The Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram
“Give me a place to stand and I will
move the earth!”—Archimedes
What is the LBRP?
The LBRP stands for the Lesser Banishing Ritual of Pentagram. This ritual was developed by the Golden Dawn9 and is based on traditional Hebrew prayers and the writings of Eliphas Lévi, a 19th Century French occultist.
Because of its simplicity and efficacy, it has become a centerpiece of practical magick, and most ceremonial magicians use some version of it when performing magick.
What does banishing mean?
Banishing is a common term in magick, which means clearing your mental, emotional, and physical space. However, I’m not happy with this term. The more you practice magick, the less accurate and misleading the term “banishing” is. As your magick and perception of the universe grows, you will experience a distinct unity with the universe and cosmos. Therefore when you “banish” something, where does it go? It implies there is some garbage heap out there where you push unwanted energies, but that is just wrong.
A better word to describe the calming, balancing wave of energy that a good banishing ritual confers is “equilibrating.” A banishing ritual is actually about balancing energies and centering us within our own body.
What is the ERP?
ERP stands for the Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram. The ERP is the version of the LBRP I am going to give in this book.10 It is streamlined, pared down to the essentials of what is necessary for fluidity, safety, and practical results.
Why perform the Equilibrating
Ritual of the Pentagram?
This ritual is the minimum requirement for any magickal progress with this book. You will perform it before doing any practical magick whatsoever. If you continue the path of magick, you will use it regularly your whole life (even if you eventually modify it to your own taste and style).
To understand the power and sublimity of the ERP, you would ideally practice it for a minimum of one year. It was a traditional requirement of the Golden Dawn that a student practice the LBRP for one year before they could move on to other magick. However, I believe one month of daily practice is sufficient to begin working with the rest of the magick in this book.
Here are ten benefits the Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram has to offer:
1. It is the solid basis for all magickal work, including love and wealth magick.
2. As you must clean and arrange your temple’s physical space, so does the ERP clear you emotionally and mentally for magick.
3. The more you practice the ERP, the more you define a sacred and spiritual space within your temple. Your magick will then become more potent and easier to perform.
4. It will center you in the world, allowing you to look inward for balance and completeness. You will not rely on others to feel good, which breeds independence and self-confidence. Your self- esteem will shoot through the roof.
5. The ERP builds character and discipline. To boldly stand in your bedroom, now turned temple with a few candles and some incense, to chant “funny words” while drawing “astral shapes” in the air requires a fair bit of determination and the ability to step outside your comfort zone.
6. It removes the stress and negativity of a “bad” day. With all your negativity regularly stripped away by the ERP, you will more naturally attract what you want into your life.
7. It will help you create a “default state” of calmness and joy that will stay with you during your days and nights even when not performing the ritual. This will increase your sense of well-being in even the most chaotic and stressful of times.
8. It’s one of the best preventive measures against media and social brainwashing that you can find. Learn to live life on your own terms and not be dictated to by the world around you.
9. It will increase your visualization abilities, which is useful in all types of magick.
10. You have to start the path of magick somewhere. This is it.
Can I really do this?
This single ritual will weed out the dabblers from the practitioners. Few will try to learn, and those who try often get frustrated and give up. In this book, I hope to inspire you to want to learn and make it easy to do so.
I’m here to tell you right now that doubts and frustrations are a natural part of learning magick. I get it. I was there myself. My first few years of magick I learned through books only, and many times I was filled with embarrassment, frustration, and sometimes even downright contempt for myself and the idea of doing something as “silly” as magick.
Some tips that will help you through learning the ERP and all other magickal rituals in this book:
1. Learn to acquire a trust in a “higher power,” whether you call it “God,” the “universal consciousness,” or merely your “subconscious mind.” Why? Otherwise you are going to put way too much weight on your own shoulders. Doing magick is about doing your very best, but at some point you have to let go and trust that your actions are working on a deeper level than the conscious mind. A trust in something higher makes it easier to let go of your worries and will allow you to act with more confidence and fluidity because you won’t put so much pressure on yourself.
2. Let go of your mistakes. If you make a mistake, don’t stop and analyze it. Either forget about the mistake and move on, or you can calmly correct it and then move on. If you “completely bungle” a ritual, you can start from the beginning, but I suggest you always finish off whatever ritual you start, even if it has many mistakes. Forward momentum is healthier and keeps you from obsessing over every detail of the ritual, wondering if you did it perfectly. Your magick does not have to be perfect to work. In fact, your magick will never be perfect. That is just the ideal we strive for. The most important quality to have is sincerity that you are doing your best. That’s it!
