What is Banishing?

Banishing is one of the core skills that all witches, sorcerers and people who do magick of any kind are required to develop early on in their journey. 

Banishing spells are designed to drive away anything the magic-user feels is a threat or a nuisance; unwanted energy, a person, an obstacle, a debt, a disease, an addiction, a bad habit, etc.

In ceremonial magic, banishing refers to one or more rituals intended to remove non-physical influences ranging from spirits to negative influences. Although banishing rituals are often used as components of more complex ceremonies, they can also be performed by themselves.

In Wicca and various forms of neopaganism, banishing is performed before casting a Circle in order to purify the area where the ritual or magic is about to take place. In his books on Nocturnal Witchcraft, for example, Konstantinos recommends performing banishings regularly, in order to keep the magical workspace free of negativity, and to become proficient in banishing before attempting acts that are much more spiritually taxing on the body, such as magical spellworking. Banishing can be viewed as one of several techniques of magick, closely related to ritual purification and a typical prerequisite for consecration and invocation.

For actual workings Aleister Crowley recommends a short, general banishing, with a comment that "in more elaborate ceremonies it is usual to banish everything by name." 

Crowley also recommended that a banishing ritual be done at least once daily by Thelema in Liber Aleph vel CXI.

In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP for shorthand) must be learned by the Neophyte before moving on to the next grade (Zelator).

While some traditions frown upon banishing as manipulative magic on the theory that it impacts the free will of another, if your tradition has no prohibitions against such things, then there’s no reason you can’t do a banishing to get rid of negativity.

• A banishing can be carried out on a home, sending away unwanted energies and attendance, displeasure, stress, etc.
• A banishing can be performed on a person to send away an addiction, negative energy or influence that another person has on him or her.
• Banishing is also performed on items to get rid of the connection with previous owners. Or to remove and recharge the energy for a new purpose or goal.
• The term cleansing refers to a banishing that is done to remove unwanted energies from a person, location, or object. The term exorcism is used to describe a banishing for an unwanted entity.

There are a number of different methods to accomplishing a successful banishing. Which one you choose will vary, depending on how comfortable you are with the different techniques, and what you’re trying to achieve.

For many banishing spells, an object is chosen to represent the person, idea, thing or energy to be banished. This item is then charged or programed to represent the target using various means and then symbolically sent away.  Running water, such as a river, is often utilized in this way. Use fire to burn a symbol of whatever it is you wish to be rid of, or earth to bury it.

ELEMENTAL BANISHING

A popular method of banishing is the use of the various elements, in particular the use of fire or water.

Fire can be used as a method of purification and cleansing by way of destruction.

Water is used in a number of religions for a variety of purposes, including banishing. You can make your own consecrated water for use in rituals.

If you are banishing energy from your person, a ritual bath may be in order.

Salt is also a great tool for banishing. In some magical traditions, it represents earth, and has been used for centuries to get rid of negative energy. In some folk magic traditions, black salt - a blend of sea salt and another item such as charcoal - is used as a protective barrier.

What is your favorite method?

Also read:

• How Sacred Rituals can transform your daily life
• The threat of Psychic Attacks
• Scrying, The Ancient Art of Revelation

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (or LBRP) is a ceremonial magic ritual devised and used by the original order of the Golden Dawn that has become a mainstay in modern occultism. This ritual is considered by many to be a basic preliminary to any other magical work, so much that it was the only ritual, beside initiation rituals, taught to members of the Golden Dawn before they advanced to the Inner Order.

Description and structure

The ritual is highly dynamic, using gesture, visualization and the pronunciation of certain words of power, combining prayer and invocation as well as clearing and preparing a space for further magical or meditative work. The ritual is perceived as banishing any "chaotic" and "impure" forms of the elements from the magician's circle tracing the Pentagrams in the air and by the power of certain Divine names followed by an invocation of the spiritual forces ruling the elements to fortify and guard the circle.

The principal components of the Qabalistic Cross and the LBRP are drawn from the works of French occultist Eliphas Levi. The text originated as a traditional Jewish prayer said before sleeping, as documented by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in The Hirsch Siddur [Feldheim Publishing, 1969], which reads as follows:

In the Name of God, the God of Yisrael: may Michael be at my right hand, Gabriel at my left, Uriel before me, Raphael behind me, and above my head, the presence of God.

The ritual

Although some orders suggest that magical equipment is needed to perform the LBRP, the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn did not use any. However a modern approach might include the following:

• An altar in the center of the ritual space, upon which are placed instruments representing the four Classical elements
• A ceremonial robe (e.g. a tau robe) or other suitable ritual garb worn by the magician
• A ritual dagger or sword (e.g. an "athame"), or a wand, used to gesture to the points of the Qabalistic Cross, and to draw the pentagrams and the magic circle connecting them.

