What the LBRP is
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (often abbreviated LBRP) is a short ceremonial exercise from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occult society founded in 1888. It is among the most widely practised rituals in Western ceremonial magic and is commonly taught as a first ritual. Much of its popularity in the twentieth century comes from the publication of Golden Dawn material by writers such as Israel Regardie. Crowley-influenced groups, including those that follow Thelema, also use it or adapt it.
Purpose
Practitioners describe the LBRP as a banishing ritual: a way to clear the space, settle the mind and mark a boundary before other work. It is often performed at the start and end of a session, and some people do it daily as a discipline. Whether it affects anything beyond the practitioner is a matter of belief. Many describe it in psychological terms, as a method of concentration and mental reset, in line with some of the views discussed in magic theory.
Before you begin
Versions differ, so this is a general outline rather than the only form. Traditionally the practitioner:
- Stands in the centre of the space, facing east.
- Uses a hand, a dagger or a wand to trace the pentagrams.
- Vibrates the divine names, meaning speaks or intones them in a deep, resonant way rather than just saying them.
- Visualises the figures and lights described.
Learning the words and gestures beforehand helps, since the ritual depends on memory and concentration.
Step 1: the Qabalistic Cross
Standing and facing east, the practitioner:
- Touches the forehead and says Ateh (“Thou art”).
- Touches the chest or lower body and says Malkuth (“the Kingdom”).
- Touches the right shoulder and says ve-Geburah (“and the Power”).
- Touches the left shoulder and says ve-Gedulah (“and the Glory”).
- Clasps the hands at the chest and says le-Olam, Amen (“forever, Amen”).
The wording draws on a line from the Lord’s Prayer in its older, longer form, rendered in Hebrew, a good example of how Golden Dawn ritual blends Jewish Kabbalistic terms with Christian elements, the mix known as the Hermetic Kabbalah.
Step 2: the four pentagrams
Still facing east, the practitioner traces a banishing pentagram of earth in the air, visualised in a bright colour, then points to its centre and vibrates a divine name. The cycle is repeated in each direction, turning clockwise:
- East: YHVH (the Tetragrammaton)
- South: Adonai
- West: Eheieh
- North: AGLA
After the final pentagram, the practitioner returns to the east by completing the circle with a line that joins the four figures. Practitioners differ on which colour to visualise and how to draw the line. Some common sources describe a blue flame, others a white or other light.
Step 3: the archangels
With arms extended in the shape of a cross, the practitioner calls the four archangels and visualises each at one of the quarters:
- Before me: Raphael (east)
- Behind me: Gabriel (west)
- At my right hand: Michael (south)
- At my left hand: Uriel (north)
The practitioner then says words to the effect of “For about me flames the pentagram, and within me shines the six-rayed star,” picturing a hexagram in the heart. Wording varies slightly between published versions.
Step 4: closing
The practitioner repeats the Qabalistic Cross to close the ritual.
What the symbolism means
- The pentagram here represents the four elements under the control of spirit, and the banishing direction of tracing is used for dismissing.
- The divine names come from Hebrew sources and are linked to the elements and the directions in Golden Dawn teaching.
- The archangels are assigned to the quarters in the Golden Dawn system, which is not the only possible assignment.
- The Qabalistic Cross draws on Kabbalistic ideas about the divine and the human body, and the Tree of Life.
Variations
Practitioners adapt the ritual. Some use different divine names, replace Hebrew with other languages, or leave out religious wording to suit a non-theistic view. Because published instructions differ, anyone who wants to practise should compare a few reliable sources and decide on a consistent form.
Cautions
The LBRP is generally presented as a gentle exercise, but a few points are worth keeping in mind. Intense ritual practice, combined with sleep loss or stress, can be unsettling for some people, and anyone with a mental health condition should talk to a professional before starting a regular routine. Do not use a ritual in place of medical or psychological care. The ritual also belongs to a particular religious and cultural context, so reading about its sources, such as in the occult explained, is more useful than copying it without understanding. Texts on ritual procedure often appear in grimoires, though the LBRP is a later Golden Dawn development.