Christian Ceremonial Magic Part 1: A Pentagram Ritual

Introduction

The pentagram ritual is one of the standard types of opening ritual in modern ceremonial magic work. It is structured around four basic parts:

1. An opening invocation. This connects the operator with the Divine as conceived in the particular tradition in question, and draws divine energy into the working space. The classic opening is the Kabbalistic Cross of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In this ritual, the operator imagines himself growing to an immense height, and then visualizes a column of light descening from the Heavens, onto his crown, where it forms a star. He then draws the star to his forehead, and imagines the column of light extending downward through the midline of his body and outward to either side. In the end, he stands within a cross of light.

Certain sacred words are vibrated during each part of the ritual. To “vibrate” a word means to chant or sing it in such a way that it produces a buzzing or vibrating sensation in the body. The specific formula for the ritual is, in Hebrew:

Atah Malkuth ve’Geburah ve’Gedulah le oh lam. Amen.

This is said to mean “Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, Forever. Amen.” The actual meaning is something more like “Thou art kingdom and power and glory forever. Amen.” I don’t happen to know whether the mistranslation is an intentional blind or not. In any case, the words of the ritual accomplish a number of different things at once:

First, the specific words (or their mistranslations) come from the Lord’s Prayer, and so are intended to specifically invoke the God of the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Second, the mistranslation has its own effect. The first word vibrated is “Thou art,” and it is felt at the head; the second is “Kingdom,” and it is felt at the feet. The first sphere of the Tree of Life in the Kabbalah is Kether, the Crown, and it is associated with the Divine Name “Eheiyeh,” which means “I am.” The last sphere of the Tree of Life is Malkuth, “Kingdom.” If the mistranslation is deliberate, it is actually quite ingenious, because it allows the magician to invoke God into his own aura without actually identifying with the Deity. The other words, “Geburah” and “Gedulah” are also names of spheres on the Tree of Life— Gedulah is another name for Chesed, and Geburah and Chesed are placed in the shoulders in the human microcosm. The effect, then, is to invoke the Deity and to identify the magician with the whole of Creation as an act of the Deity, without actually claiming to be the Deity. All the while at the same time invoking the egregore associated with the Lord’s Prayer and the Christian tradition.

Third, notice that during the ritual certain points or energy centers are activated by the visualization of spheres, the placement of the hands, and the vibration of sacred words. In the Golden Dawn ritual, these are the crown, which is associated with the connection with the Divine; the Third Eye, which is associated with psychic perception; the heart, which is associated with both power and love; and the feet, which connect the psychic forces with the material plane.

Fourth, the cross shape has its own esoteric meaning. The cross is an ancient representation of the power of God, especially as manifest in the Sun and the number four. Four is the number of creation: The first three numbers are, in a certain sense, prior to creation. One is not so much a number as the root of number. Two and three are the first even and first odd numbers, and are the roots of those power. It is only with four that created things emerge, in the form of a combination. The cross is built around a center, and therefore implies the existence of a circle, about which we’ll say more presently.

The Golden Dawn’s opening invocation is, then, an excellent model, and there are a number of other opening rituals which are based upon it. The Celtic Golden Dawn, for example, uses a similar formula but invokes the Three Rays of Light of the Druid tradition. An opening ritual need not include the cross shape, but it must invoke the highest form of the divine found in a particular tradition, and should make use of the power of vibration, sacred language, and the symbolic properties of geometric structures.

The opening ritual should also activate certain energy centers in the subtle body, which are useful in ceremonial magic. The third eye is the most obvious, as it allows for psychic perception. The energy center at the feet is a bit less obvious, as it is often ignored in Indian and East Asian traditions, but it has the useful benefit of connecting with the material plane in order to accomplish effects in the material world. In the ritual to follow, I’m going to use the solar plexus, rather than the heart. The difference is subtle, but important: The solar plexus is specifically involved in perceiving and working with subtle energies.

2. The pentagrams and the circle. Pentagrams are drawn in the four quarters of the space, and connected to one another with a circle. The origins of this particular structure are not known to me: A simple, early version is found in the work of Eliphas Levi, who was working with traditions earlier still.

The combination of the circles and pentagrams allows for a few effects at once:

First, the circle is a powerful protective structure, and is used to seal the space against outside influences. Magic circles, often drawn on the floor, have been used since very early times in the work of summoning spirits. More than this, however, the circle also represents the sphere of the universe itself, and allows the magician to construct his space as a representation of the whole of creation. This represents, at once, the great world of the universe itself and the little world of the magician’s own soul. The proper term for this is mesocosm: A representation in between the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of the individual human being, in which both may be influenced.

