All Text, Music, and Illustrations, including Paintings, Photographs, and 3D models, Copyright © 2022 by Jim Robbins.
THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM
Beginning with The Qabalistic Cross
The rituals known as the Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) help you to shift from the every day world to a spiritual focus. The Qabalistic Cross activates the aura in a balanced manner, linking the Divine with the higher self and preparing the subconscious mind for subtle forces. The LBRP, based on the equal-armed cross--which symbolizes the integrated personality and the harmony of the elements within manifestation--is normally performed immediately after the Qabalistic Cross and helps you to open even more to spiritual dimensions while clearing your ritual space and your mind of unwanted subtle energies. The LBRP protects you from unexpected astral influences and should be performed without fail after you open yourself spiritually to any subtle energy. Not to do so would be like opening your home to anyone on the street, except, of course, that subtle entities can be more powerful than any living human. At the risk of stating the obvious, I should mention that subtle forces usually cannot be perceived by the physical senses and therefore can end up being extremely troublesome. Banishing is a MUST.
Performing these two rituals shows the subconscious mind and the universe that 1) you are opening your subtle senses and your heart for the purpose of living in your higher self, and 2) you are also opening your sphere of influence to subtle forces. Both your soul and the universe will take you seriously, so you should not perform these rituals unless you are ready to expand your concept of self and to invite spiritual energies into your aura. In addition, as you regularly clear your aura of unwanted energies, you will eventually begin to see what is interfering with your spiritual development, which means that you might very well become motivated to make changes that affect other people. Performing these rituals shows a commitment to spiritual development that should not be taken lightly.
These rituals should be performed at least once a day if you are pursuing a spiritual path. You do not need any magical tools or regalia to perform the ritual, but you do need a small space and a little uninterrupted time (about twenty minutes or so). As far as space considerations are concerned, you should be in a room where you can at least turn and step forward in each of the four cardinal directions, east, south, west, and north, in that order. Many people choose to perform the LBRP twice a day, once in the morning and once the evening, due to the cleansing nature of the ritual. Before you begin, it helps to tense and relax the muscle groups in your body, from your toes to your scalp, while you are lying down. It also helps to imagine draining all the negative energy out of your aura into the Earth's magma and then filling your aura with light. The more relaxed and purified you feel, the more effective the ritual will be.
THE QABALISTIC CROSS
The Qabalistic Cross, which is referenced at the end of the Lord's Prayer, activates specific spheres of the Tree of Life within the aura and helps you shift to spiritual concerns. You begin by bringing pure spiritual light and energy from the limitless Source through your crown chakra, then down below your feet to Malkuth, "the Kingdom," then back up to the heart center, over to the right shoulder, associated with Geburah, "The Power," then across to the left shoulder, associated with Chesed (also known as Gedulah, "The Glory") and then back to the heart center. After the energy has circulated through the aura, you release it back to spirit as you conclude with "Amen." As you perform the ritual, vibrate the words out loud (if you feel comfortable doing so), or in your head using what is called "The Great Voice," so that your whole aura seems to vibrate with the sound, the premise being that all matter is the vibration of energy: By vibrating the divine words you are tuning your mind to the highest vibration. The basic ritual is as follows.
STEP ONE: Imagine yourself in the middle of a circle and face east. Visualize a brilliant light from the Source descending slowly, a small fraction of the endless, limitless light which comes to rest on the crown of your head.
STEP TWO: Imagine your head filling with the brilliant light. Point to your crown and vibrate A-TOH ("Thine"). Direct the light with your finger down the middle of your body until you are pointing at the ground, with your hand covering your groin. Visualize the brilliant light going down through your body beyond your feet to the center of the Earth and beyond to eternity while you vibrate Mahl-KOOT ("The Kingdom").
STEP THREE: Now direct the light with your finger quickly up to your heart center and over to your right shoulder. Visualize this beam of light extending from your heart out to eternity as you vibrate Vih G'Boo--RAH ("The Power").
STEP FOUR: Direct the light with your finger across your heart center to your left shoulder. Visualize the light extending from your heart out to eternity on your left side while you vibrate Vih G'Doo-LAH ("The Glory").
