Techniques of Light:

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP)

from: "MODERN MAGICK Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts"

by Donald Michael Kraig

Lesson 2 The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram Preliminaries... Start by going to the area where you will do the ritual.

If you have an altar, put it in the exact center of your area. (A small table covered with a black cloth, or the traditional "double cube." A good size for the traditional altar is 36 inches high by 18 inches wide by 18 inches deep. This way you can have an altar that is like two 18 inches square cubes on top of one another - as above, so below. Also candles are much better than electric light for ritual work.) To be totally complete, you may with to take a ritual cleansing bath before the ritual. This type of bath is not intended to merely take the dirt off your skin. Rather, it cleans negativity and the cares of the day from your spirit. First, take a shower to get the dirt off. Then run a warm bath. Be sure to put in some bath salts of Epsom salts with some nicely scented oil or perfume added.

Then get in and just soak for a few minutes. Feel all of your cares, worries and negativity going into the water. Now, pull the plug and let the water drain *while you stay in the water.* As the water slowly drains you will feel all of the negative things which were troubling you go down with the water. After all of the water has drained out of the tub, get out and dry yourself with a clean, fresh towel. Finally, put on your robe or special Magickal clothes.

If you have them, put the four tools which represent the Magickal elements on top of the altar. (The 4 traditional tools or "weapons" used by ceremonial magicians are the wand, the cup, the dagger, and the pentacle. You could also use a paper cup to represent elemental Water; salt, instead of a pentacle, to represent elemental Earth; a match, instead of a wand, to represent elemental Fire, and a feather, instead of a dagger, to represent elemental Air. Have your Tarot Cards --Divination tools- on your altar. You may also wish to include a bell to mark the beginning and end of the ritual, as well as marking of various sections of more complex ceremonies.)

Remember, have *all* of them present or use none of them. Put the Major Arcana cards in a pile on top of the altar, too. Bring a chair into your area to that you can sit. You should be facing the East. If you have candles, light them and turn out any electric lights you have burning.

Also, light any incense you wish to burn at this time.

East

You

North ALTAR South

Chair

West

 

Sit in the chair, facing East, and do the Relaxation Ritual:

1. Sit or lay in a place where you will not be disturbed for at least 5 minutes. Remember to unplug the telephone. Get comfortable. If you are sitting, your back should be straight. Whether sitting or lying down, your legs and arms should not be crossed. If sitting, rest your hands, palms down, in your lap. Your eyes should be closed.

2. Visualize a golden ball of beautiful, warm light surrounding your feet. If you cannot "See" the ball of light when you visualize it, that is OK. Just *know* that is its there. Truly know that if your powers of visualization were different you would be able to see it. The ball of golden warm light always brings peace and total relaxation. Whenever the ball of light goes, tension departs. Let it go, and as it goes, feel your feet filled with the warm, golden glow of peace and total relaxation.

3. Now allow this ball of light to rise up your legs and up your torso. Then allow it to go down your arms to your fingers, and finally up your neck and into your head until you are completely covered with the warm, golden glow of total peace and relaxation, and all tension is gone. If you notice tension anywhere, send the ball of light there and the tension will vanish.

4. Stay in this state of deep relaxation for a few moments. Know that you can return to this state whenever you like, simply by doing the relaxation ritual. If you are having trouble sleeping, try this ritual when you lay down at night instead of suffering or taking drugs. Be at one with yourself.

5. When you are ready to come out of this start of deep relaxation, take 3 deep breaths and feel fresh life and energy coming into your body with each breath. Be sure to record your experiences in your ritual diary.

Now stand, still facing East. Take the dagger (*not* the Air dagger) in your right hand, or make a fist and point with your index (first) finger. Know that you are in the Presence of God! The ritual has begun!

 

Part One: The Kabalistic Cross.

 

1. Visualize yourself getting larger and larger, taller and taller, until you tower above the room you are in. Continue this growing visualization until the city you live in is small beneath your feet. See the continent as tiny compare to your majestic body. Now even the Earth is small beneath your feet. However, no matter how small the Earth is, it is still firm and solid beneath your feet, anchoring you to the ground. You will not float away.