The Golden Dawn LBRP consists of three main parts, in this order:

1. Qabalistic Cross, sometimes repeated at the end of the LBRP. This is meant to construct an astral cross in the body of the magician, with points corresponding to Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. While constructing this cross, the magician vibrates Hebrew words from the last few lines of the Lord's Prayer (Thine is the kingdom, etc.).
2. Formulation of the Pentagrams, in which a banishing earth pentagram (for the Banishing Ritual) or an invoking pentagram (for the Invoking Ritual) is drawn in the air at each of the four cardinal points and an associated name of God is vibrated (YHVH, ADNI, AHIH and AGLA for East, South, West and North respectively). This segment of the ritual is meant to banish or invoke the four elements (Air, Fire, Water and Earth respectively). The four pentagrams are connected by a circle, also drawn in the air.
3. Invocation of the Archangels, during which the magician declares the Archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel (or Auriel) to be present, while visualizing them at the four cardinal points.

Some traditions, in order to distance themselves from the Judeo-Christian content of the ritual, replace the Qabalistic Cross, names of God and archangels with suitable substitutes; using, for example, the chakra system instead of the Tree of Life, mantras instead of God names, etc. Magicians practising Thelemic magick will often intone the name Aiwass at the heart while performing the Qabalistic cross, as reinforcing their commitment to the presiding intelligence of Liber AL.

Key Symbolism and Meaning

The first lock with key was discovered in Egypt and dates from about 3000 BC. It was made of teak wood, measured about 60 cm and controlled the access to a temple. It could be actuated by means of a curved key, provided with pins, with lengths and specific provisions. The principle of the Egyptian lock was extremely innovative and influenced the field of the locksmith around the world.

Some keys dated from the second millennium BC. were indeed discovered in Iran, Morocco, India, Africa and China.

This system also influenced the Romans whose keys were made of bronze. 

Medieval Europe largely operated and realized goldsmith masterpieces. It was at this time that the first keys with rings appeared, depicting religious buildings facades.

But it was during the Renaissance that the art of locksmithing peaked. During this period, the key was a full-fledged artistic object and had finely crafted rings. It was not unusual for sculptors and artists, in Italy in particular, to propose very sophisticated models of keys to master locksmiths, which could take years of work. Sometimes characters and faces were well represented in finely crafted rings. In France, King Louis XVI, who was himself a locksmith, possessed an extraordinary workshop and regularly indulged in this passion.

Picture above: The key to the Petit Trianon. Given to Marie-Antoinette by her husband Louis XVI in June of 1774. When he gave it to her there was a ribbon on it with 531 diamonds.

The Victorian era was a period in which the artistic side of the key yet rubbed its security function, but over time, with huge advances in metallurgy of iron, the key radically transformed and lost its beauty and finesse to become only functional.

Today, despite the emergence of electronic locking systems, the key still withstands modern technology thanks to its reliability and simplicity.

The Symbolic Meaning of Keys

Keys have represented various spiritual symboligies for as long as man has had locks. They are connected with gateways and portals, doorways to the unknown, knowledge, mysteries, powers, initiations, new ways, forbidden things and answers to curious questions.

keys represent knowledge and success. They can open doors which are closed to other than the key holder. Possessing a key gives a person access to locked rooms. The key is also a symbol of freedom and liberation.

Keys have been used as a symbol of authority and power for ages in many societies and ceremonies around the world.

They are often associated with various literary idioms, specific deities or spiritual figures, and are often used as part of charms or other magical tools. 

In modern romantic notion a key necklace may symbolize “the key to my heart”. 

Let’s look at some spiritual figures that are most often associated with keys:

Janus is the two-faced Roman god of gates. He could look in both directions at the same time. All doors have an entrance and an exit. He was the gatekeeper. He could see the past as well as the future. Janus was the beginning and the end. He was wisdom. He could grant success and new opportunities. He is sometimes shown carrying keys in his left hand and his staff in his right hand. The month of January is named after Janus.

In Christianity, the visage of Saint Peter holding the keys to the gates of Heaven can be easily found in religious art from Christendom to the modern era. 

A newly consecrated Pope will receive two diagonally crossed keys in silver and gold. This emblem symbolizes supreme authority and the “Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven”. The crossed keys are shown in the coat of arms of the Holy See.