The combination of the invocation to the center and the circle without also recalls those words of Empedocles: “God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”

In addition to the circle, of course, we have the pentagrams themselves. The pentagram represents a few things at once. Most obviously, it is the power of five. Five is formed from the addition of first even number-- two-- and the first odd-- three. Six is also a combination of two and three, but in six, the numbers are harmonious, as six divides into either three twos or two threes. Five is not divisible, and in five the combination is less harmonious.

The immediate meaning of the number five is the set of the four material elements of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, with the Fifth Element, Spirit. Spirit is at once material and immaterial: It is spiritus, the medium between soul and matter. In the upright pentagram, the four material elements are shown as subordinate to the Fifth-- and fifth is subordinate to the will of hte magician who has, in his opening invocation, united his own will to the Divine Will.

Five is also the number of Mars, the planet of war and conflict. This gives the pentagram great power in the work of banishing, as it naturally invokes Mars’s energies and becomes a kind of geometrical sword.

Combined, the circle and pentagrams become the sword and shield of the magician. Note that these are geometrical structures, and are visualized, and not physically drawn. Mathematical structures, including numbers and geometry, are links between the physical world and the higher worlds. In a certain sense, the higher worlds are built from mathematical structures as the material world is constructed of the physical elements.

Different traditions have different ways of drawing the pentagrams. The Golden Dawn starts at the bottom left and draws a clockwise pentagram after the same manner in which schoolchildren are taught. This has its uses, but I prefer to start from the top of the pentagram and work counter-clockwise. This emphasizes the priorty of Spirit over the material elements. The counter-clockwise motion also, in a subtle way, invokes the idea of the Golden Age: This is the mythological moment when the Sun reverses his course in the Heavens, time runs backward, and the Dead rise up from their graves. In the image given by Plato in The Statesman, Zeus steps down as ruler of the Gods and his Father, Cronus, retakes his throne. Proclus interpreted this Golden Age as the condition beyond time and change to which all souls can attain once they transcend material embodiment. In the Christian tradition, of course, this is the image of the Second Coming, which I interpret in much the same way as Proclus interpreted the Golden Age.

3. Each pentagram is “charged” by the use of a Divine Name. There are two qualifications for the divine name to be used: It should be constructed of four letters, and it should have a relationship to the element associated with its particular quarter.

The Golden Dawn used Names of God derived from the Hebrew Old Testament: YHVH, ADNI, AHIA, AGLA. (The last is not a name but rather an acronym, standing for “Ata gebor le ohlam Adonai.” “Thou art mighty forever, Adonai.”)

These names would be acceptable in a Christian magical ritual, but in order to truly create something new, not connected with the Golden Dawn, it will be necessary to choose new divine Names. We will come to that in a moment. During the ritual itself, whatever Divine Names are chosen are vibrated, and, in this case, the vibration should be felt at the fingertips while pointing at the pentagram.

4. Once the pentagrams are drawn and the full circle is completed, the magician returns to the center and invokes certain protective powers into each quarter. These are secondary divine powers, associated with the elements of the quarter, and are visualized as are the pentagrams themselves. The Golden Dawn used the four archangels: Raphael in the East, Michael in the South, Gabriel in the West, and Uriel in the North. Each was visualized in a setting corresponding to their element, carrying a weapon associated with the corresponding suit of the tarot (a sword for air, a spear for fire, a chalice for water, and a shield for Earth). We will also use the archangels, but with some modifications.

5. A short prayer or invocation to a power higher than that of the elements is spoken. The invocation in the Golden Dawn is “For about me flame the pentagrams, and within me shines the six-rayed star.” The six-rayed star was visualized at the heart, and represents Tiphareth, the Sixth Sphere of the Cabala, which appears prior to the spheres of the physical elements.

6. Finally, the opening invocation is repeated, in order to seal and close the ceremony.

Toward a Catholic Ceremonial Magic

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was Christian in a sense. Although it drew on Egyptian and sometimes Graeco-Roman pagan symbolism, it was rooted in the Rosicrucian mystical tradition, and its founding members were English and typically members of the Anglican Church.

