What is the license to depart in evocation?

## Direct Answer The license to depart, often referred to as the *License to Depart* or *Congé*, is the concluding formal address in Western esoteric evocation by which the practitioner dismisses a spirit or intelligence after a successful interaction. This ritual act serves multiple critical functions: it explicitly releases the summoned entity from its binding or obligation to the operator, expresses gratitude for its presence and cooperation, and ritually closes the sacred space. Its proper execution ensures that no residual energetic attachments remain, thereby protecting the practitioner, the environment, and preventing undesirable lingering effects or inadvertent re-manifestations. ## Historical & Doctrinal Context The concept of formally dismissing a spirit after a ritual is deeply rooted in several historical magical traditions. Early examples can be found in the [Greek Magical Papyri](https://archive.org/details/PMIIPT1englich/page/n9/mode/2up) (PGM), where various spells often conclude with releases or blessings. The practice became highly formalized within medieval grimoires and later Renaissance ceremonial magic. For instance, the *Ars Goetia*, the first book of the *Lemegeton* (or Lesser Key of Solomon), provides explicit instructions for the "License to Depart" following the successful conjuration and binding of a spirit. This text, influential from the 17th century onwards, details the precise language and sequence of dismissal, emphasizing the spirit's peaceful and orderly return to its appropriate sphere after fulfilling the operator's request. The language often reflects a hierarchical relationship, wherein the practitioner, acting by divine authority, grants permission for the spirit to withdraw. Another foundational text, Henry Cornelius Agrippa's *Three Books of Occult Philosophy* (1531), while not prescribing a specific license to depart, elaborates on the principles of proper ritual closure, emphasizing the need to return all things to their natural order after a magical working. Agrippa details the importance of purification and consecration, which implicitly extends to the respectful dismissal of summoned entities to ensure balance is restored. ### Neoplatonic Context Within the Neoplatonic philosophical framework, particularly as articulated by [Iamblichus in *De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum*](https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/iamblichus-on-the-mysteries-of-the-egyptians-chaldeans-and-assyrians), the interactions with divine or daemonic entities are viewed as sacred dialogues. While Neoplatonic theurgy focuses more on *drawing down* divine influences rather than *commanding* spirits, the principle of proper termination of ritual space and respectful disengagement from higher powers is implicitly understood. Theurgical practices emphasize a mutual reverence between practitioner and divine, making an abrupt or unceremonious departure incongruous with the underlying philosophy. ## How It Works The license to depart functions on several levels: psychological, energetic, and spiritual. 1. **Psychological Closure:** For the practitioner, verbalizing the dismissal marks a clear ending to the ritual. This helps to reintegrate consciousness, shift focus away from the heightened state of ritual awareness, and prevent obsession or lingering preoccupation with the working. 2. **Energetic Disengagement:** Rituals, especially those involving summoning, create a distinct energetic field. The license to depart systematically disassembles this field, releasing the specific energetic pathways that were established between the practitioner, the ritual space, and the summoned entity. This prevents unwanted energetic residues from clinging to the practitioner or the environment. 3. **Spiritual Protocol:** From the perspective of the spirits, the license to depart is a sign of respect and adherence to protocol. It acknowledges their cooperation and formally releases them from any temporary bond or obligation, allowing them to return to their natural habitations without impediment. This respectful conclusion fosters a positive relationship for future interactions. ### Components of a License to Depart Typically, a license to depart includes: * **Acknowledgement & Gratitude:** Expressing thanks for the spirit's presence and compliance. * **Release:** Explicitly stating that the spirit is no longer bound or constrained by the ritual. * **Permission to Depart:** Granting leave for the spirit to return, often to its own sphere or place of origin. * **Blessing/Admonition:** Sometimes including a blessing for its peaceful return or an admonition to depart without causing harm or disturbance. * **Declaration of Closure:** Formal declaration that the ritual is concluded and the space sealed. ## Practical Application Implementing a license to depart is a non-negotiable step in any serious practice of [evocation](/answers/evocation-itself). After the spirit has manifested, communicated, and its purpose for summoning has been fulfilled, the license is recited. The tone should remain authoritative yet respectful, mirroring the earlier conjurations and charges. Examples from grimoires provide templates. For instance, the *Ars Goetia* offers the following: > "*Hence, By the Anointing & Election of God the most High, go now from hence, O N. into thy place of abode; and Be thou ready to be returned again when I shall call thee by the power of the most high, without any Prejudice or Injury of Body or Spirit to me or any other Creature of God by thee. And I charge thee, that thou never presume to molest me in any way, nor any person else that standeth at this present before me, nor any that shall accompany me, from this time forward:*" This example demonstrates the key elements: permission to depart, condition for future return, and a clear prohibition against causing harm. Many practitioners adapt or compose their own licenses that resonate with their personal theological framework, ensuring it covers the e