About the Author

Francis I. Regardie, born in London, England, November 17, 1907; died in Sedona, Arizona, March 10, 1985. Came to the United States in August 1921, educated in Washington D.C. and studied art in school in Washington and Philadelphia. Returned to Europe in 1928 at the invitation of Aleister Crowley to work as his secretary and study with him. Returned to London as secretary to Thomas Burke 1932-34, and during that time wrote A Garden of Pomegranates and The Tree of Life.

In 1934 he was invited to join the Order of the Golden Dawn, Stella Matutina Temple, during which time he wrote The Middle Pillar and The Art of True Healing, and did the basic work for The Philosopher's Stone.

Returning to the United States in 1937 he entered Chiropractic College in New York, Graduating in 1941, and published The Golden Dawn. Served in the U.S. Army 1942-1945, and then moved to Los Angeles where he opened a chiropractic practice and taught psychiatry. Upon retirement in 1981, he moved to Sedona.

During his lifetime, he studied psychoanalysis with Dr. E. Clegg and Dr. J. L. Bendit, and later studied psychotherapy under Dr. Nandor Fodor. His training encompassed Freudian, Jungian and Reichian methods.

Both Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero are Chief Adepts of the Golden Dawn as reestablished by Israel Regardie: Tabatha is the current G.H. Imperatrix and Chic is the G.H. Imperator Emeritus. The Ciceros have written numerous books on the Golden Dawn, tarot, and magic, including Golden Dawn Magic, Golden Dawn Rituals, Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition, The Essential Golden Dawn, and they have provided updates, annotations, and introductions to classic Israel Regardie texts such as The Philosopher's Stone, The Middle Pillar, and A Garden of Pomegranates. Both are Rosicrucians: Chic was the Chief Adept of the Florida College of the SRICF from 2016 to 2023 and Tabatha is the current Imperatrix of the SRIA in America.

Reviews

Sixty to seventy years ago the validity of psychology as a science was hotly contested. A young Israel Regardie took another debated subject, magic, and showed that it could be seen as a subdivision of psychology. He even said psychotherapists could use techniques of magic in a clinical setting for the benefit of patients. In his classic book, The Middle Pillar, he reveals both the techniques that could be used and how they could benefit psychologists. The Middle Pillar exercise has also become one of the most important rituals in all of Western magic. As such, there has been much growth in the practice of this exercise over the years. That's why I'm pleased that Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero have added an incredible amount of notes to the complete original text in this book and more than doubled its size with new contributions not published elsewhere. Now, the third edition of The Middle Pillar is the best, most complete ever. Read the Ciceros's notes for a fuller understanding of the original text. Then read their new material, filled with meditations, exercises, and rituals you can use. Beyond a doubt, this is now the definitive version of The Middle Pillar. Get your copy today.