Next visualize yourself growing to large that the planets of our solar system are like tiny toy rubber balls spinning near your feet. Soon they are too small to see as even the Milky Way galaxy becomes a small dot of light at your feet. Now visualize a dot of light coming from somewhere far above your head. Know that this is only a tiny bit of the light from this source, and if you saw the full brightness of this light you would immediately be blinded and quite possibly go insane. This tiny bit of the endless, limitless light forms a brilliant white sphere of pulsating light just above your head. It is nine inches in diameter, about the size of a dinner plate. It is brighter than 10,000 suns but still only a tiny portion of the source of this divine, spiritual white light. Point to that sphere above your head with your dagger or finger and "bring it down" (by pointing) to your forehead, just above and between the eyes. Nest, visualize this brilliance filling your head with divine light. While pointing to your forehead *vibrate*: Ah-TAH (capitalized syllable denotes emphasis).

2. Bring the pointer of the dagger or your finger firmly down your body until you are pointing toward the ground. Your hand with the blade should be covering you groin. As you do this visualize the light in your head coming down along with the blade or your finger, down through your body and beyond your feet down to eternity. *Vibrate*: Mahl-KOOT.

3. Now bring the blade up to your right shoulder. As you do this,visualize the beam of white light running down the center of your body form a beam from the heart area out to your right. past the blade at your right shoulder. See this beam of light extend to the end of the universe, and beyond. Focus on this beam and *vibrate*: Vih-G'Boo-RAH.

4. Move the point of the blade horizontally to your left shoulder. As you do, visualize the beam of white light now extending through infinite space to your left. As you focus on this beam of light *vibrate*: Vih-G'Doo-LAH.

5. Clasp your hands at your chest as if praying. If you are using a dagger, the point should be up, not pointing away from you, nor to the sides or down. Visualize within your chest, at the point covered by your folded hands, a brilliant golden glow. *vibrate*: Lih-oh-LAHM, Auh-MEN.

You have visualized yourself as the center of the universe with only the divine light coming through you. You may wish to remain in this position for a few minutes to feel its power.

The meaning of this first part of the LBRP is as follows: Ah-TAH means "Thine" in Hebrew. The visualization given above along with the proper pointing of the dagger or finger is for the purpose of indicating that you are liking your higher self with the Divine. Mahl-KOOT means "Kingdom," and according to the Kaballah refers to the Earth. That is why you should be pointing down. Vih-G'Boo-RAH means "and the power" while Vih-G'Doo-LAH means "and the glory." Lih-Oh-LAHM means "forever," and Auh-MEN, of course, means amen.

Thus, the first part of this ritual translates as "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and glory forever, amen." Does this sound familiar? It should. It is part of the Lord's Prayer. And although this was added to the original text of the prayer as it appears in the gospels, it does seem to prove that at least some of the early Christians knew the secrets of the Kaballah. Several of the words used here refer directly to the symbol of primary import in the Kaballah, the Tree of Life.

 

Part 2: The Formulation of the Pentagram.

 

1. Going to your left, move around to the front of your altar, to the edge of the space of your circle so that you are at the east edge of the circle and facing away from the middle of the circle where your altar stands. In other words, you are at the East and facing East. Here, draw a pentagram as was described previously. Be sure to visualize the figure as a flaming gas-jet blue pentagram as you draw.

2. Inhale through the nose. As you do, feel energy flow from the ends of the universe through your done and body, and down and out of the bottoms of your feet to the center of the Earth. (You are no longer at the center of your Magickal circle and thus at the center of the universe as in the first part of this ritual.) As you inhale, both hands should be raised to the sides of your head by your ears. The dagger or right-hand index finger, should be pointing forward. Your left hand (which should have remained at your side until now) is drawn into a similar position by your left ear, the index finger pointing forward, the rest of the fingers closed into a fist.

3. Step forward with the *left* foot. At the same time thrust your hands forward so that they point at the exact middle of the glowing blue pentagram in front of your (this position is known as a "God Form" and is the God Form know as "the Enterer"). As you do this you should exhale and feel the Energy come back up your body, out your arms and hands, through the pentagram and to the ends of the universe. You should use the entire exhalation to vibrate the God Name: Yud-Heh-Vahu-Heh.

