Banishing Rituals

A Ritual to Unburden Yourself

It happens to all of us. There comes a time when we become so overburdened with life -- our responsibilities, emotions and baggage become so great, so draining that the begin to break our spirits.

This ritual is designed by Apythia to help you release those burdens and reclaim yourself.

Time: Full moon or any time during the waning moon. However, because this ritual is so emotionally charged, it can be performed successfully whenever it is needed.

Need: Sandalwood incense, sage smudge or sage incense, paper cut in strips, black pen, black candle, cauldron or fireproof container, bowl of purified and blessed water, chocolate and mead (or whatever works for you. Make it a treat because you will deserve it after you are done.)

Cast your circle, call the quarters and invoke the deities.

Statement of Purpose:

Great Lady and Lord, I come before you tonight to ask for your aid in lifting the burdens that weigh me down so that my spirit may once again soar.

Light the Sandalwood.

Light the black candle saying:

As the negativity goes, this way the positive flows

Take a strip of paper and write one item that is burdening you on it. Take a moment to fully feel the weight of the burden and experience any emotion attached to it.

When you are ready to be released from this burden, light the paper with the black candle letting it burn, saying:

Burden heavy, no longer mine
Burden carried too long a time
Protective flame burning bright
Erase this burden from my site

Repeat for each burden.

When finished, pour the water over the ashes saying:

With fresh resolve and all my might
Water cleanses and sets life right

smudge yourself and the area to chase away any lingering negativity.

Treat yourself to some chocolate or wine or some other indulgent simple feast.

Thank the deities. Close the quarters. Open the circle.

Allow the candle to burn out to absorb any stubborn negativity.


The Lesser Banishing Ritual

This is an excellent way to cleanse all negativity out of a given area; it works great as a pre-ritual cleansing for your sacred area, especially if you don't have a designated, twenty-four/seven ritual room/space. Also good to use if you feel the need for an "instant" cleansing or negativity clearing.

This is generally considered a Ceremonial ritual, but anyone can use it. The odd-looking words are the Hebrew words for God. I've approximated the pronunciations here, but don't quote me, as I can't say for sure that I'm pronouncing them right. I just know that when I do the LBR, I can clean a room instantly.

Stand facing the East. Ground and center.
Pull down the energy from above you down to your heart.
Touch your head; say "AH-TAH"
Touch the middle of your chest; say "MAHL-KOOT"
Touch your right shoulder; say "VIG-BOO-RAH"
Touch your left shoulder; say "VIG-DOO-LAH"
Say "LI-OH-LAHM AMEN"; clap your hands in front of you (the clap should be timed so that you're clapping as you say AMEN)

Still standing facing East, hold out your dominant hand in front of you and draw a banishing pentacle in the air at East. Visualize the pentacle in flaming blue, hovering in the air at East. As you draw the pentacle, say "YEH-HEH-VAH-HEH."

Turn to the South, hand still out in front of you. As you turn, imagine that your hand is drawing a blue line of energy starting from the pentacle you just drew at East. Stop at the South, and draw another banishing pentacle, this time saying, "AH-DOH-NYE."

Turn to the West, hand still out in front of you, and draw another blue line that will connect your South to the West. Stop at the West and draw another banishing pentacle, this time saying, "EH-HEH-YEH."

Turn to the North, hand still out in front of you, continuing to draw that blue line of energy. Stop at North, and draw another banishing pentacle, this time saying, "AH-GLAH."

Return to the East, hand still out in front of you, still drawing the blue line of energy. You should visualize the four flaming blue pentacles surrounding you, all connected to each other by that blue line of energy you drew as you turned.

Stop at East, and hold your hands out to either side. Say, "Before me Ra-Fael, behind me Mi-cha-el, to the right of me Gah-briel, to the left of me Aur-riel. Around me flames the pentagram and within me shines the six-rayed star." As you say these words, visualize what you are saying.

Still facing the East, ground and center.
Pull down the energy from above you down to your heart.
Touch your head; say "AH-TAH"
Touch the middle of your chest; say "MAHL-KOOT"
Touch your right shoulder; say "VIG-BOO-RAH"
Touch your left shoulder; say "VIG-DOO-LAH"
Say "LI-OH-LAHM AMEN"; clap your hands in front of you (the clap should be timed so that you're clapping as you say AMEN).

If there are other people in the room/area when you do the LBR (for example, if you are doing this as the preamble to ritual and the other ritual participants are already in the room standing at the various quarters), take special care not to draw the banishing pentacles directly in front of a person or persons. Draw it above their heads, or ask them to move. Why? Because the whole purpose of the LBR is to banish, and drawing banishing pentacles on people could banish those very people. And you don't want to do that!

- Courtesy of Lady Phoenix MoonFlame


Banishing ritual

Hold athame toward sky and say:

Spirits of evil, unfriendly beings, unwanted guests, be gone!
Leave us, leave this place, leave this circle that the gods may enter!
Go or be cast into the outer darkness!
Go or be drowned in the watery abyss!
G o or be burned in the flames!
G o or be torn by the whirlwind!
B y the powers of life, death and rebirth, so mote it be!
I banish you. I banish you. I banish you. Be gone!

- Adapted from Starhawk