VANSAX

How did this start?

In short: this is inspired by Scott Michael Stenwick; he wrote Enochian versions of the Pentagram and Hexagram rituals, which could be used to create his operant field. I saw them when I read his books a couple years or so ago, but I didn't really delve into the rituals much. Then, one day, while idly reading through his books and cross-referencing things, I came upon his version of Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram that was done in the Enochian style. I thought, "Huh, cool." I read through it, and some parts of it made sense and were neat, but the Qabalistic Cross section had been replaced by a bonus pentagram referencing the Enochian names for elements.

I thought, "But... why??"

Personally, I think the Ritual of the Pentagram and Ritual of the Hexagram are two of the most meaning-packed rituals I've ever come across. The Qabalistic Cross carries a lot of meaning, and it functions as such a beautiful pair of bookends to the rest of the ritual.

As I was working through my confusion at why the Qabalistic Cross was removed and replaced, it occurred to me that I could use this as an opportunity to revitalize my practice: I could rewrite Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram in my own way, capturing what I believed were the important points as best I could, and I could learn it and practice it daily—and the newness factor might appeal to my ADHD brain in getting me to do more daily work.

This generally worked. Between this, CAM DE ROR and OL OM CICLE and occasionally NAZ OLPIRT (which is a slight variation on Scott Michael Stenwick's version of the Middle Pillar), I have things I do daily now (at least most days, assuming my life doesn't get away from me).

So yeah, this is my Angelic/Enochian version, parts lifted from the Internet in various places, and other things that I've arrived at through my own exploration of the Angelic/Enochian lexicon. As a bonus, I'm including the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram in its normal form with some notes that I've made about my experiences and analysis of the ritual—specifically answers (that I've accepted as good enough) to questions I've had about the ritual when I first started looking at it back in 2018.

Disclaimer

While I provide a more in-depth disclaimer here, I'll say it again here: it's entirely probable that you know more about this material than I do—especially when it pertains to Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn material, and even more especially when that material is viewed in the light of the New Aeon as per Aleister Crowley and A∴A∴ or Ordo Templi Orientis. Therefore, if you disagree with this approach, find flaw in it, if it doesn't resonate with you, or for any other reason you're not about it, that's fine—think of it less as a prescription of "Good Practice" and more as an exploration of how things could be otherwise.

The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

Qabalistic Cross

1. Start by facing to the east.
2. At the start (optional): "One powerful visualization that can be done while performing the Kabbalistic Cross is to see oneself as growing 3. larger in stature. One should imagine one's self expanding during the ritual to tremendous proportions at the limits of one's imagination. This exercise at expansion of consciousness seems to have archetypal resonance, and its simplicity belies its effectiveness." ¹
3. Visualize a sphere of brilliant light above your head. It stands for your highest nature or self. Raise your right hand above your head to touch the light, and bring it down slowly. Do not rush. Let it fill you completely as you say and do the following (again: with your right hand):
4. Touch your forehead and vibrate the word "Atah." ²
5. Touch the center of your chest and vibrate the word "Malkuth."
6. Touch your right shoulder and vibrate the phrase "Ve Geburah."
7. Touch your left shoulder and vibrate the phrase "Ve Gedulah."
8. Clasp your hands together and hold them up to your chest,³ slightly bowing the head while vibrating the phrase "Le Olahm."
9. Vibrate the phase "Amen."

