Invocation, evocation, and provocation share the suffix voke, which means "to call."
Evoke - to call out, call forth, elicit, awaken, call forth, excite, bring to conscious mind, bring into being, brainstorm, bring about, generate, give rise to, originate, sow the seeds, dream up, make, produce
Provoke - stir up, arouse, incite, cause, make waves, stimulate, start, fire up, enthuse, lead to, motivate, instigate, pique, thrill, promote, challenge, kindle, electrify, bring on, induce, inspire
Invoke - to call upon, appeal to, conjure, call from within, call on inspiration/something larger, entreat, implore, summon, pray, solicit, urge, implement, bring forward, appeal to, quest for.
(Definitions are compiled from several online dictionaries and thesaurus's)
While the distinctions are subtle and not clear cut, I see each as an essential part of cultivating your unique calling - the place where your creativity and aliveness meet the needs of the world:
Nicely put. :-)
Also convocation: to call together. (We don't seem to have the word 'convoke': perhaps we should? :-) )
In the classic magical tradition, 'to invoke' was to call a spirit within oneself, to experience it as [part of] oneself; whereas 'to evoke' was to call it outward sufficient for _others_ to experience it as well. This has strong links with the improv traditions as well: for example, see the section on Masks in Keith Johnstone's 'Impro'.
Posted by: Tom Graves | March 17, 2011 at 05:44 PM
Awesome insight, Tom! Yes to 'convocation'...and love the connection to Johnstone's Impro. I loved that book and had not put that together...thank you!
Posted by: Michelle | March 17, 2011 at 05:59 PM
I love this diagram Michelle, Can I repost this article to my blog?
http://timcatchim.blogspot.com/
I will ofcourse give citations and a link to your blog.
Posted by: Tim | June 16, 2011 at 10:04 AM
Tim, sure - Im honored! :-)
Posted by: Michelle | June 16, 2011 at 11:54 AM