The two lateral columns are functional, but consciousness ascends or descends only through the middle pillar - the Pillar of Consciousness - through all its degrees and levels.
For example, if we study intellectually about a subject (through Hod) we obviously extend ourselves in that direction, but that does not in itself raise our level of consciousness. It is not by studying a lot that we increase our level of consciousness, nor by giving free rein to our emotions (Netzach). The change of level, the quantum leap, occurs when we pass from Yesod to Tiferet, from the level of the ego to the level of the self, from the personality to the individuality linked to the authentic self.

The functional lateral pillars play a very important role in that they generate the tension that allows this elevation of the level of consciousness. If there is a repressed or suppressed emotionality, it is necessary to express it (Netzach work) as a precondition for the Tiferetic individualization. It is also important to learn (Hod work) a new vision of the world. For if we continue to cling to the current common sense view (which does not advocate psychological change), we will never get out of it. A new worldview, new ideas in accordance with the desired new status, naturally enable a corresponding rise in the level of consciousness. In both cases, we are working along the side paths linking Netzach and Hod to Tiferet, but the raising of the level of consciousness itself, as we have said, is done through the central pillar, from Yesod to Tiferet in this case.

So, we rely on the lateral pillars to achieve the ascent and that represents an important change with respect to what is pure mysticism that works mainly with the middle pillar.
We do not say that Kether is better than Malkuth because Malkuth is the physical plane and Kether is the reality of the One. Both, as archetypes of the Divine, are equally sacred. Otherwise, we would be saying that there are differences in God, that some parts are more sacred than others, which is absurd.
In Qabalah nothing is rejected, we aspire to achieve a balance of all factors, each thing in its right proportion.

On the mystical path, the person tries to ascend the middle pillar, in principle from his Yesod. What he intends is that Yesod, which is the mirror of the mind, should be the truest possible reflection of his Tiferet. And in order for this mirror to be completely clean, he strives to cut himself off from the influences of the side pillars.
He tries not to think, to suppress his mind; he tries not to feel, to suppress his emotions. On an ascetic path, the mystic even tries to cut himself off from the physical plane, nullifying as much as possible the influence of his body with privations and other practices. In that way, he would isolate his Yesod and make it completely receptive. This is a somewhat valid technique, but it is not an ideal situation, much less a permanent one.

The Qabalist always considers the three forces at work: he develops his Hod, and he studies. He develops his Netzach and expresses his emotions, sometimes even potentiates them. Of course, not for themselves and not for themselves, but to generate enough force to ascend. We would have, as it were, a bow resting on Hod and Netzach, and with it we could draw the arrow of consciousness from Yesod sufficiently to be able to ascend.

We insist again on the importance of balance. There is another fundamental aphorism that says: "The Tree always ends up balancing itself."

If we, in any circumstance in the life of the personality, lean very much towards Hod, we can only do so up to a limit because immediately the forces or circumstances will be generated that will initiate the pendular movement towards the opposite pillar. In this case towards Netzach, towards the emotional part. And this will be done consciously or unconsciously, internally or externally, naturally or pathologically. Because the Tree seeks balance and "always ends up balancing itself".

That is why it is important to find the balance, the synthesis in the central pillar. Otherwise we will be constantly experiencing a pendular movement, from one column to another. This situation is common at the level of the personality: we are always in a pendulum swing because the balance in Yesod is unstable. The true balance of the personality is reached in Tiferet.

In Tiferet a stable balance of the different factors of the personality is reached, now that they are all present. That is not possible in Yesod (lunar nature), which is fluctuating, very receptive and reactive.
Yesod reflects and reacts, and moves to one side or the other according to internal and external circumstances. For it must be borne in mind that Yesod is always experiencing the tension produced by the suppressed parts of the personality which, as carriers of energy, are struggling to emerge into consciousness and express themselves in the external world. Yesod is thus in struggle with itself prior to the change of gears and subsequent individuation, and thus in precarious equilibrium.

Kether, the first Sefira and head of the middle pillar, is obviously the supreme balance.
Kether is a state above all duality. It is not that in Kether the opposites are unified. It is simply a state prior to them; a state in which life/death, full/empty, good/evil, and so on with all polarities, are the same and meaningless. Kether is the fulcrum from which hang all the scales manifested by the sefirot of the Tree of Life.

If one can speak of any dichotomy at the level of Kether (which, let us not forget, is at the middle pillar) it would be that which represents the overall balance of the Tree versus the Absolute (unmanifested), i.e., the duality between the unmanifested and the manifestation. This essential polarity is sometimes referred to as negative existence and positive existence. Or as absolute potentiality and actuality, the polarity between nothingness and being.
From our perspective, we can imagine Kether as a sphere split in half, the upper half being the unmanifested, the lower half being the manifestation (although from Kether's point of view both are one and the same). This would be the first polarity of the system, which somehow manifests in Chokmah and Binah (wisdom and understanding; full and void; force and form; energy and organization; pure consciousness and content of consciousness) which, although also eternally united, are at least distinguishable from a conceptual point of view.