The Pentagrams

1. Continue to face to the east.
2. Using your chosen tool or hand, draw the appropriate earth pentagram (either invoking or banishing). Visualize the pentagram that you’re drawing as a blue flame—or whatever works for you. ⁴
3. Using your chosen tool or hand, penetrate the middle of the pentagram, and vibrate the Hebrew letters that form the tetragrammaton: "YOD HEH VAV HEH." Imagine that your voice carries all the way to the eastern ends of the universe. When penetrating the middle of the pentagram, some use the Sign of the Enterer ^{5 6 7 8}
4. Turn clockwise towards the South. Through whatever means makes sense to you, create a line that links the middle of that pentagram to the middle of the next pentagram you’re about to draw. Normally, this is done by holding your hand or tool out as you turn. ⁹
5. Follow the same steps as (3), but instead say: "ADONAI," imagining your voice reaching all the way to the southernmost parts of the universe. ¹⁰
6. Turn clockwise to the West, continuing the line that connects the pentagrams.
7. Follow the same steps as (3), but instead say: "EHEIEH," imagining your voice reaching all the way to the westernmost parts of the universe. ¹¹
8. Turn clockwise to the North, continuing the line that connects the pentagrams.
9. Follow the same steps as (4), but instead say: "Atah gibor Le-olahm Adonai," or: "AGLA." Imagine your voice reaching all the way to the northernmost parts of the universe. ¹²
10. Turn clockwise to the East, continuing the line that connects the pentagrams.

note: the following two steps, (11) and (12), are of my own devising and seemed needed after doing the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram for a solid while. Include them only if it is your Will. ¹³

11. Make an arc from as far as you can reach in front of you to above you using the same hand as before. Say: "Elohim." ¹⁴
12. Continue the vertical circle to where you are pointing at your feet. Say: "Shekhinah." Continue the circle until you are where you started at the beginning of (12). ¹⁵

Summoning the Archangels

13. Stand with your arms outstretched in the form of a cross. Remember and visualize the energy that’s in you from having performed the Kabbalistic Cross.
14. Say, but vibrate the name: "Before me, Raphael." Visualize the named archangel standing before you. They wear bright yellow (and mauve) robes. They appear light and airy, and a warm, moist breeze is felt. ^{16 17 18}
15. Say, but vibrate the name: "Behind me, Gabriel." Visualize the archangel in blue (and orange) robes standing behind you. They are standing in a stream coming from a waterfall. Picture him holding a grail. Try to feel a cool, moist breeze.
16. Say, but vibrate the name: "To my right, Michael." Visualize the archangel in red (with flecks of emerald) robes standing to your right. Picture him holding a steel sword pointed upright. Try to feel and intense, dry heat.
17. Say, but vibrate the name: "To my left, Uriel." Visualize the archangel in robes that have a mixture of citrine, russet, olive green, and black coloring. He stands on fertile ground, grass and wheat growing about his feet; sheaves of corn are held in both his outstretched hands; a cold dry breeze is felt. ^{19 20}

note: the following two steps, (18) and (19), are brought on board by Damien Echols. I've tried it, liked it, and tend to perform it this way now.

18. Say, but vibrate the name: "Above me, Metatron." Visualize the archangel in robes that are pure white. He radiates strong, celestial divinity.
19. Say, but vibrate the name: "Below me, Sandalphon." Visualize the archangel in robes that are earthly tones. He radiates gentle, earthly divinity.
20. Say: "About me flame the pentagrams, Behind me shines the six-rayed star." ^{21 22}

Here, you can either perform the Qabalistic Cross again or continue with the following spoken-English outro that functions as a translation of the Qabalistic Cross. The flow of it seems strong to me, so I go with it.

21. Clasp your hands together: "And above me is the Light in whose hands is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, Forever and ever. Amen." At light, reach above you; at kingdom, reach below you; at power, touch your right shoulder; at glory, touch your left shoulder. Enter into the position of Horus Risen at the end, slightly bowing your head.

Common Questions

Why use the Earth pentagram for all of the elemental quarters?

Per the Thelemistas website (opens in a new tab):

In the LRP the invoking or banishing Pentagrams of Earth are used because this element traditionally can be understood as containing, or being a consolidation of the other three. In the Sepher Yetzirah, for example, Earth is the result of the equal combination of the three 'Mother' elements of Air, Fire and Water. Therefore, the Earth Pentagram should be understood within the context of the LRP as a stand in for all of the other Pentagrams.

