Hello everyone. Perhaps the most fascinating part of evocation and invocation is- in my opinion -not the results of the ritual, but the experiences during the ritual. Most specifically, the practitioner’s experiences with the summoned entities. I am very much of the opinion that experience varies from person-to-person, as these entities are sentient beings, it’s not going to be like running a computer program where you get the same results and the same conversations every time you run the program.
I figured that it would be a good idea to create a thread in which to discuss our experiences and personal relationships with different entities- many of whom the average person would dismiss as entirely mythical. Now, my personal practice is probably more than a little eclectic. The base is rooted in Kabbalah, but I hardly stay there- bouncing around to the Nordic, Greco-Roman, and Celtic pantheons among others. Instead of a more typical summoning, my practice involves astral travel out to the spheres, planes, or realms where the entities reside. In my experience, they find it polite- me coming to them instead of the other way around. And depending on the entity, it places me under the protection and benefits of xenia- the complex, ritualized guest-host relationship. Of course, yes, it’s a Greek word- but I can’t find another one which so eloquently sums up the concept.
I’m not sure about what the rest of you call it, but in my experience each practitioner has several patrons. I’d like to think I have a pretty good relationship with mine, but I know some people don’t have them, or don’t work with them at all. In any case, I’ve been all over the place, and met a wide range of entities. So, I was wondering what some people’s experiences have been, and that is generally the purpose of this thread; a place in which to share experiences.
My First Evocation
Believe it or not, I actually didn’t intend to perform an evocation the first time one happened for me. I was doing a ritual for someone else- helping them travel astrally, essentially doing just a generic example of pathworking along the Tree of Life. As soon as we’d made it to Yesode, there was a sudden, inexplicable change in her posture and her energy body, and when she opened her eyes and started talking to me, she was not the person I’d gone into the ritual with. Next thing you know, I was getting sassed by Artemis- Greek Goddess of the Hunt. This being the first time I’d actually met a deity, or an entity of any kind, I alternated between being argumentative- wanting her out of my friend’s head -and absolutely petrified- knowing what she did to disrespectful mortals, and men in particular, in her mythology. She decided to use this to her advantage, feigning displeasure just to watch me squirm in terror and grovel. This wasn’t directly hostile, as she was doing it for her own amusement, but it certainly wasn’t benevolent.
When we’ve met on better terms, and at later dates, I’ve had to ask questions, she never answered directly- or even answered at all. She would just add snide, cryptic remarks that she would wait for me to tease out; wanting me to make it worth her while to deal with me. If I had to sum her up in a few words; she is capricious, fiercely independent, dislikes mortals and our world, and demands respect, awe, and reverence. Otherwise she gets a little… cranky. While I’ve met other deities who find it very refreshing to meet someone who wants to know them as a person, Artemis still prefers divinity above all. She remains a fierce, dominating, presence- completely assured in her power and divinity and is not to be trifled with; not by men or women.
When I’ve met her, Artemis has always looked the same way. A long platinum blonde braid that extends down to the small of her back, pale eyes; not quite blue, not quite silver, somewhere in between, like the moon when it’s particularly bright and luminous. White knee-length tunic, plain leather belt, sturdy well-worn sandals, and she’s lean, tough looking, with wiry musculature; but still very clearly feminine. It’s almost unfair just how attractive she is, considering her attitude towards being noticed in such a way.
Since then, I’ve had better experiences with her pantheon. Iris, Storm-Footed, daughter of Zeus, has appointed herself my personal guide, and she’s been absolutely wonderful. Hades, god of the Underworld, is another of my patrons- admittedly a fairly inactive one -but he’s been friendly enough when I’ve met him. My last ‘contact’, so to speak, among the Greco-Roman pantheon is Athena. She has been an extraordinary mentor, going out of her way to give me information, training me in different styles of magic, and gifting me with a gift that has since then become an extension of my energy body.