The upshot of all of this is that the Golden Dawn is culturally Protestant. This can be seen in many aspects of its symbolism and its rituals. The Rosicrucian tradition itself was Protestant, and the early Rosicrucian manuals include rather vitriolic attacks on the Pope and on Rome. Catholics were, initially, denied membership in the Golden Dawn. And note the use of Hebrew as a sacred language: This is very much in keeping with the Judaizing tradition within Protestantism.

The role of the angels in the Golden Dawn also reflects the tradition’s Protestant origin, in two ways. First, the angels are placed at the quarters, not at the magician’s request, but, effectively, at his command. This reflects an idea commonly found in Protestantism that human beings, as a whole, stand above the angels and are able to command them. I do not know if this belief is found in Judaism. It is found in Islam, and there is also an Islamicizing tendency within Protestantism. This is hidden and even explicitly denied, but very obvious when you know what you’re looking for: note the emphasis on The Book, rather than Jesus, as the Word of God; the rejection of dancing by many Protestant sects, which parallels the rejection of music as a whole within Islam; the condemnation of alcohol by many Protestants; the emphasis on women’s submission (and their legal loss of status in Reformation countries); and the attacks on sacred images. Again, this tendency is seen in the way that angels, in the Golden Dawn tradition, are often commanded: “Before me stands Raphael” is not a prayer. Some Golden Dawn rituals are even more explicit, including phrases such as “In the Divine Name YHVH Eloah Ve’Daath, I command the archangel Michael...”

The Catholic tradition has a different conception of angels, seeing them as prior to and more exalted than human beings. The Virgin Mary is exalted above all angels, and all other created beings; Saint Joseph is often pictured this way as well, though this is less clear. Other saints may rank higher than other particular angels. Human beings in general, however, are in a subordinate position with respect to the heavenly powers, and we do not command them. This will be reflected in the ritual I’m about to present.

Finally, note the total absence of saints in the Golden Dawn tradition, despite their obvious presence in traditional Christian magic. Of this nothing more needs to be said.

The upshot of all of this is that the egregore or psychic structure of the Golden Dawn is inextricably linked with the egregore of the Protestant and, especially, the Anglican traditions. There is nothing wrong with this. The Golden Dawn’s contribution to the modern magical tradition is inestimable, and its founders deserve our acknowledgement and gratitude.

It remains the case, however, that the Protestant tradition is a revolutionary tradition, and a part of every revolution is the cutting off of the past. Many modern magicians are either Catholic or at least wish for a greater connection to the Western heritage that existed prior to the 16th century. These days, interestingly enough, that includes many Anglicans. Indeed, the Anglican Church is now offering both the most effective and most traditional Christian liturgies to be found in the English language, a good example of which may be found here. For that reason, I have included some imagery derived from the Anglo-Catholic as well as the Latin traditions.

Notes on the Ritual

Before we get to the ritual itself, I want to share a few notes on its design and structure.

First, rather than Hebrew, the parts not in English are in Latin. This draw, of course, from the use of Latin as the sacred language of the Catholic Church. In the Christian tradition, indeed, there is not one sacred language; there are three. The name “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” was written on the cross in three languages: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. As these are the languages inscribed on the holiest of materials, they are the holiest of languages. As we proceed, we will make use of Greek and of Hebrew as well. We will begin with Latin for a few different reasons. First, the Catholic tradition in particular emphasizes Latin, though Greek and Hebrew are both found, at least in small ways, in the traditional liturgy: “Kyrie Eleison,” “Deus Tzavaoth,” “Alleluia.” Second, of the three sacred languages, Latin is the easiest for English speakers; our language is filled with Latin words, and Latin is written with our common alphabet. It therefore provides the simplest introduction to the Three.

My own Latin, by the way, is at a level that I would call passable. I can read Aquinas without a dictionary, but not Augustine; most of the Vulgate is accessible to me, but I struggle with Cicero. I welcome corrections from readers whose understanding of the language is more advanced than mine. (Someone once asked me why I don’t simply use AI to translate for me. I responded that I’d as soon cut my legs off and have a robot do my walking for me. There is a less polite version of this response, involving another part of the body and other physical activities.)

One obvious issue in constructing a ritual like this is in coming up with four letter names for God. The Hebrew Names used by the Golden Dawn are perfectly acceptable, but my goal has been to disconnect from the Golden Dawn’s egregore and, again, to emphasize the Latin heritage of the West. That roughly leaves us with one name, “Deus,” meaning “God.” Obviously, simply chanting “Deus” in each quarter of the room did not strike me as a good option.

