Talk:Invocation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Invocation and evocation

"Some belief systems draw a distinction between invocation and evocation. Invocation being a request for a spirit's presence and an evocation being a compelling of a spirit's presence."

Most systems that draw this distinction (which are generaly occult systems) seem to use a terminology in which the distinction between invocation and evocation is that invocation is ritualy identifying with the entity or force etc invoced the aim is to feel one with it or draw its qualities to oneself or getting intentionaly possesed by it (and is done usualy with a sense of worship or other friendly attitudes toward the object of invocation) and evocation is calling an entity to apear "outside" one's personality as some spirit , force etc that evocationer can contact with and is done through either complelling or requesting it.The difference lies mainly between calling to apear "within " or to apear "without" not in the way of dealing with the entity.Golden Dawn , systems based on Thelema , chaos magic and most Pagans use this terminology (or some variation of it which is fairly near to it)a chaos magic reference.I would be glad to hear other opinions.Pasha Abd 14:57, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

-I tend to agree and am glad someone is making this point, at least on the discussion page. It seems to me it is only in the occultism of the last 40 years (20?) has the invoke=inward/evoke=outward distinction been being made and proffered as "the" definition suitable for the OED. I feel that general English usage, outside that of very late Western Occultism, traditionally has not made any clear distinction between the two terms. I also would like to hear of supportive or contrary evidence available relevant to this assumption. earrach