A Quasi-Ceremonial Orphic Banishing Rite: With Very Brief Notations

Copyright (c) by Melitta Benu. Steal it, and I will totally sue you.

I originally wrote this for the Autumn Equinox ritual performed at William Blake Lodge, OTO. It’s a rip off of the LBRP, replacing key terms and godforms with what resonates more with the Underworld divinities. After each bit, I’ll be putting in my (very brief) notes. I am working on a version of this for myself, that I will do privately, but this is the version I show to people when I am doing ritual in public.

This will very likely be appearing the in Persephone devotional, along with the Autumn Equinox Ritual.

1. Begin facing West.

The direction of West has long held links with death. It is the direction of water, and transformation. It is the portal to the netherworld according to the Ancient Egyptians and Celts, as well as being symbolic of moving in the direction of the Buddha, or enlightenment. (see Wikipedia.)

2. On an exhale, visualize a sphere which forms out of the darkness below you, a ways under your feet, as if it was shining from a dark place within the earth. Visualize it as a black light, or an iridescent darkness. Inhale and vibrate, “TARTAROS”.
On an inhale, trace a line of that black light from the sphere of darkness through your body, up your spinal column, to the area above your head. Exhale, visualizing a brilliant, blinding whiteness. Inhale, and vibrate, “NYX”.

This sphere at your feet is a convenient way to visualize the Underworld powers. It’s a small battery of power formed for you and consecrated by the name of Tartarus, both a god and a place, the deepest parts of the earth and maybe even creation. I have long been of the opinion that light and darkness are different below, and I visualize colors a little differently when I work with the magick. I visualize the light to be white like a film negative- the same kind of divine energy you would visualize during a regular LBRP, only as seen through the filter of the world below. You draw this energy, this divine and infernal light, through your body, up your spinal column and through the sushumna, so that it connects with every part of your essential energetic being. Let the light burst through your crown to connect with the second sphere, the first sphere’s mirror. This sphere represents the primordial chaos, Nu of the Egyptians, Kaos/Phanes/Nyx/you name it depending on your Greek cult, etc. It represents the origins of all that is, origins we return to through the Underworld journey. By connecting to it in the name of Nyx, you are essentially uniting two poles (which are one, IMHO) as well as establishing the dome of the sky which arcs and meets the dome of the Tartarean pit, encasing you in a cosmic egg of which you are the center, developing being. (http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Tartaros.html)

3. Inhale, drawing energy from the bottom, the Underworld, up through your spine, visualizing the white sphere sucking that energy into itself, as well as sucking up energy from above.

Essentially, the two meet and meld, prima materia is recycled back to where it came from.

4. Exhale, and see the white sphere above you burst forth: white stars descend and hover about you while a black line spirals around you, counter clockwise, until it touches the sphere below you. Let your hand fall to your side, palms open, accepting and yielding.

The black, spiral line is the descending path back to the Underworld, manifestation though your etheric body. The stars are sparks of light from the primordial essence that are hovering about in your same etheric body. One is your path below, the other is a reminder of your essential divinity, and aid to bring it forth. “Every Man and Every Woman is a Star” as Crowley was fond of saying.

5. Inhale, and bring your arms up to cross over your chest in the Osiris risen position. As you do, see the spiral and stars collapse over you, blending into your form, covering you in darkness. Intone,
“From Darkness comes the LVX Occulta: A Light Ameiotos (Unfailing), A Light Athanatos (Undying).”
Visualize then, a very strong, very brilliant light shining from your heart center.

The path and the divinity drawn from above become a part of you entirely. The rest is fairly obvious.

6. Draw a banishing pentagram of earth, visualizing it as a brilliant blue. Step forward and make the Sign of the Enterer, vibrating the name, “PERSEPHONE”. Make the sign of silence.

I like blue. In the LBRP, it’s traditionally blue. In the Star Ruby, it’s, well, ruby. There are other elemental colors, but for the moment, blue is just fine. A deep sapphire blue I think is lovely, and symbolic of truth (that you’re seeking), fidelity (to your path) and wisdom- all of which are traditional to the stone. If there’s another color you like, use that one. No biggie.

Persephone, according to Empedocles, corresponded to the element of water under her name “Nestis”.  She is the lady of dissolution, that which dissolves all that is into prima materia, and she is also the lady of renewal and resurrection, sending the prima materia forth. She embodies the transformation of the Epopteia, the flash of enlightenment, the process by which lead becomes gold. She is the supreme transformative goddess, who’s tears dissolve and who’s milk from her breasts give immortality. (John Opsopaus, Biblioteca Arcana)

The pentagram, as well, corresponds to Geburah, hence a part of it’s protective power. (My boyfriend told me, so I’m referencing him here.)

7. Trace the line of black all the way around to the South. Draw a banishing earth pentagram, visualizing it as a brilliant blue. Step forward and make the Sign of the Enterer, vibrating the name, “HADES”. Make the sign of silence.

