Configuration: The 3 points are each the center of 3 crosses upon which 4 pentagrams are drawn which, in turn, reveal 2 hexagrams. When the 2 hexagrams are merged, they become either side of a single Unicursal Hexagram. The center of which is the flower upon the heart. And it is in this heart that Man and God are united. To perform the banishing version of the above, simply substitute banishing forms for all of the Pentagrams. Another is to visualize the Angels by specific color robes and carrying the balance (Lamed) and sword (Aleph). In certain texts after the publication of Liber O, the word "Aiwass" and a touch to the breast or solar plexus is added to the Qabalistic Cross. "Aiwass" being the name of Aliester Crowley's HGA (Holy Guardian Angel or Higher Self). Some folks substitute the name of their own HGA, or, choose to remain silent when touching or passing over this point. The Greater Ritual of the Hexagram has no catch-all form; it is a modular toolkit for constructing your own rituals for invoking or banishing specific planets one at a time. It can also be modified to work with entire Sephira.

One powerful visualization that can be done while performing the Kabbalistic Cross is to see oneself as growing 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. The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram invokes or banishes all seven classical planets in one fell swoop.If no implement is used, it is an oral custom to vibrate the divine names of the quarters while making the sign of the Enterer, and following this with the sign of Silence. These two signs are paired together, and are the first symbolic signs given to the initiate of the Golden Dawn, corresponding to the Neophyte grade of that system. Modernize the world's esoteric traditions for a new audience, with all of the obfuscation, dogma and dress-up games removed, and the essential core teachings presented clearly and rationally.

See, for example Maroney, Tim, " The Included Middle: Facts and Phallacies", The Scarlet Letter — Volume 5 #2, 1998, Scarlet Woman Lodge OTO, Austin, Texas, pp. 6-11. STEP THREE. Now bring the blade up to your right shoulder. As you do this, visualize the beam of white light running down the center of your body form a beam from the heart area out to your right, past the blade at your right shoulder. See this beam of light extend to the end of the universe, and beyond. Focus on this beam and vibrate: Vih G’Boo- RAH The Qabalistic Cross, which is common to both lesser and greater forms, centers the operator on the Tree of Life, and affirms their own connection to divinity.In addition to the Pentagram of the particular quarter's element, an additional Pentagram is drawn at each of the four stations. These are the Pentagrams of Active and Passive Spirit. Active Spirit is given with Air and Fire, Passive Spirit with Water and Earth. The Spirit Pentagrams should be visualized in white light. The Spirit Pentagram is drawn at each quarter before the Pentagram of the specific element. This is to further reinforce that the invocation of any particular force is at the behest of, and under the authority of universal spiritual force. The divine name Eheieh is used with the Spirit Active Pentagrams, AGLA with Spirit Passive. Go to the East. Make the invoking Pentagram for Spirit Active, visualized in white light. Vibrate EXARP while drawing Pentagram. Draw wheel within Pentagram. Vibrate EHEIEH while making wheel. STEP FIVE. To your lift visualize a figure dressed in greens and browns on a fertile landscape...Say, And on my left hand Ohr-ree-EL (vibrate the name). Advance to the East. Imagine strongly a Pentagram, aright, in thy forehead. Drawing the hands to the eyes, fling it forth, making the sign of Horus and roar THERION. Retire thine hand in the sign of Hoor-paar-Kraat.

As a form of prayer the invoking ritual should be used in the morning and the banishing in the evening. The first sign is called the sign of the Enterer, or the Projecting sign, and is made by stepping forward with one foot and vigorously thrusting out the arms at the level of the eyes, the palms held flat with fingers extended. This symbolizes the projection of the divine Will of the magician out into their universe in the Imaginal form of a current of magical energy. The magician is thereby represented as a center of light in the cosmos. As The Book of the Law says, " Every man and every woman is a star." [ AL I: 3] This sign is also called the sign of Horus, and is associated with the active, martial form of this deity. Horus is a symbol of the power of the Holy Guardian Angel in The Book of the Law. Therefore this sign symbolizes the Holy Guardian Angel acting through the agency of the magician. At both points, Dalet & Gimel as well as Samekh and Pe, you are facing Tipareth. This is a clue! (Work out the folding of the pentagrams and hexagrams on top of each other with pencil to paper as best you can. Use some imagination to visualize.)In a different and equally valid symbolism, the Kabbalistic Cross represents the manifestation of the Tree of Life on and as the human body. This expresses the Hermetic concept of the unity of the macrocosm and the microcosm. The Tree of Life, representing the 'Body of God' and the aspects of the cosmos is shown to simultaneously be the body of the magician and the aspects of their being. Here is the doctrine of anthropocosmos — that the exalted physical and Imaginal body of the magician is the body of God. All of these materials are frankly invaluable. Combined with Regardie's Golden Dawn, they should be your go-to source, unless even more authoritative primary sources at some point emerge (and if anybody knows of any, I'm all ears). Having established the Briatic hierarchy at the quarters, the magician now states, " Phlegi gar peri mo aster ton pente, kai ente stele ho aster ton hex hexsteke." Which means, " About me flames the Pentagram, and in the column stands the six rayed star." This is exactly as in the LRP, but in Greek rather than in English.

Now imagine the form in the East before you and do the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram to disintegrate it, seeing it, in your mind's eye, dissolving of the further side of your ring of flame. Make the invoking Pentagram of Water, visualized in blue light. Vibrate EL. Give the sign of Auramoth. The sign of the Pentagram should be composed of the seven metals, or at least traced in pure gold upon white marble. It may be also drawn with vermilion on an unblemished lambskin the symbol of integrity and light… The Pentagram is consecrated with the four elements; the magical figure is breathed on five times… The five breathings are accompanied by the utterance of names attributed to the five genii, who are Gabriel, Raphael, Anael, Samael and Oriphiel. Afterwards the Pentacle is placed successively at the north, south, east, west and centre of the astronomical cross, pronouncing at the same time, one after another, the consonants of the Sacred Tetragram… As can be seen, the Star Ruby follows the basic structure of the Golden Dawn Pentagram rituals rather closely, and its general form and purpose can be understood in terms of the discussion of those spells. There are a number of interesting additional features as well.

At which point one reaches to the star Sirius (or a preferred star), and draws the light from the star into the crown of ones head when saying 'Ateh'. Turning to the East, make a Pentagram (that of Earth) with the proper weapon. Say (i.e., vibrate) YHVH. This framework will prove much more useful for you than any fantastical Hollywood visions of wizards throwing lightning bolts around, battling demons, and so forth. The names of God used in the LRP are pronounced "Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh", "Ad-oh-ny", "Ee-hay-yay" and "Ahg-lah". AGLA is an abbreviation using the initial letters of the phrase " Atah Gibor le-Ohlahm Adonai", and this can be said in the North in place of AGLA. It means, " Thou art mighty unto the ages Adonai." These four names are called "tetragrammatic names" by Mathers, and share a four-fold structure in common. They represent the Unity of the name as a whole, symbolizing Spirit, expressing itself through its four components, representing the four aspects of manifestation. Their placement at the four quarters therefore recapitulates the underlying structural meaning of the ritual as a whole. STEP FOUR. To your right visualize a figure dressed in scarlet with green highlights... [Y]ou should feel heat coming from this direction. Say, On my right hand, Mee-chai-EL (vibrate the name. The "CH" is a guttural sound as in the German "ach" or the Scottish "loch").