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Diaryland
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram September 03, 2005 @ 11:44 a.m.
This is one of the most basic and popular of all magical rituals. Its components are drawn from thousand year old traditions in the Qabalah and Hermetics, but in its modern form it was refined by the Order of the Golden Dawn. Since then, it has undergone many variations and alterations.
The purpose of this ritual is to clear you and your personal and/or work space of any negative forces so that you can proceed with your work or worship uninhibited by negativity and empowered with energy from the Most High. The symbolism is basic, yet profound, and contemplation of the forms is very fruitful.
No tools are absolutely necessary for this ritual, though a ritual tool such as a banishing dagger can be very helpful. As with all rituals, you should have quiet and uninterrupted privacy. You can do this ritual at any time. Before beginning, use a relaxation technique to put yourself in the proper state of mind for holy work.
I.The Qabalistic Cross - This is the foundation of the LBRP and likely its oldest segment, going back thousands of years in Qabalistic tradition. You will symbolically and spiritually place yourself at the center of the Universe, and invoke transcendent power from and through all of its corners.
1)When you are in a proper state of mind, close your eyes and visualize yourself growing larger to encompass the universe. Progressively, see yourself grow to fill the room, the building, the street, the neighborhood, the city, the region, the state, the nation, the continent and the planet. Then journey on past the planets to encompass the solar system, then many systems, then the galaxy, then many galaxies, finally to arrive at the Place of Power. You may visualize this as a sacred place, indoors or outdoors, or something else. This location is equivalent to the Celestial Sanctum of the Rosicrucians and is a sacred place you can go to anytime, where you are empowered by and connected with all creation.
2)Look up as high as you can and perceive a brilliant white light emerging from the highest. Raise your hand up towards it, pointing with your tool if you have one and your index finger if you do not.
3)Tap into that light and energy and flow it through you, perceiving it flow from the crown of your head, through your spine, to the ground between your feet. As you do this, keep your hand pointed upwards and vibrate Atoh (Hebrew for "unto You").
4)You have invoked the height. Now you will similar invoke the depth. Bring your tool down the front of your body parallel to your spine to point down to the ground between your legs. Vibrate Malkut`h (Hebrew for "realm").
5)Bringing the tool back up to your heart, where heaven and earth meet, project it out directly to your right to invoke the power of that direction. Vibrate Ve Gevurah ("and power").
6)Similarly, project to the left and vibrate Ve Gedulah ("and glory").
7)Bring your hand back to your chest and cross them left over right over your heart with your tool and index fingers pointing upward. This is a sign of both Christ and Osiris. Projecting and invoking power through your heart in front of you and behind you, vibrate Le'Olam ("to eternity" - forever).
8)Return your hands to your sides and vibrate Amen, feeling the light expand in all directions from the center you have placed yourself at.
Sound familiar? The invocation of the Jewish Qabalistic cross is the same as the Lord's Prayer of Christianity. This means that either Jesus was initiated into Qabalah, the Qabalists borrowed from Jesus, or both had a common source of inspiration.
II.The Formation of the Pentagrams - In this section of the ritual, you will draw pentagrams to face the four directions. The pentagram is not a symbol of evil unless deliberately inverted, and even then many magicians view that version merely as an exaltation of individual will above abstract Deity (that's why the inverted version appeals to Satanists). The Pentagram itself though was said to have been used by Soloman to control evil spirits, and was used by Judeo/Christian mages for hundreds of years. So it is no stranger or enemy to the Western tradition. In fact, in this ritual, you'll actually call on various names of God to empower the seals in each direction.
1)Facing the East, draw the shape of a pentagram with your tool, starting from the bottom-left corner and going to the top, the bottom-right, the top-left, the top-right, and back to the bottom right. (This order of drawing is called an Earth-banishing pentagram). As you draw the shape, perceive it as a real thing in your mind and spirit - a large pentagram of blue fire that banishes all negative influences and seals that direction. When you complete this first pentagram, put your left foot forward and point your hands and tool together into the center of the pentagram (this position or 'god form' is called the Enterer). Now, vibrate the God Name Yod Hey Wau Hey (The four letters of the Tetragrammaton). Perceive the call echo out to the ends of the universe with the power of God and your pentagram.
2)At your heart level, arm outstreched to the East, use your tool and mind to form a vortex of white light. Now turning clockwise 90 degrees, inscribe the light into a quarter circle.
3)Facing the South, draw a pentagram in the manner of the East, but this time vibrate the God Name Adonai ("My Great Lord").
4)Turn 90 degrees clockwise again as you continue the inscription of the white circle you began in the East. Formulate a pentagram now for the West, and vibrate Eheiyeh ("I AM/I WILL BE").
5)Turning 90 degrees to face the North and inscribing the third part of your circle, draw the pentagram and vibrate AhGLAh (this is an abbreviation for Atah Gibor Le'Olam Adonai - "You [are] Great to Eternity My Great Lord").
6)Turn once more to face the East, completing the inscription of your circle of light. Feel the light connect and the circle pulse with energy, the pentagrams standing at its corners.
III.The Invocation of the Archangels - In this section, you call upon primary powers and intelligences that serve as guardians of each direction. Tradtionally, the Hebrew Archangels are used, but the Hermetic tradition often adds or substitutes Greek Names of Power, which I will include in brackets.
1)Stretch out your arms to form a cross with your body. Say "Before me, Raphael" [Erbayt'h]. Perceive a winged man in a golden tunic laced with purple, holding a caduceus staff in his right hand and directing the power of air [for Erbayt'h, see a winged serpent rising on the horizon].
2)Say "Behind me, Gabriel [Ablanat'hanalba]. Perceive a winged man dressed in blue garb with orange lining standing before a river and waterfall and lifting up a beautiful goblet (the Holy Grail), directing into you the power of water [for Ablanat'hanalba, perceive a crocodile emerging from the waters, tail in the shape of a serpent].
3)Say "On my right, Michael (remember the Hebrew ch sound is like the ch in 'Loch ness' or 'Bach', not 'cheese') [Lert'hexanax]. Perceive a strong winged man dressed in red rimmed with green and wielding a flaming sword, standing over a volcanic scene, directing the power of fire to you [for Lert'hexanax, perceive a falcon with its wings outstretched].
4)Say "And on my left, Uriel [Sesengenbarpharangays]. Perceive a winged man standing in a garden, field an orchard that lies high atop a strong mountain plain. He holds in his arms sheaves of wheat or a cornucopia, and directs to you the fruits of Earth [for S., an infant child sitting on a lotus blossum].
5)Now say "For about me flames the pentagram", and flame those babies!
6)Say "And within me shines the six-rayed star". Perceive the hexagram/Star of David in brilliant white burning bright in your heart; a symbol of the bridging of heaven and earth. You may also like to use the Hermetic symbolism of a Phoenix rising from your feet to your head and emblazonining you in the purifying fire of rebirth.
IV.Repeat the Qabalistic Cross
It all sounds complex at first, but trusts me, it all comes together as you practice it. The ritual becomes smoother and smoother, all its components working together, until eventually you are able to do it very effectively and quickly if necessary.
Sources:
Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts.
Flowers, Stephen Edred. Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris.
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