STEP FIVE: Bring the light back to your heart center and clasp your hands as if praying. Visualize a brilliant golden glow in your heart. Vibrate Lih-Oh-LAHM ("forever") Ah- MEN.
Essentially, you are linking the Divine with your higher self, directing the energy to the Earth, Malkuth, then back up to your heart center (associated with Tipareth, "Beauty"), then over to the middle sphere on the right pillar of the Tree of Life known as Geburah, then over to the middle sphere on the left pillar known as Gedulah. You are, in other words, saying as you perform the ritual, "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen," while you activate the aspects of your higher self represented by the Tree of Life in your aura.
THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (LBRP)
After you finish the ritual of the Qabalistic Cross, feeling the power of the Divine linking with your higher self within your aura, perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) to clear your ritual space and your sphere of sensation of unwanted subtle influences.
STEP ONE: Again imagine yourself in the middle of the circle. If you have room, step a few feet directly to the east; if not, simply face east. Draw a five-pointed star (known as a pentagram) in brilliant blue light, beginning with the bottom left point at your left hip, moving to the top point above your head, then down to the lower right point at your right hip, then over to the upper left point just beyond your left shoulder, then over to the upper right point just beyond your right shoulder, then back to the very point where you started.
STEP TWO: Inhale deeply, imagining that the energy of the Divine is entering your body and permeating your aura. As you inhale, raise your hands to the sides of your head next to your ears, with your index fingers pointing forward and the rest of your fingers closed into a fist.
STEP THREE: Step forward with your left foot while at the same time thrusting your hands, with index fingers still pointing forward, into the center of the pentagram. As you do this, exhale the Divine energy back into the cosmos and vibrate Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh, which stands for the Hebrew letters Yod, Heh, Vau, and final Heh of the "Tetragammaton" (the letters of the unpronounceable name of God).
STEP FOUR: After you bring your hands back to your sides, bring your left foot back to its original position. Put your left index finger to your lips, giving the sign of silence. Put your left hand down by your side and extend your right arm, pointing with your right forefinger at the center of the pentagram. Move clockwise ninety degrees to the south at the edge of the circle (or simply turn east if you don't have room), mentally drawing a brilliant white line with your forefinger at the level of the center of the pentagram until you reach due south. Draw a pentagram as described in Step One and repeat Steps Two and Three, this time vibrating Ah-Doh-Nye ("Adonai").
STEP FIVE: Repeat the steps shown above, but go to the west and vibrate Eh-Heh-YEH ("Eheieh").
STEP SIX: Repeat the steps shown above, but go to the north and vibrate AH-Glah ("Agla").
STEP SEVEN: Complete the circle by drawing the white line to the center of the pentagram in the east, imagining that the white circle you have drawn expands into a brilliant white sphere, with the blazing blue pentagrams still in each quarter. Then move back to the center of the circle (if you have not been simply pivoting in the center). You are now in the center of a divine, protective sphere, with the pentagrams in each quarter charged and sealed with the names of God.
STEP EIGHT: Form a cross with your body by holding your arms straight out to the sides. Imagine that your body is a brilliant cross of light. Imagine a towering figure in front of you in a bright yellow robe with violet hems and highlights. The figure holds a long, brilliant sword perfectly balanced straight up and down. As a breeze comes towards you from behind the figure, say, "Before me, Rah-Fay-EL." (You are vibrating the name of the Archangel Raphael--who symbolizes the element of Air.)
STEP NINE: Visualize a towering figure behind you in a bright blue robe with orange hems and highlights. The figure holds a golden chalice. As you feel the moisture in the air, say, "Behind me, Gahb-Ray-EL. (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Gabriel, who symbolizes the element of Water.)
STEP TEN: Visualize a towering figure on your right in a bright red robe with green hems and highlights. The figure stands in fire and holds a caduceus, a wand entwined with serpents symbolizing the life force. As you feel the heat of the fire, say, "On my right, Mee-Chai-EL (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Michael, who symbolizes the element of Fire. The "ch" in "Chai" should be gutteral, like "Bach.")
