Spirits and Evocations

Spirits and evocations are a common part of ceremonies; though they are also present in spells, they are less important than the will working. Commonly, magicians and other users of magic may work through spirits to obtain information, and less commonly to achieve effects. This is because spirits often have their own agenda. If they do not want to work the magician’s will, they may revolt, moving to do their own thing rather than the thing the magician desires.

There should be a difference between invocation and evocation drawn here. Invoking something means you are bringing it from elsewhere to you, here on Earth. Evoking means bringing something forth that was always present. An angel would be invoked by name. But the spirit present in a rock or in yourself would be evoked, drawn forth from its vessel to be used in magic working.

Spirits and evocations both are powerful tools, but the evoking of something is considerably safer. That’s because that thing is resident in you or in a place to begin with, not alien to it; you typically would evoke that in yourself that is strong to deal with hard times, for instance. If you are evoking something with or in another person, it gets a little trickier; as little as we know ourselves, we usually know others less. In one séance, for instance, spirits were being evoked, but one person involved chose to feed the bad spirit present anger – not particularly wise. It ended by making the circumstance worse, and others had to be brought in to cleanse the place.

Spirits should be invoked only with the proper precautions: a basic protective circle, an understanding of who the spirit really is, and a genuine trust in any who are with you in the invocation. Each person involved in the ceremony should be open to what happens, and should have the same goals for the magic involved.

When you are using sex magic, spirits and evocations can be valuable tools, and are unavoidable in the Great Rite and other forms of sex magic designed to bring you closer to God. You and your partner should discuss what you wish to bring about before beginning anything. One may choose to be the vessel for the God or Goddess, while the other will be initiated into an understanding of that spirit. The question here is whether this is an invocation or evocation; the godhead is present in each of us, and when God descends upon us, we may not know if it is acting from outside or inside.

You can also use spirits and evocation during solitary sex magic. Sex with spirits is a fairly common magical rite, recorded as in use throughout most of history. Whatever you decide, remember that spirits and other similar beings are outside yourself, and you may not be in control of what they do, even if you take all proper precautions. Spirits and evocations are not to be considered safe or easy.