A black candle sits on the altar, a pair of shears beside it. Across town, another practitioner traces a pentagram in the air and claps twice. Both are cleaning something away, but one works on a personal tie and the other on a space. Cord cutting severs an emotional or energetic bond between two people. Banishing clears unwanted energies, entities, or influences from a location or the self. They are not interchangeable, and mistaking one for the other is a common pitfall for beginners.
Where Do These Practices Come From?
The idea of a cord or thread connecting two people appears in multiple traditions. In ancient Rome, the tessera hospitalis was a broken token of friendship half kept by each party to prove a bond. To sever that bond formally required a ritual breaking. In the Hermetic tradition, the “silver cord” of Ecclesiastes 12:6 was interpreted as the astral link between body and soul. Theosophists like Helena Blavatsky (1888, The Secret Doctrine) discussed “astral cords” that connect people across distance.
But the specific ritual we now call “cord cutting” is a modern invention. It emerged in Neopagan and Wiccan literature in the 1990s. Scott Cunningham’s The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews (1989) includes a “Cord Cutting” ritual using a black candle and string, but the practice became widespread through online forums and social media in the 2000s. No single author claimed it; it grew organically from folk candle magic.
Banishing has a far longer and more documented history. The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) was codified by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn between 1888 and 1896. Israel Regardie published the full ritual in The Golden Dawn (1937). It uses four cardinal directions, the Qabalistic cross, and the names of archangels (Mihael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel). Older folk practices of banishing with salt water, smoke, and noise predate the Golden Dawn: medieval charms against fever, the “saining” of livestock in Scotland (ash left over from Beltane fires sprinkled on cattle), and the ringing of church bells to drive out storms.
That history explains why banishing feels formal and structured while cord cutting feels improvised. The LBRP was designed for ceremonial magicians. Cord cutting was designed for kitchen witches.
What Each Ritual Actually Does
Cord cutting targets a human relationship. The cord represents the energetic tether between two people: a former lover, a parent, a friend, a toxic colleague. The ritual breaks that tether so the practitioner can reclaim their own energy and emotional autonomy. It does not end a relationship but ends the energetic drain of that relationship. You may still speak to the person, but the invisible “umbilical” is severed.
Banishing targets a space or an entity. It removes anything that should not be there: a negative thought form, a lingering spirit, a low vibrational energy from an argument hours earlier. Banishing does not deal with specific people (unless the person is tied to the entity). It resets the energetic climate of a room, an altar, or a body.
Concrete difference: After a cord cutting, you might still feel the memory of the person. After a banishing, the room feels neutral or clean.
How We Do It: The Practical Distinctions
We light our cord cutting candlesin a fireproof bowl on the balcony, not on the altar where we usually work. The black candle represents the other person; the white candle represents ourselves. A length of cotton string ties the two candles together at the base. We light the black candle first, then the white. As they burn, the string singes. When the flame meets the knot, we say “I am free.” Then we extinguish both candles and scatter the ash.
A banishing, by contrast, is spatial. We stand in the center of the room after sweeping it. We trace the Qabalistic cross (touching forehead, stomach, right shoulder, left shoulder – “Atoh, Malkuth, Ve-Geburah, Ve-Gedulah”). We draw a pentagram in the air with the index finger or a dagger, starting at top left point and moving clockwise for banishment (point-down is invocating). Then we call the archangels: “Before me, Raphael; behind me, Gabriel; on my right, Mikhael; on my left, Uriel.” We clap twice to break the circle.
Tools differ. Cord cutting uses string, two candles, shears (scissors), sometimes a photograph or personal object. Banishing uses a ritual dagger (athame), a wand, or even just the hand, plus often salt water or incense. Smudging with sage is a banishing, though not the LBRP; it is a Native American practice adopted by Neopagans, often misused.
We note: the LBRP is meant to be done daily. Cord cutting is a one-time ritual, or repeated only if the cord regrows (which it sometimes does with intense attachments).
When One Won’t Do: Comparing the Methods
Cord cutting will not clean a room where two people argued. Banishing will not sever an emotional tie with an ex-spouse. The two methods solve different root causes.
Sometimes a practitioner needs both: first a banishing to clear the space where the ritual will happen, then a cord cutting within that cleared circle. Or after a messy breakup, one might banishing the house of the person’s lingering energy, then cut the cord from themselves.
Close concepts: purging (removing old energy from tools), grounding (shifting one’s own vibration), warding (setting up a barrier to keep new energies out). Banishing is often the first step before warding. Cord cutting is not warding; it is removal of a specific link.
Three Things People Get Wrong
1. Cord cutting requires consent. No. You are working on your own energy and your side of the bond. You are not casting on the other person; you are severing the tether from you. The other person may feel the shift, but you do not need their permission to clean your own field.
2. Banishing is the same as excorcism. An excorcism targets a specific demon or entity named by its host. Banishing clears “anything unwanted” in a general sense. Practitioners of the LBRP often banish twice a day without knowing what was there. Excorsism is rare and should not be attempted by amateurs.
3. You can only banish evil. Banishing removes anything that is not aligned with your intention, including mundane psychic clutter from a stressful week. You can banish good energies too (if, say, a group ritual left behind a chaotic mix). It is a dial, not a hammer.
FAQ
Can I cord cut someone without their knowledge?
Yes, because you are working on your own energetic field, not theirs. The other person may feel a sense of distance or relief, but you are not violating their will.
Is banishing safe for beginners?
The LBRP is safe if the practitioner is emotionally stable. The invoked archangels are protective, not threatening. However, mental health issues or deep fear can distort the ritual.
How often should I do a cord cutting?
Once per attachment. If the bond regrows (new contact, old feelings resurge), repeat. Some people do a seasonal cord cutting on Samhain for all old ties.
Does banishing work for negative emotions?
Partially. Banishing the energy of anger from a room can help you feel calmer, but emotions stored in your body require grounding or shadow work. Banishing is external.
The difference comes down to target: person vs. space. Cord cutting is a scissors job. Banishing is a broom. Both are essential in any practitioner’s kit. For further reading, see our full guide to energetic cleansing, the entry on symbols of the pentagram, and the step-by-step cord cutting ritual.