Lesson Two Malkuth
The last sphere to manifest on the Tree of Life is actually the first one that concerns the aspiring witch and magician. It is the realm of Malkuth, the proverbial garden of paradise where so many creation myths begin. The true lesson of Malkuth is to understand that we never left the garden, that it’s been all around us the entire time. The only thing that changes is our perspective of it.
Though many see the magick of the Qabalah as inherently nonpagan, Malkuth encodes one of the primal teachings of modern witchcraft and paganism in its very nature—that of immanent divinity. As witches, we believe that everything is divine. We believe the material world is the Earth Mother and we are like cells in her body. If we truly believe in the Principle of Correspondence, then we know that Mother Earth is but a cell within the vast universal body. Not only is everything interconnected, but everything is a manifestation of the divine. In the Tree of Life, the divine emanates outward from the primal source in ever more complex and dense forms, resulting in the material universe. The material universe is not separate from the divine, but is one aspect, one-tenth, of creation. That means everything in the material world is a manifestation of the divine, from the natural world of trees, plants, animals, rivers, clouds, and stones to our own human bodies, homes, machines, and computers. Nothing is unnatural because everything is divine.
The true key to Malkuth is understanding that the divine is everything and everything is the divine. Once we look beyond the veneer of the mundane world, we realize that everything has a sacred aspect. Divinity is inside, around, and interpenetrating everything. Nothing is mundane because everything is sacred.
Malkuth
Meanings: Kingdom, Garden
Level of Reality: Physical Reality, Manifestation
Parts of the Self: Guph, Physical Body, Sensation, Feet
Experience: Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel
Obligation: Discipline
Illusion: Materialism
Virtue: Discrimination
Vices: Inertia, Laziness
Name of God: Adonai ha-Aretz (Lord of the Earth)
King Scale Color: Clear Yellow
Queen Scale Colors: Russet, Olive, Citrine, Black
Prince Scale Color: Same as the Queen colors, but flecked with Gold
Princess Scale Color: Black rayed with Yellow
Element: Earth
Planet: Earth
Image: Young Queen, crowned on a throne
Archetypes: Earth Mother, Grain Goddess
Greek/Roman Deities: Gaia, Demeter, Persephone
Egyptian Deities: Osiris, Geb, Seb, Isis
Middle Eastern Deity: Kishar
Celtic Deity: Danu
Norse Deities: Freya, Audumla, Nerthus
Hindu Deity: Lakshmi
Archangel: Sandalphon (Angel of Prayer)
Angelic Order: Ashim (Humanity)
Choirs: Order of Blessed Souls, Ascended Masters, Secret Chiefs, Hidden Company
Grade of Initiation: 1 = 10 Zelator
Animal: The Sphinx
Musical Note: F
Tool: Circle
Incense: Dittany of Crete
Tarot: All Princesses/Pages (young female/child)
Ten of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles
Judgment/Aeon—to Hod
World/Universe—to Yesod
Moon—to Netzach
Metal: None
Stones: Rock Crystal, Tiger’s-Eye
Plants: Lily, Ivy, Willow
I suggest that you use the correspondences of Malkuth to decorate your altar for this month of study, or build a secondary altar for your Qabalistic studies. When teaching this course to my students, we take the round classroom altar and decorate it as if it were this sephira, angling the major arcana tarot cards corresponding with the paths outward in the appropriate path directions. For Malkuth, we have Judgment/Aeon in the upper left, the World/Universe in the middle, and the Moon in the upper right (figure 29). The tens are in the center, to the four directions, along with the four princess/page cards. The altar cloth is colored in the sephira’s color with the appropriate number of candles on it. In this case, we use ten candles in earthen tones, with rock crystal scattered around. We use the appropriate incense in the incense burner, though Dittany of Crete is not always on hand, so sometimes I substitute another earthy scent, such as patchouli incense. These Qabalistic correspondences on the altar provide a sensory focus for the lesson, stimulating touch, sight, and smell. Then we change the altar correspondences for the next lesson. Explore using a redecorated primary altar, or secondary altar dedicated to your Qabalistic studies, as a tool for your own understanding of the Tree of Life.
Entities of Malkuth
In some mythologies, the realm of Malkuth is considered to be the Kingdom of God, and once you know you are the Kingdom, nothing can take you out of it. In other, more feminine-focused mythologies, Malkuth is seen as the Garden of the Goddess. The divine image of Malkuth is a young queen, crowned upon her throne. She is on the throne, signifying her rulership, her dominion and sovereignty over the land, for she is one with the land. In the myths of the sacred king, he is sovereign only because he is wed to the goddess of the land. From her, he gains his power to command. Without her consent, he has nothing.
An important image is that of the Bride of the Earth enthroned, or the Shekinah, or feminine incarnation of the divine in Jewish myth. The bride or young queen is the symbol of Malkuth, but the throne itself is an image of the first form, a symbol of the third sephira, Binah. The image mimics the Egyptian Sitting Pose meditation position suggested in The Inner Temple of Witchcraft (Chapter 6) and The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft (Chapter 5). This is the meditation pose favored by many ceremonial magicians, as it grounds you in the two aspects of the Goddess—highest and lowest, stars and Earth.
The goddesses of Malkuth are all deities associated with the land itself, from all of physical reality to, specifically, our planet Earth and the fertility, the bounty, of the Earth. All Earth Mother figures and grain goddesses are the embodiment of Malkuth, of the sacred garden. Most common are the images of Gaia, the Greek Earth Mother, or Demeter, the grain goddess. Some assign Demeter’s daughter, Kore, as the flower maiden, to the sphere of Malkuth, because all of the princesses or pages of the tarot deck also are assigned to Malkuth, so the young maidens as well as the mothers are the goddesses of Malkuth. The maidens, or princesses/pages, represent the Goddess in her terrestrial form, the Goddess of the Earth found in the Charge of the Goddess, while the queens are the Goddess in her supernal or starry cosmic form, encompassing everything. The Earth Mother and grain goddesses are not just the rulers of Malkuth; they, in essence, are Malkuth. They are the manifestations of the physical world. They are the consciousness of the physical universe. We are all part of their body, so we are all a part of the Kingdom of God, or the Goddess’s Garden of Paradise.
