NOTES ON THE LESSER AND GREATER RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM PART II Issued by the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn (Novus Ordo Aureae Aurora) By John M. Demmitt III and Sir David Cherubim Copyright (c) 1991 e.v. The Ritual of the Pentagram is a much used Magical Ritual which utilizes the symbol of the Pentagram as a general means to banish and invoke elemental forces. Yet we should not simply regard it as a mere device to invoke or banish, for it is really the Stone of the Wise and involves a high formula of self-initiation when properly performed with the right type of magical awareness and will power. It is given to the Neophyte of the New Order of the Golden Dawn as a means for him to come into contact with invisible forces and to know how to direct and apply those forces to his Magical Will. The Pentagram Ritual affirms the Magician's identity with the Inner Logos, which the Pentagram as a symbol represents. In fact, the Pentagram is itself a symbol of Lapis Philosophorum, or the Philosopher's Stone, which is another name for the Inner Self or Logos in Man. The Pentagram is a perfect geometrical symbol of the Perfected Man as Lord of the Elements and as the initiated Adept of Magick who governs the elements by the Sovereign authority of his Will, in the Secret Centre of the Holy Cross of the Elements. The Pentagram further symbolizes the True Will of man made manifest in the four worlds of existence. It is therefore a suitable sign of the Magician's magical omnipotence. When using the Ritual of the Pentagram to invoke or banish it must be realized by the practical Magician that all he is in fact doing is tuning in or tuning out of a certain frequency of thought and soul. To invoke is to tune into something; to banish is to tune out of something. The true Magician knows that the only way to really banish the demons is by first recognizing that they are a part of his own mind, that they are his own internal conflicts and not external to him. Then can he use some necessary method to eliminate them according to his Magical Will. So let the practical Magician realize that when he uses the Pentagram Ritual to banish something all he is doing is tuning out of his own mental disturbances so that he may get on with his work. The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram should be used before meditation, ritual, or any other type of spiritual working in which the Magician must have a clear space of consciousness before actually performing. It is always necessary to have a purified mind and Will before attempting magical work, otherwise there is the possibility of failure. A simple analogy is the process of concentration. To be able to successfully concentrate on one thing alone, we must first clear our minds of all other thoughts and focus on that one thing. The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is a supreme magical method which assists the Magician in this essential process before he attempts to concentrate his energies on some particular occult operation. The Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram may be used to align the consciousness of the Magician with the Vibration of the Element he seeks to invoke. It can be used to align the mind with particular goals that the Magician needs to accomplish for the performance of his True Will. It can be used in cases where the Magician finds himself unable to focus his mind and energies on necessary tasks involving the Great Work. It can be used to help the Magician overcome ordeals that dissuade or deter him from the execution of his True Will. The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram may be used to invoke any of the four elements. For instance: To invoke earth you simply use the Invoking Earth Pentagram; to invoke air you simply use the Invoking Air Pentagram. The Divine Names stay the same; you only change the type of Pentagram, depending on the element you are going to invoke. In the Supreme Pentagram Rituals of the New Order of the Golden Dawn, it is stated (#2) that you should perform the Lesser Invoking Pentagram Ritual of the Element of your Invocation. This means that you should perform the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, using the elemental Pentagram proper to your elemental invocation. The Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram may be used to alter and attune the consciousness of the Magician in situations that are of extreme intensity, or that require an abundance of elemental energy. The main differentiation between this and the Lesser Invoking Pentagram Ritual is that through the addition of the Power of Spirit, the Magician is able to exert a more dynamic energy, and extend his consciousness to higher vibrations, so that the ritual will affect him at higher levels of awarness. In this form of the Invoking Pentagram Ritual, you will use the Pentagrams, Signs, and God-names that are appropriate to the Element being invoked in all four quarters. To invoke or banish one element, use the proper elemental Pentagram, Sigil, Name and Sign in all four directions. If an active element, use the Active Spirit Pentagram and the Active Spirit Name in all four directions; if a passive element, use the Passive Spirit Pentagram and the Passive Spirit Name in all four directions. In either case you use the Portal Signs. --- * Origin: Mysteria * Be ye mystic * 818-353-8891 (1:102/943.0)