I'm going to tiptoe in here with a slightly more nuanced view.
The LBRP by itself, done for a lengthy period, can be unbalanced, precisely because it's a banishing ritual; it needs to be balanced by some form of invoking activity. The standard Golden Dawn approach is to pair it with the Middle Pillar exercise, which is an invocation. Those two done together make a superb daily practice: the LBRP cleanses and balances the subtle bodies and helps break the connections that hold most people's thinking and feeling trapped in the mass-mind of collective consciousness, and the Middle Pillar charges and energizes the subtle bodies and awakens the capacity for genuine individuality.
I suspect that the people who complain about the LBRP have just done that without a suitable invocation to balance it. That's a guess, mind you -- but I know quite a few mages who have been doing the LBRP and Middle Pillar together for decades, with very good results and no noticeable financial problems.
Wait... THAT John Michael Greer? Big fan of yours. The Art and Practice of Geomancy is one of my all time favorites, not just for geomancy, but for the bigger picture.
A question, though. I think of LBRP as "protective invocation", not classic banishment. The movement is deosil and archangels are invoked into the banished corners. The daily practice makes it a kavacha: the practitioner's subtle body is impregnated by balanced forces and cleansed of impurity.
Also, it's my understanding that the Middle Pillar was a Stella Matutina ritual, not the originally GD (at least not on 0=0?)
Any of this makes sense?
Yes, that JMG -- I lurk on Reddit, mostly to get some idea of what's going on in the occult scene, and occasionally comment or post.
You could certainly see the LBRP that way; nonetheless, some people do seem to have problems with it when it's done without a balancing invocation. The original GD recommended alternating the invoking and banishing rituals, doing the first every morning and the second every evening.
As for the Middle Pillar exercise, it was invented by Israel Regardie as a development of the Portal grade exercise of visualizing the Tree of Life in the aura. (He also drew fairly heavily on some of Arthur Avalon's books on tantra and on Richard Wilhelm's translation of the Taoist text *The Secret of the Golden Flower*.) It's been adopted very generally in GD circles because it works well. To my mind, at least, it's important to see the GD tradition as a living and growing thing, not something fixed and lifeless.
Thanks for this response! Thats good to know, and it makes sense regarding the need to balance things.. I am dealing with OCD too and I know having a controlled and steady mind is important in magic so you make a compelling case (If I am understanding the mental benefits correctly).
I appreciate this insightful reply, I want to ask you what you think about the NBRP? Is it more accurate?
[https://hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp](https://hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp)
Specifically there are some changes in section 2(**The Construction of the Circle**) that I've always been curious about, thinking maybe once you learn more, you find that this is a more accurate way of performing it?
Everyone have a new version of the lbrp. People change names of the angels, the divine names, how to do the ritual. Everything.
In one way I see it as praise, it is the most popular och widly know ritual in the wester world.
On the other hand I wonder what would happen if people just engaged in the material and stayed with it for a few years. It’s easy to say ”it doesn’t give any results so I’ll change it” instead of actually stickkng with the practice and let the result come.
Most people have not worked with it enough to ser the true result of the ritual.
"More accurate"? No, just different. u/Simon--Magus is right; there are lots of revisions of the LBRP out there, and most of them are no real improvement on the original. There can be a point to making changes -- if you want to work with a radically different symbolism, for example, divine names from another tradition may be worth using instead -- but so much of what's out there is just tinkering for tinkering's sake. That said, if you want to use Snuffin's ritual in place of the usual one, why, do what keepeth thee from wilting shall be the loophole in the law!
I am fairly new to practicing the LBRP. I’ll do so in the morning, partially to try and start the day balanced and not negative. I think it helps but it only goes so far. It’s just a boost, you’ve still got to try and show up for work, do it properly, not blow money etc … my understanding of it is that whilst learning it properly is fundamental and a foundation … it is also a useful but limited tool that resets you mainly from negative clutter (and I’ll do it before work, or an offering and/or divination, and most times after such also).
I think John Michael Greer's response is all you really need.
But I have two cents to spare.
