The following text was an addendum to some Wiccan friends of  mine
written in 1986.  It followed a fairly standard instruction  in the
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which they  were not
familiar.  We were feeling out some linking techniques  leading to a
proposed joint ritual involving several Wiccans and  two ceremonial
qabalists (one Thelemite - ie. myself, and  another).  While events
conspired to torpedo this project, some  interesting ideas came along
on both sides.  The goal was a set of  brief rituals meaningful to both
traditions which we could  practice individually, thus building up a
group current prior to  the date of the proposed rite (Samhain of that
year).   Herewith my notes on "The Wiccan Pentagram" ritual which 
evolved during this project.  My primary source of God Forms  was Paul
Huson's MASTERING WITCHCRAFT which was my main source of information on
Wicca at the time  (I've done considerable study elsewhere since).  

                         NON-SOLAR SYMBOLISM 


A ritual can be modified in many ways, to refit it for a different  set
of symbols, for example.  I have taken the liberty of doing  some
research into alternate symbols for the Lesser Ritual of the  Pentagram
since I know that you work a lunar-feminine current  (Wicca) whereas I
use more solar-masculine symbols in my  current (Thelemite).  The
Qabalistic Cross This might be used as is, though you could use the
English if you  don't feel that the Hebrew is relevant.  I am sure you
recognize  the words as being similar to the end of the Lord's Prayer
in the  King James Version:  'Unto thee, the Kingdom and the Power and 
the Glory, forever!  Amen.'  I would point out that this formula  was
around a long time before Christ, much less the translators  of the
Standard Revised Version of the Bible.  If you dislike such a
specifically Christian form, it may be  replaced with the words KETHER
(KEH-THER), MALKUTH,  GEBURAH, GEDULAH (or Crown, Kingdom, Power,
Mercy), the  spheres of occult energy that you are invoking with the
Q-Cross. The mental images remain the same.  You could even avoid these
Hebrew symbols entirely, using  Names and formulae more suitable to
raising the cone of power,  which is what you are doing here in Wiccan
terms.  See the  'Wiccan Cross,' below.  

The principle is: 
     1)  Invoke strongly the presence of the Supreme Creative 
Principle as you conceive it (or in your case, Her) to be.  Your  Name
for the Goddess as Creatrix would be most suitable.  
     2)  Draw down power from this Godhead and project it through  your
body into the Earth.  Invoke strongly the Supreme symbol  of Creation
in your Tradition:  maybe the God - as Son of the  Goddess and Lord of
the Trees, and as John Barleycorn, the ever- born and dying One.  
     3)  Establish on your right side the Active Principle - Yang - the 
Projective Energy of the Universe.  A God image, I should think.  
     4) Establish on your left side the Passive Principle - Yin - the 
Receiving Energy of the Universe.  A Goddess force I feel.  
     5) Strongly visualize yourself at the center of these axes 
between the Infinities.  This centers you at the middle of the  Sacred
Space to be created - the still point at the center of the  universe.  
 
                            The Pentagrams

     Again, the pentagram should be used.  This symbol is universal  to
many, many systems of magick, including Wicca, as you know.   The
five-pointed star has supreme power over the Elements:  Spirit, Fire,
Water, Air, and Earth.  It drives off negative  influences and attracts
positive ones.  It is an essential part of  the rite and there is no
symbol that can take its place as  effectively.   

                              The Names 

     I prefer using the Hebrew God-Names as is.  In this connection 
they express formulae that govern the Elements and are no  more
religious than E=MC squared.  However, there are  equivalent Wiccan
God-Names, which I describe in the next  section, as substitutes for
the Archangels.  The use of the same  Names to activate the stars and
to invoke the Elemental force is  quite in keeping with the Wiccan
tradition, which does not use  the same hierarchical system of
God-Name, Archangel, Angel,  Ruler, Spirit, etc. that Qabalism does.  