Fortunately, there is a work around. The name of Jesus in Latin is simply Iesus, and consists of five letters. But Latin is an inflected language, meaning that words, including proper names, change their form depending on their role in the sentence. The genitive form of Jesus is “IESU,” which is four letters. (“Genitive” means “possessive”; the English equivalent would be “Jesus’s.”) We can, therefore, say “In nomine IESU,” or “In the name of Jesus,” in order to get a four letter name. In this case, only “IESU” is vibrated, though the rest of the words may be spoken in the ordinary way, chanted without vibration, or sung.

This still leaves two problems. The first is grammatical: “In the name of Jesus” is a sentence fragment. What exactly should happen in or because of that name? In magic, words like this are very important: We will get exactly what we ask for.

The second is more technical. The use of the same name in each quarter is suitable for a ritual in which one wishes to invoke a single power, such as the energy of an element or planet. It is less suitable for a general ritual, in which the balanced forces of the universe in general-- in this case, the four elements-- are invoked. And yet, again, we only have the one name, “Jesus” (or “IESU”) with which to work.

What to do?

Fortunately, again, there are options, and these are not merely workarounds but actually enhance the ritual.

In each quarter, after “In nomine IESU,” we add a Latin title of Jesus. In each case, this will be a title associated with the proper element. We then add a command that the unbalancing forces associated with that element will depart, and a prayer that the quarter in question will be purified. Note the difference between a command and a prayer: It is quite proper for human beings to command lesser spirits, particularly when we do so in the Name which is above every other Name.

With all that said, let’s proceed to the ritual itself. Please note: Only say (sing, chant, vibrate) the words in Latin; the English translations are there simply for the benefit of the reader.

Part 1: The Sign of the Cross

1. Imagine yourself withdrawing from the material world. The room around you fades, your body fades, and you stand in darkness.

2. Far above your head shines a single point of light. Say the words,

Dixitque Elohim, “Fiat lux.”

(“And Elohim said, ‘Let there be light.’)

Imagine a ray of light shines forth from that point and descends onto the crown of your head, forming a star.

3. Reach up with the first two fingers of your right hand, and draw that star to the middle of your forehead. Vibrate the words:

In nomine Patris

(In the name of the Father)

Know that this star is the North Star, that faint light at the height of the Heavens, around which all the stars perpetually turn.

4. Draw your hand down to your chest. As you do so, a ray of light extends from the star at your forehead, forming a brilliant golden Sun at your solar plexus. Vibrate:

Et Filii

(And of the Son.)

As you do this, two things happen. First, the Sun shines brightly, beginning to illumine the sphere of the universe around you. Second, a ray of light shines downward, through the midline of your body, through your feet, to the heart of the spherical Earth-- on which you stand.

5. When the light reaches the Earth, feel a returning column of light pour back up from the heart of the Earth, through the midline of your body, and into the Sun at your solar plexus. Touch your hands first to the left shoulder, then to the right. As you do so, two lines of light extend outward from your solar plexus to the right and left, to the ends of the universe. Vibrate:

Et Spiritus Sancti

(And of the Holy Spirit.)

A cross of light now shines in the center of the universe, extending from your own solar plexus through your body. And the light now fills the universe as a whole, so that you see that you stand in its center, surrounded by the planets and stars.

6. Bring your hands together in the prayer position at your heart. Vibrate the word:

AMEN

Notes:

1. This ritual is a bit more complicated than the Golden Dawn’s Cabalistic cross, and deliberately so. It may take a bit of time to get the hang of both the visualizations and the Latin. You should practice it on its own until you can perform it effectively from memory before going on to the next section.

2. The Sign of the Cross is a complete ritual in itself, and is an excellent preparation for prayer or meditation. If you like, at the word “AMEN,” you can expand the Sun into a sphere which fills your entire space with protective light. Only do this while practicing the Sign of the Cross on its own; it is unncessary when incorporationt the pentagrams.

3. For some, the Sign of the Cross expanded into a Sphere of Protection will be more than enough, and in a number of my books this is the only protective ritual given.

Part 2: The Pentagrams

Each pentagram is drawn starting at the top, and then in a counterclockwise fashion. After the prayer which charges the pentagram, a circle is drawn from the center of that pentagram to the center of the point where the next pentagram will be drawn. You may not do this perfectly in the physical world, but do your best to visualize it perfectly.

The pentagrams should be pictured as formed from brilliant golden light, while the circle which connects them is a line of shining white light.