In anthropomorphic imagery, in which each level of manifestation of the Divine (Divine Face or Partzuf) has a masculine and a feminine aspect, in Kether (the Immense Face) both are absolutely indistinguishable.
In Chokmah and Binah (Father and Mother) the lovers are already discernible, although completely inseparable. There is separation from Daat, in the sefirot below the abyss. There, the Lesser Face (the Son, the King, the Holy One Blessed Be He, Adam, the Face centered in Tiferet) and the Female (the Daughter, the Queen, The Presence of God or Shekhinah, Eve, the Face centered in Malkuth) separate and unite (corresponding metaphorically to the periods of darkness and light). In fact, their separation and subsequent reunion and union constitute the great theme of the spiritual story of Creation.


Chesed is a Sefira of the pillar of force, but here the energy has already passed through the restriction of Binah. It is a sphere of organized energies, of formal energies.
In Gevurah the energy was constricted and became more dynamic, more powerful. That is why it is very energetic despite being in the pillar of the form.
Chesed is a sphere of formal energies and Gevurah is a sphere of energetic forms.
As we go down the Tree everything appears more organized and divided.

Chesed is expansion. Gevurah is contraction. As a result of the action of both, the energetic forms centered in themselves and in stable equilibrium, we have identity, being. And the point of equilibrium, the being of each thing, is in Tiferet, Sun, in the middle pillar. From Tiferet the being tends to express its own nature and that would be Netzach, and so on.
We always have this triple play of force, form and balance. So, for example, if a situation becomes too stiff and tends to become too formal, because it tends to repeat stereotyped patterns, an energetic reaction is generated to return to balance. As we have said, the tree always ends up balancing itself. How gentle or traumatic the energetic reaction is will depend on how far the structure has become stiffened.

Balance at the level of Chesed and Gevurah is essential in the dynamics of the Tree. We note that the most common names for the lateral pillars (of Mercy and Severity) correspond to these two sefirot.
Just as building and releasing energy by destroying (anabolism and catabolism) are the basis of the chemical metabolism of the body (its energetics), the combined action of Chesed and Gevurah (love-expansion and power-restriction) is the basis of the metabolism of the soul. And what expresses the balance between the two is the ethical level of the person. This balance is fundamental as a lever for the consolidation of the Tiferetic center after the change of gears.
When we speak of ethics, we refer to the ethics of the development of the moral virtues of the person, which will be the basis for the development of the intellectual or spiritual virtues of the person. The ethics of the heart is the development of Tiferet itself based on the responsibility of actions, actions undertaken from Chesed and Gevurah. The person who is in Tiferet is fully responsible for himself.

The excess of energy in a Sefira causes it to become negative, unbalanced. That is to say, the positive characteristics of that Sefira are displaced towards the negative side by excess of energy. Thus, an excess of severity becomes unbalanced toward cruelty, repression and oppression, etc. On the contrary, an excess of mercy calls for self-indulgence, weakness, excessive permissiveness that causes negativity to surface and reproduce itself, etc. In both cases forces are generated that tend to return to equilibrium and this is seen in individuals as well as in societies and historical periods. The missing ingredient is Tiferet, the balanced center, which is able to face things and situations as they are, in their complexity, and give them a creative way out.

Balance is important at all levels. The Tree is like a building supported by its pillars. And if the pillars are not well established on the lower levels, the whole edifice may collapse when subjected to the higher potentials of the higher sefirot. That is why it is important to evolve little by little, consolidating the lower levels before attempting to take the heavens by storm.
Although it may seem the opposite, in individuation, one must begin by strengthening the ego, reaching a certain level of self-esteem. The person must have a solid foundation in Yesod in order to evolve upwards.
In our society, there is a chronic imbalance towards Hod, that is, towards the mind, with Netzach being very inhibited. In general, few people express their emotions and assume them in a fluid and creative way. That is why to reach Tiferet (to correct the imbalance) it is usually necessary a previous strong work on the emotions.

Then, when Tiferet is reached, in the first moments it is easier to move towards the pillar of form than towards the pillar of strength. The individual is someone who knows himself, knows what he wants and how to get it. Gradually he acquires personal power in this way, and gets more and more of what he wants. The temptation is then to use this power exclusively for oneself (imbalance towards the excess of Gevurah). If one does not put one's power at the service of others, one ends up being swallowed up by it. What happens then is that one falls back down the very pillar of form (Gevurah - Hod path) back to Yesod, having actually lost the Tiferetic consciousness, of which in Yesod only the memory remains, although that memory can serve as a spur to ascend again.

The way not to fall into that situation is to take a leap from Gevurah to Chesed, through service, truly caring for others. Then the possible imbalance towards Chesed comes from the part of self-immolation and martyrdom.