3. Patience. It will take time to get comfortable with any new ritual. The first dozen times may feel awkward. Don’t worry about that. Always pat yourself on the back after you are done—even if you felt it didn’t go as well as it could have.
4. Practice regularly, but never to the point of burnout or exhaustion.
5. Trust your own sense of style. No person’s rituals are exactly like any other’s. Trust yourself to fill in any missing spaces in rituals, in this book, or in any other book on magick, as you see fit. Learn to trust your own intuition over what is printed in any book. If you feel you need to add little touches to the ritual, such as blowing a kiss to each cardinal direction, then by all means do so. Don’t let your rituals stagnate. Let them evolve with your personality and experience.
6. Have fun! Magick should be treated with respect, but that does not mean excessive solemnity. You can laugh during rituals. You can smile. You can dance around the circle instead of walk. Be as lighthearted as you want and express joy in your rituals as you see fit.
What do I need to perform this ritual?
The only thing you need to perform this ritual is a small, clear space to work in. However, here are some optional items to include:
Candles: To make the room more atmospheric.
Incense: For now, any scent will do.
A dagger: Any dagger will do so long as it has never been used to kill anything and will not be used again for any other purpose than magick. Run it under cold water for 5–10 minutes to purify it before its first use. If you don’t have a dagger, you may simply point with your index finger.
What should I wear?
Being nude or wearing a simple robe is traditional, but use your imagination if you like. If you do wear clothing, make sure it will not be used again for any purpose other than magick.
How do I decorate my temple?
As you see fit. There are books, like Crowley’s Magick and Regardie’s Golden Dawn, that have extremely elaborate ways to construct your temple, but this is not necessary. You may add to the walls or ceiling of your temple with whatever empowers you. You may bring any objects you hold in deep reverence into your temple. You may use something as an altar for the center of the room—or not. These things will develop naturally as you get more into magick and learn more about what does and does not turn you on, spiritually speaking.
Help! I have no place to practice!
Everyone has a place to practice. Even if you cannot devote an entire room to your temple, you can use your bedroom, or even a bathroom if that’s the only place you can get some peace. Also there is no reason you can’t practice outside at a park, a backyard, or elsewhere in nature. Just make sure you feel comfortable and won’t be interrupted for the duration of the ritual.
The Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram
First, relax for five minutes as you learned at the end of Chapter 1 (or with your own method). When you are rested and peaceful, stand in the center of your temple and continue:
Qabalistic Cross11
1. Face East.
2. Touch your forehead (with finger or dagger) and chant: “AH-TAH.”
3. Point downward in front of your groin area and chant: “MAL-KUTH.”
4. Touch your right shoulder and chant: “VE-GEBURAH.”
5. Touch your left shoulder and chant: “VE-GEDULAH.”
6. Clasp your hands together over your breast (and if using a dagger it should be pointing upward) and chant: “LAY-OLAM. Amen.”
Drawing and Charging of the Pentagrams
1. Still facing East, move forward to the edge of your circle. (If you are in a cramped space, simply stay in the center, but rotate your body.) Draw a pentagram in the air. You may see it or feel it, but that is not important. Just know that it is there, perfectly drawn and glowing brightly with energy. Charge the Pentagram with: “Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh.”
How do I “charge the pentagram”?
Here are detailed instructions for charging a pentagram. Each of the four pentagrams are done the same way—only the God name will change for each:
a. After you draw the pentagram, stand calmly before it.
b. Exhale completely.
c. Put your hands into the pentagram.
d. Slowly inhale, pulling your hands up to the area of your head as you do so.
e. When you have completely inhaled, take a step forward (either foot), and thrust your hands into the pentagram while chanting the God name. (In this case, it’s “Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh.”) Use your entire exhalation to chant the God name.
f. Breathe in completely while pulling your foot and hands back in.
g. Stamp your foot, and make the Sign of Silence. This means to put your forefinger to your lips in the “shhh” sign, but don’t actually say “shhh.” Alternatively, you can do this with your thumb, which is called the Sign of Harpocrates.12
h. Know that your pentagram is now duly charged.
Optional Visualizations:
The most important thing is to concentrate on the steps just given. Don’t even bother with these extra visualizations until you are comfortable with the base ritual.
