Introducing the Concepts of Invocation & Evocation
by Lady Maeve Rhea


     
The light is intense but in no way causes distress. The sounds are clear, scintillating, and harmonious. The sensation of complete acceptance washes through the woman as she floats in a state of bliss. Here, in this place of no particular being, she finds complete love, complete oneness. As she floats, she perceives visual objects surrounding her: stars, planets, and beings from other dimensions, other places, other times. She hears exquisite music that at once comes from inside of her and all around her. She is home.
Then the light takes form – a female form, for that is what the woman is most comfortable with at this moment. The form is at once of youthful beauty and ancient wisdom. The form touches the woman and the two dance in a swirl of stars. The form speaks within the woman's being: “Remember, i have always loved you. There is nothing that you can do that will make me cease to love you, or to change my love of you one whit. I love you because you are not perfect. I love you because of your faults. If you were perfect, you would be stagnant, dead. Because you are not perfect, you are alive, growing, learning, able to be what and who I need – want – you to be.”
Then the Form blends back into the light, the woman floats for a moment more – an eternity – and then slowly sinks back into the physical form that awaits her.
The woman finds that she is lying on the floor. Once more in her own body, her own living room, in a house in suburban North America, she sits up. She aches slightly, feeling both energized and drained; she feels the power slipping away. Yet she has been changed. Her ability to retain some of the bliss, some of the power, has been increased.
As she looks around her, she sees that several of the members of her circle are still in a state of ungrounded energy. Slowly, carefully, she goes to each one and helps them release the excess energy of the ritual. Then, together with them, she releases the evoked energies of the Directional Guardians.

What I have just described to you is one of my personal experiences while in a state of invocation. Invocation is a process by which an individual makes a psychic, that is, emotional and mental, space within them. Into this space the person will welcome the energy of one of the facets of Divinity. I call a facet or aspect of Divinity a God-form. (Gods express themselves as both female and male. Since Divinity is genderless in nature but differentiates itself into female and male only to facilitate our perception of It, I do not usually use the term Goddess-form; God-form suffices.)
While in a state of invocation, the person may be completely present, or she may slip into a trance state wherein she may experience mystical union and comprehension with Divinity. She may receive messages or prophecy and travel into other dimensions of reality and time. While in the trance state, she may speak to others, giving them messages that she will not recall when she has returned to her ordinary state of consciousness. She may be able to accomplish things that she would not normally be able to do, such as doing high jumps with arthritic joints, or seeing clearly without lenses when she normally has to wear corrective lenses at all times. She may experience new forms of energy manifestation from objects usually thought to be inert. Rocks, trees, and water may shimmer and pulse with energy. A sense of utter union with the entire universe may accompany these perceptions.
Evocation is a process in which a person or group of people make a psychic space into which they invite God-Forms to manifest themselves as the God-forms choose. Thus, a circle, which usually includes the summoning of the Directional Guardians of North, West, South and East and/or the Elemental Guardians of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, may find that the southern direction manifests itself as a Fire God-form, such as Agni from Persian mythology, or Lugh from Celtic mythology, or even Apollo from the Hellenic mythos. Indeed, it might manifest itself as a volcano, or even as Pele from the Polynesian myths.
The other directions could also manifest as well-known classical God-forms, or they might take the shapes of animals or nature spirits such as Nymphs, Sylphs, Dryads, Sphnixes.
Elemental and Directional Guardian God-forms are not the only aspects of Divinity that are evoked into a sacred space or circle. Often a specific God-form is desired to increase the power and intent of the ritual. A healing ritual may call for the evocation of Asclepias, or Bridgidh. A protection ritual might call for Auge (Bear), or Isis, or even Lilith. A ritual of divination might ask Hera to come, accompanied by Her Son, Iacchos. Who or what might be evoked into the sacred space is only limited by the energy and power of the people who have created the space.
Both invocation and evocation are accomplished by the intentions and the power of the persons involved in the ritual. Both magickal acts must be approached with care and preparation. Both are extremely powerful.
While invocation and evocation have much in common, their differences are important. While a group or a single practitioner can affect evocation, invocation is a solitary experience. Others may provide an enhanced and sacred space, but the act of invocation belongs to the invoker. A ritual may include both acts, and either one alone, or neither. It all depends on the purpose of the ritual and the intentions of the persons involved.
When considering whether you wish to invoke a god-form, evoke god-forms or elemental beings, or do both, or neither, carefully consider what you intend to accomplish with the ritual. Most rituals do not need an invocation or evocation.

Let me summarize:

Invocation is the process in which a person, acting as a single individual, allows an aspect of Divinity that I call a god-form to enter into her or his body.

Evocation is a process in which a person or group invites an aspect of Divinity, such as an Elemental or Directional guardian, or a specific God-form, into the working space as defined by the ritual.