Evocation and invocation are frequently confused with one another but are two very different things. Invocation is a spell or a ritual that is intended and designed to effect you, the invoker, personally. Conversely, an evocation is a spell or ritual that is intended to have an effect outside of yourself. And while both can be used to call a spirit or spiritual force, when an invocation is used you are making yourself submissive to the spiritual force, while an evocation is a call for the spiritual force to submit to you.
How Evocation differs from Invocation
Evocation is most commonly understood as the act of summoning a spirit or a demon or other supernatural being and is most often used for the purposes of divination and spell casting when a spirit is asked to help show a path or help augment the power of a spell. In past centuries it was common to use hallucinogenics to help achieve a state in which the evoker felt more comfortable evoking a spirit, and while some today do still use these sorts of things, many others do not. Many feel more comfortable with the idea of evoking as opposed to invoking because it means that the evoker remains the entity in control. They can ask the spirit to enter their sphere of influence (not their body) and can also ask or demand that it leave. In general, evoking is considered easier for beginning spell casters to use.
Evokers as Conjurers
Historically, evokers were also known as conjurers or conjuretors. They performed rituals to bind ghosts, spirits and demons to themselves through specific rituals that they kept in books called grimoires. There are many different types of evocations, many of them as unique as the individuals who used them and even though a grimoire may contain an evocation for a certain demon, it does not guarantee a response from any spirit. An evocation is just an invitation to show up and consider your offer, the evoked spirit can certainly decline to show their interest.
The Process of Evocation
Learning how to evoke is a fairly simple process. First you will need to decide what sort of spirit you wish to envoke. Remember, if you are envoking a spirit for the sake of casting a spell you will want a benevolent spirit that will help with the intentions of your spell. The Rule of Three warns that any energy sent out into the world will be returned three-fold. If you ask a malevolent spirit to help strengthen a spell intended to harm someone else, all of that negative energy will come back to you with three times as much strength. The easiest form of evocation is to simply ask for a blessing from the elements and spirit. Next, you’ll want to center yourself with a little meditation to help settle yourself so you can communicate more clearly with the spirit. Then you will want to begin your invocation and complete any spell casting. When you are through with your rituals, make sure you take the time to thank and dismiss the spirit for its help. Good manners are never wrong, and you are more likely to receive help from the spirit in the future if you express your gratitude and are sure to release them.