This primal garden signifies the time in our consciousness when we were not separate from our creator, when we saw ourselves as one. Many in the Goddess-oriented traditions see this as the Stone Age civilizations, potentially matriarchies of some sort, before written language and agrarian technology, when our very lives were much more interwoven with the realm of nature and the body of the Goddess. This is the true meaning of the stories about the Garden of Eden, and in many ways, it was our knowledge that separated us from this sense of union. Yet it is still there; we just need to recognize it again. We never left the garden, for we are the garden. This sense of separation served our evolution for a while, but it is now time, as individuals and as a global society, to reunite with the garden, to fully recognize that we are part of the greater whole, and bring what we have learned from our time of seeming separation to enrich the entire world. It is only through a connection to the Goddess of this garden that we can do this. I believe that is why so many modern movements of spirituality are emphasizing the Goddess force, to spark that reconnection, so we can then in turn recognize both Goddess and God, and the force beyond shape and gender that illuminates them both.
The sacred Hebrew god name that embodies the power of Malkuth is Adonai ha-Aretz, meaning “Lord of the Earth.” Toning this name of God will align you with the power of Malkuth. You can chant it ten times to further manifest its power. The challenge of Malkuth is to bring out this divine quality within the initiate, so he or she can be a “Lord of the Earth.” For us witches with a sensitivity to gender terms and divinity, I think of Lord and Lady as equivalents. On the mystical level, Adonai ha-Aretz really signifies sovereignty on the material plane and should not emphasize one gender over the other. If any one gender is emphasized, for the Qabalistic witch, the true force of rulership over the Earth is the Lady.
The angelic forces aligned with Malkuth vary, depending on the mythology. Sandalphon is the archangel most often named as the guardian of Malkuth. He shares a strange history with the archangel Metatron, the only other angelic being that was said to have been human before being raised to angelic status. Some believe Sandalphon to be Elijah, while others see him as the current manifestation of John the Baptist. Angelic lore is not an exact science, and there are many variations of the names and categories of angels, differing among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic lore and among Qabalistic magicians.
In Hebraic lore, the order of angels under the command of Sandalphon is the Cherubim, or the Strong Ones, who help lay the foundation of the material universe. In some more modern mystical lore, the angels associated with Malkuth are not traditional angels at all, but a group of ascended or enlightened humans, who have merged their own personal will with divine will, merging with their angelic nature. In this angelic lore, they are known as the Order of Blessed Souls, or the Withdrawn Order. It’s appropriate that their leader is the archangel that is associated with transformed humanity. The Cherubim are what are known as bodhisattvas in the Eastern traditions or true saints in the Christian tradition. In ceremonial magick, there is the concept of the Secret Chiefs, or the inner-plane adepts, to match the Theosophists’ ascended masters. Most witchcraft traditions don’t have the same concept. The closest concept we have is the Mighty Dead, or enlightened ancestors. Traditional Craft groups, such as those of the 1734 Tradition descended from Robert Cochrane, have coined the term the Hidden Company for a similar concept, and I must admit I like this term the best. They are the “enlightened” master witches of ages past gathering at the edge of our circles and guiding our magick, visions, and covens.
The Vision of Malkuth
The profound experience, the “vision,” of this sephira is the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. The Holy Guardian Angel, or HGA, is considered to be the higher self, or true self, of the magician, and what classically is considered “white” magick is magick done for the contact, communication, and eventual union with this aspect of the self. But what exactly is “knowledge and conversation” with this being? Magicians disagree on the specifics, but generally it means to have not only an intellectual understanding of the HGA but also a direct experience with it. Once that direct contact is made (the “knowledge”), then the next step is to have regular communication with the HGA as a primary guide in life (the “conversation”) to guide the developing soul into spiritual alignment and eventual enlightenment, to become one of the Hidden Company. For now, the higher self becomes part of the spiritual “team” that a magickal practitioner gathers from the various realms of the Otherworld. Witches often have a “contact” in each of the realms of the faeries, ancestors, and angels, plus a primary patron deity. The higher self guides and directs the witch’s interface with this team of spirit allies. A higher sphere of the Tree, Tiphereth, is reserved for the active identification and greater union with the Holy Guardian Angel.
How do you receive the vision of Malkuth, or any vision in the Tree? It’s different for everybody. It might be an intuitive experience. I know quite a few people who are very developed spiritually but are not necessarily from a witchcraft or ceremonial magick background, and I would say, based on my conversations and experiences with them, that these friends have all had knowledge and conversation with their Holy Guardian Angel, yet they probably wouldn’t. They haven’t done any arcane rituals or had a profound vision, but they have developed a sense of their personal divinity and learned how to communicate with it, often quite intuitively. Through this connection, they have demonstrated a greater mastery over the material realm of Malkuth. They just wouldn’t use those terms.
The rituals and magick of the Qabalah provide us with triggers for the visions, tools to acquire the skills to manifest those levels of consciousness, and benchmarks to understand when we have met the requirements of each level. The first tool is the obligation of the sphere. The obligation is the skill necessary to master the realm. For Malkuth, the obligation is discipline. A person needs to have a measure of discipline to continue any spiritual practice. The more formal traditions based on the Golden Dawn system required an initiate to perform the its most basic ritual, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, or LBRP, daily for a year before learning other magick. Without discipline, you could not go forward. Whether the spiritual program is one of prayer, yoga, martial arts, exercise, chanting, meditation, or circle magick, it can transform you only if you do it regularly. We easily get distracted in the material world. Without discipline, we would accomplish nothing, spiritual or material.
The virtue is the trait demonstrated when one has gained a certain understanding of and mastery over the sphere. The virtue of Malkuth is discrimination. People hear this and often think it has something to with having a prejudice against someone different, but it’s more appropriately discernment. This discrimination is to determine what is good for you and your world and what is harmful. It is the power to draw boundaries between you and the world, and knowing when to let down those boundaries. Boundaries are energetic, but they are also physical. They involve staking out personal and energetic space.
The illusion of a sephira is what might appear to the initiate as a virtue, but in the end is simply untrue, and leads the magician astray. Malkuth’s illusion is materialism. In an effort to master the material world, many begin to identify with material things, rather than discerning what aspects of the material to integrate and what aspects to disassociate from. In this identification with Malkuth, there is a desire to accumulate—material goods, wealth, and power. The concept of mastering the terrestrial world transforms from a mastery of the self, body, health, and material life to a mastery of the world around the magician, and the people and resources around the individual. Materialism has seduced many in our world, not realizing that it’s simply the first pitfall of the first sphere.