In Voodoo practices, Papa Legba, often depicted as an elderly man with a cane, a dog and keys is also a gatekeeper, acting as a liaison for those between the spiritual and the physical realms. He is said to speak every human language and be a conduit between the mortal and deities, allowing for communion and safe passage if travel into the astral planes is granted.

Lord Ganesh in the Hindu spiritual path is the great elephant god, the mover of obstacles and for this reason very often associated with keys. Commonly locks or keys can be found with a Ganesh design on it to symbolically representing the unlocking of a path or knowledge. Ganesh is associated with wisdom and spiritual knowledge, making him not only a prime example of key symbolism but also a deity, like so many others, associated with journeying.

Hecate, a goddess often described as the Queen of the Witches, is another underworld deity associated with gate keeping and keys. Much like Papa Legba and Saint Peter, she holds the keys that allow passage into the spiritual realm.  She is a great protector and is associated with keys, and dogs among other things. Trivia is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hecate, goddess of the three-way crossroads.

Anubis, the dog headed ancient Egyptian god of the dead was often associated with keys. He would escort the soul of the dead to the underworld after its heart had been weighed and measured.

There are about 20 additional Chinese deities for the protection of city walls and all associated with keys.

Korean mythology has another two and Hindu religions include the solar deity Pushan, who not only oversees the journey of the dead but is also responsible for journeying and cattle care.

In other paths like Santeria, voodoo both Haitian and Louisiana paths there is Ellegua who is a messenger god.

Key Superstitions

Earlier it was not uncommon that Jewish midwives would place a key in the hand of a woman giving birth. Preferably the key should be to a synagogue. The sacred key was meant to “unlock” the infant and ensure a safe delivery of the baby.

In Eastern Europe there was a superstition that a key brought good dreams to the owner. The key had the power to prevent all bad dreams. To make this work a key was hung upside down on the wall over the bed.

In Ionia, located in present day Turkey, there was a tradition to bury the dead with an iron key. It was important the dead could unlock the door to the Underworld.

And in Japan, the key is a symbol of prosperity because it opens the rice granary. In tales and legends, it marks the steps of purification and initiation.

The Ceremony of the Keys

The Ceremony of the Keys is quite famous. It takes part in the Tower of London every single night. It is a gate closing ritual performed by Yeoman Warders, often called Beefeaters.

The chief Yeoman Warder carries a candle lantern and the Queens keys. This ceremony is a very old tradition. It has been performed every single night at 21:52 for the past 700 years.

Earlier it was more about securing members of the royal family and other important people staying at the Tower of London. Today it is mostly about securing the crown jewels.

This ceremony is extremely popular. It is possible to attend, but you will have to book your ticket months in advance. They do not allow any pictures to be taken.

Girl Scouts Key Symbolism

In the Girl Scouts there is a tradition to have a ceremony when a girl scout advances from one level to the next. When a Junior Girl Scout advances to the Cadette Girl Scout she is presented a silver key.

The leader declares:

”I present to you a Silver Key, which symbolizes that you are seeking to unlock the doors to Cadette Girl Scouts a as you begin work on the Silver Leadership and Silver award.

Wear it as a symbol that you are passing through the doorway to new experiences where you will gain an understanding of your own self-worth and individuality. Now as Cadette’s, let us recited the Girl Scout Promise and Law.”

Skeleton Keys

Skeleton keys are keys that can unlock multiple locks. Some call them pass keys. The name skeleton keys came about because the keys have been filed down of its essential parts. Some people also call antique keys for skeleton keys.

Skeleton keys are used as amulets and talisman all over the world. They are used to help the owner make all their innermost and important dreams come true.

It could be in any area; love, finances, career, exams. The skeleton key is there to assist you see possibilities and solutions. It opens the doors of opportunity so that you can reach your goal.

Key Charm and Key Necklace

“Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

The symbolism of the key is quite obvious; it opens a door. It is a symbol of opening the door to your heart.

A key charm or a key necklace is a popular gift to give on important birthdays as the 16th, 18th and 21st birthday. It symbolizes opening doors for a brighter future. It represents opening of the doors to a successful career and new possibilities.

Many may wear a key charm or necklace when looking for a job or a change of work place. It is believed to be an amulet that will assist the wearing find doors of opportunity.

Some people will buy a key charm for themselves when they move into a new home. This will ensure a happy home.

In Japan it is not uncommon to find charms made up of three keys joined together. The three keys are said to unlock the secrets to wisdom, life and love.

Also read:

• The Folklore Of Iron

The Sacred Power of Menstrual Blood

Documentation of many lineages of Tantra and Tao mention the deliberate cessation of the menstruation for women as a way to conserve energy. 

