You should know who your Pagan deity is, what he or she represents, if there is a specific way in which to invoke this deity, what are his or her sacred candle colors, and so forth. The more you know about your deity’s qualities and abilities, the easier it will be to invoke him or her and the better your magick will be for it.
Many Witches feel most comfortable calling upon a pantheon which reflects their own ethnic or cultural roots. Some prefer working with their own patron goddess or god, and others simply invoke the Goddess and/or the Horned God.
It has been said that the Celtic deities are the most difficult of all the gods and goddesses to invoke. As a rule, they generally tend to be unreceptive to the prayers and invocations of most mortals. The reason for this is not fully understood. However, by comparison, the deities of the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse pantheons are said to be the least difficult to invoke and are usually ready and willing to answer a sincere prayer or assist a worthy human in his or her magickal endeavors.
When invoking any of the Higher Powers, it is imperative that you do so in a mature and serious manner, offering lots of praise and thanks. Do not bother the sacred Ancient Ones with trivial matters and/or selfish pursuits. Remember, the gods must always be treated with the utmost respect and approached with only love in your heart if you hope to benefit from their divine presence.
If you are patient, sincere, and faithful, they will guide and empower you. But you must first be willing to work toward your goals and not be afraid to take total responsibility for all of your actions—magickal and otherwise. If you are not, then all the invoking in the world will more than likely not get you anywhere or produce the slightest result. You might just as well be talking to yourself or to the wind.
Also, if you intend to invoke more than one deity in the same spell, it is generally a good rule of thumb not to mix gods and/or goddesses from different pantheons. This is not to say that it cannot be done with successful results, and I personally do not feel that any great harm would arise from it if you did, especially if the deities governed the same things and were magickally or religiously compatible with each other. However, many grimoires (magickal texts) advise against such practices.
With that all settled, we can now move on to the next matter, which is the rite of invocation itself. In case you are unfamiliar with methods of invoking, I have included a simple Wiccan ritual for you to perform when you are ready to call upon one of the Ancient Ones. It is as follows:
Rite of Invocation
Cast a clockwise circle and then summon the four ancient elemental spirits of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth—starting at the Eastern cardinal point of the magick circle for Air, turning to the South for Fire, turning to the West for Water, and finally to the North for Earth. (The Water and Earth elements correspond to the female principle, while the Air and Fire elements correspond to the male principle.)
Next, light a candle within the circle that is of a color appropriate to the Pagan goddess or god whom you intend to invoke. Traditionally, a white candle is used for any deity who is associated with spiritual truth and strength, as well as for purification. A green candle is used for deities associated with healing, luck, fertility, and prosperity; pink for deities associated with love; red for deities associated with sexuality, protection, physical strength, and health; orange for deities associated with both courage and legal matters; and blue for deities associated with peace and dreams (especially those of a prophetic nature). For invoking deities associated with divination and the psychic abilities, it is best to use candles of purple or dark blue. Silver is the traditional candle color for lunar goddesses, and gold is associated with solar deities.
(Black-colored candles should not be utilized for invoking, for they are sacred only to the gods and goddesses who govern the underworld, death, darkness, and sorcery.)
After the deity’s sacred candle has been lit, you may light some incense as a fragrant offering if you so desire. A combination of frankincense and myrrh works the best for most invocations; however, any incense which possesses the same magickal correspondence as your deity’s will also suffice. It does not matter whether the incense is granular or in the form of a cone or a stick. But whichever type of incense you choose, take care to burn it in a fireproof incense burner.
Relax and breathe slowly and deeply for several minutes while you meditate upon your deity. Form a mental image of the deity in your mind’s eye and chant his or her name either silently or just above a whisper. Concentrate only upon the deity and do not let your thoughts wander off. If you find it helpful, you may focus your eyes upon a figurine or illustration which depicts the deity as you meditate.
When you feel ready to do so, you may begin the spoken invocation. Assume the traditional Witch’s prayer position (arms outstretched with palms of hands turned upward) and say:
With the deepest love and respect
I invite into this circle
Of the four ancient elements
The illuminating radiance of (deity’s name).
O great ancient one
I call upon they presence
Mysterious and divine
To be with me now
In this space and time,
To witness, protect, and guide
This Witch’s rite of magick.
So mote it be.
If you feel like changing or adding anything to the invocation to suit your own individual needs, feel free to do so. I see nothing wrong with making alterations to any spell or ritual in order to “customize” it. In fact, I even encourage it, because the more of yourself you put into your magick, the more powerful your magick will be.
You may have to repeat the invocation several times before the presence of the deity is made known to you. Be patient and do not expect the deity to appear before you in a solid, three-dimensional, physical form or materialize in a dramatic manner such as with a great roar of thunder or in a dazzling flash of smoke and flames. Unfortunately, this type of magick only happens in the movies.
Actually, the Higher Forces more commonly manifest themselves in extremely subtle ways to those who invoke them. You are more likely to simply feel a strange warmth or tingling sensation, smell a pleasant aroma, or sense a strong loving and protective presence gently swirling around you after a successful invocation has been made, rather than witness an awesome supernatural being appear before your eyes like the fabled genie of the lamp.
If you do see anything, chances are good that it will be “seen” by your mind’s eye rather than by your physical organs of sight, and what you will clairvoyantly encounter can range from a simple glowing light to something of the utterly fantastic.
It would be impossible for me, or anybody else, to tell you exactly what you can expect to see, feel, hear, smell, or even taste, because each person’s connection with the Ancient Ones is a truly unique happening. It is rare for two or more individuals to share the same exact experience.
If, after several attempts at invoking, you still feel that you have been unsuccessful, do not become discouraged. Try again at a later time or perhaps consider invoking a different deity. Or just continue on with whatever ritual, spell, or prayer you intended to perform, for it is possible that the deity you called upon is already at your side even though you may be completely unaware of his or her presence. (In time, when you are ready, your psychic and spiritual sensitivity will expand and allow you to experience the things you are presently unable to. Like anything else, it merely requires practice and perseverance!)
After your spellwork has been completed, be sure to give proper thanks to your deity and then bid him or her farewell. Do the same with the four elementals, devoking them in the opposite manner in which they were invoked. And finally, uncast the magick circle in a counterclockwise fashion.
Pagan Goddesses and Gods
The following Pagan goddesses