4. Bring your hands back to your ears while bringing your left foot back to its original position. Put your left hand down by your side and point to the center of the pentagram with your right forefinger or dagger. Now trace a line in the air at the height of the center of the pentagram as you move in a clockwise direction around the edge of your circle's space. You should go 90 degrees so that you end up in the South, facing South. As you trace the line in the air you should visualize a brilliant white light emanating from the tip of your finger or blade. At the South, repeat parts

1 and 2 of Step (a), but vibrate: Ah-Doh-NYE.

5. Repeat as above, but move to the West and vibrate: Eh-Heh-YEH.

6. Repeat as above, but move to the North and vibrate: AH-Glah.

7. Complete the circle by connecting a white line from the North to the

East where you began. Then moving in a the same clockwise direction, come back behind the altar and in front of the chair as when you started the ritual. You should once again be facing to the East. Note: If you do not have room for a circle, simply pivot where you stand behind the altar.

8. Now visualize the brilliant white circle expanding up and down to form a sphere above, below and all around you. What you have done is created a sphere in brilliant white all around you with electric bleu pentagrams at the quarters which have been charged and sealed with Names of God.

...There are many names for God, but there is only one Source of All. We can learn more about that divine Source by learning about these aspects of God which are available to us, that is,by tuning in to what is represented by the Names of God.

YUD-HEH-VAHV-HEH is known as the holy, ultimate and unspeakable Name of God. It's true pronunciation is unknown. In English we could say that it is formed of the letters Y-H-V-H. Jews never pronounce the word, instead saying Ah-doh-nye. By placing the Hebrew vowels of Ah-doh-nay (which means "my Lord") around the four letters which are known the Tetragrammaton, the word Yahovah or Jehovah is formed. Therefore, to use these "names" shows a total misunderstanding of this holy name. Yahveh or Yahweh, is also a misnomer, an attempt to pronounce a word with no vowels. You see, YHVH may merely be an abbreviation for a longer word or a code for the other letters. It is possible that some of the letters of this name are doubled. No one knows for sure.

YUD-HEH-VAHV-HEH is the English transliteration for how the Hebrew letters, represented by the culinity (the Taoist Yang or Jungian Animus), and the first H, called the HEH superior, represents archetypal Femininity (the Taoist Yin or the Jungian Anima). The V, called VAHV in Hebrew, looks like and extended YED (there is a deep, Magickal mystery here) and represents physical femininity. Thus, this ultimate name of God, the Tetragrammaton, the YHVH, says that God is the ultimate unity, a perfect blend of all dualities (as represented by the male-female symbolism) on all planes. Certainly this in not a bad notion of the essence of Divinity.

EH-HEH-YEH means "I am" or "I shall be." It is the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. In the story, God tells Moses to go to Egypt and free the Hebrews, to which Moses asks, "Who shall I say sent me?" God's response is "Eh-heh-yeh ah-share Eh-heh-yeh," meaning "I am that I am," or "I shall be that I shall be."

AH-GLAH is how the next God name is pronounced, but it is most commonly spelled AGLA. This is because it is an abbreviation for the words, Ah-tah Gee-boor Lih-oh-lahm Ah-doh-nay. It means "Thou are great forever, my lord," and is from a Hebrew prayer. These four God names are associated with the directions and Magickal elements of the four quarters.

PART 3: THE EVOCATION OF THE ARCHANGELS:

 

1. Spread your arms straight out to the sides, so that your body forms a cross. If you have a dagger, the point should be up. Take a second or two to once again feel the energies flowing through you and making you a brilliant cross of light at the center of the universe. The cross also represents the four archetypal elements: Air, Earth, Fire and Water (more on these later).

2. Visualize a figure on a hill in front of your. The figure is dressed yellow robes which have some purplish highlights. The figure carries a caduceus wand (the symbol used by doctors, a wand entwined by serpents, which represents the life force) and the figure's robes wave in the wind. You should "feel" a breeze coming from behind the figure. Say, "Before me, Rah-fay-EL." (vibrate the name of the ArchAngel.)

