Invocation

Invocation is the act of calling upon a <a href="/facts/Deity/doCvhDHj">deity</a>, <a href="/facts/Spirit_(supernatural_entity)/p9CH62uA">spirit</a>, or <a href="/facts/Supernatural/qSlTK0Ss">supernatural</a> force, typically through <a href="/facts/Prayer/Gzu2VMAo">prayer</a>, <a href="/facts/Ritual/EIJngpmf">ritual</a>, or spoken <a href="/facts/Magical_formula/xmEGE3qm">formula</a>, to seek guidance, assistance, or presence. It is a practice found in numerous religious, spiritual, and <a href="/facts/Western_esotericism/AW5dDFh1">esoteric traditions</a>, where it serves to establish a connection between the human and the divine or metaphysical realms. Invocation can be directed toward a singular deity, multiple deities, spirits, or abstract forces, and may involve formal <a href="/facts/Liturgy/GlxuzMSY">liturgies</a>, spontaneous prayers, chants, or symbolic actions. Unlike <a href="/facts/Evocation/nrRsCxU5">evocation</a>, which is generally understood as calling a spirit to appear outside the practitioner, invocation often implies inviting the entity to be present within or to closely align with the practitioner.
The purpose of invocation varies across cultural and religious contexts. In many traditions, it is used to request <a href="/facts/Divine_intervention/FJRFBR6w">divine intervention</a>, protection, <a href="/facts/Wisdom/6Pqq0nAA">wisdom</a>, or blessings in personal or communal matters. Invocation may also serve to <a href="/facts/Consecration/M6mxxeLw">consecrate</a> a space, mark the beginning of a sacred ritual, or facilitate a deeper <a href="/facts/Religious_experience/QY5LYzon">spiritual experience</a>. In <a href="/facts/Mysticism/3Rfb7zEd">mystical</a> or esoteric practices, invocation can be a means of aligning oneself with a higher spiritual principle or <a href="/facts/Archetype/FsGNSHUo">archetype</a>, fostering personal transformation or <a href="/facts/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism/AGFXqGgz">enlightenment</a>. In some cases, invocation may result in <a href="/facts/Spirit_possession/DQ2lR7kT">possession</a>, where the invoked entity is believed to temporarily inhabit or influence the practitioner.
The scope of invocation is broad, encompassing a wide range of religious, <a href="/facts/Magic_(supernatural)/ttcCLh3A">magical</a>, and philosophical practices. In formal religious contexts, such as <a href="/facts/Christianity/nKyJHlqq">Christianity</a>, <a href="/facts/Hinduism/oxV9YvQh">Hinduism</a>, and <a href="/facts/Islam/zDLbL45C">Islam</a>, invocation is often integrated into prayers, hymns, and rituals. For example, <a href="/facts/Christian_liturgy/Nwg571kJ">Christian liturgy</a> frequently includes invocations of the <a href="/facts/Holy_Trinity/2eElg705">Holy Trinity</a> or saints, while Hindu <a href="/facts/Puja_(Hinduism)/KgnhEX6C">pujas</a> invoke various deities through <a href="/facts/Mantra/V8bEogFp">mantras</a> and offerings. In <a href="/facts/Ceremonial_magic/Eqb3t6QB">ceremonial magic</a> and <a href="/facts/Theurgy/AE42Sj79">theurgy</a>, invocation is used to summon divine powers for guidance or to achieve specific spiritual outcomes. Additionally, modern spiritual movements, such as <a href="/facts/Wicca/q623sLWu">Wicca</a> and <a href="/facts/Modern_Paganism/6RK8f29W">modern Paganism</a>, employ invocation to call upon deities, elemental forces, or spirits of nature. Beyond religious practice, invocation has also been explored in psychological frameworks; <a href="/facts/Carl_Jung/k651RvXp">Carl Jung</a>'s concept of active imagination involves engaging with archetypal figures from the <a href="/facts/Unconscious_mind/BAIRTFMM">unconscious</a>, a process that parallels the symbolic aspects of invocation.

Invocation open-in-new

Invocation