If discrimination is the virtue of Malkuth, then the vice is inertia or laziness. While one pitfall is to overidentify with the material world, seeking to control and amass terrestrial power, the other end of the spectrum is to do nothing. Lack of discipline and direction leads a potential seeker into a state of immobility. The overwhelming possibilities, the daunting challenges, and the long road ahead immobilize rather than inspire the person. Nothing is done. No path or tradition is taken. The aspiring magician sinks into inertia and does not progress. There must be a balance between drive and inertia. There is a time to work and a time to rest, and we can get caught at one end of the spectrum.
When you properly apply discipline in the spiritual practice of the realm of Malkuth and find stability and balance, then you can open to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel and demonstrate the virtue of true discrimination. The mystery of Malkuth is to lay the foundation for all the subsequent work. If you cannot master the basic skills of life, of taking care of yourself, your home, and your material needs, then you will not have the solid foundation you need to truly reach for the heavens and descend into the depths. Mastering Malkuth gives you the necessary skills and grounding to take the lessons of the other spheres and manifest the heavens on Earth in the next age.
Malkuth Magick
While each of the lower four spheres on the Tree of Life has a primary element associated with it, Malkuth is special. Its primary element is earth, as it’s the plane of manifestation and the material world. Its astrological association is the planet Earth. But the material world is the culmination of all four elements, and the realm of Malkuth is associated with all four elements. It’s divided into four equal segments, colored russet (red), olive (green), citrine (yellow), and black. The colors are associated with the four elements and the four seasons, for this is the world where all the elements come together and move through time and space in cycles, like the Wheel of the Year.
The totemic figure of Malkuth is no terrestrial animal, but the sphinx. The sphinx is a combination of the four elements, just as Malkuth is. This animal is a combination of the four animals of the fixed zodiac signs—the bull of Taurus, the lion of Leo, the eagle of Scorpio, and the human of Aquarius. The powers of the sphinx are identified with the witches’ pyramid and the Laws of the Magus—To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silent. All four of these points are needed to master the magick of Malkuth and ascend to the next sphere.
The four powers also are embodied by four aspects of the Goddess, as in the four princesses. The Princesses of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles are like the elemental queens of the fire, air, water, and earth. Yet princesses/pages, by their very nature in ceremonial magick tarot systems, all have an earthy aspect. They represent the daughter principle, the manifestation of the Goddess in the material world. As pages, they are known as messengers in a tarot reading, but they are not simply the force of communication, as signified by the air element. They are the force in the reading and the querent’s life that tells it like it is, the reality of the situation, the fundamental physical reality of the events. They do not present what we want to hear or see things through rose-colored glasses. They simply tell us what is, whether we want to hear it or not. The court cards of the tarot are described in terms of fractions, with the numerator, or top half of the fraction, being the element assigned to the court card. Princesses are aligned with earth. The denominator, or bottom half of the fraction, is the element of the suit. So the Princess of Wands is the earthy aspect of fire, or earth/fire. The Princess of Swords is the earth/air. The Princess of Cups is the earth/water. The Princess of Discs, or Pentacles, as the earth/earth principle, is particularly important. She is the seed within the fruit of Malkuth, and within this Goddess figure lies the potential for all of creation. She is the mother of the next Tree of Life to evolve from our fruit, continuing the cycle.
The four powers also are pursued in the four tens of the tarot. Ten is the last number of the cycle, signifying completion. The four tens are quite intense. Each has a classical name associated with it. The Ten of Wands is Oppression. The Ten of Swords is Ruin. The Ten of Cups is Satiety or Happiness, depending on the deck, and the Ten of Pentacles is Success. Two of these cards, the fire and air suits, imply difficulties on a mundane level, while the remaining two, the water and earth suits, imply more of a “good” completion. This shows that the very nature of Malkuth resonates with the two more feminine elements and can conflict with the two more masculine elements. Each demonstrates, regardless of our labels of “good” or “bad” based on personal pleasantness, a necessary step in understanding the power of that element in the tenth sphere. Each suit in the tarot is a journey, and each must be brought to completion so the cycle can begin again, in a more aware and refined manner. On a mystical level, the suits are not good or bad, but demonstrate a secret on the four sacred quests of the elements. The wands and swords help us surrender to the forces around us, so that we may release and be reborn. The cups and discs help us understand the true secrets to happiness and success, not just what we think will make us happy or successful.
Ten-based numerology also plays a part in the sacred geometry associated with Malkuth. A primary figure in the teachings of Pythagoras is known as the tetraktys (Figure 34), a pattern of ten dots, showing the importance of the first ten numbers unfolding in the archetypal creation pattern of the universe. Each level of creation from the top point adds complexity to creation, until the last level of manifestation has four points, like the four classic elements.
The decagram is a ten-pointed star (Figure 35). Though there are several different ways to draw it, the most popular among magicians is two pentagrams, or five-pointed stars, drawn over each other, one with a point upright and the second with a point downward. Together, they create a decagram. Though not used as popularly as the pentagram, the decagram does have its own mysteries. As both an upright and a downward star, it is symbolic of the microcosm and the macrocosm, the shaman’s Middle World, where all forces converge and all things are possible. Above and below are displayed visually in the decagram. Modern magicians have taken the traditional correspondences of the pentagram and applied them to the decagram, giving two points to each element, as well as one point to each planet, dividing the ten planets into two groups of personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars) and their “higher-octave” equivalents (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). A clever magician can adapt variations of the pentagram and hexagram rituals of the Golden Dawn tradition with the image of the decagram.
Though the decagram corresponds numerologically with Malkuth, the starting place for the aspiring ceremonial magician is really the first ritual of the pentagram, known as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. Most traditions use the upright image of the pentagram, symbolizing your feet being anchored in Malkuth. Some traditions’ rituals, such as Thelema’s Star Ruby pentagram ritual, use an inverted star and a widdershins motion, imagining themselves upside down, to symbolize being anchored in the Sun or stars.
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram has many purposes. The most immediate one is that it banishes all terrestrial forces that do not serve your highest good, clearing your aura and clearing the environment of the space where it is performed. Though the ritual creates a sacred space, the space is not the same type of container that is created with the witch’s circle. The ritual simply clears the space and makes it relatively neutral territory for whatever work you desire. The LBRP usually is done at the start and end of every ritual in modern ceremonial magick.