On the inhalation, visualize the energy (of any color or “all-colors”) flowing down into your lungs. Imagine the energy continuing to travel down through your body and into your legs, spiraling down into the red hot core of the Earth itself. Once it hits the center of the Earth, you may pause for a moment. Understand the God name has now become completely infused with power.
Now as you exhale, feel the energy rebound fiercely, flying up through the Earth, back into your body, and shooting outward from your outstretched arms and hands. This energy bursts through the pentagram, charging it, and continues out to the ends of the universe as far as you can imagine.
Make the Sign of Silence, understanding that this final action is essential as it perfectly seals the charging.
After charging the pentagram, continue with Step 2:
2. Point at the center of the pentagram, and draw a line in the air as you move to the south end of your circle. (If you are in a tight space, just rotate your body.)
3. Draw another pentagram and charge it as before, but this time with the God name: “AH-DOH-NAI.”
4. Point to the center of your pentagram and continue a line around to the West. Draw another pentagram and charge it with the name: “EH-HEH-YEH.”
5. Point to the center of your pentagram and continue the line to the North. Draw the pentagram and charge it with: “AH-GLA.”
6. Point your dagger or finger to the center of your pentagram and draw a line around to the East, thus completing your circle.
Invocation of Archangels
1. Move back to the center of your circle, facing East. Stand with your legs together and your arms straight out to the side (in the form of a cross).
2. Chant the following in your own style, but I highly suggest you save most of your exhalations for the Archangel names (written in all capitals with suggested pronunciation in parenthesis):
“Before me RAPHAEL!” (RAA-FAI-EL)
“Behind me GABRIEL!” (GAH-BRY-EL)
“On my right hand MICHAEL!” (MEE-KAI-EL)
“And on my left hand AURIEL!” (ORR-I-EL)
3. Chant, or roar with conviction:
“For about me flames the pentagram … ”
Imagine a pentagram flaming around your body.
“And within me shines the six- and seven-rayed stars.”
Within your chest imagine one of these two six-pointed stars:13
or:
Within your forehead, imagine this star:
Don’t worry about keeping a perfectly clear image of these stars in your imagination. Just know that each one is in the right spot and leave it at that. If you are lucky enough to really see them in your mind’s eye, then you can make them as bright as you like and you may choose your own colors.
Optional Visualizations:
Add these visualizations only when you feel you are ready. There is no hurry. They should add an enjoyable dimension to your ritual, not overwhelm it.
Raphael is Archangel of Air (and of Tiphareth). He carries a caduceus and the wind blows his yellow and purple robes.
Gabriel is the Archangel of Water (and Yesod). You may turn and look over your shoulder behind you to see him holding a large, overflowing cup of ambrosia. He wears blue robes, highlighted with orange, and may be seen standing upon a large body of water.
Michael wears fiery red garments edged with green. As your “right-hand man,” his eyes are alight with God’s glory, and he stands holding a large, flaming sword.
Aurial is silent and peaceful as he holds sheaths of wheat and other grains within his arms.
Qabalistic Cross
Repeat Qabalistic Cross as given above.
Drawing down the LVX14
1. Stand in the center of your circle, arms outstretched in the Sign of Osiris Slain.
2. Chant: “I. N. R. I.”15
3. Chant and draw at the same time, from right to left:
YOD / RESH / NUN / YOD
(So while it looks like this in the air, you would chant: YOD, NUN, RESH, and YOD, while drawing from right to left.)
4. Put your arms back out and say:
“The Sign of Osiris Slain.”
5. Make the “L” sign (with your right arm straight up and your left arm straight out to the side) and say:
“L. The Sign of the Mourning of Isis.”
Be sure to say “EL” for the letter “L”. The same goes for letters “V” and “X” below (i.e., say “VEE” and “ECKS”).
6. Make the “V” sign (both arms angled upward) and say:
“V. The Sign of Typhon and Apophis.”
7. Make the X sign (arms crossed over chest) and say:
“X. The Sign of Osiris Risen.”
Pause a moment, noting any mental or bodily sensations.
8. Say “L” and make the proper sign.
9. Say “V” and make the proper sign.
10. Say “X” and make the proper sign.
11. Still in the “X” pose, say:
“LVX!16 The Light of the Cross.”
12. Stand in the Sign of Osiris Slain and say slowly, powerfully:
“Virgo. Isis. Mighty Mother.”
“Scorpio. Apophis. Destroyer.”
“Sol. Osiris. Slain and Risen.”
13. Start slowly raising your hands up into the air. Say or chant:
“Isis. Apophis. Osiris.”