STEP ELEVEN: Visualize a towering figure on your left dressed in a white robe with black hems. The figure stands in a fertile landscape and holds sheaves of wheat. Say, "On my left, Ohr-Ree-EL . (Vibrate the name of the Archangel Auriel).
STEP TWELVE: Imagine a brilliant blue pentagram outlining your body and say, "For about me flames the pentagram and within me shines the six-rayed star." Then Visualize a hexagram (also known as the Star of David) in your heart center. Repeat the Qabalistic Cross.
If you perform a simple or advanced invocation using the Tarot after that, make sure that you repeat the Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP at the end.
(Please Note: Some practitioners imagine Raphael holding a caduceus wand and Michael holding a flaming sword. I started out trying to envision this, but could only envision Raphael holding a sword like the one representing the Suit of Swords in the Tarot, and Michael holding a caduceus wand. I have since discovered that other practitioners agree with me.)
THE SUPREME INVOKING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (SIRP)
The Archangels Raphael (Air), Michael (Fire), Gabriel (Water), and Auriel (Earth) rule the elemental energies represented by the Tree of Life, which ripple out as the energies of the zodiac and the planets. Therefore, this ritual enables you to touch the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. One of the main goals of any significant spiritual tradition is to return the mind to a state of radical innocence where one "returns to paradise." The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram creates an extremely rare state of liberty--the mind becomes completely open and the emotions become free of negativity and anxiety. Invoking the Great Archangels of the Elements can establish spiritual "innocence" as well as enable you to experience a profound sense of eternity. In other words, the SIRP, if performed effectively, cleanses and purifies the spiritual, mental, emotional, and etheric levels of the psyche. A relationship with these Archangels is important because, quite simply, they are four of the most powerful beings of harmony in the universe that we can know. This ritual, therefore, can lead to major changes because it creates a unified frequency within the aura and because the resulting state of purity and balance inevitably inspires close examination of social and religious values as well as the behavior of others around us.
At first, this ritual might not do anything for you, or it might cause you to feel disoriented because of the way society has conditioned you. Performing this ritual might also make you a target of negative spiritual beings, which means that you might need to work with the Archangels to neutralize dark forces to create balance. I ask you to consider performing this ritual only if you are dedicated to creating harmony and balance on a subtle spiritual level for humanity and this planet. If you do, and you are like me, you will change completely, and you might not be able at first to understand the changes you are experiencing. You might, for instance, be tempted to use your spiritual powers like a sorcerer, for your benefit alone. If, however, you invoke the Archangels to cause harm or disorder, you might find your negativity directed right back at you....
The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram packs tremendous spiritual power into a relatively brief ceremony. Even if you feel awkward at first while performing the ritual, you may find that you experience startling results. In my opinion, you should not perform this ritual unless you truly desire to have a new perspective on yourself, the world, and your spirituality. Like I did, you might each time open a portal to the spiritual dimension, so you must, without fail, perform The Lesser Banishing Ritual immediately afterwards every time. I speak from experience--I made the mistake of not performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual once and had one of the most bizarre spiritual experiences in my life. Not all inhabitants of this world are made of sweetness and light. That is true of the spiritual dimensions as well. (Worse, the occupants of other dimensions are usually invisible to human beings.) As with everything else, you simply need to take the appropriate precautions.
Many guiding lights of civilization have performed the rituals associated with the mystical Qabalah, including William Butler Yeats, who is considered one of the greatest poets of the Twentieth Century; Dion Fortune and Israel Regardie, both influential writers who have brilliantly clarified the tradition; and Arthur Edward Waite, who was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck. This ritual incorporates Hebrew and an Angelic language known as "Enochian," recorded in late sixteenth century England in the private journals of John Dee, a consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. Working with the seer Edward Kelley, Dee laid the foundation for a powerful and mysterious system of magic, which has had an enormous impact on modern occult practices, mainly through the influence of the esoteric order The Golden Dawn. Despite the fact that no one knows precisely how to pronounce the language, Enochian has gained great popularity, perhaps due to its uncanny effect on the psyche.