3. Visualize a figure behind you, dressed in blue with some orange highlights. The figure holds a cup and is surrounded by waterfalls. Try to feel the moisture in the air. Say, "Behind me, Gahb-Ray-El." (vibrate the name.)

4. to your right visualize a figure dressed in scarlet with green highlights. The figure holds a flaming sword and you should feel heat coming from this direction. Say, "On my right hand, Mee-chai-EL." (vibrate the name. The "ch" is a guttural sound as in the German "ach" or the Scottish "loch.")

5. To your left visualize a figure dressed in greens and brown on a fertile landscape. The figure holds some sheaves of wheat. Say, "And on my left hand Ohr-ree-EL." (vibrate the name)

6. Move your left foot out to your left and visualize another beautiful blue pentagram all around you, outlining your body. Say, "for about me flames the pentagram...."

7. Visualize a golden hexagram,a six-pointed star sometimes called a Jewish star, or Star of David, within you, right where your Heart is. Say, "And within me shines the six-rayed star."

 

Part 4: Repeat Part 1: the Kabalistic Cross.

 

Again, other people have slightly different version for the Evocation of the Arch Angels section. In one you would say, "Around me flames the pentagram, above me shines the six-rayed star." Another says, "Before me is the pentagram and behind me is the six-rayed star." They are minor differences, but you might like to try them and see how they affect you.

After doing the LBRP, sit in the chair and do the Tarot Contemplation Ritual. (draw 1 card from the pack & concentrate on it for 3 minutes.)

Thus, the order for your practical daily work should be as follows:

The Relaxation Ritual.

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

The Tarot Contemplation Ritual.

On the next page you will find a summary which gives a schematic of the LBRP without any of the explanations. Use it as you learn the ritual, but *this*ritual*should*be*memorized!*

 

VIBRATORY FORMULAE

 

In the LBRP there are words which are meant to be said forcefully and with authority such as "FOR ABOUT ME FLAMES THE PENTAGRAM." But there are also words in Hebrew which are meant to be "vibrated." You may have come across the expression before in your reading, and it will now be explained in full.

It has long been an occult secret that all matter is made of vibration. Today many scientist depend on this being a fact in their research. If we follow this assumption that all matter is vibratory energy, then Magick becomes a type of science which allows a person to affect vibrations. It becomes a very valuable for us to develop an understanding of how to control vibratory energy.

There is a physical phenomenon known as "harmonic resonance." This simply means that if one object vibrates powerfully enough, another object nearby will start to vibrate (or resonate) with the first *if* the second object has a natural vibratory rate in harmony with the first. As and example, if a violin note is played near a piano,the piano strings which have certain harmonic relationships to the violin note will sound; they will start to resonate. Thus, if you can control the vibration rate of one object, such as yourself, you will be able to cause certain reactions in other objects, such as those which exist on other planes of existence. Therefore, an understanding of how to vibrate words is essential for a magician!

THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM

1. Touch your forehead, vibrate Ah-Tah.

2. Point down, covering the groin, vibrate Mahl-Koot.

3. Touch right shoulder, vibrate Vih-G'boo-Rah.

4. Touch left shoulder, vibrate Vih-G'do'Lah.

5. Fold hands at chest, vibrate Lih-Oh-Lahm, Ah-Men.

6. Go to East, draw pentagram, point to center, vibrate Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh.

7. Carry line to South, draw pentagram, point to center, vibrate Ah-Doh-Nye.

8. Carry line to West, draw pentagram, point to center, vibrate Eh-Heh-Yeh.

9. Carry line to North, draw pentagram, point to center, vibrate Ah-Glah.

10. Carry line to East, completing circle, return to center.

11. Hands out, say, "Before me, Rah-Fay-El,

"Behind me, Gahb-Ray-El,

"On my right hand Mih-Chai-El,

"And on my left hand Ohr-Ree-El.

"For about me flames the pentagram,

"And within me shines the six-rayed star."

12. Repeat steps 1-5.