Over a long period of time, the LBRP aids in anchoring the Tree of Life within your aura consciously, and helps to awaken and balance the power center within you. It also calls upon divine entities—in this case, the archangels—and strengthens your connection to them and their realm. The LBRP is considered a basic exercise to physically and psychically condition you for deeper magick and more complicated rituals. Regular use of it, or a variation of it, will clear, strengthen, and expand your aura, just as regular exercise will heal and strengthen your physical body.
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP)
1. Start by performing the Qabalistic Cross (exercise 2).
2. Facing east, draw a banishing pentagram in flaming blue light with your blade in your right hand or with your extended right index finger, starting outside of your left hip, up to a height above your head, down and outside the right hip, across and up to a point outside your left shoulder, straight across to a symmetrical point outside your right shoulder, and then back down to where you began (Figure 36).
3. Inhale and assume the starting pose of the Sign of the Enterer (page 102). Exhale and make the Sign of the Enterer, directing energy from your hands (or blade, if you are using one, still in the right hand, pointing forward, matching the extended fingers on the left hand) into the blue pentagram you just drew. On the exhale, vibrate the name of God for the eastern quarter: Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh (YHVH).
4. Make the Sign of Silence (page 102). Point your finger/blade in the center of the pentagram and then trace one-quarter of the circle in the air with a line of light (usually white), bringing you to the south.
5. Facing south, draw a banishing pentagram, just as you did in the east in step 2. Energize this pentagram with the Sign of the Enterer, and vibrate the divine name for the southern quarter: Ah-doh-nye (“my Lord”). Make the Sign of Silence and then trace one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the west.
6. Facing west, draw a banishing pentagram, just as you did before. Energize this pentagram with the Sign of the Enterer, and vibrate the divine name for the western quarter: Eh-heh-yeh (“I am” or “I shall be”). Make the Sign of Silence and then trace one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the north.
7. Facing north, draw a banishing pentagram, just as you did before. Energize this pentagram with the Sign of the Enterer, and vibrate the divine name for the northern quarter: Ah-glah (AGLA, an abbreviation for the phrase Ah-Tah Gee-Boor Lih-Oh-Lahm Ah-Doh-Nye, meaning, “Thou art great forever, my Lord”). Make the Sign of Silence and then trace one-quarter of the circle with a line of light, bringing you to the east, completing the circle.
8. Stand in the center of the circle, facing east. Feel yourself in a circle of light marked by the four blue pentagrams. Feel your space become a sphere of energy, clear of unwanted influences and filled with divine power.
9. Evoke the four archangels of the quarters. Start by standing tall, feet together and arms outstretched, like a cross representing the four quarters. If you are using a blade, it should be pointed up, in your right hand. Without moving to face the directions, speak the angelic evocation:
Before me, Raphael.
Behind me, Gabriel.
On my right hand, Michael.
And on my left hand, Uriel.
For about me flames the pentagram.
And within me shines the six-rayed star.
The evocation is meant to be said with authority, and the angelic names can be vibrated like the divine names. Each angelic name traditionally has three syllables: Rah-fay-EL, Gahb-ray-EL, Mee-chai-EL, and Ohr-ree-EL The six-rayed star refers to the hexagram, the star shape associated with the heart of the Tree, Tiphereth.
10. Repeat the Qabalistic Cross (Exercise 2).
The banishing pentagram can be done at arm’s length, to clear your aura, or at the four walls of each room, to clear the entire temple space. If you are clearing the entire room, always move in a clockwise direction while moving from the center of the room, traditionally behind the altar, and out to the four directions, starting in the east and returning to the center of the room when the circle is closed in the east.
This is the more traditional version of the LBRP. Many witches simplify it, omitting the Signs of the Enterer and Silence, and are not as formal and measured in their movements, though part of the ritual’s purpose is to teach discipline and precision in all actions, synchronizing your thoughts, words, visualizations, movement, and will. I have used a “baby” version of it that is quite effective. You can find this version in my book The Witch’s Shield (Chapter 6).
When you are thoroughly familiar with the LBRP, deconstruct it. Meditate and contemplate on each of the parts and what each one does. What do you feel when you do each part? How does the energy change? What effect does each part have?
If you, like many witches, dislike the LBRP, then reconstruct it, using images and symbols that fit better into your personal mythology. That might seem like sacrilege to some, but all the great magicians have taken liberties with classic rituals. The LBRP, while powerful, really originated in this form with the Golden Dawn, so you are not messing with an ancient ritual passed down from generations, but are adapting a modern construction. Aleister Crowley did the same thing when adapting the LBRP into his Star Ruby ritual, with its Thelemic imagery and flair. It fit his personal worldview and the tradition he created. Rituals evolve over time. The following angelic evocation, in an older form, was from a child’s prayer and used different angelic directions than what we find in modern traditions.
In the name of the Lord God of Israel,
May Michael, the protection of God, be at my right hand;
And Gabriel, the power of God, at my left;
Before me Uriel, the light of God;
Behind me Raphael, the healing of God;
And above my head Shekinah El, the presence of God.
This next prayer was probably based on the older Babylonian evocation, a lorica prayer. This prayer acts like a spiritual breastplate, protecting the speaker.
Shamash before me,
Behind me Sin.
Nergal at my right,
Ninib at my left.
See Appendix II for examples of more “witchy” LBRPs to inspire your reconstruction efforts.
The components of natural magick used for Malkuth are all those that are traditionally assigned to both the planet Earth and the element of earth. They are the dense, woody, and terrestrial scents, stones, and herbs. Raw rock crystal, rather than polished or pointed quartz, is the favorite stone. I also like to use rough granite or any stone found in my garden. Tiger’s-eye is the gem of Malkuth. The incense known as Dittany of Crete is preferred for its powers of manifestation. It’s an herb that smokes profusely when burned, and its smoke is used in spirit-summoning magick, to provide a smoky “body” for the spirit to physically manifest and take shape in the ritual.
One of the core tools used in ritual magick is holy water. Now, water doesn’t seem like a fitting tool to learn about in Malkuth, but the water of witches and magicians has a strong earth component to it, being salt water. The salt added to the water is used to purify a physical space before ritual, purify the magician, and cleanse tools that are anointed with it. The water is asperged with a branch, usually pine, shaking out the water drops on the ground of the ritual space. Very modern witches will use a spray bottle to fill the air with the holy water. Others simply have the water in a bowl and either pour it out gently or flick it with their fingers.
