New Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
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I did some searches on the Forum and didn't see a reference to this - so I apologize if it has been discussed. Does anyone have any thoughts regarding the "New Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" by Michael Osirus Snuffin? It is on the hermitic.com site hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp.htm. Personally, I've just begun practicing the LBRP and came accross this. I see that the author is a follower of the Left Hand Path - which I really don't know about other than it is typically "bad". However, I don't want to discount something just because I have a preconceived notion about something that I truly don't have much knowledge about.
Just want to know if anyone deems this dangerous or wrong. It logically makes sense to me and doesn't seem out of line with other preliminary things i've come across.
Thanks.
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@mojorisin44 said
"I did some searches on the Forum and didn't see a reference to this - so I apologize if it has been discussed. Does anyone have any thoughts regarding the "New Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" by Michael Osirus Snuffin? It is on the hermitic.com site hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp.htm. Personally, I've just begun practicing the LBRP and came accross this. I see that the author is a follower of the Left Hand Path - which I really don't know about other than it is typically "bad". However, I don't want to discount something just because I have a preconceived notion about something that I truly don't have much knowledge about.
Just want to know if anyone deems this dangerous or wrong. It logically makes sense to me and doesn't seem out of line with other preliminary things i've come across.
Thanks."
I don't think it is dangerous or wrong. All he did was switch the order of some of the words. I do think it's just an publicity stunt by the author to promote his new book, which I heard is just a poor rehash of material available freely on the internet.
The author is not a "follower of the Left Hand Path" but seems to be attributing that title to himself in order to .......sell books! Do not be fooled by him. Your money is better spent elsewhere such as one of Stephen Skinner's recent publications or Jim's 776 1/2.
I suggest you use the traditional LBRP. I've used it for a while and it has given me portentous results and unlimited insight. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Sri Larry
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93,
This writer is assuming the existing Thelemic version of the LBRP is "wrong." There are many variants on the basic Pentagram Ritual format that could be worked, and this is one of them.
But there is a pattern to the traditional version that's explained in various mystery schools (and obligations prevent that being given out publicly
), and to deviate from that is to create something new, not to "fix" what isn't wrong. This ritual would not, most likely, have the equilibrating effect of the usual ritual, though you might want to check it out and see what effect it does have. Its creator is reporting positive results.BTW, "About me flames the pentagrams..." is just plain bad grammar. It's either "flame the pentagrams" or "flames the pentagram." Careful use of language is important in good ceremonial work, and untidy grammar makes for untidy magick.
(EDIT:)
The LBRP does not need to be performed counter-clockwiose. Most people who try to fix what ain't broke here are trying to get the ritual to "make things go away," and that's a very narrow conception of what the LBRP does. Crowley's line, quoted at the top of the article, about it being "the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise" wouldn't apply if it was just a way of making unwanted stuff disappear.
93 93/93,
Edward
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I just read it, and respect the thoughtfulness that went into it. However, I would not recommend most (or any) of those changes. He has a lot of knowledge, but not enough - there is stuff he misses, or simply doesn't know about.
That link reads to me like a really good personal diary entry. We all muck around with things quite a lot, record the attempts and their results. That's a good thing. But one should get solid basics in place first.
The exact version I recommend is given in 776 1/2, and essentially is the same as what Crowley taught except for a couple of blinds removed.
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Thanks for the responses here. Magick seems to be riddled with guidelines that follow certain constraints that can be modified and "played" with. That, I imagine, is the task of the student - to learn by action and play. I am in very early stages myself of experimentation and I don't want to burn myself or my family. This forum is great in that we can ask questions and get opinions from others who have been there and done that. I think this is invaluable to myself and others and for that I thank everyone on the forum - especially the creators of it.
Jim - I've been studing and performing the version in the "Middle Pillar" and in the "Golden Dawn" by Regardie. I recently got your 776 1/2 and will try that out as well.
EDIT****
For anyone interested I found some useful notes and commentary in the publication "In the Continuum" Vol 1 Number 1 avalabile at thelema.org/publications/itc.html regarding the LBRP.