Saturday, July 7, 2012

Importance Of The Lbrp To Ritual Magicians

Importance Of The Lbrp To Ritual Magicians
"One more...Its been suggested by Nick Farrel that the LBRP is overused and the LIRP is preferred. he says, essentially that the LBRP cleans too well and defeats the purpose of any personal work you do. I feel the LBRP seals in the work. Thoughts?" asked by DeusLux

I got this question just today. The questioner had sent an earlier question that was frankly out of my league, since it was a very technical question about Enochian Magick, which is not a subject that I consider myself an expert. I have sent off that first question to a couple of experts, so we'll see if they respond, otherwise I will have to demure on that question.

Anyway, the question is about the use of the LBRP, or the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. First off, I don't even use this ritual, or its companion, the LIRP (Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram), and haven't for a few decades. Why is that? Because as a witch, I incorporate a magick circle into every magickal working that I do within a temple. If I consecrate, set and charge a magick circle with the four wards covering the four cardinal directions, that would seem to do pretty much the same thing that the combination of the LBRP and LIRP would do. Not only that, but in some of the circle consecration rites that I use, the circle also gets squared, and the wards are always set with invoking pentagrams of the four elements. Typically, when a ritual working is completed, then the results of the working are banished by doing what is basically a reverse circle setting, particularly drawing banishing element pentagrams to the four wards. So that pretty much covers why I don't use the LBRP or LIRP. They are redundant and it might also undo what the circle consecration rite is supposed to do.

Then there is the matter of managing a vortex energy structure, which is used extensively and often in nearly all of my workings. A vortex can't be banished, only overlaid, so the LBRP is essentially completely useless when a vortex is deployed. A vortex is erected or unsealed when it needs to be used, and then sealed when it is no longer needed - no banishing is ever performed.

Remember that a ritual magician performs magick using the methodology of immersion. A magick circle is integral to establishing an enclosed focus where the power is raised and spirits are invoked. There is no barrier between the ritual magician and whatever is generated or invoked in a ritual working. How the ritual magician insulates herself from any backlash, contagion or a bleeding link is that she has assumed her personal godhead as part of the preparation of the working. As a representative of the Godhead, she is completely protected, since the powers or linkages would have to travel far up the levels of conscious being to affect her. It is more likely that such energies or occurrences will just find a common ground and harmlessly dissipate rather than harm the magician. The godhead assumption also insulates the ritual magician from all spiritual invocations, whether theurgic or evocative.

A Golden Dawn magician does not work within a magick circle unless a goetic evocation is going to be performed, otherwise, either a temple space or even one's living space will suffice for the kind of work that such a magician would wrought. So the LBRP and the LIRP become quite important in such a working where there is no magick circle or any kind of circle consecration rite is performed. The LBRP is performed to clear the area of any unwanted energies or spirits, and the LIRP establishes a connection to the spiritual domain, allowing other magickal rites to be performed. You can find my articles on both the Golden Dawn and the techniques that I use in earlier articles on this blog. Just look at the index keywords to the left of the blog entry text.

David Griffin, in his wonderful book "The Ritual Magic Manual: A Complete Course in Practical Magic," (1999 Golden Dawn Publishing) does indeed assume that the LBRP will erase everything, so he assiduously wraps up all his tools, sigils and talismans before performing it. He also does use the LIRP pretty much as I have described it. I would recommend his perspective if you choose to use the Golden Dawn system instead of a more Wiccan or Neopagan based system, such as what I use. David has shown himself to be a rigorous and consummate magickal practitioner.

Hope that answers your question?

Frater Barrabbas

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