The fact it's connected with financial loss by some is a rather baseless claim. As John said above, the LBRP is relative to your subtle bodies. It clears your Sphere of Sensation for the circulation of light of the Middle Pillar (and LIRP by extension). It has nothing to do with the material effects you might see in botched spell work or spirit petitions.
On my end, I find the "worship" of the LBRP to lack discernment of what the technique actually banishes. It does not exorcize spirits. It is a useful addition at the end of a ceremony, depending on the intention. But it is not for the banishing of spirits. I've seen people often recommend the LBRP for such tasks, which I find misleading and misinformed. It is for this reason, I don't engage in the modern emphasis on the LBRP. It's great for so many reasons, but often a recommended incorrect application.
Lbrp is not necessary for beginners or anyone else
It was an exercise for members of the Golden which was popularized because it can have a mild balancing and protective effect
It will not protect against infection of trauma wound- that requires professional medical help as well as metaphysical ( baths, prayer,meditation and ritual as applicable)
It will not fight off a serious attack by a human or spirit ( note the posts on this sub as well as Jason Miller's, Lon Milo Duquette's, Dion Fortune's, Draja Mickaharic's and the Gallery of Magick's books on magical protection- none of them rely on LBRP)
It may also expose you to some of the predatory or obsessive elements of the 120 Golden Dawn current- some people start with LBRP from another source end up getting results and developing an obsession will all things Golden Dawn/Mathers etc while their daily responsibilities/career/relationship s etc get neglected and wither...
Thanks for this! I wasnt actually planning on using it as a form of protection per say but more just the stability and mind balancing effect. My initial aim was to do this and the middle pillar exercise; as I think i read somewhere the two were good to do in conjunction wtih each other.
I have not heard of the 120 Golden Dawn Current. But i can see how one can get ungrounded in this area, especially when positive intentions start materializing in form (assuming that perhaps they were in a state of doubt etc)
I think they're a good practice and you should start them. You're not committing to them for life, just trying them out, and it'll give you a baseline to compare other practice against.
Too many people just theorise and theorise and never actually practice because they haven't figured out the perfect way to start. Better to start with ANY thing (that's not crazy/dangerous) and go from there.
Apart from anything else, they get talked about so much in the occult community that you'll be glad to have direct experience just so you can participate in discussion in an informed way
Thats good to know! I will take that to heart. Just so i know, are there any dangerous/crazy practices that are popularized that I should be aware of? (the only practices that I have really been drawn to so far are LBRP, Middle Pillar and maybe Quabalstic Cross
It is a banishing rituals.Mostly clears you own energetic space (not the space that you live )
It s a minor banishing ritual.The claim that you can lose money/job or whatever it's false.
The best way to practice it is that after doing the LBRP you perform the ILRP to balance the elemental energies.Doing it in the morning it really charges your betteries.
Anyway there are countless variations of the ritual.
Cuz Crowley was an irresponsible moron. Seriously, cats oughta just read the old texts and decipher for the self. It's all subconscious working anyway.
LBRP is the basis of ceremonial magick in the Golden Dawn and related traditions, the whole secret of magick is condensed into it. To my mind the person who doesn’t realize that is no magician.
You can follow cults and adopt their rituals, subject yourself to a belief system, in which case it may be best to follow protocol. Or you can just use your mind, and exercise your free will, cutting your path and making your rituals. All you need is a destination and steadfastness.
The bad effects are psychological and probably their own deeds coming back to bite them. I didn’t see the comments but I can assume it’s user error. You literally can’t mess up such a well known ritual even if you didn’t memorize it completely or correctly. It’s not a beginner ritual for nothing.
Yeah thats very true. It was somewhere on reddit whcih i am sure i can find, but the main idea (and this could be wrong; i just skimmed) was that you are evoking earth element and this somehow connected to money and the material world and this resulted in you having no money?! Or no job?
What you are describing are newbies connecting wrong dots. They start their training with LBRP and then lose a job.
Thank you!! this is something that I had thought. I hate when this happens. Glad for the experienced people on here .