1. Step to the Eastern quarter of your space. (If it is a small space, simply point to the east.) Draw the pentagram counter-clockwise from the top.

Point to the center of the pentagram with the first two fingers of your right hand extended. Say or sing the following words, vibrating the word in all capital letters:

In nomine IESU, Rex Caelorum,

Exite, exite phantasmata aerea! Purificetur Oriens.

In the Name of JESUS, King of Heaven, Begone, begone, phantoms of the Air! Let the East be purified.

2. Draw a circle one quarter-turn toward the South. Draw the next pentagram as you drew the first. Point to the center and sing or chant:

In nomine IESU, qui venit ignem mittere in terram,

Exite, exite phantasmata ignea! Purificetur Meridies.

In the Name of JESUS, who hath come to cast fire upon the Earth, Begone, begone, phantoms of Fire! Let the South be purified.

3. Draw a circle one quarter-turn toward the West. Draw the next pentagram as you drew the first. Point to the center and sing or chant:

In nomine IESU, Fons Aquae Vitae,

Exite, exite phantasmata aquea! Purificetur Occidens.

In the Name of JESUS, Font of the Living Waters (or of the Waters of Life), Begone, begone, phantoms of Water! Let the West be purified.

4. Draw a circle one quarter-turn toward the North. Draw the next pentagram as you drew the first. Point to the center and sing or chant:

In nomine IESU, Dominus Terrae,

Exite, exite phantasmata tellurea! Purificetur Septentrio.

In the Name of JESUS, Lord of the Earth, Begone, begone, phantoms of Earth! Let the North be purified.

5. Complete the circle by extending the line to the center of the pentagram at the East.

Part 3: The Invocation of the Archangels and the Higher Powers

1. Return to the center of your circle, and raise your hands before you, palms upward. This is called the orans posture, and we will continue to make use of it as we progress in this series.

2. In English, say the following words:

May Raphael stand before me, and govern the powers of Air. May Gabriel stand behind me, and govern the powers of Water. May Michael stand on my right hand, and govern the powers of Fire. May Uriel stand on my left hand, and govern the powers of Earth.

Visualize each of the angels at the appropriate quarter. Thy should be pictured as they are depicted at Saint John’s Church in Warminster, England:

3. With hands still in orans posture, say the following words:

For the star lights flame about me

And the cross-light shines within me.

Lord Jesus, ever walk beside me.

Optional:

You may extend this invocation in the following way:

For the star lights flame about me

And the cross-light shines within me.

With Mary to guard the ways above me,

With Joseph to keep the ways below me,

And my angel-guard to guide me,

Lord Jesus, ever walk beside me:

For the star-lights flame about me,

And the cross light shines within me. Amen.

Try both versions and see what their different effects are, and use the one that works best for you under the circumstances.

4. Take a moment to imagine the circle and the pentagrams shining about you, the cross radiating from within you, and the angels at their quarters.

Part 4: Closing

Repeat the Sign of the Cross as in the opening, with the following modifications.

1. Rather than returning to the void, imagine your own form growing and expanding, until you stand with the Earth at the center of your feet and the Sun at your solar plexus.

2. Omit the words, “Dixitque Elohim fiat lux.” The universe has already been created, and now we merely re-affirm our unity with God’s Will as expressed through His Creation.

This completes the ritual.

Final Notes

1. This is a banishing ritual. The pentagrams can also be reversed, in order to produce an invoking pentagram ritual. In this case, the process is the same, but you will omit the words “Exite exite phantamata (etc).” Rather than “Purificetur,” you will say “Santificetur” followed by the direction. (I.e., Sanctificetur oriens, “Let the East be sanctified.”)

2. The space cleared by the pentagram ritual is now suitable for prayer, meditation, or any sort of magical work. I find that an excellent morning practice consists of: the pentagram ritual; the Middle Pillar; the angelus prayer; meditation. I practice meditation in the seiza posture, and afterward move into a physical practice which combines yoga and qigong.

I mentioned the Middle Pillar just now. This is another Golden Dawn ritual, which uses Divine Names to charge the various energy centers in the subtle body. Like the pentagram ritual, I’ve created a modified form of the Middle Pillar. This draws on Divine Names from the Gospel of John and the work of Dionysius the Areopagite, rather than the Hebrew Cabala, but is linked with the Tree of Life in the same way as the Golden Dawn version. We’ll discuss it next time.