14. By now your arms should be pointed directly overhead. Chant:
“IAO.” (“Eee, Ahh, Ohh.”)
Repeat this as many times as you like, building power and intensity as you do so.
15. When you feel the energy has peaked, thrust your hands downwards towards the ground and imagine the pure, white energy of Kether (i.e. God) coming down and infusing you and your entire temple with holy and divine presence. Say one final time:
“Eeeee!”
Feel the energy going through your head and shoulders.
“Ahhh!”
Feel the energy flowing down your torso.
“Ohhh!”
Feel the energy tunneling down your legs into the depths of the earth.
16. Stamp your foot against the ground and then breathe in, feeling the holy energy infuse you.
17. After a full inhalation, put your finger to your lips, making the Sign of Silence.
Qabalistic Cross
Repeat the Qabalistic Cross once more.
You are Done
Now you may meditate, start a practical working, or just get back to your regularly scheduled day. Don’t worry whether or not you did it perfectly. If you finished it and did your best, that is enough. Congratulate yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About the ERP:
I feel stupid! What should I do?
If you are unfamiliar with rituals, you may feel awkward or silly the first few times you perform the ritual. That’s normal. Shrug or laugh it off and move on. Soon you will be performing the ERP with joyful equanimity.
Do I have to be loud when I do the ERP?
You should preferably do all your rituals in your most powerful chanting voice, but if you have to work in secret, you can chant more quietly or use what is called the “Great Voice.” This is a fancy term for “chanting silently under your breath.”
If you use the Great Voice regularly, make sure to occasionally go somewhere where you can really belt out the chants and feel their vibrations coursing through your body. Then you can more easily recall those sensations when using the Great Voice.
What does “vibrate” mean?
“Vibrating” is chanting a word or phrase with a full exhalation and at a pitch that seems to vibrate the air. I prefer the word “chant” as it is more suggestive to most people than the word “vibrate” and is more conducive to students defining their own chanting or “vibratory” style.
Chant your rituals at a pitch and tempo you feel is most powerful and comfortable to you, and use a full breath whenever I point it out as necessary. I only mention the word “vibrate” since it comes up in other magickal books and you should be familiar with what magicians mean by it.
What should I do if my visualization skills are poor?
This isn’t a big deal. Like I said, just imagine the pentagrams around you as best you can. If you see them, then fine, but if you are just “pretending” they are there, that is fine too. Pretending is close to being “real” as far as astral work is concerned. The more important thing is to concentrate on what you are doing. Keep focused upon the ritual as much as possible, taking it step by step, without letting your mind wander too much.
What if I can’t concentrate through the entire ritual?
No one has perfect concentration. Your mind will wander. When it does, just bring your attention back to what you are doing and keep going.
If you are neurotic or have obsessive thoughts about whether you are doing it right or “screwing it up,” just let the thoughts arise and keep focusing on the ritual. You will never be completely rid of this “monkey mind,” so focus as best you can and don’t try to battle your mind; let it think whatever it wants while you focus on the ritual as best you can.
So what’s going on in this ritual anyway?
In simplest terms, you are balancing yourself with the four elements, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, and then drawing down the fifth element of Spirit into your presence.
Exercise 2: The Daily ERP
Learn the Equilibrating Ritual of the Pentagram as given in this chapter. Practice it once or twice a day. You should notice feeling more centered from it almost immediately, but the full effects of the ritual will continue to grow for months and years.
You will need to have this ritual down pat for all practical work in this book. So learn it now and learn it well. Perform it with joy and dignity. And don’t beat yourself up over whether you’ve done it “good enough” or not. Just do your best each time, and you will evolve naturally into your own magickal groove.
9 . Most likely worked out as some sort of joint contribution between Mathers and Wescott with Mathers in the dominant role.
10 This includes the “Analysis of Keywords” section from a long initiatory Golden Dawn ceremony
called the “Adeptus Minor Ritual.” This invokes the holiest and highest aspects of yourself into consciousness.
11 . The Hebrew in this sections translates: “Thou art the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.”
12 . Greek god of silence.
14 . In Latin, “U” is written as a “V.” LVX means “Light.”
15 . INRI is an acronym of the Latin inscription IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDÆORVM. In magick, we consider all “dying/rebirth” gods to be of the same formula. This includes Jesus, Osiris, Krishna, etc.
16 . This is usually pronounced like the “u” sound in “lute,” therefore “loox.” If you prefer saying “lux” as rhymes with “bucks,” that’s fine too.