Posts Tagged With: Myths and Folktales

The Process of Invocation
Author: Michael ‘Blackthorn’ Furie

Much has been said and written about the fact that witches ‘go directly to the source’ and through invocation, personally commune with our Deities. Unfortunately, very little has been written about the nature or structure of the process (and believe me, it is a process) of invocation, of either the techniques of the process or the actual feeling of such an experience.

Now I know that as witches, many of us pride ourselves on our ability to keep a magical secret and while I do see merit in this, I think that it does a great disservice to many people who are truly seeking to deepen their spiritual connection and walk with the Gods. That is why I have decided to decode this secret, so to speak. I’m not including the personal invocatory rites of my tradition as I do intent to keep them secret. I do however fully intend to give out all the tools necessary for anyone that wishes to create their own rites, to do so successfully.

First, let’s begin at the beginning by defining our understanding of what the Gods are. In my tradition, the Gods are seen as distinct individuals (as opposed to facets or aspects of the whole) and with the exception of the Great Mother Goddess They are, although very powerful, not omnipotent. This is why we must invoke Them if we wish to communicate. We set our intention, call to Them, create a link and stretch our consciousness.

If They wish to commune with us, They will respond and follow our link. There are some that feel that the Gods need our worship and that it sustains Them. Whether you share this view or not, it is true that They need us to send our energy during invocation to help Them manifest. The reason for this is that our doing so creates a current of energy that acts as a beacon, leading back to us. The exception of course would be the Great Goddess, since everything in creation is a part of Her already and She is truly omnipotent. I will say however, that building an energy current to connect to Her will speed the process along and make a stronger connection.

Before attempting any invocation, it is vital to have a preexisting desire to connect to a specific Deity. If you don’t have a chosen Deity yet then, research, research, research! When you have found a Deity that ‘speaks’ to you, study the myths and legends about them and what herbs, stones, animals, colors, and symbols are sacred to Them.

When you have a solid understanding of Their nature and worship, it is a good idea to set up an altar using the colors, herbs, etc. that appeal to Them. As a minimum, have an offering bowl on the altar and a candle of the chosen color. Begin a daily devotional at this altar by lighting the candle and placing a bit of food or drink in the bowl (to be buried later) and then praying or writing verse to your Deity.

This is a minor form of invocation and helps build your connection to the Deity even before you undertake the full invocatory process. During these devotionals, it is a good idea to ask the Deity to send you signs throughout your everyday life if They wish to communicate with you. Keep a journal for at least one full cycle of the moon.

If, after this cycle you feel that the Deity wishes you to commune then, the next step of the conscious building of faith may be taken. This is a very important step in the invocatory process. The subconscious mind is a link to the hidden sphere of our psyche that connects directly to the Gods.

In order to open ourselves to this sphere, we must program the subconscious by a deliberate act of will. What this amounts to, practically speaking is the creation and use of what are known as ‘words of power’ to help our minds open to greater awareness. To create words of power, you first need to have a basic knowledge of your chosen Deity.

As an example, let’s say that your chosen Deity is a Sun Goddess. To create the words of power to connect to Her you will need to be in a sunny location that you would consider a place suited to Her taste. Then, you will need to immerse yourself in total awareness of Her power. In this case, I would recommend sunbathing (safely, with sunscreen of course!) while meditating on Her qualities.

When you feel a connection to Her, state your chosen word, words, or phrase out loud and also state that whenever you say these words, the memory of this experience will fill your mind once more. The words chosen can be anything but, should relate in some way to the chosen Deity. An example would be, ‘The power of Name of Deity fills me now.’ You may repeat this exercise as often as you wish, but let’s now move to the final step; putting our process together.

Invocation

To begin the invocation process, as stated earlier, we must first set our intention; we wish to communicate directly with Chosen Deity. Next, we must clear the mind through meditation and reach a receptive relaxed mental state (this is now recognized as the alpha brain wave level) . We must also release our preconceived notions about how invocation should occur or what the process will be like; just surrender to the process of communion. When we are in a receptive mental state, we must visualize the Deity in whatever concept you have of Them and also, visualize a beam of energy extending from either your ‘third eye’ or heart (depending on personal preference) out to Them in their realm.

Now, call on the Deity and repeat the words of power that you have created while rocking gently back and forth, adding a ‘tugging’ feeling to the beam of energy in order to create a pathway for alignment. After the connection is felt, you may communicate in whatever way you wish. For me, the first time invocation was achieved the Goddess opened my third eye and I began to rapidly develop certain abilities, psi empathy being the primary one. I can only speak for myself and your results may vary.

This process must be repeated, usually several times in order for it to work. Repetition trains the mind and Spirit and creates a strong link to the chosen Deity. Of course, there is a chance for whatever reason, that the Deity will not wish to commune. Always remember that these are conscious, three dimensional beings with a will of their own; they are Gods after all. Never forget this. Never patronize or diminish them or you will feel their wrath.

I hope that this information will help any and all that wish to deepen their connection to the Gods.

Blessed be.

Footnotes:
Power of the Witch by Laurie Cabot
Earth Magic by Marion Weinstein
The Black Book by Blackthorn Furie