The Not-So-Gentle Art of Psychic Self-Defense

Part II: The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

By Hillary R. Bergen

“Any entity worth knowing should be able to take a joke.”—Christopher Penczak

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM:

· Modern Magick (“MM”) by Donald Michael Kraig

· The Witch’s Shield: Protection Magick & Psychic Self-Defense (“TWS”) by Christopher Penczack

· The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation, and Psychic Development (“ITW”) by Christopher Penczak

Everyone should try to learn at least the Qabalistic Cross. Learning the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) as well is a good idea. HOWEVER, if you are on the Blessing Team, you need to know these rituals well enough to do them in your sleep. If we are going in to do a House Blessing, having St. Michael on our side is great. St. Benedict is a peach. But wouldn’t you want to go in knowing you were protected not only by Saint Benedict and Saint Michael the Archangel, but Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel/Ariel as well? When we’re finished, don’t we all want to go home even more certain that we haven’t brought anything back to our loved ones from an investigation? The Qabalistic Cross/LBRP is a powerful way to cleanse and empower yourself before, during, and after an investigation:

“This ritual will remove from your immediate area (banish) any unwanted influences. This banishing dispels negative and/or unwanted physical influences and non-physical influences including astral and elemental forces. This is one of the greatest defenses against psychic attack ever (MM).”

ALL RIGHT, ALREADY. WHAT’S THE RITUAL?

The LBRP is a piece of High Ceremonial Magick given to us by those who delved into occult studies in the late nineteenth century and then decided to get together and create an occult society known as The Golden Dawn (around 1880). There are specific ways of moving and speaking and standing. You should already be able to ground and center with some ease.

However, you can’t just say the words and do the movements. “There has to be intent, and above all, you need to see what is happening in your mind’s eye. The Qabalistic Cross is not just schlag-schlag-schlag-schlag along with some mumbled Hebrew; it is a cross of light and power surging through your body (MM, Foreword).”

The LBRP involves ritual movements and intoning words of power in ancient Hebrew. Even if you don’t like the idea of chanting Hebrew, give it a try. I’m going to teach you the LBRP how I learned it in a Wiccan coven in California, and we did learn the Hebrew.

The LBRP consists of four parts:

1. The Qabalistic Cross

2. Banishment Ritual

3. Evocation of the Archangels

4. Repetition of the Qabalistic Cross

THE QABALISTIC CROSS

Remember, you are not simply saying these words—you are INTONING them. You are using the energy of the tonal vibrations of your voice to send energy out into the universe. Think of chanting monks. They’re not just standing there, scratching their bums, and saying the words. They’re standing tall and chanting, having faith that their prayers are reaching upwards to God.

That’s what we’re going to do.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS HEBREW MEAN?

I believe that before anyone does a ritual, they should know the meaning of the words they are saying. So, here are the HEBREW words in phonetic form and what the words mean.

1. Ah-TAY: “Yours” or “Thine” (SPIRIT TO FOREHEAD)

2. Mahl-KOOT: “Kingdom” (Earth) (FOREHEAD TO EARTH)

3. Vey-Gey-Boo-RAH: “And the Power” (EARTH TO RIGHT SHOULDER)

4. Vey-Gey-Doo-LAH: “And the Glory” (RIGHT SHOULDER TO LEFT SHOULDER)

5. Ley-Oh-LAHM: “Forever” (ARMS CROSSED OVER CHEST)

6. Ah-MEN: “So it is and will be” (BOW HEAD)

So here, in the Qabalistic Cross, we’re basically reciting a line that may be familiar to many of you: “Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, now and forever, Amen.”

PERFORMING THE QABALISTIC CROSS:

1. Ground and center, facing EAST.

2. Physically reach up ABOVE your head with your right hand, and know that you are bringing down some of the pure essence of the Spirit of All Creation in the form of bright white light. When you reach your forehead, intone “Ah-TAY”.

3. Still holding the light, bring your right hand down your body, seeing the light trail downwards as you point to the Earth BELOW you. Intone “Mahl-KOOT”.

