The following information was derived initially from a discussion on alt.magick where several people contributed pieces, in particular, (in no order) Le Grand Cinq-Mars, Amanda Walker, Leigh Daniels, Patric Shane Linden, B.A. Davis-Howe, Mark Garrison, Baird Stafford, and myself. Apologies if you said something and I missed it.
Angels are found in the Judaic, Christian, Islamic and Zoroastrian traditions. The word "angel" is derived from the Christian Latin "angelos", itself derived from the Greek "aggelos", which is a translation of the Hebrew word "mal'akh", a messenger.
Angels are typically found in groupings of four, seven and twelve, reflecting their role in mediating the divine influence via the planets and the stars. For example, in Zorastrianism there was a belief in the Amesha Spentas, seven holy or bounteous immortals who were functional aspects of Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord. In Islam four angels are well known: Jibril (Gabriel), the angel of revelation; Mikal (Michael), the angel of nature; Izrail (Azrael), the angel of death, and Israfil, the angel who places the soul in the body and sounds the last judgement.
The sources for the angels used in Kabbalah and ceremonial magic are primarily Jewish. The canonical Old Testament books mention only Michael and Gabriel, but apocryphal and Talmudic literature provide richer sources, and there is a suspicion that this was a result of contact with Zoroastrianism during the period of the Babylonian Exile (6th-5th centuries BC). The four best-known angels are
- Michael
- According to one source his name is his war-cry: "Who is like God?". Michael is at war with the great dragon or serpent, often identified with Samael in Jewish sources. Michael's original position in the celestial hierarchy has been progressively eroded by angels such as Metatron. In medieval Kabbalah he is attributed to Chesed, but in modern Kabbalah he is attributed to Tipheret, and sometimes to Hod.
- Uriel/Auriel
- Uriel means "Fire of God", from the word "oor" meaning "fire" and Auriel means "Light of God", from the word "or" meaning "light". Both names tend to be used synonymously, and the association with light is common in Kabbalah. In medieval Kabbalah Uriel is attributed to Truth and the middle pillar of the Tree, in Tipheret. The association with light is significant because of the importance of light in practical Kabbalah, where several different kinds are distinguished, including: nogah (glow), tov (good), bahir (brilliant), zohar (radiant), kavod (glory), chaim (life), and muvhak (scintillating). In Christian times Uriel may have been identified with Lucifer ("light-bearer") and Satan, an odd identification as the diabolic angel according to Jewish tradition is Samael.
- Raphael
- Raphael means "Healing of God". Raphael is sometimes attributed to Hod and sometimes to Tipheret.
- Gabriel
- Gabriel means "Strength of God" and in medieval Kabbalah was attributed to Gevurah (the words share a common root). In modern Kabbalah Gabriel can be found further down the Tree in Yesod, using his strength to hold up the foundations.
The four archangels can be found in a variety of protective incantations where they guard the four quarters, an almost universal symbolism which can be found in guises as diverse as nursery rhymes ("Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, bless this bed that I lie on") to ancient Egyptian protective deities. A well-known incantation can be found in the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (see below).
The angel Samael is also important in Kabbalah. Scholem shows (in "The Origins of the Kabbalah") that in early medieval Kabbalah, Samael retained some of the characteristics of the Gnostic demiurge Ialdebaoth (the blind god), and derives the name from "sami", meaning "blind". He is attributed consistently to the planet Mars and the sephira Gevurah, and is the source of all the nastiness in the world. He appears in various guises as the Dark Angel and the Angel of Death. The suffix -el betrays his divine origin, and Kabbalists have been divided between placing him at the head of a demonic hierarchy (alongside his wife Lilith), and viewing him as an unpleasant but necessary component of creation. Samael is identified with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, a tempter and a poisoner of life.
The archangel Metatron does not appear in many lists of archangels, but has an important role in Kabbalah as the archangel of the Countenance. Legend has it that Metatron is none other than the Old Testament sage Enoch, lifted up to Heaven by God. Scholem comments that "...there is hardly a duty in the heavenly realm and within the dominion of one angel among the other angels that is not associated with Metatron". Metatron is usually associated with Kether.