Traditional blessing water is created simply by mixing together a small amount of salt with the water, and blessing it with the intention to purify, consecrating it. Some traditions formally evoke the spirits, or creatures, of the salt and the water, to aid in that purification. Many witches will use their athame or wand to direct the energy to catalyze the cleansing properties of the salt and water. Variations on this theme include mixing other substances into the water, to give it new properties. Sometimes a sprinkle of a particular herb or a drop or two of essential oil is mixed into the water. Rue is popular for its protective and purifying properties, though it can cause a skin rash and pregnant women should never be around it. I tend not to use rue unless I have a specific reason to do so. Flower essences and gem elixirs can be safely added to the mix without worrying about medicinal interactions or allergic reactions.
I like using a holy water that is aligned with Malkuth by incorporating all four elements. Water is mixed with sea or kosher salt for the earth element. A lit match is submerged in the water, adding its fiery essence to the mix. Sacred ash, from a sacred fire, the same substance that is released in the smoke of the fire, is used for air. For many witches, the ash of a Beltane fire would be most appropriate. Saving the ash of specially prepared fires used in other rituals, such as ash from an oak, ash, or hawthorn tree, is also powerful. I like to use a pinch of ashes from my ash pot (OTOW, Chapter 9) that contains my spell ashes. I also put in a sprinkle of a flower, usually rose, for the element of spirit, though the strong floral scent also has air-element qualities to it.
Making Holy Water
1. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients: water (preferably well or spring water), sea salt or kosher salt in a dish, matches, sacred ash and rose petals, a ritual bowl to mix them in, and a bottle to save the water if you choose to use it again at a later date. Traditionally, do this at your altar space.
2. Center and align yourself, either by doing Exercise 2: Qabalistic Cross; Exercise 5: Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram; or Exercise 1, through step 6, to enter a light meditative state of ritual consciousness. If you would like to do this as part of the magick circle, simply cast a magick circle and perform this consecration as part of the ritual.
3. Place the bowl of water upon the peyton, the altar pentacle. Plunge your athame into the water, and direct your intention to purify this water. Imagine the water filling with a light, usually a bluish or blue-purple light, and say:
I exorcise and bless thee, O Creature of Water, casting out all impurities and discordant energies. May you ever be blessed as a vessel for healing and love.
4. Remove the water bowl and place it on the left side of the altar. Place the dish of salt upon the peyton. Touch the salt with the tip of the athame. Direct your intention to cleanse and consecrate this salt for your working. Imagine the salt glowing with a bluish or blue-purple light, coming from the tip of your blade, and say:
I exorcise and bless thee, O Creature of Salt, casting out all impurities and discordant energies. May you ever be blessed as a vessel for strength and purity.
5. Place the water bowl back onto the altar peyton. Mix the salt into the water and, while stirring at least three times clockwise with your athame, say:
May the salt and water conjoin as one in the love of the Goddess.
6. Take a pinch of ash between your fingers and say:
I exorcise and bless thee, O Creature of Ash, casting out all impurities and discordant energies. May you ever be blessed as a vessel for wisdom and sight.
Add the pinch of ash to the water.
7. Hold the match, strike it, and say:
I bless and thank you, O Creature of Flame, for you are the power of transformation and transmutation. Please add your spark of life to this holy water.
Submerge the flame into the water, but once it’s out, remove the matchstick from the water.
8. Hold the rose petals in your fingers. Sprinkle the petals into the water and say:
I ask for your blessing, O Creature of the Living Green. May your blessings of spirit be upon this water. May you and the spirits of the four elements aid me in sanctifying myself and this space, to know that we are always in the garden and grove of the Goddess and all is sacred. So mote it be.
9. Hold your hands or point your athame over the mixture and fill it with light and energy. Stir the mixture ten times clockwise with your athame. Your holy water is complete. You can use it to bless your temple or ritual space, to anoint yourself before ritual or meditation, to use in healing magick, or to ritually cleanse tools and objects. If there is water left from the ritual and you wish to keep it over time, store it in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight. If you opened a magick circle, then close the circle. If you started with the LBRP, traditionally you would repeat it to close the space. If you simply entered a meditative and clear space, then ground yourself as needed.
Malkuth Pathworkings
The term pathworking for a guided-imagery meditation more than likely comes from Qabalistic symbolism, as the twenty-two paths are used to shift your consciousness from one realm to another. Technically, all the paths are connected to each other, but the most conscious pathways in our collective intelligence are outlined by the formal paths on the Tree. The imagery of the paths and sephiroth is focused upon to connect with that energy and experience the shift in consciousness.
Tarot cards have become the main correspondents to the paths, and each card is used like a gateway. One can “step” through the doorway, the frame of a card, and interact with the magickal beings depicted in the cards. The interaction can give you valuable insight to shift your experience and awareness. Those based in more traditional ceremonial magick will suggest working with a traditional deck, one encoded with Qabalistic symbolism, such as the Rider-Waite, the Golden Dawn, or the less traditional Thoth deck of Aleister Crowley. Though those decks can be helpful, ultimately you must resonate with the deck, and any tarot deck with the traditional arcana, suits, and court cards, as opposed to an oracle deck based on a different system, can be a focus for pathworking.
No path needs to be taken to Malkuth. It is all around us. All we have to do to experience it is simply tune in to it, remembering the sacred garden all around us. Malkuth does have three paths leading out of it, and an understanding of those three paths helps you better understand Malkuth and its relationship to the rest of the Tree of Life.
Each path represents a key experience to look “beyond” Malkuth and realize there are worlds broader than just the material one. On the right side of the Tree, we have the path of the Moon tarot card, leading up to Netzach, while on the left side, we have the path of Judgment, also known as the Aeon, leading up to Hod (figure 29). Both represent two very different kinds of epiphanies, often following a traumatic experience. Judgment is the intellectual epiphany, in which we realize mentally that the world is not as it appears, and climb into the realm of Hod. The Moon is an emotional epiphany, usually an emotional crisis, trauma, or breakdown, the classic “if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you strong” experience, in which intuition and the unseen must be relied upon to survive. This leads to the more primal revelations of Netzach. The middle path, embodied by the World, also known as the Universe, is literally the middle path between these two extremes. It is the easier epiphany experienced through observing nature, and finding the next step of enlightenment through the seasons, the cycle of nature, plants, animals, and even science. All three of these awakenings lead out of the garden of Malkuth and help us understand Malkuth better. But for the following exercise, we will remain in the kingdom, and explore the mysteries right here all around us.