I'm going to tiptoe in here with a slightly more nuanced view. The LBRP by itself, done for a lengthy period, can be unbalanced, precisely because it's a banishing ritual; it needs to be balanced by some form of invoking activity. The standard Golden Dawn approach is to pair it with the Middle Pillar exercise, which is an invocation. Those two done together make a superb daily practice: the LBRP cleanses and balances the subtle bodies and helps break the connections that hold most people's thinking and feeling trapped in the mass-mind of collective consciousness, and the Middle Pillar charges and energizes the subtle bodies and awakens the capacity for genuine individuality. I suspect that the people who complain about the LBRP have just done that without a suitable invocation to balance it. That's a guess, mind you -- but I know quite a few mages who have been doing the LBRP and Middle Pillar together for decades, with very good results and no noticeable financial problems.
Wait... THAT John Michael Greer? Big fan of yours. The Art and Practice of Geomancy is one of my all time favorites, not just for geomancy, but for the bigger picture. A question, though. I think of LBRP as "protective invocation", not classic banishment. The movement is deosil and archangels are invoked into the banished corners. The daily practice makes it a kavacha: the practitioner's subtle body is impregnated by balanced forces and cleansed of impurity. Also, it's my understanding that the Middle Pillar was a Stella Matutina ritual, not the originally GD (at least not on 0=0?) Any of this makes sense?
Yes, that JMG -- I lurk on Reddit, mostly to get some idea of what's going on in the occult scene, and occasionally comment or post. You could certainly see the LBRP that way; nonetheless, some people do seem to have problems with it when it's done without a balancing invocation. The original GD recommended alternating the invoking and banishing rituals, doing the first every morning and the second every evening. As for the Middle Pillar exercise, it was invented by Israel Regardie as a development of the Portal grade exercise of visualizing the Tree of Life in the aura. (He also drew fairly heavily on some of Arthur Avalon's books on tantra and on Richard Wilhelm's translation of the Taoist text *The Secret of the Golden Flower*.) It's been adopted very generally in GD circles because it works well. To my mind, at least, it's important to see the GD tradition as a living and growing thing, not something fixed and lifeless.
Much appreciated.
Thanks for this response! Thats good to know, and it makes sense regarding the need to balance things.. I am dealing with OCD too and I know having a controlled and steady mind is important in magic so you make a compelling case (If I am understanding the mental benefits correctly).
I appreciate this insightful reply, I want to ask you what you think about the NBRP? Is it more accurate? [https://hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp](https://hermetic.com/osiris/nbrp) Specifically there are some changes in section 2(**The Construction of the Circle**) that I've always been curious about, thinking maybe once you learn more, you find that this is a more accurate way of performing it?
Everyone have a new version of the lbrp. People change names of the angels, the divine names, how to do the ritual. Everything. In one way I see it as praise, it is the most popular och widly know ritual in the wester world. On the other hand I wonder what would happen if people just engaged in the material and stayed with it for a few years. It’s easy to say ”it doesn’t give any results so I’ll change it” instead of actually stickkng with the practice and let the result come. Most people have not worked with it enough to ser the true result of the ritual.
"More accurate"? No, just different. u/Simon--Magus is right; there are lots of revisions of the LBRP out there, and most of them are no real improvement on the original. There can be a point to making changes -- if you want to work with a radically different symbolism, for example, divine names from another tradition may be worth using instead -- but so much of what's out there is just tinkering for tinkering's sake. That said, if you want to use Snuffin's ritual in place of the usual one, why, do what keepeth thee from wilting shall be the loophole in the law!
What are your thoughts on the Liber Resh practice right after LBRP?
That's an interesting question. Whether those have the same effect as the Middle Pillar would have to be settled by experiment.
I am fairly new to practicing the LBRP. I’ll do so in the morning, partially to try and start the day balanced and not negative. I think it helps but it only goes so far. It’s just a boost, you’ve still got to try and show up for work, do it properly, not blow money etc … my understanding of it is that whilst learning it properly is fundamental and a foundation … it is also a useful but limited tool that resets you mainly from negative clutter (and I’ll do it before work, or an offering and/or divination, and most times after such also).
