Star Ruby


The Star Ruby


The Star Ruby is a powerful banishing ritual originally created by Aleister Crowley as a Thelemic alternative to the more widely known Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). It appears in Crowley's The Book of Lies (Liber 333, Chapter 25) and was later revised, making it an official ritual of the A∴A∴ (Argenteum Astrum). Crowley described it as "a new and more elaborate version of the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram."

In the context of chaos magic (as developed by Peter J. Carroll in works like Liber Null & Psychonaut), the Star Ruby is frequently referenced and recommended as one of the effective banishing rituals available for practitioners. Carroll does not claim authorship of it—it's firmly Crowley's—but he endorses its use in chaos magic training and practice.


Why It's Recommended in Chaos Magic

Chaos magicians emphasize pragmatic, results-oriented techniques without rigid dogma. Banishing rituals serve as essential "psychic hygiene" tools to:

  • Clear residual psychic energy or obsessions after workings.
  • Protect against unwanted influences or "magical backlash" (e.g., fixation on entities, unbalanced states from paradigm-shifting).
  • Center the mind and re-establish personal boundaries before/after experiments.

Carroll highlights the Star Ruby (alongside the LBRP) in discussions of foundational practices in Liber MMM (the gnosis and magical training section of Liber Null). He notes that once mastered, such rituals can be performed quickly (in about five minutes), though beginners should allow ten minutes for proper focus. Chaos magicians often adapt or combine rituals, so the Star Ruby's structure—energetic barrier visualization, vocal vibration, directional pentagrams, and forceful expulsion of "evil spirits"—fits well as a customizable tool.


Key Structure of the Star Ruby Ritual

The ritual is performed facing the quarters in a circle (East → North → West → South), using Greek invocations and Thelemic deities/names for a more dynamic, solar-phallic energy aligned with the Aeon of Horus. A simplified outline (based on the standard text):

  1. Opening Exorcism — Facing East, deep breath, press forefinger to lower lip, then dash hand outward while crying "Apo pantos kakodaimonos" ("Away, every evil spirit!").
  2. Qabalistic Cross Equivalent — Touch forehead ("Soi"), genitals ("O Phalle"), right shoulder ("Ischuros"), left shoulder ("Athene"), clasp hands ("Ararita"), etc., vibrating Greek words.
  3. Pentagram Quarter Invocations — Draw pentagrams in each direction while vibrating Thelemic names (Therion East, Nuit North, Babalon West, Hadit South), with specific gestures (Horus sign, Hoor-paar-Kraat silence).
  4. Closing — Repeat the initial exorcism and return to center.

The full text is widely available online (e.g., on sacred-texts.com or Thelemic sites), and many recordings exist for pronunciation of the Greek.


Differences from the LBRP
  • More aggressive and Thelemic (uses Greek instead of Hebrew names, emphasizes Horus-era forces like Therion/Babalon).
  • Incorporates sexual/phallic symbolism openly.
  • Designed to elevate consciousness rather than purely banish in a "gentle" way.

In chaos magic circles, some practitioners prefer it for its intensity and "punch," especially when dealing with chaotic or high-energy workings where a stronger psychic reset is needed. Others stick to simpler, self-invented banishings (e.g., laughter banishings or visualization-only methods).

If you're exploring chaos magic practices, the Star Ruby is a classic "off-the-shelf" ritual Carroll implicitly approves of for grounding and clearing—perfect for stabilizing after paradigm experiments or to avoid the psychological instability we discussed earlier.


Full Star Ruby Text

The Star Ruby (Liber XXV) is an official ritual of the A∴A∴, composed by Aleister Crowley as a more elaborate, Thelemic version of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). It was first published in The Book of Lies (Liber CCCXXXIII, Chapter 25, 1913) and later revised slightly in Magick in Theory and Practice (1929, Appendix VI).

There are two main published versions: the original from The Book of Lies (often considered the "purer" Greek-focused one) and the revised one in Magick (with some Thelemic deity names like Nuit, Babalon, Hadit, and Therion). The revised version is the one most commonly performed today and the one endorsed in chaos magic contexts for its intensity.

