1.  To send away. In metaphysical terms, a banishing is a ritual or technique that has the effect of sending away unwanted energies, entities, etc. Although banishings are used in healing (sending away the ailment), they are most often used in conjunction with magickal rituals. They are used before such rituals to make the area blank, a tabula rasa, leaving it open for any magickal work. They are used after such rituals to disperse any energies or entities that may have been attracted to the energy raised during the ritual.