invocatio

Invocatio is a Latin noun meaning the act of invoking or calling upon someone or something for aid, inspiration, or recognition. It derives from invocare, meaning to call upon, summon, or appeal to. In early and classical Latin usage, invocatio functions as a formal appeal to a higher power, muse, or authority, often at the outset of a work or speech.

In classical rhetoric and poetry, the invocatio serves as the opening gesture of a composition, where the author or speaker seeks divine favor, guidance, or poetic inspiration. It can lay claim to authority or situate the work within a sacred or elevated frame.

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, invocatio continued to be used in religious and devotional contexts. Sermons, prayers, and literary texts frequently begin with an invocation to God, the Virgin, saints, or other sacred figures, thereby establishing a connection between the human speaker and the divine or transcendent sources referenced.

In modern usage, invocatio appears in scholarly descriptions of Latin rhetoric and liturgy. It is also encountered in religious, ceremonial, and esoteric traditions where the term denotes a ritual calling forth of a deity, spirit, or power. In some traditions, invocatio is synonymous with invocation, though in others the terms may be distinguished by context or method.

See also: invocation, invocatio in liturgical Latin, invocation in rhetoric, muse invocation.