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So much for the uses to which invocation may be put: let us now consider the three main types of
invocation, the devotional, the ceremonial, and the dramatic method.
The Devotional Method is the Western equivalent of Shakti Yoga. It relies upon the magician
immersing himself in everything connected with the god. He should set up a shrine equipped with an
image of the god, the appropriate flowers, herbs, sacraments, and planetary talisman (if this is
appropriate to the god). The magician then devises an invocation of his own construction together
with an order of ceremony and fixes daily times for his devotions which should be performed at least
three times a day.
These should extend over a reasonable length of time, not less than a month, during which the
magician lives under the rule of his chosen god; he may find that his ordinary life is impinged on by
the god in proportion directly to the strength of his invocations. If he were invoking Hermes there
might be a noticeable difference in his ability to catch trains on time, his sense of humour, ability to
write clearly, general health, and so on, as Hermes' field of action includes transport, communication,
health, theft, and so on.
This can be quite an alarming phenomena (especially if things are not going well) as the number of
difficulties or advantages gained in those fields of action associated with the god extends well beyond
mere chance or coincidence.
To supplement the ritualistic side of the devotion the magician should take advantage of as many of
his external circumstances as possible to reinforce his devotions. Thus he should use every meal he
takes as an opportunity to imbibe the qualities of his god which can be centred in the food by an
appropriate benediction.
His reading should also be directed towards myths associated with his chosen god, his surroundings
should be coloured if possible appropriately. The methods of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Loyola should be practised but in using them choose the stories from the life of the god being invoked
to provide the matter of your meditation every night. Finally the magician should feel towards his god
a love which he has felt towards no other creature ever before.
This practice has almost a 'written in' guarantee that if performed with persistence of no less a period
than a month that there will be no dearth of results, but has the drawback of being drawn out and not
always predictable. (6)
The Dramatic Method
This is exemplified in the dramas of the ancient Greeks which involve the lives of the gods, so that for
example in Euripides' Bacchae the celebration of the god's life in verse and dance can be easily
adapted as a form of invocation of the god.
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