There are many lists of seven archangels. Almost all of them differ from each other. Mark O. Garrison ([email protected]) kindly provided the following information which clarifies the difficulty:
--Mark's material begins here--
The problem lies in from whence the author goes to research the names of the 7 Archangels. The earliest sources giving the names of all Seven Archangels is ENOCH I (Ethiopic Enoch) which lists the names as following:
Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Zerachiel, Gabriel, and Remiel
The next two sources which originate within a few decades of each other list quite different names of the Seven Archangels. In ENOCH 3 (Hebrew Enoch) the Archangels are listed as:
Mikael, Gabriel, Shatqiel, Baradiel, Shachaqiel, Baraqiel, Sidriel
While the TESTAMENT OF SOLOMON mentions:
Mikael, Gabriel, Uriel, Sabrael, Arael, Iaoth, Adonaei
The Xtian Gnostics changed things a bit further, but they still mention Uriel (though, in some cases they called him Phanuel). The compleat listing of the Archangels according to their tradition is:
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Barachiel, Sealtiel, Jehudiel Pope
Gregory the Great wrote the Archangels as being these 7:
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Simiel, Orifiel, Zachariel
Likewise, the Pseudo-Dionysians used a similar grouping, mentioning Uriel also. They list the following as the Seven Archangels:
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel, Zadkiel
It was not until much later times, around the 10th century C.E. when the name Uriel was replaced by other names in these much latter sources. In Geonic Lore, Uriel is replaced by Samael (The Angel of Light, or THE Lightbearer, from whence the ideology of Lucifer had originated from also). In Geonic Lore the seven are noted as being:
Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Aniel, Kafziel, Samael, and Zadkiel
Around the 12th to 15th centuries C.E. the name of Haniel came to replace the name of Uriel. However, the two being quite different in their Natures. The name Haniel is common to the Talismanic Magical Tradition and other forms of Medieval Ceremonialism. These Medieval Traditions mention the seven as being:
Zaphkiel, Zadkiel, Camael, Raphael, Haniel, Michael, Gabriel
Also, a late sourcebook titled THE HIERARCHY OF THE BLESSED ANGELS mentions a different list of the seven archangels. They list them as following:
Raphael, Gabriel, Chamuel, Michael, Adabiel, Haniel, Zaphiel
It need be remembered, that the Judaeo/Xtian tradition originates from several religions and traditions, each having its own legends and thusly, its own hierarchies and namings of the angels. In Islam, there are only four archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Azrael (the Angel of Death, often interchanged with Uriel since the 15th century in some European traditions) for instance. One can easily determine the sources and origins of an book on Qabala or Ceremonial Magick by what angels they use, obviously.
I personally have drawn up a TREE OF LIFE for each of these traditions, based upon much research, for reference purposes. Note though, the differences do not stop with just the names of the Seven Archangels. These sources also do not agree on the Orders of the Celestial Hierarchy, The Ruling Princes, The Throne Angels, and the Names of God, just to name a few! Are you starting to get the idea yet, or are you more confused! [GRIN] :) :)
--Mark's material ends here--
Baird Stafford ([email protected]) provides the following list of references to archangels for those who would like to read the original source material:
--Baird's material begins here--
And here is an expanded list of references to the Archangels, including those cited by Br'anArthur. I've included verses from the Pseudepigrapha (which are the apocryphal books of the Bible not included by the Roman church in its version of the Apocrypha, although I understand that some of them are included in the Orthodox Bible). Uriel had a number of stand-ins who appear to have been other angels who took over his duties for a while: their names are Sariel, Strahel, and Suriel. I've not included their references. And, just for the fun of it, I've also included some references from the writings of the early Christian gnostics. In all cases, the verses I've cited are only those in which the Archangelic Name actually appears; in some cases, subsequent verses refer to the original listing without naming Names.