It is often compared to the loss of energy that a man experiences after ejaculation, and thus a woman is encouraged to strive to end her bleeding, just as a man learns to prevent ejaculation. In the Tao lineage this practice is referred to “slaying the red dragon”.

There are lots of practices in Tantra and Taoism that assist in diminishing menstruation, also there are lists of foods to avoid. With this knowledge some advanced tantric yoginis even manage to stop their menstruation, so as not to lose their ojas or power.

On the other hand, many goddess-based lineages focus deeply on the menstruation, referring to it as a woman’s moon time. Stories of women gathering together at this time in a “red tent” to enter the mysteries of the feminine invoke images of a time in which to bleed was to enter a time of wisdom and intuition.

Some speak of how women have an opportunity once a month to awaken, through entering the collective female pain body that is accessible to them prior to and during their bleeding days.

Some shamanic paths suggest that women have an opportunity men do not have, to enter the mysteries of the underworld each month as they bleed. Men, they suggests, can only access these realms by partaking of the poison path, herbs and plants that induce deep altered states. A woman does not require such substances if she knows how to use her moon time wisely.

In tribes women were asked to report their dreams during their moon time to medicine people, because it was considered that women have increased psycic abilities during this time.

It’s very powerful to perform a ritual during menstruation.

So, with such contrasting points of view, how is a woman to view her moon time?

Also read:

• The Three Treasures and Sexual Energy Cultivation
• Taoist sexual practices and sexual vampirism in ancient China
• The Swimming Dragon: Qigong exercise for beauty, health, and high energy

How Sacred Rituals can transform your daily life

By Azriel ReShel

Traditional Cultures have always known the benefit of Ritual

Today Indigenous people are still deeply connected to rituals as an inherent part of their daily lives. This connection brings a sacredness and power to even the most “mundane” aspects of existence and it imbues basic tasks with love and connection.

I’ve experienced this while sitting in circle with Aboriginal elders, singing as the women prepared food together. The coming together in song and community brought a reverence and intimacy that made the chopping of the vegetables a complete joy. The simple ritual of food preparation became a celebration, an opportunity to be with each other and enjoy the abundance of life. Another memory of the power of ritual I have is sitting on the land in circle, in the Andes preparing a Despacho (sacred offering) with shamans.

Being out on the land in this way, remembering Pachamama (mother earth) and all she gifts us with; water, air, food, life itself, felt so right and so good to have the opportunity to express my gratitude in a tangible way. Other potent memories of ritual include the sacred devotional offerings I’ve been taught to perform by my teachers in India and have shared in, during sacred rituals in the moist, balmy temples of this land still so connected to the sacred. I love the bhakti of Puja, where we offer symbolic items honouring the Divine, or the rituals of purification, dance and chant, that are outwardly different, but inwardly the same, across the planet.

These are really special rituals I’ve been blessed to take part in, but you don’t need to travel to the Andes, Ganges or Uluru and other sacred places, to perform rituals. Certainly Indigenous Elders bring an extra power to the rituals they perform, as they are part of an unbroken lineage of spiritual connection and ritual, and any opportunity to learn from Indigenous teachers is very precious. Their rituals are a vital part of their everyday lives and they have an expanded consciousness and connection to the land and Great Spirit. But you and I can imbue our own lives with greater potency, peace, and joy, through embracing some simple daily rituals.

In essence a ritual is about bringing sacredness into your life, and about honouring something greater than you and I. It is about honouring the mystery, and the bringer of life in all things, from the flowers, to the trees, to the birds, the tiny caterpillar glistening on a fresh leaf, or the waking sun, and the moonlight. There is a divine force that moves through all things, like a river, enlivening all of life. It is the same force that moves the plant to flower, the wolf to howl, or lights up a baby’s face. As we become more aware of this higher force moving in our lives and express our gratitude for it, it expands and colours daily life with a radiance and light that connects us to all living things.

The science behind rituals

Associate Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Scientist, Christine Legare has studied rituals for many years and has discovered there are a few key ways in which people trust rituals. What makes a ritual feel effective, is the same from ancient Egypt to modern-day Brazil. Christine says that rituals reflects how our minds work. “We don’t actually know how most things work,” she says, “so we do a lot of imitating.” According to Legare, in a chaotic world rituals offer us the illusion of control over what we want to happen.

A series of investigations by psychologists have revealed interesting new results that are not surprising. Their research demonstrates that rituals can have a causal impact on people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Other experiments by psychologists, into grief and ritual, showed that people who engaged in a ritual after the death of a loved one or loss of a close relationship, felt less grief about the loss.