Below is the full text of the revised version (from Magick in Theory and Practice), which is the standard form referenced in modern Thelemic and chaos magic practice. I've included phonetic transliteration in CAPITALS for the Greek parts (as is traditional for pronunciation guides), along with brief structural notes in brackets. Directions are in plain text.

LIBER XXV — THE STAR RUBY

[I. Opening Banishing]

Facing East, in the centre, draw deep deep deep thy breath closing thy mouth with thy right forefinger prest against thy lower lip. Then dashing down the hand with a great sweep back and out, expelling forcibly thy breath, cry:

APO PANTOS KAKODAIMONOS

(“Away, every evil spirit!”)


[II. The Cross Qabalistic]

With the same forefinger touch thy forehead, and say SOI (“Thine”),
thy member, and say Ô PHALLE (“O Phallus”),
thy right shoulder, and say ISCHUROS (“the mighty”),
thy left shoulder, and say EUCHARISTOS (“the beneficient”);
then clasp thine hands, locking the fingers, and cry IAÔ.


[III. The Pentagrams in the Quarters]

Advance to the East. Imagine strongly a Pentagram, aright, in thy forehead. Drawing the hands to the eyes, fling it forth, making the sign of Horus and roar THÊRION. Retire thine hand in the sign of Hoor-paar-Kraat.

Go round to the North and repeat; but say NUIT.

Go round to the West and repeat; but whisper BABALON.

Go round to the South and repeat; but bellow HADIT.


[IV. The Paian]

Completing the circle widdershins, retire to the centre and raise thy voice in the Paian, with these words IÔ PAN, with the signs of N.O.X.


[V. The Guardians / Tau Cross Invocation]

Extend the arms in the form of a Tau and say low but clear:
PRO MOU IUNGES (“Before me the Iynges”)
OPISÔ MOU TELETARCHAI (“Behind me the Teletarches”)
EPI DEXIA SUNOCHEIS (“On my right hand the Synoches”)
EPARISTERA DAIMONES (“On my left hand the Daemones”)
PHLEGEI GAR PERI MOU HO ASTÊR TÔN PENTE (“For about me flames the Star of Five”)
KAI EN TÊI STÊLÊI HO ASTÊR TÔN HEX hESTÊKE (“And in the Pillar stands the Star of Six.”)


[VI. Closing]

Repeat the Cross Qabalistic, as above [II], and end as thou didst begin [I].


Notes on Performance and Pronunciation

  • Direction: Move widdershins (counter-clockwise) around the circle for the quarters.
  • Signs:
    • Sign of Horus: Active projection (arms forward, fists clenched).
    • Sign of Hoor-paar-Kraat (Harpocrates): Passive silence (finger to lips).
    • Signs of N.O.X.: From Liber V vel Reguli — Puella, Puer, Vir, Mulier, Mater Triumphans (specific postures; often performed as a sequence).
  • Pronunciation guide (approximate modern Greek/Thelemic style):
    • APO PANTOS KAKODAIMONOS: AH-po PAN-tos kah-ko-DYE-mo-nos
    • SOI: soy
    • Ô PHALLE: oh FAHL-leh
    • ISCHUROS: ees-KHOO-ros
    • EUCHARISTOS: yoo-kha-REE-stos
    • IAÔ: ee-ah-oh
    • THÊRION: THAY-ree-on
    • NUIT: noo-eet
    • BABALON: BAH-bah-lon (whispered)
    • HADIT: HAH-deet (bellowed)
    • IÔ PAN: ee-oh pan
    • PRO MOU IUNGES: pro moo YOON-ges
    • And so on (the final lines are often vibrated slowly and clearly).
  • Purpose in chaos magic: As Peter J. Carroll notes, it's a strong, energetic banisher for clearing psychic debris after paradigm shifts or workings—more forceful than the LBRP due to its Thelemic solar/phallic emphasis and Greek invocations.


This ritual is public domain and widely available online (e.g., sacred-texts.com, hermetic.com, thelemistas.org). Many audio recordings exist for pronunciation practice. If you're working with it, start slow to master the gestures and vibrations before speeding up (Crowley suggested ~5 minutes once proficient).