The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram is a potent and powerful ritual that can be used as a preliminary to other rituals, or in its own right, to prepare a place for meditation, consecrating a talisman or tincture, or to better experience the qualities of a sphere on the Tree of Life. The following outline is to help those who have knowledge only of this ‘little’ ritual to better understand its potential uses, before moving on to more sophisticated operations. Remember, there are no advanced rituals, only an advanced ritualist.
Opening
1) Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
2) Face the East, and Invoke the Element Earth by drawing an Earth (i.e. invoking) pentagram, and intone the Name for the East, or YHVH.
3) Turn to the South and repeat using the Name for the South, Adonai.
4) Continue for the West, and North.
The intention the magician should have while performing this second invocation, is that the Elements are present, potent, and stable within their sphere of working.
Invoking
5) Contemplate your Kether, performing four-square breathing, and then invoke the Flashing Sword on the Tree of Life. This can be done by imagining the spheres of the Tree on your body as points of brilliant, white light. Progress to the point where you can imagine them in their Queen’s color scale colors, and invoke the appropriate Divine Names. The Upper Trinity can be merged after they are done, into a single brilliant sphere encompassing and illuminating the head in a brilliant halo. Attention should be given to the Names and their vibration. In fact, the Names can be invoked in descending order alone (i.e., without visualization) prior to any work, and must be done, before any work on a specific sphere of the Tree, such as Geburah, Tiphareth, etc.
Closing
Use your closing sign, or the Sign of Silence to close down the energy without banishing it. That is, just cutting off its inward flow, and not removing it from your sphere of operation completely.
Opening a Single Quarter
1) Perform steps One and Five.
2) Turn to the Quarter you wish to Open, such as the East. Draw an invoking pentagram and say, “I Open the Portal of the East in the Name of YHVH.” Imagine the pentagram as tracery of a large window, such that you could put your hand through it and reach to the other side. Imagine a vast wall of wind on the other side, ever so slightly blowing through, although great pressure is felt to be present there. Imagine the colors of the Quarter in the wind. Everything must be brilliant and bright. Sharp, clear imagery and feelings are critical and must be developed for this aspect of the work. If need be, imagine a circle, of stone, or just of brilliant light, around the pentagram to stabilize it.
3) After a few moments, or minutes of concentration, call on the Archangel to assist you. Later, additional ‘helpers’ can be called on to assist you, but always call on the ruling ‘intelligence’ of the Quarter, the Archangel. Say, “I call on the Archangel Raphael (vibrate the Name) to assist me in my journey in the Eastern Quarter.” Or something to this effect. Imagine the archangel before you, on the other side of the pentagram, reaching through with one hand. It should be a massive hand, larger than yours, as these beings are often imagined as being 12-16 feet tall. Feel the warmth of the hand, and go through the pentagram into a sea of the element imagined. Simply repeat the name of the archangel over and over again if need be, to keep focused. When you are ready, turn, and return to the pentagram. Look through and see yourself seated on the other side. Step through. Offer gratitude and thanks to the Archangel for its help. Feel a fast, powerful, and sudden blast of the Element come through the pentagram, completely fill the circle, and then return to the other side. Imagine yourself seated, and then when ready stand. Go before the Quarter and draw a banishing, or closing pentagram while saying: “I close the Quarter of the East in the Name of YHVH! So mote it be!” Stamp your foot, ring a bell, or use a mallet or knocker to affirm your presence in the material world
4) Banish again with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram if need be, or perform your closing gesture, such as the Sign of Silence to close down the energy.
When opening the quarters, always start with the East, and work your way to the North, doing no more than one per week until you are competent to open and close them as will for specific work.
In the beginning you can draw the alchemical symbol for the Element in the center of the Pentagram, but the kerubic sign of the fixed astrological Sign is more powerful, and should be in complementary colors to the Element.
A study of the qualities of the Signs will yield information regarding the secrets of the Elements. For example: Fire will make ones sense of self very strong, and give dominance over the other Elements. Water must be directed by a strong and clear image, through a focused will (power of Mars). Earth is close to the lunar realms, and can be manipulated through lunar cycles, as well as a strong love of Nature as bestowed by Venus. Air gives breadth and clarity of vision, but also a quick mind and sense of the heaviness and occasional depression if it is allowed to grow ‘heavy’.
The Middle Pillar can be substituted for the Flashing Sword, however, the Flashing Sword should be done at least once a week, preferably on Saturday.
See the “Ritual Protocols” for additional information on the spheres.