Editing Invocation (section)

==In mysticism and esotericism==
In [[mysticism]] and [[Western esotericism]], invocation serves as a means of aligning with higher spiritual forces or accessing hidden knowledge. In [[Hermeticism]] and [[theurgy]], practitioners invoke divine intelligences or cosmic principles to facilitate spiritual ascent or transformation. The [[Hermetica|Hermetic corpus]] describes rituals in which the practitioner invokes celestial powers to achieve [[gnosis]] (spiritual enlightenment) and union with the divine.{{sfnp|Fowden|1993}} In [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] traditions, practitioners may invoke the names of God or angelic beings through meditative and ritual practices to attain spiritual insights or achieve mystical states.

In [[ceremonial magic]] and [[grimoire]] traditions, invocation is often used to summon deities, angels, or spirits for specific purposes. Texts like the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'' and ''[[The Lesser Key of Solomon]]'' outline complex rituals for invoking spiritual entities, often accompanied by protective symbols, incantations, and ritual tools. These practices aim to establish control over the invoked entities to gain knowledge, power, or other desired outcomes.{{sfnp|Skinner|2015}} [[Aleister Crowley]] distinguished invocation from [[evocation]], stating:{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p=147}}

{{blockquote|
To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". This is the essential difference between the two branches of Magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods the consciousness. In evocation, the magician, having become the macrocosm, creates a microcosm.
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