4. Bring the light to your RIGHT shoulder. Intone “Vey-Gey-Boo-RAH”.

5. Bring the light to your LEFT shoulder. Intone “Vey-Gey-Doo-LAH”.

6. Cross your arms over your chest, RIGHT arm over LEFT arm and intone “Ley-Oh-LAHM”.

7. Bow your HEAD and intone “Ah-MEN”.

What we have done through visualization, motion, and intonation, is to “place” ourselves at the Center of the Universe with Divine Light pouring through us. We are, in essence, a willing vessel for the Divine (however you may see it). Most things will go running like mad in the face of the Qabalistic Cross.

But wait! There’s more!

INTONING THE NAMES OF THE DIVINE & FORMING THE PENTAGRAMS

I’m not getting into a big theological argument over the names of the Divine. Yes, they are in Hebrew. If you aren’t comfortable with that, you can choose the names of the Divine you wish to intone AND MANIFEST. I stick with Hebrew for a number of reasons, but I have intoned names of various Goddesses and Gods from other traditions and nothing went “BOOM!” However, a caveat:

MAKE SURE THE NAMES YOU CHOOSE TO INTONE ARE RELATED, SO YOU DON’T END UP IN A CIRCLE OF CHAOS INSTEAD OF A CIRCLE OF PROTECTION!!! At least make sure the names are from the same pantheon, and are all aspects of male OR female Divinity.

THE HEBREW:

1. YOD-HEY-VAHV-HEY: The holy, ultimate, unknowable Name of the Divine, male and female.

2. AH-DOH-NYE: “My lord”

3. EH-HEH-YEH: “I shall be.”

4. AH-GEY-LAH: “Thou art great forever, my lord.”

Most of the Hebrew in the LBRP is abbreviated so you don’t have to intone “AH-TAY-GEY-BOR-LEY-OH-LAHM-AH-DOH-NYE” in one breath. Instead, we intone “AH-GEY-LAH”, which is infinitely easier to remember and intone.

Let’s get started.

1. Face EAST. Inhale deeply. Step forward with your RIGHT foot. Bring your hands up and with your index fingers and thumbs, form a triangle. As you push your arms out, see in your mind’s eye a flaming blue pentagram BEHIND your hands. KNOW that it is there. At the same time, intone the name “YOD-HEY-VAHV-HEY”.

2. Face SOUTH. Inhale deeply. Step forward with your RIGHT foot. Bring your hands up and with your index fingers and thumbs, form a triangle. As you push your arms out, see in your mind’s eye a flaming blue pentagram BEHIND your hands. KNOW that it is there. At the same time, intone the name “AH-DOH-NYE”.

3. Face WEST. Inhale deeply. Step forward with your RIGHT foot. Bring your hands up and with your index fingers and thumbs, form a triangle. As you push your arms out, see in your mind’s eye a flaming blue pentagram BEHIND your hands. KNOW that it is there. At the same time, intone the name “EH-HEH-YEH”.

4. Face NORTH. Inhale deeply. Step forward with your RIGHT foot. Bring your hands up and with your index fingers and thumbs, form a triangle. As you push your arms out, see in your mind’s eye a flaming blue pentagram BEHIND your hands. KNOW that it is there. At the same time, intone the name “AH-GEY-LAH”.

You are now surrounded by four of the most powerful names of the Divine as well as protective pentagrams at each point of the compass. The last part is to call upon the Archangels, which you can do by itself at any time you feel it is necessary/you are in danger.

EVOCATION OF THE ARCHANGELS

Face EAST. Extend your arms as far as you can to either side of your body. You WILL NOT be turning or moving during the Evocation of the Archangels. Standing tall, intone the following passage:

“Before me stands RA-FAI-EL. Behind me stands GAB-RAI-EL. At my right hand stands MI-CHAI-EL. At my left hand stands AU-RAI-EL. Around me flames the pentagrams, and through me shines the six-rayed star.”

(The six-rayed star refers to what most people know as the Star of David.)

Take a moment to breathe and gain your balance in this new state of protection. You should still be facing East. Bring your arms down, ground and center if necessary, and take three deep breaths. Perform the Qabalistic Cross one last time.

All done. J

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 732-682-3429. -- Hillary