When invoking or conjuring, tradition has it people go clockwise, and when we banish we go counterclockwise. Yet both banishing and invoking are done going clockwise. Why?

Two possible answers: it could be because, in every case, you are invoking the archangels. However, this misses something more important: it follows the path of the sun per the vantage point of the British Isles (where the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn existed).

One of the big focuses in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was achieving the Knowledge of and Conversation with your Holy Guardian Angel. The Holy Guardian Angel corresponds to Tiphareth, which has the sun as a planetary correspondence. By bringing yourself in alignment with the sun, you are bringing yourself closer to both your own divine nature as well as your Holy Guardian Angel.

If this ritual is all about pentagrams and the microcosm, what's the deal with the six-rayed star?

As with the solar focus mentioned above, one of the big numerical concepts explored was the relationship between 5 + 6 = 11. 5 represents man, 6 represents divinity, and 11 is the union of man and divinity. Thus, the pentagram and hexagram, mentioned together, are to help you achieve that unity.

AOIVEAE

I'm assuming a degree of familiarity with the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. Similar to how a cover song really requires the original to fully appreciate the artistry, I think the same goes for this. So if you're not familiar with the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, read above and come back to this after.

Anyway.

Qabalistic Cross, but different

The gestures remain the same, but the words are changed.

1. IAIDA (the highest)
2. A Q LO A DOHI (in thy kingdom)
3. BAL TO HA (for my own righteousness)
4. BUSD (in the glory)
5. ENAY SOBA IAOD IPAM OD UL IPAMIS (the Lord whose beginning is not and not end cannot be)
6. MICMA (behold!)

The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, but different

For the four directions, use the secret names of IAD, which are derived from the tabula recensa.

7. ORO IBAH AOZPI (He who cries aloud in the place of desolation)
8. MPH ARSL GAIOL (He who is the first true creator; the horned one) ²³
9. OIP TEAA PDOCE (He whose name is unchanged from what it was)
10. MOR DIAL HCTGA (He who burns up iniquity without equal)

For the above and below part in the version I do, I'm still experimenting. Here are a few options with the ones I'm currently favoring at the beginning (and no real order afterwards).

11. TOFGLO PIRIPSOL (all things of the heavens) or IADS PIRIPSOL (gods of the heavens) or IAD PIRIPSOL (the Lord of the heavens)
12. VEROX CAOSG NOTHOA (the Holy Spirit, the Earth, in the midst [of]) or TOLTORG (the creatures of the Earth)

For the part where you hold your arms out like a cross and call to the archangels, I do the following. Also, I favored cardinal direction correspondence over elemental correspondence because that seems less... arbitrary—elemental correspondences have a propensity to shift a lot in the context of western occultism when it comes to cardinal direction.

13. Cry: SOLPETH BI-EN (hearken unto my voice)
14. RAAS I BATAIVAH ZACARE CA, UNIGLAG OD ZAMRAN (in the East is He whose voice seems to have wings, move, descend and appear)
15. SOBOLN I RAAGIOSL ZACARE CA, UNIGLAG OD ZAMRAN (in the West is He whose hands are toward the East, move, descend and appear)
16. BABAGE I ICZHHAL ZACARE CA, UNIGLAG OD ZAMRAN (in the South is He who solidifies the past, move, descend and appear)
17. LUCAL I EDLPRNAA ZACARE CA, UNIGLAG OD ZAMRAN (in the North is He who is first to recieve the flames, move, descend and appear)

optional: make a full spin counterclockwise while intoning the following; otherwise just intoning.

18. MICMA: OL BIAB NOT VANSAX (behold: I stand inside the circle of stars)
19. OD ZIRDO NAZ LUCIFTIAN PERIPSOL NOTHOA (and I am, the pillar of the brightness of heavens, in the midst [of])

Here, I find the English version does not fit well; to properly close, perform steps (1) through (5) again.

Closing Remarks

Anyway, hopefully this was educational. Or something. Anyway, behold! Many footnotes!