The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, or LRP for short, is one of the basic, fundamental techniques used in Western Ceremonial Magic. It is used practiced on a daily basis and is used for all rituals to clear and seal the work space. Visualization and focus are essential to creating a strong energy flow. There are variations of this ritual that are done with Greek, Egyptian and Celtic, and it has even been adopted and modified by many Wiccan traditions.
The LRP clears the area of negative influences. It uses the banishing or invoking Earth pentagram to clear away the physical and astral planes and to create a sacred work space. The Earth energy, being the densest of the elemental energies, clears away the energies of all four elements from the space, making it invaluable as an opening ritual. The LRP provides a quick way to open or close a circle or temple, and is as effective for simple meditation work as well as complex rituals. As it works not only with the elemental energies of the space but with the elemental energies within the practitioner as well, it also helps to clear out negative thoughts from the psyche.
The invoking version, using the invoking pentagram, is effective at drawing in the spiritual energy to the practitioner. This will result in increased energy and a quicker, more powerful spiritual evolution process. The banishing ritual, using the banishing pentagram, is usually used to protect yourself from unwanted influences or beings, or to close a temple or circle.
To draw the banishing pentagram, begin from the bottom left angle, moving up toward the top angle. To draw the invoking, start at the top and draw moving toward the bottom left angle. The pentagram is always drawn point up for this ritual.
1. Perform Qabalistic Cross.
2. Move to the East, or face East. Draw a large pentagram (invoking or banishing depending on the version of the ritual you are doing) with the black end of the Wand. (Assuming you are using the Wand of Double Power. If you are not, you may use whatever wand you use for directing energy, or use your finger to direct the flow of energy.) Bring down energy and send it to the pentagram, using the sign of the enterer. As you do, vibrate 'Yod-He-Vauv-He'. (Which is actually the pronunciation of the four Hebrew letters which make up the name. It means 'He/She is' or 'He/she creates'. It is sometimes called the Tetragrammaton, or the Four Lettered Name of God.) See the pentagram as vibrant, electric blue flames.
3. Using the black end of the wand, trace a line of electric blue flames as you move to the South, or turn to face South. Draw a pentagram with the wand as before and send energy with the projecting sign, vibrating 'Adonai' (which means 'Lord' or
'my Lord').
4. Draw the flaming blue line as before, moving or turning to the West. Draw the pentagram as before and send energy, vibrating 'Eheheh' (which means 'I am').
5. Draw the flaming blue line as before, moving or turning to the North. Draw the pentagram as before and send energy, vibrating 'Agla' (which is actually a Qabalistic acronym which stands for 'Ateh Gibor Le-Olam, Adonai' or 'Thou are great forever, my Lord').
6. Draw the flaming blue line as you return to the East, to join it with the beginning of the line. Return to the center. You should now be able to visualize the four pentagrams, one at each quarter, connected by the blue circle.
(These are not the divine names associated with the elements. Rather, these deal with the relationship of the magician to his or her 'Lord', as well as the awareness of the very real connection to the divine. This causes the terrestrial consciousness to be brought under control and more refined elements of existence are recognized and amplified in the temple.)
7. Return to the center and face East. Stand with your feet together and extend your arms of either side to form the shape of a cross.
8. Bring energy down into you, breathing deeply. Say 'Before me, Raphael' (vibrating the Archangelic name, which means 'The Health or Healing of God'). As you vibrate the name, visualize a ray of golden energy shooting from your solar plexus to the East. See the energy solidify into the form of Raphael. He is dressed in yellow robes, with yellow hair and holding the Caduceus wand. Smell the scent of incense issuing from Raphael.
9. Bring the energy in. Say 'Behind Me, Gabriel' (vibrating the name again, which means 'The Mighty One of God'). Visualize a golden ray of energy going from your solar plexus to the West. See it solidify into Gabriel. She is wearing a blue robe, with golden-orange hair and holding a chalice. Taste the waters of Gabriels chalice in your mouth.
10. Bring the energy in. Say 'To my right hand, Michael' (vibrating as before, the name means 'The Likeness of God'). Visualize the golden ray again, going to the South. See it solidify into Michael. He is wearing a red robe, with red hair and holding a flaming sword. From Michael, see the radiance and feel the heat of fire.
11. Bring the energy in. Say 'To my left hand, Uriel' (vibrating as before, the name means 'The Light or Torch of God'). Visualize the golden ray again, this time going to the North. It solidifies into Uriel. He is wearing an earthy colored robe, with dark hair and holding a shaft of wheat. Feel the moist earthiness that the wheat comes from.
(At this point, the temple is cleared of all astral and psychic debris. However, nature abhors a vacuum. So, it draws light from the column of Light in the center of the temple which was created during the Qabalistic Cross to fill the temple.)
12. Move your left foot out, forming the shape of the Pentagram. Say 'Around me flames the pentagram. Within me shines the six rayed star'. Visualize a blue pentagram surrounding you, and inside your chest, see the golden hexagram. (The pentagram represents the interplay of the elements within the world of creation. The hexagram represents the higher order of celestial intelligences, the seven classical planets, which are formed by two interlocking triangles, one pointed upwards and one down. Sol, the Sun, is at the center of the hexagram, and should be situated at the heart center.)
13. At this point, you should see the pentagrams and circle, the Archangels and the pentagram around you, with the hexagram within you.
14. Perform the Qabalistic Cross.
For superior knowledge and control of the elemental energies in ones life there is a more advanced version, the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram. It demands memorization of all twelve pentagrams. Also the God-names used are different than in the LBRP, and there are gestures and postures associated with each direction. This ritual allows you to invoke or banish one or all of the elements in one sitting. This makes it an invaluable tool when working with problems of an elemental nature.
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