Malkuth Pathworking
1. Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (Exercise 5) to clear your energy field and the space where you are doing this working.
2. While in this space, call upon the divine forces of Malkuth. There are many ways to align yourself with Malkuth. You can knock ten times on your Malkuth altar. You can light ten earth-toned candles, or four candles in the colors of black, russet (red brown), citrine (yellow), and olive (green). You can chant the divine name of Malkuth, Ah-doh-nye ha-ah-retz (Adonai ha-Aretz), ten times. Make a prayer to any of the godforms associated with Mother Earth or the grain goddesses. Call upon Sandalphon to open the way. Any and all of these actions would be an appropriate way to connect with the forces of Malkuth. Light Dittany of Crete as incense if available, or another appropriate earth incense.
3. To count down into a meditative state, do exercise 1 through step 7 (Figure 76).
4. Let the familiar world around you fall away, as if the material reality you know is only the façade, and beneath it lies the beautiful garden of the Goddess, a veritable paradise surrounding you. The land around you becomes a vast primordial garden, more beautiful than you can believe, filled with all manner of exotic plants, flowers, and trees. It is both wonderful and frightening in its primal power.
5. Wander the garden, taking notice of everything around you. Animals might cross your path. Particular plants could catch your eye. Be alert for the messages of Malkuth.
6. In the distance, you see a temple. The Temple of Malkuth might be an open-air shrine rather than a closed-off building. Perhaps it is a circle of ten standing stones. As you count, you notice ten stones to mark the boundary, just as Malkuth’s number is ten. You notice four distinct paths leading out from this garden temple, the paths of the four elements. There might be goddess or sphinx statues adorning the shrine.
7. In the center of this shrine is a throne, and a regal woman sits upon it. You feel compelled to approach her, for she is the Queen on the Throne, the goddess ruling the sphere of Malkuth. Introduce yourself. Ask this goddess her name. Commune with this goddess, asking her to teach you the mysteries of Malkuth. If you are ready, she will, or she will introduce you to beings who can aid your journey and lessons at this time, for the beings of the first garden want to be in relationship, in conscious communion, with the humans of Earth, and they welcome you as an emissary to their world. Perhaps you will gain insight into the duty and obligation of the sphere and how to avoid the vice and illusion. You might even gain the vision of the sphere of Malkuth, a glimpse of your own higher self, your Holy Guardian Angel, or have the opportunity to deepen your relationship with it. This process may begin with a stronger sense of intuition and psychic knowing, and develop into a relationship with this part of yourself, like a spirit guide relationship.
8. When done, thank all the beings who have communicated with you. They might offer you a gift, a token of their goodwill. If you accept, it is polite to reach within your being and offer them a gift of your goodwill. Be sure that what you give reflects the energy and intention you plan to put into the sphere’s lessons.
9. Once you have said your farewells, leave the shrine and return to where you began. Focus on the waking world you know, and feel it return around the garden.
10. To return to normal waking consciousness and end your journey, perform steps 15–17 from exercise 1 (page 78). You can close the temple by repeating the LBRP.
Initiation of Malkuth
The initiatory challenge of Malkuth is the elemental grade of elemental earth. In ceremonial magick traditions, this rank is known as the Initiate or Zelator. The Sign of the Zelator is the sign associated with this grade. The requirement is having greater mastery of your physical body and gaining the discipline to walk the path of the magician. For the witch following this series of books, you already have worked with the four elements. You already should be familiar with the element of earth, which was the basis of the second book in this series, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft. In this system, earth is the element ruling the second grade. This fourth level is an advancement, a higher octave, of the second grade. Both grades deal with the rituals, correspondences, and techniques that people consider to be “magick.” In The Outer Temple of Witchcraft, you were introduced to the elemental powers to build a working relationship with these forces in ritual. In this book, you are challenged to gain a greater mastery of the principles in yourself and your life. We never can truly “master” any spiritual force while incarnated in human consciousness. Our relationship with these forces grows, expands, evolves, and is refined over time, creating an intimate bond with the Otherworld, but when we have grasped the foundation of each mystery and successfully applied it in our life to fulfill our True Will, then we can say we’ve attained a level of mastery.
Each of the four elements represents a type of quest that humans undergo in life. Though our myths paint a portrait of the quests as seeking things outside ourselves, as the quests are manifested in the four sacred tools, they really are about seeking and mastering qualities inside ourselves. For both the witch and the magician, the four sacred tools are the four tools of the elements, the four weapons of the art of magick—the wand, blade, cup, and pentacle. The four tools have congruent images in the mythologies of the Celts, with the four treasures of Ireland, the four gifts brought by the Tuatha de Danann from the four mythical cities of the corners of the globe. Scholar R. J. Stewart credits the work of visionary poet Fiona MacLeod for bringing the elemental correspondences to the four treasures and influencing the modern occult movements such as the Golden Dawn and modern Wicca.
Earth
Spiritual Lesson: Sovereignty
Spiritual Tool: Stone of Sovereignty, Stone of Fal
Fears and Challenges: Irresponsibility, Giving Our Power to Others
Virtue: Vitality
Psychological Function: Sensation
Stage of Learning: Ignorance
State of Matter: Solid
Environmental Sphere: Geosphere
Scientific Force: Gravity
Periodic Element: Carbon
Humor: Black Bile—Melancholic
Body System: Digestive
Sacred River: Water
Sacred Geometry: Cube
Celtic City: Falias
Qabalistic World: Assiah
Classical Age: Iron
Caste: Laborer
Sufi Breath: In Nose/Out Nose
Mudra: Thumb and Middle Finger
Planets: Earth, Venus, Saturn, Pluto
Fixed Sign and Animal: Taurus—Bull
Egyptian Animal: Beetle
Metal: Lead
Chakra: Root
Time of Day: Midnight
Season: Winter
Vowel Sound: A
Egyptian Syllable: Ta
Hindi Syllable: Lam
Tibetan Syllable: A
Modern Syllable: El
Obstruent Sounds: g, gh, k, kh
Time Signature: 4/4
Hebrew God Name: Adonai ha-Aretz or AGLA
Archangel: Uriel/Auriel
Angel: Photlakh
Ruler: Kerub
Elemental King and Queen: King Ghob and Queen Tanu
Goetic Ruler: Ziminiar
Enochian King: MORDIAIHKTGA
Stones: Garnet, Jasper, Obsidian, Smoky Quartz
Herbs: Comfrey, Mandrake, Mushroom, Patchouli, Solomon’s Seal
The treasure associated with the earth element is the Stone of Fal, or Lia Fáil, known as the Stone of Destiny. Though there are two physical stones that are identified with the Stone of Destiny, the mythical treasure of the Irish gods is said to be a magickal stone that cries out in a roar of joy when the rightful king puts his feet upon it. It is said to rejuvenate the ruler and give long reign.