Rituals, like birthday celebrations, weddings, funerals, coming of age parties, are an important way we gather together with our communities and loved ones. Today rituals have become more secular and materialistic, but essentially the desire behind them is the same, to connect, celebrate, and be grateful for life and its expression. Increasingly ancient rituals are returning and finding a place in modern society: rituals such as blessing way ceremonies for mothers before they birth their child, or rituals for girls as they enter womanhood and start menstruating.

Today there are camps or outdoor activities for men and boys, Women’s Healing Circles, Full Moon circles, Earth Healing Circles, and so many more beautiful ritual gatherings that are evolving as we acknowledge our primal need and desire to be together in sacred ways that are healing and transformational for us. Yoga, at its roots, a deeply sacred practice, and preparation for higher connection and communion with the Divine, may start off as exercise for many, but quite soon becomes something sacred that nourishes the spirit as well as the physical.

Simple rituals to practice

There are some very basic rituals you can add to your life that will greatly enhance and transform your outlook, and over time, your life. Yogic wisdom says that thoughts lead to actions, your actions become habits and your habits determine your character, and ultimately your character determines your destiny. As the late Wayne Dyer said:

"You do not attract what you want, you attract what you are."

Rituals put us in contact with the forces moving the universe, that energy that is within all life. We are said to have about 25,000 mornings as an adult. How will you start your day? Will you start with sacredness, with a ritual that sets your day as an amazing opportunity to be alive and connect with other people and animals, an opportunity to express your creativity and enjoy this beautiful planet, or will you drag yourself out of bed going: “Oh God, another day of work!” Starting your day with a simple five minute ritual can change the way you experience life over time.

Rituals like: Space clearing, Gratitude, Blessing your food, Prayer, or Chanting can greatly enhance your life. Being in nature is one of the most blessed resources we have. I love to sit in nature and reflect. To listen, to be with myself, on the ground, at one with all of life. Watching the wind move through the leaves, or the first rays of light shoot forth into the sky, sitting under the stars, walking in the local national parks, or being beside a river in the rain forest, is deeply restorative. Nature helps us reset. By bringing in regular mindful times in nature you can truly transform your life. Just sitting, being and listening in nature can bring forth insights, understanding and answers. Problems are solved and life resets itself, the pieces naturally falling into place.

Space Clearing

Creating a sacred space in your home is one of the most beautiful and health giving rituals you can do. Creating some sort of an altar where you can place images of loved ones, masters, elements of nature, crystals, or whatever you are inspired by or that connects you to Source, instantly elevates your space to something more sacred. Sitting at your altar and feeling gratitude, or meditating, is a great way to connect to your heart and to all of life. Temples and sacred places around the planet were made sacred by the devotional practices and rituals that took place within them. Your home and your body can become temples if you treat your space with reverence. You can sanctify the space in your home through conscious cleaning and space clearing. Regular smudging or use of sound, sacred music and chants, and burning incense can keep your home a sacred space that will nourish and support you.

Self healing rituals

Rituals are habits that support you during challenging times. A regular ritual, such as a meditation or yoga practice, brings the inner resilience and pathways of neural calm so that you are resourced when you are faced with potential derailment from life’s road trains.

Rituals bring relief when everything is falling to pieces. Having a daily sacred practice of some sort holds you together when things fall apart. Because relationships do break up, jobs end, friendships have bumpy bits, people die, illness hits, and the unexpected happens. And it’s at these times, that we need an inner resilience, something that can help us navigate the foggy territory of human suffering. While yes, sometimes we need to fall apart, it is helpful to have something to fall into, a cushion that will break your fall and support you to eventually get back up again.

Chanting

There are many sacred chants in ancient seed languages, or light languages of power, such as Sanskrit, which carry more potency as they are closer to the source. Words can divide and words can be a pathway to divinity. Sacred chants alter your physicality and your surroundings. You can do it while cooking, cleaning and driving. You can also chant a powerful mantra internally as a way of purifying an atmosphere when you are in a difficult or potentially explosive situation, such as conflict.

Keys to creating rituals

• Start small
• Make it a daily commitment.
• Do something you enjoy.
• Be kind to yourself if you forget or don’t do your ritual.

There are so many rituals to choose from. The best is to create your own ritual that suits you and your life and your spiritual beliefs. Basically a ritual must evoke something greater than yourself. It must bring you peace, and help you to experience your true nature

Also read:

• Superhuman energy cultivated by meditators: it’s science
• Shinrin-Yoku: Forest Bathing Therapy
• The Science of Healing Thoughts