I designed the Tarot Pentagram Spread specifically to fit into the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram to add power to the invocation of living images because each Tarot card corresponds to an elemental state of being. Remember that each Tarot card corresponds to the Tree of Life and with a dimension of Universal Consciousness. This ritual super-charges any ritual you create with Tarot cards. You can seamlessly incorporate the Tarot Pentagram Spread into the ritual if you pay close attention to the elemental attributes of the cards. (See example in Step 11.) This ritual, of course, can serve any spiritual purpose, with or without Tarot cards. I have discovered that establishing and maintaining a reverent relationship with the Angels and Archangels, which is accomplished through a desire to serve the Divine Will for the highest possible good, is perhaps the most necessary element of the ritual.
This ritual is awesome and sacred. It is not intended to be a mere experiment or a game. You are in danger of becoming greatly unbalanced and could experience serious trials if you are not working to create harmony for the highest possible good of yourself, your friends or family members, or humanity and the planet.
1) Perform the Qabalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). See link below.
2) Facing east, imagine yourself in the middle of a circle. If you have room, step a few feet directly to the east; if not, simply face east. Inhale deeply, imagining that the energy of the divine is entering your body and permeating your aura. As you exhale, vibrate the word of power EXARP (Ex-ahr-pey) while drawing the Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualizing it in brilliant white light: Begin at the bottom right point (Fire) at your right hip, moving to the upper left point (Air) at your left shoulder, then over to the upper right point at your right shoulder (Water), then down to the lower left point at your left hip (Earth), then up to the top point just above your head (Spirit), then back to the lower right point where you started. You should be sounding out the last syllable as you make the Sign of the Enterer to charge the pentagram. Make sure to save enough breath so that you can charge the pentagram as you are vibrating the last syllable, "pey." Remember to vibrate the words, either out loud (if you feel comfortable doing so) or in your head using the “The Great Voice," so that your whole aura seems to vibrate with the sound, the premise being that all matter is the vibration of energy--and by vibrating the divine names you are tuning your mind to the highest vibration.
As in the LBRP, to make the Sign of the Enterer, raise your hands to the sides of your head next to your ears, with your index fingers pointing forward and the rest of your fingers closed into a fist. Step forward with your left foot while at the same time thrusting your hands, with index fingers still pointing forward, into the center of the pentagram. In the SIRP, thrust the hands forward at the end of the word of power.
Draw the spirit wheel in the center of the pentagram, making a circle clockwise in brilliant white, starting and ending at the top. Next, draw the vertical line, then the horizontal line, then the two diagonal lines. Vibrate EHEIEH (Eh-heh-yeh) while making the wheel. Again make the Sign of the Enterer by thrusting your hands forward at the end of the word of power.
3) Still facing east, make the invoking Pentagram of Air, visualized in purple light, directly over the Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram. In other words, start at the upper right hand point, near your right shoulder, then continue over to your left shoulder, then down to your right hip, and so on until you are back where you started. Vibrate ORO IBAH AOZPI (Oh-row Ee-bah-hah Ah-oh-zohd-pee) while drawing the pentagram. Charge the symbol by thrusting the hands forward in the Sign of the Enterer. Then draw the Aquarius symbol in bright yellow within the pentagram. (Please note that Air, Fire, and Water elemental pentagrams contain "flashing" colors; that is, the primary symbol is drawn in the color of the element, and the pentagram is drawn in the complementary color.) Vibrate YHVH (Yod-heh-vav-heh) while making the symbol. Charge the symbol by again thrusting the hands forward.
Then imagine sylphs, like tiny points of brilliant light, flowing towards you from the Archangel Raphael, who is dressed in a bright yellow robe, trimmed and flecked with violet. Imagine the sylphs completely filling your aura with their light.
4) Move clockwise to the south, making a line of brilliant white light. Every time you move to a different cardinal direction, point with your index finger to make a brilliant white line that connects the pentagrams in the center. Make another Active Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light. Vibrate BITOM (Bee-toh-em) while drawing the pentagram and charge by thrusting the hands forward. Draw the wheel within the pentagram. Vibrate EHEIEH while making the wheel, then charge the symbol.
