Banishment without Symbols

This exercise was created in the attempt of designing a banishing ritual that works without the use of any symbols. Strictly speaking, it still includes actions that are symbolic in a broader sense of the word, though. It is so short and simple it constitutes a ritual only in the broadest sense and might as well be called a meditation or a calming exercise. Which merely demonstates these things are not as different from each other as some people think. :-) The "banishment without symbols" is unsuitable as a preparation to explicitly magical work, but works well as a conclusive grounding (return to everyday consciousness) and as a centering for any occasion.

Close your eyes and direct your awareness towards yourself. Perceive your body and thoughts. When you are ready, say loudly or in your mind: "I am". Open your eyes, move your awareness to the outside (into the space around you) and continue: "therefore I think."

Perfect concentration in the guidance of awareness and the making of the statement is recommendable, but not at all necessary. If "distracting" thoughts appear, you can use them to think about what every ritual step is meant to achieve. Hint: it's about the relation between you and your surrounding.

Have a look around if you want and this makes guiding your awareness towards your surrounding easier. The next phase begins now. Look ahead and say, again loudly or in your mind: "Before me, there is only what I perceive." Your perception will become more lucid and "solid" as you do so - try to consciously provoke this effect if you wish to. Then look to your right and say "To my right, there is only what I perceive." - proceed analogously to your left, behind, below and above.

In the fourth step (behind), turn around only your head and upper part of the body. The region above comes last because this statement (alternatively, this negation) is the most stark one at least for people thinking in western patterns.

Look ahead again and make the eighth determination: "I think" - now close your eyes and return your awareness to yourself - "therefore I am.""