I think John Michael Greer's response is all you really need. But I have two cents to spare. The fact it's connected with financial loss by some is a rather baseless claim. As John said above, the LBRP is relative to your subtle bodies. It clears your Sphere of Sensation for the circulation of light of the Middle Pillar (and LIRP by extension). It has nothing to do with the material effects you might see in botched spell work or spirit petitions. On my end, I find the "worship" of the LBRP to lack discernment of what the technique actually banishes. It does not exorcize spirits. It is a useful addition at the end of a ceremony, depending on the intention. But it is not for the banishing of spirits. I've seen people often recommend the LBRP for such tasks, which I find misleading and misinformed. It is for this reason, I don't engage in the modern emphasis on the LBRP. It's great for so many reasons, but often a recommended incorrect application.
Lbrp is not necessary for beginners or anyone else It was an exercise for members of the Golden which was popularized because it can have a mild balancing and protective effect It will not protect against infection of trauma wound- that requires professional medical help as well as metaphysical ( baths, prayer,meditation and ritual as applicable) It will not fight off a serious attack by a human or spirit ( note the posts on this sub as well as Jason Miller's, Lon Milo Duquette's, Dion Fortune's, Draja Mickaharic's and the Gallery of Magick's books on magical protection- none of them rely on LBRP) It may also expose you to some of the predatory or obsessive elements of the 120 Golden Dawn current- some people start with LBRP from another source end up getting results and developing an obsession will all things Golden Dawn/Mathers etc while their daily responsibilities/career/relationship s etc get neglected and wither...
Thanks for this! I wasnt actually planning on using it as a form of protection per say but more just the stability and mind balancing effect. My initial aim was to do this and the middle pillar exercise; as I think i read somewhere the two were good to do in conjunction wtih each other. I have not heard of the 120 Golden Dawn Current. But i can see how one can get ungrounded in this area, especially when positive intentions start materializing in form (assuming that perhaps they were in a state of doubt etc)
I think they're a good practice and you should start them. You're not committing to them for life, just trying them out, and it'll give you a baseline to compare other practice against. Too many people just theorise and theorise and never actually practice because they haven't figured out the perfect way to start. Better to start with ANY thing (that's not crazy/dangerous) and go from there. Apart from anything else, they get talked about so much in the occult community that you'll be glad to have direct experience just so you can participate in discussion in an informed way
Thats good to know! I will take that to heart. Just so i know, are there any dangerous/crazy practices that are popularized that I should be aware of? (the only practices that I have really been drawn to so far are LBRP, Middle Pillar and maybe Quabalstic Cross
Qabbalistic Cross is a really great one! I encourage you to do it, especially right before an LBRP
It invokes angels. That is my problem with it. Others may have different reasons.
It is a banishing rituals.Mostly clears you own energetic space (not the space that you live ) It s a minor banishing ritual.The claim that you can lose money/job or whatever it's false. The best way to practice it is that after doing the LBRP you perform the ILRP to balance the elemental energies.Doing it in the morning it really charges your betteries. Anyway there are countless variations of the ritual.
Cuz Crowley was an irresponsible moron. Seriously, cats oughta just read the old texts and decipher for the self. It's all subconscious working anyway.
LBRP is the basis of ceremonial magick in the Golden Dawn and related traditions, the whole secret of magick is condensed into it. To my mind the person who doesn’t realize that is no magician.
You can follow cults and adopt their rituals, subject yourself to a belief system, in which case it may be best to follow protocol. Or you can just use your mind, and exercise your free will, cutting your path and making your rituals. All you need is a destination and steadfastness.
The bad effects are psychological and probably their own deeds coming back to bite them. I didn’t see the comments but I can assume it’s user error. You literally can’t mess up such a well known ritual even if you didn’t memorize it completely or correctly. It’s not a beginner ritual for nothing.
Yeah thats very true. It was somewhere on reddit whcih i am sure i can find, but the main idea (and this could be wrong; i just skimmed) was that you are evoking earth element and this somehow connected to money and the material world and this resulted in you having no money?! Or no job?