Editing Invocation (section)

{{Short description|Supplication to a supernatural being}}
{{About|religious and spiritual invocation|the term meaning starting computer software|Execution (computing)|other uses|Invocation (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Gustave dore crusades invocation to muhammad.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|''Invocation'' by [[Gustave Doré]]]]
{{magic sidebar|Forms}}

'''Invocation''' is the act of calling upon a [[deity]], [[Spirit (supernatural entity)|spirit]], or [[supernatural]] force, typically through [[prayer]], [[ritual]], or spoken [[magical formula|formula]], to seek guidance, assistance, or presence.{{sfnp|Laude|2006}} It is a practice found in numerous religious, spiritual, and [[Western esotericism|esoteric traditions]], 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 [[Liturgy|liturgies]], spontaneous prayers, chants, or symbolic actions. Unlike [[evocation]], 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.{{sfnp|Eliade|1959}}

The purpose of invocation varies across cultural and religious contexts. In many traditions, it is used to request [[divine intervention]], protection, [[wisdom]], or blessings in personal or communal matters. Invocation may also serve to [[Consecration|consecrate]] a space, mark the beginning of a sacred ritual, or facilitate a deeper [[Religious experience|spiritual experience]]. In [[Mysticism|mystical]] or esoteric practices, invocation can be a means of aligning oneself with a higher spiritual principle or [[archetype]], fostering personal transformation or [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]]. In some traditions, the practitioner [[Ritual identification|ritually identifies]] with the deity or spiritual figure.{{sfnp|Hanegraaff|2012}} This is distinct from [[Spirit possession|possession]], where the invoked being is believed to inhabit or act through the practitioner directly and autonomously.{{sfnp|Turner|1969}}

The scope of invocation is broad, encompassing a wide range of religious, [[magic (supernatural)|magical]], and philosophical practices. In formal religious contexts, such as [[Christianity]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Islam]], invocation is often integrated into prayers, hymns, and rituals. For example, [[Christian liturgy]] frequently includes invocations of the [[Holy Trinity]] or saints, while Hindu [[Puja (Hinduism)|pujas]] invoke various deities through [[mantra]]s and offerings.{{sfnp|Smart|1998}} In [[ceremonial magic]] and [[theurgy]], invocation is used to summon divine powers for guidance or to achieve specific spiritual outcomes.{{sfnp|Luck|2006}} Additionally, modern spiritual movements, such as [[Wicca]] and [[modern Paganism]], employ invocation to call upon deities, elemental forces, or spirits of nature.{{sfnp|Hutton|1999}} Beyond religious practice, invocation has also been explored in psychological frameworks; [[Carl Jung]]'s concept of active imagination involves engaging with archetypal figures from the [[Unconscious mind|unconscious]], a process that parallels the symbolic aspects of invocation.{{sfnp|Jung|1964}}