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“Tis the witching hour of night,

Orbed is the moon and bright,

And the stars they glisten, glisten,

Seeming with bright eyes to listen

For what they listen?”

John Keats

It has been over one month since I have sat down to write a blog, usually by this point I would be going mad because of the built up creative energy, this time was a bit different; a lot can change in a month.

The death of my Grandmother has hit me pretty hard, and I am dealing with the waves of emotions that come with grief. I have also developed Carpal Tunnel in my left wrist due to the excessive amount of writing, and strain from the intricate beading and jewelry that I have been doing. Ah, the Universe sure does have a sense of humor.

Find a hobby, they said, it will be good for you, they said. This is further proof that I am the epitome of Murphy’s Law, and that if something will happen, it will happen to me. No victimizing myself, just speaking truth. I have learned to dance in the rain, and most importantly I have learned that the show, eventually, must go on.

So, here we are.

This particular blog post was supposed to be written in conjuction with my last piece about the unethical practice of Spirit Binding. It has been on my mind for over 4 weeks, and I have been debating with myself if I want to open this can of worms, or leave it shut. I even consulted with my Sister to get a muggle’s perspective; I refer to non-Witches as muggles from a place of endearment.

Needless to say, even with her lack of understanding of what exactly I was asking her, her response was, “well someone has to talk about it, right?”

I am going to discuss Evocation Magick.

When I started to learn of the existence of people selling Bound Vessels I posted a little rant on my personal Fb page and one of my very own friends said she owned a Bound Vessel. It was only through a discussion with her, and another Witch friend on the thread that I learned they both had their reservations about the topic; one not knowing where to begin, and the other not wanting the responsibility of teaching such Practical techniques.

I am not suggesting that my techniques given here are guarantees, or even the best way to go about Evoking a Spirit, or your own personal power; I am only giving my opinion based on my experience. I think it is important for my personal journey that I continue to push the boundaries of what is accepted and what is taboo to talk about within our community.

I could make a total ass of myself, but at least I started the discussion.

Here’s the deal before we get started, I am writing this under the impression that you know how to cast a Circle of Protection, I am also under the impression that Evocation is not the first form of Magick you are trying.

Circles of Protection can be formal, or something as simple as a word or gesture, it is completely up to the Witch to decide what is most effective for her or his self. I believe we should have multiple methods or ways to cast a Circle because some occasions call for formalities whereas others do not allow for such intricacies. Ie. You are under attack and physical harm is eminent.

Personally, I use the Latin command “Ignis Draconis, Redimio” to protect myself during ritual or I will call upon Spirits to watch the corners; the latter obviously being something that took practice, and lots of trial and error. I believe that how we protect ourselves should be just as personal as our Magick itself.

Before venturing into Evocation you should be proficient in casting a circle, if you aren’t you will quickly learn where the gaps in your shielding are.

I think when Evocation Magick is brought up there is first and foremost confusion on what it is exactly, and then there is fear, which comes from the confusion. Evocation Magick is the act of bringing forth Spirits, Daemons, Entities, Gods, etc. or an aspect of yourself.

This can be for the sole purpose of communicating with them, or asking their assistance in your personal practice or casting.

Another reason people are scared of Evocation Magick is because they psych themselves out into thinking it is way harder than it actually is.

Drop the fear, there is no place for it when dealing with Spirits and there is no place for it on the Magickal path because it will be used against you. Magick itself is scary, that is half the reason why most of us are drawn to the Craft to begin with.

In most cases the only items you need to Evoke a Spirit or bring forth your own Power are a Sigil or other item personal to the Spirit you wish you work with and your intentions.

Yes, it really is that simple.

If it is an aspect of yourself that you wish to call upon, say you want to bring forth your Shadow, you could use blood, semen or vaginal secretions. Obviously I would not suggest using bodily fluids when working with Spirits until you are well seasoned and have established a relationship with the Spirit(s).

My preference is to use Sigils. I have had two boards made for me; one for healing, one for charging. I have learned the charging board is good for Evocation, this board has 2 Lucifer Sigils and 2 Lilith Sigils etched into it.

By meditating over the board and using it as a conduit I am able to communicate with ease. I add in my preferred form of divination, and it pretty much is as simple as that. You can use Tarot cards, pendulum, tea leaves, water, fire, automatic writing or any other form of scrying. I suggest learning more than one method.

I have 2 mirrors that I use for Evocation as well: one a regular mirror, and one a black mirror. The regular mirror is used when calling upon what I refer to as “higher vibrational beings” such as Archangels, certain Gods and/or Goddesses. The black mirror is used for human Spirits (both unknown and Ancestral) and “lower vibrational beings” such as Daemons, or Trickster God Archetypes; Gods, and Goddesses of Sex, and Death, too.

You can use Doves Blood Ink, Dragons Blood Ink, Bats Blood Ink, actual blood, or chalk (on the black mirror) to write the Sigil of your choosing, or creation.

After drawing the Sigils on the mirror or board you encircle it with 4 candles; 1 black at the top (North), and 3 white surrounding it. You can switch up the candle color to make it more Spirit specific: Black and Red for Papa Legba or Lilith, and Blue for Lucifer are just a few examples. Your Spirits will let you know if they have a preference.

You also should have a place for an offering of some sort. This is where I get into arguments with my fellow Left Hand Pathers because they confuse offering with worship. Just because I am offering something as a thank you does mean that suddenly I worship whatever Deity or Spirit I am working with.

In fact, there have been many occasions where I have worked with a Spirit only one time and even a few occasions where I didn’t get along with the Spirit I called upon. Respect and offerings were still given though.

So, you have your circle of protection, you have your medium (mirror or board) and you have your Spirit of choice.

Now, it is time for your incantation. This is a chant, or Spell that is spoken to bring forth the Spirit, it can be in your native tongue, or in Latin, Hebrew or if you’re feeling frisky Sumerian ; goes back to personal preference.

The incantation is where you set your intentions for why you are calling forth the Spirits, what you are offering them, and what exactly you would like them to do. The more detailed and personal the wording, the better the result.

Then, you wait—sometimes you are waiting much longer than others so make sure you have your Scrying method ready to go. The Spirits will let you know when they are present usually by knocking, producing strange smells or temperature changes. Once you know you are in the presence of Spirit you light an incense, and begin your session. This is the part where anything goes and it is you and the Spirit(s). You can read all the books in the world but nothing will prepare you for the first (deliberate) contact with the other side.

When the communication has ended, and you wish to part ways with the Spirit you simply release them by saying, “Honored Guests of my Temple the window to our communion is now closing, go forth onto your habitations and abodes in peace. Forever acting as friends and helpers. My words are firm so it shall be, this is my will, so mote it be.” I have loosely based this portion off of Jason Miller’s book Protection and Reversal Magick. I highly recommend it, link at the bottom.

You close your circle, and cleanse your space. I personally always set intentions of gratitude at this point as well because these Spirits didn’t have to work with me but they chose to.

Evocation Magick is an essential part of the Craft and it is essential for personal growth as a Witch to know how to work with Spirits without fear.

It is only when we release the fear that we can unlock the full potential of Magick that is hidden deep within ourselves.

Resources:

Jason Miller: Protection and Reversal Magick