Even though this treasure is called the Stone of Destiny, I learned from my inner-world contacts that the concept of sovereignty is the essence of the stone’s teachings. Sovereignty is used to describe the royalty, as rulers of the land, but one who is sovereign is autonomous and free from external control, whether it be a king, nation, or individual on the path. Equated with the pentacle or the disc in ritual magick, it is both the first step and the last step, as it implies a mastery over the physical world through our spiritual powers, as the top point of the pentagram rules the other four. In mastering the element of earth, we must master our physical life, take charge, control, and responsibility for our life, our own “kingdom” in the world. We each have a kingdom in our own lives, but the trick is to not let anybody else rule our kingdom, nor seek to rule anyone else’s. We often give away our sovereignty, or try to rule another’s, thinking we know what is best. What is best is for every individual is to rule his or her own life. The end of line 59 in chapter 2 of The Book of the Law says, “If he be a King, thou canst not hurt him.” There is a power and regality in those who achieve this level of wisdom, despite their earthly status.
In certain forms of witchcraft, a high priest is given the title Lord and the high priestess is called Lady, not just for the circle, but as a part of their Craft name. I first thought this pretentious, as the traditions I trained in didn’t emphasize it, but the true understanding of the titles is that one who truly has reached that level of initiation must have his or her own sovereignty and, being charged with a tradition, share the sovereignty of that tradition with the other high priestesses and priests of the tradition. But in the end, all of us on the path aspire to be Ladies and Lords, Queens and Kings, sovereign over the nation of ourselves.
To gain a greater understanding of our sovereignty, and to collect our own Stone of Sovereignty and learn its lessons, we must go to the guardians and caretakers of the element of earth. We must visit the realm of elemental earth. We must visit with the elementals of earth, the gnomes. But we must go beyond basic contacts in the realm of earth and find wise teachers and guides, who have mastered the principle of sovereignty themselves. We must find the elemental rulers, the classic elemental “kings” of the elements, each ruling their own kingdom. In some modern lore, the more traditional kings are associated with their matching queens, though these associations were given to me by a student as she received them and are not used in most magickal systems. I offer them for those who want to work with more feminine images. You also can call upon the archangel associated with the element, as you already are building a relationship with the archangels if you are regularly performing the traditional LBRP. Many witches prefer to find pagan gods and goddesses that resonate with the nature of the element. For the element of earth, the Earth Mothers, grain goddesses, and young queens would be appropriate.
Finding the elemental realms on the Tree of Life can be confusing. They are the four cosmic worlds, each based on the symbolism of one of the four elements. But when we cast a circle, we are calling upon more terrestrial powers for the elements. Some think the four elemental realms all are anchored in Malkuth entirely, as Malkuth is divided into four sections and, as the physical realm, needs all four elements for manifestation. This is one way to look at it. Others see the elemental realm associated with the corresponding sephira. Some see the elemental realm anchored in Malkuth, while the teaching spirits, such as the elemental rulers or angels, are rooted in higher spheres. Any of these models could be correct. Though they might resonate with a particular level on the Tree, they too, each have their own Tree of Life, as their evolutionary scale in their realm. It is only our arrogance that makes us see them as limited rather than simply different, and we assign these artificial conditions of being upon them smaller than ours. If we expect them only in one place, we find them only in one place, but they are really a part of the whole Tree.
In the end, “where” you find the elemental realms is unimportant. Knowing you can connect to them from your inner temple (OTOW, Exercises 13, 17, 21, and 25) and going there to learn more about them are the important aspects of the work. If you have yet to visit the elemental realms, you might want to do the exercises just listed to get your feet wet, before you seek to master the elements in the exercises in this book.
Elemental Earth Journey Seeking the Stone of Sovereignty
1. This exercise is an expansion of the experiences in Exercise 25: Journeying to the Realm of Earth from The Outer Temple of Witchcraft. You can start by performing the LBRP before this journey to prepare yourself. Then perform exercise 1, steps 1–11, to go to your inner temple.
2. Orient yourself in the center of your inner temple. Look for the four doorways to the elemental planes. You might find that your guides bring you to the garden of Malkuth, with its four paths to the four elemental planes. In either case, orient yourself to the direction of elemental earth. Hold the intention to journey to the realm of earth and seek out the Stone of Sovereignty. You know you might not receive it, but the journey will give you teachings to better master the element in your life so you can come back and claim it. Open the doorway of earth, perhaps using the invoking pentagram of earth as a magickal “key” (OTOW, Chapter 6). Enter the path or tunnel that leads to the elemental plane of earth.
3. When you are fully in the realm of earth, seek out the primal powers of the plane. Hold the intention to go to the heart of the realm, to seek out the elemental ruler, king, queen, archangel, or a deity of elemental earth. Perhaps a guide will take you there directly, or you will have to search, and the searching will be part of your lesson.
4. When you reach the heart of the elemental plane, state your request to receive the Stone of Sovereignty. The keepers of the stone might ask you why you think you are worthy, and you might have to tell them or demonstrate your skill. You could be challenged. Meet the challenges to the best of your ability. If you are ready to receive the stone, the elemental teachers will give it to you. If not, they will instruct you in what you have to accomplish to be able to receive the stone in the future. They may offer to tutor you in the ways of the earth element.
5. Travel back from the realm of elemental earth, back the way you came unless guided by the teachers to take another route. Go back to the inner temple. Close the gateway of elemental earth in a manner similar to the way you opened it. If you used an invoking pentagram, then use a banishing pentagram now.
6. To return to normal waking consciousness and end your journey, perform steps 15–17 from exercise 1 (page 78). Close with the LBRP if you opened with it.
This is but the first of four journeys that will help you pierce the veil and expand your consciousness to achieve a greater level of mastery of the elements.
