When it comes to religious and spiritual practice, virtually all theistic religions utilize the invocation in one form or another. Prayers, mantras, hymns (both modern and ancient), Drawing Downs, gestures, and even certain spells, are all performed with the intent of calling the god, gods, spirits or force in question. They can be as short as two or three letters (Om/Aum or IAO) or one word (Maranatha), or as long as a short story (such as the Hurrian Hymns, the Orphic and Homeric Hymns, and the Sumerian Temple Hymns, as well as the modern Charge of the Goddess)

Generally, the purpose of an invocation is to enable and facilitate communion, or even union, with the spirit called, whether that takes the form of ecstatic, rapturous visions of Heaven, God and angels; blissful union with the All; or simply identification with some or all of a god or spirit’s power or influence (as in those who invoke Mars for courage, Tyr for impartiality, Guanyin for compassion, or Mary for virtue and wisdom).

Even non-Eurasian cultures and peoples have certain songs, gestures or statements that can be used for worship, learning, contemplation or other human-Other communications. The ancient Egyptians in particular were notable for their hymns and spells, and the spread and continued vitality of the Afro-Diasporic religions (even when tinged or washed with Christian imagery) has at least somewhat to do with their impressive calls and possessory invocations.

So, when making or encapsulating a new (or revitalized old) way of connecting with the numinous, such as Waincraft is attempting, one of the most important components is to build the stories, allusions, metaphors and symbolisms that are vital to successful human-Other communion. And one of the best ways to do this, besides myth-making/telling, are invocations, prayers and spells that call upon or otherwise utilize the spirits and powers that enliven the current being followed.

That is why, when writing Sea Sky Soil: An Introduction to Waincraft, I made the choice to transmit the section on the Powers (large, deity-level spirit/nature archetypes) as a combination of story, inspired communication, and invocation and spells, so as to represent the manifold presence of each one encountered. For those interested who don’t have a copy of their own, or who would prefer an online/digital version, I have included those invocations and spells/charms/prayers here on the website, under the Rites and Rituals section. Feel free to utilize these, adapt them to your own needs, or even construct your own, based on your own orthopsychy, cultural frameworks, and bioregions. If you do end up making your own, we would love to share them!