According to Empedocles again, Hades corresponded to the element of fire. He is the central fire down below from which the stars themselves gain their fire. He is the black, volcanic sun, the light hidden away in the darkness, and yet he is also the darkness. The Central fire is the source of all life: creation and destruction. It tears apart, it brings together. (John Opsopaus, Biblioteca Arcana)

By now you’ve noticed that you are going widdershins- anti sunwise, the direction of unmaking, IMHO, and returning yourself to the primordial, pure beginnings inherent in the Underworld. It isn’t simply the direction of death- it’s the direction of eternal return.

8. Trace the black line to the East. Make another pentagram, same as last time. Make the Sign of the Enterer, “HERMES”. Make the sign of silence.

For obvious reasons, Hermes is attributed to air. He’s a god who travels to and from the Underworld in his guise as a psychopomp.

9. Trace the black line to the North. Make another pentagram, same as before. Make the Sign of the Enterer, “DEMETER”. Make the sign of silence.

Demeter, the goddess of the Earth, has some very obvious and well known aspects that link her to the Underworld. She is not merely the Goddess of Life, but also the Goddess who receives the dead. In Ancient Greece, the dead were sometimes called “Demeter’s People”.

10. Stand now in the position of Osiris Slain (cross shaped).

For me, it’s a martyr’s position of complete surrender, which is fulfilled later when you give the sign of renewal. They can be thought of as being signs of Tifaret, the sephira in which one is supposed to unite with the HGA (or at least get a good start). When I do the signs, I am surrendering myself to my gods, and I am renewed in their being.

Before you, in the West, visualize the river Styx and its ruling divinity. Feel the rushing presence of its waters. Angle your arms downward and out, as if supplicating, and cry out, “Styx! Great river of water and detestation! Stand guard at this Temple of Hades!”

Styx is the river of Hades by which all the gods swore their oaths, as well as the Goddess associated with said river. Her name is said to mean “hatred” and she corresponds, according to John Opsopaus, with the element of water. She is the mother of Bia (Force), Nike (Victory), Zelos (Rivalry) and Kratos (Strength)…and sometimes, she is the mother of Persephone herself. Othertimes, she is Persephone’s playmate. IMHO, she is a strong, binding force, and circled the Underworld 9 times. She could also convey invulnerability. Sometimes, I think the hatred of Styx, seeing all this, is more of a force of Geburah than of petty human hatred. Which makes sense when you know about her love affair with Phelegethon. Perhaps she is Chesed in the form of the battle king? Kabbalah isn’t what you think it is in the Underworld… (http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/PotamosStyx.html)

11. Turn now, counter clockwise, to the East, Osiris slain as before. Visualize the river Acheron and its ruling divinity. Feel the whipping presence of its airborne waters. Angle your arms downward and out, as if supplicating, and cry out, “Acheron! Great river of woe and air! Stand guard at this Temple of Hades!”

It’s really hard to think of an airy and earthy visualization for a river.

Acheron is a river (or lake) in Hades, across which Charon would ferry the dead (the same said about Styx). Acheron’s name is said to mean “woe” or “pain”, and according to John Opsopaus, corresponds to the element of air. The Suda, on the other hand, attested to it’s healing powers, and it’s ability to purge one of sins. (Wikipedia)

12. Turn now, counter clockwise, to the North, Osiris slain as before. Visualize the river Cocytus and its ruling divinity. Feel the sluggish, marshy presence of its earthy, swamp like waters. Angle your arms downward and out, as if supplicating, and cry out, “Cocytus! River of lamentation and earth! Stand guard at this Temple of Hades!”

Cocytus is said to be the river of wailing or lamentation, and according to John Opsopaus, corresponds to the element of earth. I have seen references to both Acheron and Cocytus being marshy and swamp-like. It was also said, like Styx, to surround and mark the boundaries of Hades.

13. Turn again, counter clockwise, to the South, Osiris slain as before. Visualize the river I can never spell, Phelegethon, and it’s ruling divinity. Feel the burning presence of its magma, feel its burn. Angle your arms downward and out, as if supplicating, and cry out, “Phelegethon, lover of Styx and river of fire! Stand guard at this Temple of Hades!”

Phelegethon was the river of fire, and the lover of Styx who was boiled in his flames and sent to Hades. When Phelegethon was sent to the Underworld, Hades himself allowed them to flow together, hence the union of fire and water, a mirror of Hades and Persephone’s Heiros Gamos and alchemical conjunctio. (See wiki.) He was said to wind himself all the way down to the very depths of Tartarus.

As for his invocation, I couldn’t just say, “river of fire and…fire!” I believe his elemental correspondence is obvious.

14. Turn back to the West, and assume the position of Osiris risen.
“I have flown out of the Circle of Heavy Grief
and stepped swift-footed on the Circle of Joy.
I have made straight for the Breast of the Mistress, the Queen of the Underworld.
And now I come a suppliant to Holy Persephoneia,
that of Her Grace She send me to the Seats of the Hallowed.
Happy and Blessed One, thou shalt be God instead of mortal.
A Kid I have fallen into Milk.”
(tr. after Guthrie with emendations by Zuntz, West & Kingsley)

The renewal I spoke of earlier. I believe it speaks for itself.

Repeat steps 1-5.

Done.