Lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (or LBRP) is a ceremonial magic ritual devised and used by the original order of the Golden Dawn that has become a mainstay in modern occultism. This ritual is considered by many to be a basic preliminary to any other magical work, so much that it was the only ritual, besides initiation rituals, taught to members of the Golden Dawn before they advanced to the Inner Order.^[1]

Description and structure

The ritual is highly dynamic, using gesture, visualization and the pronunciation of certain words of power, combining prayer and evocation as well as clearing and preparing a space for further magical or meditative work. The ritual is perceived as banishing any "chaotic" and "impure" forms of the elements from the magician's circle by tracing the Pentagrams in the air and by the power of certain Divine names. This is followed by an invocation of the spiritual forces ruling the elements to fortify and guard the circle. The ritual has an invoking counterpart, the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. Together, they are sometimes known as the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. Many ceremonial magicians perform the banishing version daily, and some perform both the invoking and banishing versions.

Contemporary books on ceremonial magic tend to advise using only the banishing version for the first few months of ceremonial practice. ^[2]

The principal components of the Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP are drawn from the works of French occultist Eliphas Levi.^{[citation needed]} The text originated^{[citation needed]} as a traditional Jewish prayer said before sleeping, as documented by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in Sidur Tefilot Yiśraʾel, the Hirsch Siddur, which reads as follows:

In the Name of God, the God of Yisrael: may Michael be at my right hand, Gabriel at my left, Uriel before me, Raphael behind me, and above my head, the presence of God.^[3]

The ritual

Equipment

A view from the top of the steps taken and words spoken during the LBRP.

In its more elaborate forms, modern practitioners sometimes include the following:

An altar in the center of the ritual space, upon which are placed instruments representing the four classical elements^{[citation needed]}
A ceremonial robe (e.g. a tau robe) or other suitable ritual garb is worn by the magician^{[citation needed]}
A ritual sword (e.g. an "athame") used to gesture to the points of the Qabalistic Cross, and to draw the pentagrams and the magic circle connecting them.^[4]

Often, however, no special equipment or clothing is used.

Procedure

The Golden Dawn LBRP consists of three main parts, in this order:^[4] Though practices vary, the general outline of the LBRP is below:

Qabalistic Cross, which is meant to construct an astral cross in the body of the magician, with points corresponding to Sephiroth on the Tree of Life using the Doxology of the Lord's Prayer. While constructing this cross, the magician vibrates (rather than simply speaks) the Hebrew words Ateh, Malkuth, Ve-Geburah, Ve-Gedulah, Le-Olahm, Amen, while pointing to the forehead, feet, right shoulder, left shoulder and heart, respectively.
Formulation of the Pentagrams, in which, beginning in the East, a banishing Earth pentagram (for the Banishing Ritual) or an invoking pentagram (for the Invoking Ritual), usually visualised as being in blue light or fire is drawn in the air at each of the four cardinal points and an associated name of God is vibrated (YHVH, Adonai, Eheieh and AGLA for East, South, West and North respectively). This segment of the ritual is meant to banish or invoke the four elements (Air, Fire, Water, and Earth respectively). The four pentagrams are connected by a circle, also drawn in the air, which is completed by returning from the North point to the East (beginning point).
Evocation of the Archangels, during which the magician stands in the form of a cross and declares the Archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel (or Auriel) to be present, while visualizing them at the four cardinal points. The magician then stands feet shoulder-width apart and says a variation of "...for about me flames the pentagram, and within me shines the six-rayed star."
The Qabalistic Cross is repeated.^[5]

References

Citations

^ Kraig (1998), pp. 165–166.
^ Cicero, Chic; Cicero, Sandra Tabatha (2003). The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7387-0310-7. The Golden Dawn manuscripts advocated performing the invoking form of this ritual in the morning and the banishing form at night. However, we feel that the beginning student needs to concentrate solely on the banishing form for a period of a few months, since beginners have a tendency to light up on the astral and unknowingly attract all manner of elementals and low levels of astral energies. Also, it is far more important to know how to banish than to invoke. Anyone can attract low spiritual energies. Getting rid of the same can be more difficult.
^ Hirsch (1978), p. ^{[page needed]}.
^ ^a ^b Scarborough (2003).
^ Cicero, Chic; Cicero, Sandra Tabatha (1995). Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition: A Complete Curriculum of Study for Both the Solitary Magician and the Working Magical Group. Llewellyn Worldwide. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-1-56718-136-4.

Works cited

Hirsch, Samson Raphael, ed. (1978) [1969]. Sidur Tefilot Yiśraʾel, the Hirsch Siddur: The Order of Prayers for the Whole Year. Israel: Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 9780873061421.
Kraig, Donald Michael (1998). Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (2nd ed.). Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 0-87542-324-8.
Scarborough, Samuel (Autumn 2003). "The Vibratory Formula and its Use in Daily Ritual Work". Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition. 1 (5).

Lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram

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