The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram — LBRP for short — is one of the most widely practiced rituals in Western occultism. Originating from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, it has been adopted by ceremonial magicians, chaos magicians, and spiritual explorers of all stripes. Its purpose is twofold: to clear unwanted energies from your immediate space and to establish a protective boundary around the practitioner.

For anyone practicing astral projection or other forms of spiritual exploration, the LBRP serves as a powerful grounding and protection exercise to perform before any working. It clears the energetic slate and sets a protective field that makes unwanted influences much less likely to take hold.

Why the LBRP Matters for Protection

Every form of spiritual exploration that opens the awareness also makes you more permeable. Whether you're doing energy work, meditation, astral projection, or ritual magic, you're stepping outside the normal boundaries of waking consciousness. The LBRP re-establishes those boundaries in a controlled, intentional way.

Think of it as locking your doors before you go to sleep. Most nights nothing bad would happen even if you left them unlocked. But the peace of mind — and the established habit — matters. The ritual strengthens your energetic field and makes it less likely that stray or unwanted influences will attach themselves to you during or after your practice.

The Structure of the LBRP

The ritual has five main parts, flowing continuously once you know them:

  1. The Qabalistic Cross — A visualization that aligns you with the divine energies above, below, and on each side, centering yourself within the light.
  2. The Pentagram Banishings — Tracing banishing pentagrams at the four cardinal directions (East, South, West, North) while vibrating divine names. This clears and seals the space.
  3. The Archangels Invocation — Visualizing and invoking the four archangels: Raphael (East), Michael (South), Gabriel (West), and Uriel (North). They stand as guardians at the boundaries of your ritual space.
  4. The Closing Qabalistic Cross — Repeating the Qabalistic Cross to seal the ritual and return the energy to your center.

There are variations on the exact wording and visualization. Below is the most commonly taught version.

Step-by-Step: The LBRP

Part 1: The Qabalistic Cross

Stand facing East. Perform the following visualizations and gestures:

Touch your forehead and visualize a sphere of brilliant white light above your head. Intone: "Atah" (Thou art).

Bring your hand down to your chest (or the solar plexus) and visualize a beam of light descending from above to below. Intone: "Malkuth" (The Kingdom).

Touch your right shoulder, visualizing a beam of light extending to your right. Intone: "Ve-Geburah" (and the Power).

Touch your left shoulder, visualizing the beam of light extending across to your left. Intone: "Ve-Gedulah" (and the Glory).

Fold your hands across your chest (arms crossed) and intone: "Le-Olam, Amen" (Forever, Amen). Visualize the cross of light fully formed around you.

Part 2: The Pentagrams

Still facing East, trace a banishing earth pentagram in the air before you. Start at the bottom-left point, trace up to the top, down to the bottom-right, up to the top-left, across to the top-right, and back to the bottom-left to seal. As you trace it, visualize it glowing in blue-white flame. Then vibrate the divine name: "YHVH" (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh).

Turning to the South, trace the same pentagram and vibrate: "Adonai".

Turning to the West, trace the pentagram and vibrate: "Eheieh".

Turning to the North, trace the pentagram and vibrate: "Agla".

Return to facing East, completing the circle.

Part 3: The Archangels

Standing in the center, extend your arms in the form of a cross and intone:

"Before me, Raphael" (visualize a towering figure in yellow and violet, holding a caduceus).

"Behind me, Gabriel" (visualize a figure in blue and orange, holding a cup).

"On my right hand, Michael" (visualize a figure in red and green, holding a sword).

"On my left hand, Uriel" (visualize a figure in emerald and black, holding a book).

"For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column shines the six-rayed star."

Part 4: Repeat the Qabalistic Cross

Repeat the Qabalistic Cross exactly as in Part 1 to seal the ritual.

Practical tip: The words matter, but the visualization matters more. The LBRP is an energetic operation, not a recitation. If you can't visualize easily, focus on the feeling — the sense of light streaming, the sense of the pentagram burning in the air, the sense of vast presences standing at the quarters. The feeling is what does the work.

When and How Often

Traditional Golden Dawn instruction calls for performing the LBRP twice daily — once in the morning and once in the evening. Even once daily, done with sincerity, will produce noticeable effects within a few weeks: clearer energy, better concentration, a stronger sense of personal boundaries, and less energetic "noise" from your environment.

For astral projection specifically, performing the LBRP before attempting projection is strongly recommended. It clears the space, centers your energy, and sets a protective container for the experience.

Common Questions

Do I need to be in a special ritual space? No. The LBRP can be done anywhere. Over time it becomes a portable energetic tool — you can banish a hotel room or a park bench as effectively as a dedicated temple.

What if I mess up the words or gestures? Sincerity of intent matters far more than technical precision. The ritual is a tool for focusing your will and visualization, not a magical formula that fails if you mispronounce a syllable.

Can it be adapted? Yes. Many modern practitioners use English translations of the divine names, adapt the visualizations, or incorporate elements from other traditions. The Hermetic principles in The Kybalion provide useful context for understanding why structured ritual works the way it does.