
- Solve et Coagula: The alchemical oscillation between dissolution (Boaz/severity) and reconstitution (Jachin/mercy).
- The Sushumna: In Eastern yoga, the central spinal channel flanked by Ida (lunar/passive) and Pingala (solar/active). Kundalini ascends through the middle when both polarities are balanced.
- Hieros_Gamos: The sacred marriage of opposites that is the terminal objective of the Great Work.
Masonic Usage
In Masonic ritual, the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft stand at opposite pillars, learning that mastery requires understanding both poles of existence. The twin pillars appear prominently in Lodge architecture and the Tarot (The High Priestess sits between them).
See Also
- Solomon’s Temple — the mythological setting
- Freemasonry — the initiatory tradition preserving the symbolism
- Tree_of_Life — the Kabbalistic glyph with its three pillars
- Sushumna — the Eastern anatomical parallel
- Solve et Coagula — the alchemical oscillation the pillars encode
- Hieros_Gamos — the reconciliation the Middle Pillar achieves
- Tarot — The High Priestess card depicting the twin pillars