Evocation in Chaos Magick is the operational technique of externalizing a portion of consciousness to manifest it as a separate, seemingly autonomous entity. Where invocation involves merging the self with a force (“calling in”), evocation is the art of delegation (“calling out”). It is the creation of a distinct operative that exists outside the magician’s immediate consciousness to perform a specific function.
Main takeaways:
- Evocation is about creating an external agent, not internal transformation.
- The nature of the entity is defined by the magician’s chosen belief model for the operation.
- The technique is applicable to a spectrum of entities, from self-made constructs to traditional spirits.
- Success is measured by verifiable results, and safety is ensured through meticulous planning and protocol.
Philosophical Framework: The Nature of Evoked Entities
Chaos Magick’s primary directive is pragmatism. The practitioner is an epistemological anarchist, free to adopt whatever belief system facilitates the desired result. When performing an evocation, the question of whether the entity is “objectively real” is set aside in favor of a more useful question: “Which model of reality will make this operation successful?”
The magician can choose from several operational models, adopting one with total conviction for the duration of the working.
| Model | Core Idea | Application in Evocation |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological | The entity is a deliberately “budded off” complex from the personal unconscious, given form and function. | The magician externalizes their own capacity for finding lost objects into a “Finder” spirit that operates independently. |
| Spirit | The entity is a genuine, discrete consciousness that exists externally, which the magician summons and negotiates with. | The magician performs a Goetic evocation, treating the spirit (e.g., Buer) as a pre-existing intelligence to be called into a prepared space. |
| Energy | The entity is a symbol representing a specific, coherent pattern of energy. | The magus creates a “shield” entity by programming a specific energetic frequency and form to repel unwanted influences. |
| Information | The entity consists of information; it is a living program or subroutine. | The Technomancer designs an entity as a piece of psychic code, with specific functions and instructions, and “executes” it in the datasphere. |
| Neuroscience | The entity/force is merely a brain region, consciously stimulated by the adept. | The Neuromancer increases the activity of specific brain regions, causing them to hallucinate the summoned entity/force, and upon receiving a blessing, induces desired changes in somatic physiology and further brain pattern activation. |
| Meta-Model | The internal/external distinction is a false dichotomy; the symbol is a key that unlocks a pattern of reality. | The symbol of the entity is used to manifest a result, with its ultimate nature being functionally unimportant. |
A common and valid question arises here: How do I know this isn’t just my imagination? The Chaos Magick response is ruthlessly pragmatic: if the entity successfully completes its assigned task and produces a verifiable, objective result in the material world, the distinction is functionally irrelevant. A “Finder” spirit that locates your lost keys has proven its efficacy, regardless of its ontological status. Results are the only proof that matters.
The Evocation Toolkit: Intent, Medium, and Manifestation
A successfully performed evocation is a controlled and deliberate operation. While Chaotes eschew rigid dogma, a logical structure ensures clarity and effectiveness. It begins with defining the why. What is the precise task you need performed? Vague intentions lead to malfunctioning entities.
Practical use cases for evocation include:
- Information Retrieval: Tasking an entity to gather information on a specific topic or person.
- Probabilistic Influence: Creating an entity to subtly influence a situation in your favor, such as a negotiation or legal matter.
- Specialized Tasks: Generating an entity to find a lost object, protect a physical location, or inspire a specific creative project.
- Psychic Operations: Designing an entity to deliver a specific piece of information or emotional state to another person at a distance.
Once the intent is clear, the entity requires a medium in which to manifest. This provides a focal point for both the magician’s perception and the entity’s presence. Scrying is the most common method. So, what will an evoked entity actually look or sound like? The experience is highly subjective. It can range from a vague, shadowy form in a mirror, to a clear internal voice, to a set of symbolic images that appear in the mind’s eye. Full, objective physical manifestation is exceedingly rare and not the typical goal; a perceptible presence in the chosen medium is the standard for a successful operation.
Common mediums include:
- Black Mirrors: A piece of glass painted black or a polished surface of obsidian.
- Bowls of Water: Often with black ink added for depth.
- Smoke or Fire: Gazing into the patterns of incense smoke or a candle flame.
- Digital Noise: Using TV static, audio white noise, or visualizer software as a chaotic medium for the entity to form within.