5) Make the invoking Pentagram of Fire, visualized in bright green light. From the top of the star, move down to the lower right point and continue from there back to the top point. Vibrate OIP TEAA PEDOCE (Oh-ee-pay Tay-ah-ah Pay-doh-kay) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the Leo symbol in bright red within the pentagram. Vibrate ELOHIM (El-oh-heem) while making this symbol. (In the rest of the ritual, vibrate all of the words of power and charge the pentagrams and symbols in the same way.)
Imagine salamanders, like tiny points of brilliant fire, flowing towards you from the Archangel Michael, who is dressed in a bright red robe, trimmed and flecked with green. Imagine the salamanders completely filling your aura with their fiery light.
6) Trace the circle clockwise to the west, carrying a line of brilliant white light. Make the Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light, this time starting at the lower left point and moving to the upper right point and continuing from there. Vibrate HCOMA (Hay-coh-mah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the wheel of spirit within the pentagram. Vibrate AGLA (Ah-glah) while making the wheel.
7) Make the Invoking Pentagram of Water, visualized in orange light. Vibrate EMPEH ARSEL GAIOL (Ehm-pay-hay Ahr-sel Gah-ee-ohl) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the head of an eagle in bright blue within the pentagram. Vibrate EL while making this symbol.
Now imagine undines, like tiny drops of brilliant water, flowing towards you from the Archangel Gabriel, who is dressed in a bright blue robe, trimmed and flecked with orange. Imagine the undines completely filling your aura with bright, cleansing water.
8) Trace the circle clockwise to the north, carrying a line of bright white light. Make the Passive Spirit Invoking Pentagram, visualized in white light. Vibrate NANTA (Ehn-ah-ehn-tah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the wheel within the pentagram. Vibrate AGLA while making the wheel.
9) Make the Invoking Pentagram of Earth, visualized in dark green light. Vibrate EMOR DIAL HECTEGA (Ee-mohr Dee-ahl Hek-tay-gah) while drawing the pentagram. Draw the Taurus symbol in shiny black within the pentagram. Vibrate ADONAI (Ah-doh-nye) while making this symbol.
Imagine gnomes, like tiny points of brilliant light, flowing towards you from the Archangel Auriel, who is dressed in a white robe trimmed with black. Imagine the gnomes completely filling your aura with their light.
10) Complete the ritual circle clockwise to the east. Return to the center. Imagine the white line that connects the pentagrams expanding to form a sphere of brilliant white light that surrounds you.
11) Perform your magic. If you are creating an artificial elemental (living image) with the Tarot Ritual Pentagram Spread, lay the foundation cards down and all other cards on your altar in the direction of the element you are emphasizing in the invocation.
Then lay down the modifiers on the appropriate Ace, first the card representing the zodiac sign, then the card reprenting the planet, then a Number Card, if appropriate.
Remember, if you are invoking the elemental energy of a card related to Air, you and the cards should face east, and you should use the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Air Pentagram.
If you are invoking the elemental energy of a card related to Fire, you and the cards should face south, and you should use the Active Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Fire Pentagram.
If you invoking the energy of a card related to the Water element, face west and use the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Water Pentagram.
If you invoking the energy of a card related to the Earth element, face north and use the Passive Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the Earth Pentagram.
Lay down the Major Arcana card representing the zodiac sign. Say the name of the card and its related zodiac sign while tapping the card.
Lay down the Major Acrana card representing the planet and say the name of the card and its related planet while tapping the card. Do the same with any Number Card, tapping the card while saying the decan.
After laying down the cards, draw the Invoking Spirit Pentagram and the spirit wheel in the air in brilliant white above the central Tarot card on the altar, charging the pentagram and the symbol of the element in the usual way with the Sign of the Enterer. As you visualize the living image of the Tarot card floating in the middle of the Pentagram, imagine that the appropriate elementals flow from the Archangel and fill the living image while at the same time points of light flow from your aura and fill the living image as well.
Say, "I name you Lord (or Lady) of ______," based on the alternate title of the card.
Say, "Reflect the quality of ______ from the astral light into my aura," based on the spiritual principle revealed in the card. This can be anything from a sentence to a whole paragraph.
Say, "Perform this task until ______ (providing a date), then return to your element, doing no harm."
12) Always finish with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram!
