Notes on the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

Don't let the point of the weapon fall once you begin making the pentagrams in the air, as you are trying to create a completed circle. Visualize the pentagrams flaming in front of you as you make them (flaming white or with redish-orange fire etc.). Also try to visualize the 4 towering Angelic figures around you (wearing colors attributed to their element) in their appropriate quarters.  

Reminder of Elemental color attributions: Air-yellow-East,  Fire-Red-South, Water-Blue-West, Earth-Green-North (Angelic figures may appear in these appropriate colors/quarters, depending on your personal training)

It is sometimes helpful in charging the pentagrams with energy if you step into the Sign of Horus (take one step forward with right foot and extend the arms and pointed hands out in front of you) when vibrating the names, and then assume the Sign of Harpocrates (stand with feet together and the right index finger pointed at the mouth) afterward to seal off the current of energy from you.  -see Golden Dawn.

Regarding line #2: Some magickians touch the genital region instead of the breast at this point in order to emphasize certain Qabalistic teachings. This could help to form (on yourself- the symbol you're drawing) the elongated cross of suffering/redemption.

My personal method for performing the Qabalistic Cross is (on line #2) to touch the area just below the sternum (solar plexis), thereby forming an equilateral cross representing balance and equilibrium.

The more you practice this ritual, the better you will be at banishing impurities and stray thoughts from within yourself, as well as clearing and creating your own personal space for working.  Can be a decent general banishing if you don't have anything else to use.  The 4 Angelic figures are thought-forms that you build up within yourself to protect you while you work. They are built up over time. By possessing the names of higher Angelic beings those thought-forms, while existing and coming from within you initially, may possibly develop a connection to those higher Angels that exist outside of you (but don't quote me on that- it has been my experience that they are only thought-forms since the mage usually has conscious control of them).

In ancient times, magickians would sometimes call upon various spirits to guard the outside of their circle for them. This was a dangerous practice, since if you didn't keep up your end of the agreement, you could end up in serious trouble depending on the type of spirit working for you. The purpose of this working is to slowly over time build up within yourself the strength and ability to guard your own area or circle. It is also good for self-purification.

Some students of the art perform this ritual twice daily, using Invoking Earth pentagrams in the morning and Banishing Earth pentagrams in the evening. Unless the individual plans to do this, I recommend using the Banishing Earth pentagrams every time this ritual is performed- especially if the primary purpose IS for banishing/purification.  Most traditional magickal work today uses a ritual of some sort to banish and purify an area at the beginning of the working.  In studying the methods of other styles, shamanism and Wiccan traditions included, the same basic elements found within their beginning banishings are often found in the L.R.P.   It is my opinion that the L.R.P. is a bit shorter in wording, and often much more effective than many of it's borrowed counterparts.