The Spectrum of Evoked Entities
The techniques of evocation can be applied to a wide spectrum of beings. On one end of this spectrum, practitioners often create their own entities from scratch. These are commonly known as servitors: purpose-built thought-forms, or psychic robots, designed for a single, specific function. While the creation of servitors is a deep topic in its own right, it stands as a prime example of Chaos Magick evocation—building a tool to do a job.
On the other end of the spectrum lies the practice of working with pre-existing spirits. Can this methodology be applied to traditional systems, like Goetic evocation? Absolutely. From a Chaos Magick perspective, a traditional grimoire is not a holy text but a useful, practical, pre-existing system of symbols, spirits (as psychological or spiritual complexes), and hierarchies. The Chaote can “pirate” this paradigm, using the provided sigils and names as esoteric keys to access these energies. The difference is in the approach: the dogmatic prayers and religious frameworks are often discarded in favor of gnosis and direct tasking, respecting the system’s internal logic without being bound by its original theology.
Operational Protocols: Communication, Tasking, and Security
Once the entity is present in the medium, communication can occur. This can be verbal, telepathic, or through symbolic movement. The magician then formally charges the entity with its task, delivering the instructions with authority.
This leads to a critical question: What happens if an entity refuses a command or starts acting on its own? This indicates a flaw in its initial programming or a misunderstanding of its purpose. It is considered a rogue operation and must be dealt with immediately. This is where operational security comes in handy. Typical operational protocols include:
- Clear Parameters: The entity’s task, lifespan, and limitations must be defined before it is created.
- Termination Protocol: You create a “kill-switch” from the outset. This could be a specific word of power, the burning of its sigil, or a unique visualization that signals its dissolution.
- Banishing: At the end of interaction, and especially at the end of its life cycle, a formal banishing helps you cleanse the space and reinforce the boundary between your consciousness and the entity’s.
How do you destroy or “kill” an evoked entity? You perform its pre-planned dissolution rite. This is not an act of malice but of responsible recycling. You enter a state of focus, call the entity back by its name or sigil, formally declare its task complete, and visualize it dissolving as you re-absorb its constituent energy back into your own system. Destroying its physical basis, such as its sigil, often concludes the rite. This is a non-negotiable step for maintaining psychological hygiene and preventing the creation of parasitic thought-forms.
Additional Information for Advanced Practice
Beyond the foundational framework, evocation offers avenues for advanced practice that rely on refined skill and specific operational contexts.
Evocation Without Tools
With practice, physical mediums like mirrors or bowls become optional. The magician can learn to perform evocation through sheer concentration, using their own internal, visualized space as the medium of manifestation. This involves entering a meditative, gnostic state and building the “temple” and “triangle” entirely within the mind’s eye. The entity is then formed and perceived within this internal landscape. This is a sign of a highly developed visualization skill and the ability to enter a trance state at will, making the practice portable and immediate.
From Invocation to Evocation: Externalizing the Godform
A powerful and advanced technique involves bridging invocation and evocation. The magician first invokes a god-form to fully merge with and understand its consciousness. Then, instead of banishing and re-absorbing the energy, they perform an act of advanced evocation: projecting that potent consciousness outward from themselves, giving it a separate, externalized form. This effectively turns the god-form into an independent, tulpa-like spirit.
The Principle of Assumed Authority
The ability to command powerful entities, including gods, does not come from being “stronger” than them in an objective power contest. It stems from the magician’s ability to fundamentally shift their paradigm during the ritual. You assume the role of the ultimate authority within the operational reality you have created. The belief system becomes your operating system, and you have root access. The authority is not won; it is declared. This is a profound shift in perspective from “I am asking a spirit for a favor” to “I am the director of this reality, and this entity is a component within it, subject to my will.”
On Objective Manifestation
The pinnacle of evocation for many is objective, visible manifestation. Typically, an evoked entity is only perceptible to the magician via their scrying medium or internal senses. However, under certain conditions, a shared or objective manifestation can occur. The key variable is often the depth and type of gnosis employed. The use of potent gnostic catalysts, such as chemognosis (e.g., with dissociatives like DXM), can drastically alter group perception and lower the psychic barriers between participants. This can create a shared ritual space where multiple practitioners can perceive the same evoked form. Without such catalysts, an entity’s presence is more likely to be sensed by others as a sudden drop in temperature, a feeling of being watched, or an inexplicable emotional shift, etc.