                      The Archangelic Invocation 

     Instead of the Hebrew Archangels I described, you could use 
Wiccan Deities to invoke the 'pure' form of the Elements.
     AIR-EAST:  The Air image in Wicca seems to be masculine and 
relates to Herne, the Black Man, the messenger of the Gods, or  the Sky
Gods:  Odin, or Lug as the rising Sun God.  The God can  be imagined as
riding through the night sky, at the head of the  Wild Hunt, or rising
above the branches of the world-ash.  Instead of the Sword given to
Raphael, the God might carry a  staff, or spear, or wand, which is
attributed to Air in most  Wiccan traditions.  
     FIRE-SOUTH:  The Fire image is definitely masculine and relates 
to the Horned God:  Cernunnos, Lucifer, call Him what you will.   He
stands in the hot light of the noonday sun, radiating fiery  energy. 
He would bear an Arthame or sword, which is the  weapon of Fire in most
Wiccan styles.  
     WATER-WEST:  The Water image is the Maiden, the mistress of  the
Moon and the Tides:  Aradia, Artemis, Venus rising from the  waves. 
Her image is lit by the silver light of the moon, upon a  tranquil
reach of water or the foaming sea. She might hold the chalice, symbol
of water (alternatively, the  cauldron might be envisioned). 
     EARTH-NORTH:  The Goddess in Her aspect as Earth Mother is  here: 
Hertha, Habondia, Demeter.  She stands beneath the  golden, life-giving
sun surrounded by the fruits of the Earth.   Before her, a platter
flows with good things of the Earth, for the  disk/shield/platter is
the pentacle, magick instrument of Earth.   These are only bare
sketches of the magickal images that a witch  might use to replace the
Qabalistic images of the traditional  pentagram ritual.  I offer them
for what they are worth.  
     A few points to note:  
          1)  the phases of the sun used in the Archangelic images 
(East:Dawn; South:Noon; West:Sunset; North:Midnight) are not the  same,
nor are they as important to Wicca.  Instead, the poles of  day and
night are established:  Night for the East-West axis and  Day for the
North-South axis.  
          2)  the male-female poles are established with the masculine 
images (Herne and Cernunnos) attributed to the active Elements  (Air
and Fire) and the feminine images (Aradia and Habondia) to  the passive
Elements (Water and Earth).  Note that one figure of  each gender
stands in light, and one in darkness.  This male-
female/positive-negative/active-passive polarity is central to 
virtually all systems of magick, eg. the yin/yang symbol in  oriental
systems.  I may be betraying solar-phallic tendencies by  these
assignments, and you may want to use different  attributions:  The
Maiden can be Air and the Mother switch to  Water, with the Hunter
moving into Earth, for example.   Heck, the dual God Forms should
perhaps be invoked in each  quarter.  eg. Venus/Adonis imagery in East
or South,  Hertha/Herne in West, etc.   

                          The Star Of David 

     The last line of the Invocation refers to a 'six-rayed star' and
the  mental work calls for imagining a Star of David.  This is not a 
specifically Jewish symbol in this context.  The six-pointed star,  or
hexagram, is the Qabalistic symbol par excellence of initiation  and
spiritual illumination.  The upward-pointing triangle  represents the
aspiration of the magician to the Gods, and the  downward-pointing
triangle represents the divine power,  flowing down to the world. 
These meet at the moment of  magick and the interlaced triangles
forming the hexagram  symbolize the power of this meeting.  Should you
prefer not to use the Star of David, you can replace  the mental image
with any symbol showing the meeting of your  soul and the power of the
Goddess.  This can even be a private  symbol, one that is meaningful
only to you.  Alternatively, you  can just envision the sphere of white
light from the Q-Cross, as a  symbol of divine power.  Replace the
words about the 'six-rayed star' with some  descriptive form: 'the seal
of the Goddess,' or 'the sign of my  Awakening,' or simply 'the light
Divine.' .ff 

                        WICCAN PENTAGRAM RITUAL

     Rubric  [This is a form of the rite incorporating the changes in 
symbolism discussed above]  

     WICCAN CROSS  Face East.  Touch forehead.  Say  IO EVOE HERTHA
('Blessed be Hertha,' or  other Name by which you worship the Goddess
as Creatrix)  Touch solar plexus or genitals.  Say IO EVOE CERNUNNOS 
('Blessed be Cernunnos,' or other name by which you worship  the Horned
God as the Earth)  Touch right shoulder.  Say EKO EKO AZARAK ('Hail,
hail force of  fire')  Touch left shoulder.  Say EKO EKO AMELAK ('Hail,
hail to the  glory')  Extend arms in form of a cross.  Say IO EVOE
('Blessed be.')  Clasp hands upon breast and say 'So mote it be.'   
     CIRCLE OF PROTECTION  Trace pentagram in East.  Say HERNE. Trace
circle of protection until facing South. Trace pentagram in South.  Say
CERNUNNOS. Trace circle of protection until facing West. Trace
pentagram in West.  Say ARADIA. Trace circle of protection until facing
North. Trace pentagram in North.  Say HABONDIA. Finish tracing circle,
closing it in the East.   

     INVOCATION OF THE GREAT GODS  Return to center of circle and face
East.  Extend arms in form of a  cross.  Chant:   
          Before me HERNE The Huntsman            
          Behind me ARADIA The Maiden             
          On my right hand CERNUNNOS, the Horned God          
          On my left hand HABONDIA, the Great Mother          
          About me flame the pentagrams          
          And above me shines the light of the Goddess.   
Repeat the Wiccan Cross.  Rather than performing this in the rather
measured cadences of  Qabalistic Ritual, a form of dancing and chanting
more pleasing  to the God-forms of Wicca might profitably be  devised.