Raphael:
- 3 Baruch, 4:7 1
- Enoch 10:4; 20:3; 32:6; 40:9; 54:6; 68:2-4; 71:8-9,13
- Apocalypse of Ezra 1:4; 6:2
- Apocalypse of Adam and Eve 40:2
- Sibylline Oracles 2:215
- Testament of Solomon 5:9 (24 in F.C. Conybeare's translation); 13:6 (59 in Conybeare); 18:8 (75 in Conybeare)
- Tobit 3:16; 5:4; 7:8; 8:2; 9:1; 9:5; 11:7; 12:15
Michael:
- Daniel 10:13; 10:21; 12:1
- Jude 9
- Revelations 12:7 3
- Baruch 4:7; 11:2,4,6,8; 12:4,6-7; 13:2-3,5; 14:1-2; 15:1,3; 16:1,3 4
- Baruch 9:5 1
- Enoch 9:1; 10:11; 20:5; 24:6; 40:9; 54:6; 60:4-5; 68:2-4; 69:14-15; 71:3,8-9,13 2
- Enoch 22:1,6,8-9; 33:10; 71:28 (Recension J); 72:1,3,8-9 (Recension J) 3 Enoch 17:3; 44:10
- Apocalypse of Ezra 1:3; 2:1; 4:7,24; 6:2
- Life of Adam and Eve 13:3; 14:1-3; 15:2; 21:2; 22:2; 25:2; 29:1-3; 43:3; 45:1; 51:2
- Apocalypse of Adam and Eve 3:2; 22:1; 37:4,6; 40:1-2; 43:1-2
- Sibylline Oracles 2:215
- Testament of Solomon 1:6 (5 in Conybeare); 18:5 (73 in Conybeare)
- Apocalypse of Abraham 10:17
- Apocalypse of Sedrach 14:1
- Martyrdom and Ascension of Isiah 3:16
- Testament of Abraham 1:4,6; 2:2-14:7
- Testament of Isaac 2:1
- Testament of Jacob 1:6; 5:13
- Vision of Ezra verse 56
- Gnostic Texts (Nag Hammadi Scrolls)
- Apocryphon of John 17:30
Gabriel:
- Daniel 8:16; 9:21
- Luke 1:19; 1:26 3
- Baruch 4:7 1
- Enoch 9:1; 10:9; 20:7; 40:9; 54:6; 71:8-9,13 2
- Enoch 21:3,5; 24:1; 71:11 (28 Recension A); 72:1,3,8-9 (Recension A) 3 Enoch 14:4 (referred to as Angel of Fire); 17:3
- Apocalypse of Ezra 2:1; 4:7; 6:2
- Apocalypse of Adam and Eve 40:2
- Sibylline Oracles 2:215; 8:455
- Testament of Solomon 18:6 (74 in Conybeare)
- Vision of Ezra verse 56
- Apocalypse of Elijah 5:5
- Testament of Jacob 5:13
- Questions of Ezra (Recension B) verse 11
- Gnostic Texts (Nag Hammadi Scrolls)
- Gospel of the Egyptians 52:23; 53:6; 57:7; 64:26
- Zostrianos 57:9; 58:22
Uriel:
- 3 Baruch 4:7 (Phanuel in ms Family B)
- Testament of Solomon 2:4 1
- Enoch 19:1; 21:5; 27:2; 33:3; 40:9 (as Phanuel); 54:6 (as Phanuel); 71:8-9,13 (as Phanuel); 72:1; 80:1; 82:7 (text tells what Uriel's in charge of)
- 4 Ezra 4:1
- Apocalypse of Ezra 6:2
- Apocalypse of Adam and Eve 40:2
- Life of Adam and Eve 48:1,3
- Prayer of Joseph verses 4, 7
- Sibylline Oracles 2:215,225
- Apocalypse of Elijah 5:5
- Testament of Solomon 2:4 (as Ouriel) (10 in Conybeare); 7 (as Ouriel) (11 in Conybeare); 8:9 (as Ouriel) (40 in Conybeare); 18:7 (as Ouriel) (75 in Conybeare); 27 (as Ouriel) (93 in Conybeare)
- Esdras 4:1; 5:21; 10:28
- Gnostic Texts (Nag Hammadi Scrolls)
- Apocryphon of John 17:30 (as Ouriel)
Two further notes: the early fathers of the Roman church appear to have rewritten the Sibyline Oracles to conform to their vision of what a proper prophesy for Rome ought to have been. Also, The Apocalypse of Adam and Eve is also known as The Apocalypse of Moses.
--Baird's material ends here--
Lastly, Leigh Daniels ([email protected]) writes:
A great book is Gustav Davidson's "A Dictionary of Angels" (including the fallen angels) published by Free Press, 1967. It is available in paper for US$17.95 and in my opinion worth every penny. It includes a 24-page bibliography of sources used in compiling it.
[Colin comments: it is a useful book, but the author was uncritical in choosing his sources of information]
First 