The Rite of the Qabalistic Cross
(Ritual Magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn)
Copyright © 1999, David Griffin
1. Stand West of the Altar facing East. Imagine yourself expanding, getting larger and larger. Visualize yourself standing with the Earth beneath your feet (about the size of a soccer ball). Imagine yourself continuing to grow and expand, until you are so large that entire galaxies spin around you. Visualize a ball of white Light, burning like a star, directly above your head. Raise either your Elemental or Planetary Banishing Dagger in your right hand above your head, pointing straight up, and pierce the star with the Dagger. Visualize a shaft of white Light rising vertically from the star above your head to infinity. Vibrate "AThH," while lowering the Dagger down to touch first your forehead (while vibrating the first syllable), then your breast around the heart area (while vibrating the second syllable), and extend the shaft of Light downwards as you move.
2. Lower the Dagger to the groin area, with the tip still pointing straight up (Israel Regardie taught that one should never point a Magical Dagger downward toward the Earth). Vibrate "MLKVTh." Visualize a vertical shaft of white Light, descending from the star above your head, to another star beneath your feet, and onward, through the center of the Earth, to infinity.
3. Touch your right shoulder with the point of the Dagger (you should feel the sharp tip), and vibrate "VGBVRHH." Visualize another star shining where the Dagger is touching your shoulder, and a shaft of white Light, extending horizontally to your right, and on to infinity.
4. Touch your left shoulder with the point of the Dagger, and vibrate "VGDVLH." Visualize another star, at the place where the Dagger is touching your shoulder, and a shaft of Light extending horizontally to your left, to infinity.
5. Bring the Dagger, pointing upward, to your heart. Move it in a circular counter-clockwise motion (toward the left, from the top downwards, then up to the right), several times, as you vibrate "LOVLM."
6. Clasp your hands together over the center of your chest. Interlace your fingers, and hold the Dagger between your knuckles, pointing upward (The interlaced fingers symbolize the ten Sephiroth). Extend your elbows horizontally, along the plane of the horizontal shaft of Light, extending from the stars at your shoulders. Visualize yourself, standing at the center of a blazing Cross of white Light, which extends to the ends of the Universe, as you vibrate "AMN."