The ritual tool on your altar that anchors you to the Stone of Sovereignty is your earth element tool. For some witches, it is a stone or crystal in the north of the altar. Traditionally, the peyton, or paten, the ritual pentacle, can be a symbol of both spirit and earth specifically. The Golden Dawn–style pentacle is based on the imagery of Malkuth but really is a “hexacle,” as Donald Michael Kraig says, because it uses the six-pointed star even though ritual magicians call it a pentacle or pantacle (Figure 37). For some traditions of magick, the magician’s personal reality map glyph becomes the pentacle. John Dee’s septagram was etched onto his wax disc. Traditional witches use a metal or wood pentacle, with more ritualistic symbols than their more eclectic cousins.
Figure 37: Golden Dawn Pentacle (Personal implement of Chic Cicero) and Traditional Witchcraft Pentacle
Homework
• Do Exercises 5–8 and record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.
• Practice the LBRP, the original version or your personally reconstructed version.
Tips
• Fill in the Malkuth correspondences and colors on your own Tree of Life drawing. Contemplate them as you add them to the image. Start memorizing these correspondences.
• To gain greater mastery over Malkuth and the element of earth, bring your physicality into your spirituality. Make exercise, yoga, or martial arts a bigger part of your spiritual “work.” View nutrition, rest, and exercise as part of caring for the divine essence of you that resides in Malkuth.
• Study appendix II to deconstruct and reconstruct the LBRP to your liking. You might decide that your magick is more traditional and, at least for now, not alter the ceremonial magick rituals at all. That’s a wonderful choice, and studying other variations will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the original. Don’t rush into creating your own unless you fully understand the original. You can opt to learn the original version for this year-and-a-day program and then go back at a later date to make your own variations.
• Pick one other reality map from appendix I to contemplate. Understanding a variety of worldviews will help you when you construct your own world map.
• When pathworking, many people worry about whether the spirit they meet is the spirit associated with the pathway/sephira or is something else, such as a figment of their imagination, a mischievous trickster, or even a harmful spirit. My favorite spirit-verification technique is to ask the spirit three times its true name, and if you get the same name, then it is true. Others ask for the name and a “wave of love” to be sent to them, to know it’s not a harmful spirit. In ceremonial magick, one might challenge the spirit to give the signs of the grade associated with the sphere, and the name of God and angel associated with it.
• Don’t feel as though you need to master your Stone of Sovereignty before going on to the next lessons. These are tools you can be using throughout the entire year-and-a-day course and beyond. Keep visiting the realm of earth, and integrate these lessons into your daily life. We continually work with these four principles, but you should have a solid relationship with them before going on to the fifth book of this training, The Living Temple of Witchcraft.
• When you do feel that you have received the Stone of Sovereignty from the inner-world teacher of the earth element, be sure to reconsecrate the earth tools you have on your altar (particularly if you have a stone) and/or your ritual peyton. If it isn’t already, the peyton will become more and more a foundation for your magick. I place on my peyton whatever spells, intentions, and tokens of meditative workings that I have going on for a long time, to keep focus. At the end of this course, you may decide to make a new peyton, and on it inscribe your own personal reality map or mandala. If you work with several different sets of tools, you might find your inner Stone of Sovereignty extending out from your hands to empower a peyton or tool and then retracting back within you when the rite is concluded.
• Practitioners of some traditions of ceremonial magick believe that the banishing pentagrams will “deconsecrate” elemental tools when done with those tools around. The remedy is to wrap elemental tools in white silk, which has a vibration that blocks out magickal forces and psychic vibrations, and to put the tools away until after the banishing. That is why specific tools are used for banishing rituals, and why there are many wands and blades used in the tradition. As a witch, I disagree with this premise. I haven’t found that any of my tools have been banished or deconsecrated because I’ve done the LBRP. I think the intention is the most important aspect of the ritual, and my intention with the LBRP is to banish harm and unwanted influences. The elemental and planetary rituals can be only so effective. They are not 100 percent effective. We each have an earthy component to our being—our physicality, our practicality, our groundedness. The LBRP does not banish those things from us. I’m still physical. In the ritual, I’m still practical and focused on my goal. I have not become unearthed or ungrounded at all. So the LBRP didn’t banish all earth energy, but simply removed the unwanted forces. If there is anything unhealthy and unwanted in my tools, the ritual might banish those forces, but the rest of the “good” intentions remain.
• You might wonder why the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram has both the words lesser and banishing in the title. Are there invoking rituals of the pentagram? Are there greater rituals? The answer to both is yes. A wide variety of rituals have been based on the pentagram, and not all magicians use the same format for these rituals or agree on their structure. In this lesson, you have learned the format of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. It can be adapted to be a banishing ritual with the use of the banishing earth pentagram, as taught in the lesson, or an invoking ritual with the invoking earth pentagram. Generally, the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, both banishing and invoking, uses the earth pentagram. Some magicians believe that it is wisest to use the invoking version of this ritual at the start of your day, to bring beneficial forces to you, and to use the banishing version at sunset or the end of your day, to clear your energy field before bed or for other magickal workings.
Technically, you have learned the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram of Earth, for we used the earth banishing pentagram, with the idea that it will aid in the protection and cleansing of all dense and unwanted forces. The earth is a compound element, containing aspects of all other elements, just as the symbol of earth, the pentacle, has points for all five elements. You can, however, adapt the ritual elementally. If you desire to invoke or banish a particular elemental force from your space while leaving other elemental forces untouched, you can make specific elemental Lesser Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram. If you want to invoke a specific element for a working, you can adapt the rite to be the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram of the desired element. This can be very helpful when doing elemental meditations and other magick focusing on a specific element. Do a general LBRP and then invoke a specific element. Or, if you are in a situation in which one element is overwhelming you, you can banish it for a time. For example, let’s say a severe family situation is overwhelming you emotionally. You have to make a hard decision about something, but your feelings are clouding your reason. You could do a LBRP of water to clear yourself of these influences partially, if not completely, and do a reading asking for guidance. For now, master the basic LBRP before you attempt to work with these other rituals. The greater and supreme rituals of the pentagram will be discussed later in this book.
• Some teachers believe in altering the colors of the pentagrams envisioned in the LBRP. Technically, since these are banishing earth pentagrams, such teachers would advocate envisioning pentagrams in the corresponding green color. If doing a LBRP of fire, air, or water, the pentagrams would be red, yellow, or blue, respectively. I tend to use blue in the LBRP because that’s the way I first learned it.