Introduction to Archangels
In the Celestial Hierarchy of Angelology, Archangels are the 8th rank, above Guardian Angels. Information about the Archangels spans through times and cultural histories, which can make it hard to give a description that covers the full spectrum of beliefs about them.
The individual Archangels will be explored further in another article series. For now, let’s dive into the history of Archangels, their role in the Celestial Hierarchy, and how we can work with them personally to feel their divine immanence and power.
Archangels in History
The first reference ever about the Archangels is in the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch is a Hebrew apocalyptic text. Apocalyptic literature is known for describing the wickedness of humankind and the inevitable end that will bring humanity’s demise, except for the people who follow a path of righteousness.
The Book of Enoch indeed characterized this by explaining the origin of demons, how certain angels fell from Heaven, and the great flood that wiped out humankind so it could start over again.
In The Book of Enoch and Revelations of Daniel, Archangels are a fearsome force to be reckoned with – and not as filled with love and morality as one might suppose. In one story, Raphael bound the hands of the demon Azazel, tossed him into a pit in the desert, and covered him in rocks until it is time to burn him to death.
The Christian View of Angels
For the most part, the Christian faith has disregarded the Book of Enoch, and the majority of information in the Christian faith comes from medieval theologians that interpreted the New Testament to create the Celestial Hierarchy. Technically, the only Archangel named in the Bible is Archangel Michael.
However, Archangel Gabriel and Raphael are both officially sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church. According to Helena P. Blavatsky, the Roman Catholic Church tried to erase the name of the other four Archangels because they were dangerously magical, and the papacy wanted to keep the rituals to evoke them a secret.
From the 8th to the 15th century, the Catholic Church went back and forth in permitting the worship of the Archangels. Finally, it was decided the Archangels would be worshiped as the “seven principal planets,” or the inner planets of the solar system.
The correspondence between Archangels and the planets remains to this day. Most of Christian theology also neglects the feminine counterpart to the Archangels, discrediting the spiritual role of the female Archangels.
The seven Archangels of the Catholic religion are just one belief system, though. The Jewish Kabbalah describes ten Archangels, who are each assigned to a point on the Tree of Life, and in New Age Christianity, it is thought twelve Archangels correspond to the twelve zodiac signs. While the number of Archangels differs based on tradition, the roles and functions remain the same.
Roles and Function of Archangels
Archangels fall into the same messenger sphere as Principalities and Guardian Angels, whose main task is to be messengers of God. This sphere is the one most connected to the human realm, and these angels carry messages from Heaven to Earth. The duty of the messengers is to bridge communication between God and humanity.
Archangels are not assigned to one person, unlike Guardian Angels, who specifically provide messages from God to one person in order to help them fulfill their life purpose, find joy, and be comforted. Even though Archangels are not assigned to an individual, you can still create relationships with the Archangels, who are responsive to all prayers, especially ones that fall in their particular domain of influence.
Archangels are intimidating, which is essential because another task they have is to fight forces of darkness, such as demons. It is their duty to balance the light and dark on Earth. They protect and serve to ensure God’s divine power is known.
Archangel Michael is consistently battling Satan, who once was the Archangel Lucifer, until he decided to rebel against God and pursue his own will. It is for this reason, Archangels are usually depicted carrying swords and wearing helmets.
Protectors and Defenders
Archangel Jophiel, who protects the Tree of Knowledge, was the one who kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. It becomes clear through stories of Archangels that they are not doting, loving, angels of peace, and harmony. They fight, kill, and defend as needed to safeguard God’s light on Earth.
The last role of the Archangels is to oversee groups of angels on specific missions. The prefix “arch” means chief in Greek, indicating Archangels are the leaders in charge of the angels below. Archangels have immense healing abilities and spiritual power. Each Archangel has a different personality and oversees their specific area of expertise. They protect and serve all of humanity through these divine gifts.
For instance, Raphael is known for his healing of the sick. He sends his energy to those who ask and then directs groups of angels to ensure that continual support is provided for the person’s prayers. It is almost as though Archangels are the managers of the angels, directing groups of angels in how to fulfill missions and tasks of God.
Working with Archangels
While the Archangels are not consistently watching you as your Guardian Angel does, they are still readily accessible. However, one might think twice about calling on them for simple tasks or situations in daily life.
It is best to pray to Archangels in situations that require supreme healing or protection. It is good to familiarize oneself with the energy of each Archangel. Know who to call upon will help convey your request to the right area of expertise.
Another way to show devotion towards the Archangels and learn their specific energies is to pray, meditate, and contemplate the Archangel corresponding to the day of the week. Once again, different belief systems will correspond Archangels to different days of the week. Find a routine that works best for you and practice over the course of a month to see if you can begin to feel the Archangel of the day’s energy in your life.
If you are inclined to work with an Archangel, in particular, you may consider ordering or making your own Archangel Sigil. The Archangel Sigils come from a 17th-century book called The Grimoire of Armadel. This text had sigils, or symbols with magical powers, and invocations that could be used to call forth the power of the Archangels. You could also use a candle to invoke the power of a specific Archangel.
Conclusion
A final way to work with the Archangels is through chakra meditation. Each Archangel has a particular ray of light frequency that corresponds to a chakra, or energy systems of the body. Meditating on the chakras, while focusing on opening up the energy of the Archangel can be very useful in helping one to increase their vitality and spiritual connection. You can read more about this here. (hyperlink to another article?!)
(Side note: Working with Archangels really does work! I once had strange happenings continually occurring at a house where I lived. The strangeness included bath and sinks running water on its own, closet doors swinging open, objects falling off shelves with no draft.
There was malefic energy that I felt the moment I walked into the house, which was always cold no matter how warm it was outside. I consulted a medium that confirmed there was a spirit, and I needed to call on Archangel Michael. I was instructed to buy a candle and say a Biblical verse for three nights. Luckily, after the final night, I never felt the presence again, and all the odd mishaps stopped happening.)
