The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) by the Golden Dawn
If you’re curious about the deeper history of this ritual, I’ve written a separate blog post called The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram that explores its origins in more detail. But for now, here’s the short version: this ritual is designed to clear your space of unwanted energies, help you center yourself, and establish a connection with the divine.
There are many versions of the LBRP out there, and I plan to explore as many of them as I can in future posts, but since the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is where this ritual first took shape, it feels only right that we begin with their version.
Magical Tools for the Ritual
For this ritual, you can use a steel dagger, a wand, or simply the index finger of your right hand — all three are perfectly valid. When we get to the Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP), and I say things like “touch your forehead” or “draw a pentagram,” just use whichever tool you’ve chosen, but please try not to poke yourself in the eye. It’s hard to channel divine light when you’re wincing.
A Note on Earth Banishing Pentagrams and How to Draw Them
The Golden Dawn version of the LBRP requires you to draw an Earth banishing pentagram in each of the four main cardinal points. This simply means that when you draw the pentagram you start at Earth (the bottom left of the pentagram).
To draw an Earth banishing pentagram follow the steps below:
- Draw from Earth to Spirit,
- Spirit to Fire,
- Fire to Air,
- Air to Water,
- Water to Earth
For points of reference, Earth and Fire are roughly inline with your hips, Air and Water are roughly inline with you shoulders, and Spirit is above your head.
Pre-Ritual Preparation
It is important to prepare your mind and body before undertaking any magical work, but prior to undergoing this ritual, Israel Regardie recommends a technique known as box breathing. To perform this breath exercise, follow the steps below.
Box Breathing
- Empty the lungs, then count to 4.
- Inhale, counting to 4 until you feel full with breath.
- Hold the breath and count to 4.
- Exhale, counting to 4 until the lungs are empty.
There is no set rules to how fast you count, but you should count at a pace that is comforting and calming to you. Personally I have found that counting along with my heartbeat works well.
Practice this for a couple of minuets before moving onto the next step, the Qabalistic Cross.
The Qabalistic Cross
When performing the Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP say each word out loud in a way that vibrates your body. Imagine that the word is travelling across the earth, into space and across the universe.
- Face East.
- Imagine a brilliant white sphere of light touching the top of your head.
- Reach up with your magical tool to connect with the light, and bring it down to your forehead.
- Touch your forehead and vibrate “Atoh” (Ah-Tow – “Thou Art”).
- Touch your solar plexus, then bring your magical tool down the centre of your body and point to the ground between your feet.
- Imagine the light descending from your forehead to your feet where it creates another sphere. Vibrate “Malkuth” (Mal Kooth “The Kingdom”).
- Touch the right shoulder with your magical tool, visualise a point of white light and vibrate “ve-Geburah” (v’ge-boo-rah – “The Power”).
- Touch the left shoulder with your magical tool, visualise a point of white light that now connects the the two points between your shoulder. Vibrate “ve-Gedulah” (v’ge-doo-lah – “The Glory”).
- Imagine a cross of white light travelling through and out of your body, from above your head to below your feet and out of both shoulders.
- Clasp the hands Infront of the solar plexus with your fingers crossed as if praying and vibrate “Le-Olahm“, Amen (lay-oh-lahm, ah-men – “Forever, Amen”).
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Once you’ve completed the Qabalistic Cross, remain facing East. That’s your starting point, the place of beginnings, illumination, and the rising sun.
- Extend your right arm. Using your chosen magical tool, draw a banishing Earth pentagram in the air before you. As you do, picture it blazing in golden-blue flame.
- Now, pierce the center of that pentagram and vibrate the sacred name: YHVH (pronounced Yod-heh-vav-heh). Feel the resonance as you speak it, it’s not just a word, it’s a current of energy and power.
- Keeping your arm extended, turn slowly to the South. As you move, imagine a line of that same golden-blue flame trailing from the center of the pentagram in the East, forming a protective arc through the air.
- At the South, draw another banishing Earth pentagram. Pierce its center and vibrate the divine name: Adonai (Ah-doh-nye).
- Turn to the West, again drawing a flaming arc as you go. Draw your third pentagram. Pierce the center, and vibrate: Eheieh (Eh-hey-yay).
- Turn to the North, again drawing an arc of flame as you go. Draw your last Earth banishing pentagram. Pierce its center and vibrate: AGLA (Ah-gah-lah).
- Now return to face the East, completing the circle. A full circuit of sacred space, defined by four flaming pentagrams joined in a ring of spiritual light has now been created.
- Extend your arms outward to your sides, palms up, forming a cross. Keep the image of the four pentagrams glowing around you, bound together by the circle of golden-blue flame.
Now call the archangels:
- “Before me, Raphael” (Rah-fay-el). Visualize Raphael standing just beyond the eastern pentagram, robed in yellow and violet, holding a caduceus wand.
- “Behind me, Gabriel” (Gah-bree-el). Behind you in the West, see Gabriel in flowing blue and orange, carrying a silver chalice.
- “On my right, Michael” (Mee-kai-el). To the South, Michael appears in red robes, holding a flaming sword.
- “On my left, Uriel” (Ur-ee-el). To the North, Uriel stands clad in earthen tones — citrine, olive, russet, and black — holding shafts of golden wheat.
Then declare:
“For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column shines the six-rayed star.”
To close, repeat the Qabalistic Cross, returning to stillness, centered, and sealed, and ready to perform other magical works.
