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the archangelic world

Archangels

The ten archangels who dwell upon the Hermetic Tree. Their stories begin in different places—scripture, apocalypse, rabbinic lore and Renaissance magic—before later Qabalah gathers them into the spheres.

  1. 1 Metatron מטטרון Metatron towers over the Hekhalot literature as Enoch transformed: servant before the Divine Presence, heavenly scribe and guide through the palaces. Hermetic Qabalah later seats him at Kether, a correspondence with its own later history.
  2. 2 Ratziel רזיאל Raziel is the angel of secrets, keeper and giver of hidden knowledge in later Jewish angelology and practical Kabbalah. The medieval Sefer Raziel gathers lore beneath his name; Hermetic Qabalah later places him in Chokmah, the sphere of Wisdom.
  3. 3 Tzaphkiel Renaissance and later Hermetic tables place Tzaphkiel under Saturn. Since Saturn also belongs to Binah in this system, Tzaphkiel becomes the sphere's archangel on the Tree of Life.
  4. 4 Tzadkiel צדקיאל Agrippa joins Tzadkiel to Jupiter and to Hesed, or Chesed. Later Hermetic Qabalah keeps the bond, placing the archangel in the sphere of mercy, generosity and expansive power.
  5. 5 Khamael Khamael carries the force of Mars into Geburah in Agrippa and the Hermetic tables that follow him. The martial current becomes strength, discipline, judgment and the restraint that gives force a boundary.
  6. 6 Raphael רפאל Raphael heals and guides in Tobit and stands among the holy angels of 1 Enoch. Agrippa later gives him to the Sun, and Hermetic Qabalah carries that solar angel into Tiphareth.
  7. 7 Haniel חניאל Agrippa's first planetary list gives Haniel to Venus. In the later Hermetic Tree the archangel dwells in Netzach, where Venus moves through desire, feeling and creative attraction.
  8. 8 Michael מיכאל In Daniel, Michael is a chief prince and protector of the people; he remains mighty in 1 Enoch and rabbinic tradition. Western magical tables divide him between Sun and Mercury. This Hermetic Tree follows the Mercurial line into Hod.
  9. 9 Gabriel גבריאל Gabriel interprets visions in Daniel and becomes a commanding presence in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. Renaissance Hermetic magic joins him to the Moon, and the Hermetic Tree places him in lunar Yesod.
  10. 10 Sandalphon סנדלפון Sandalphon appears in early Merkavah tradition as an immense angel who binds crowns for the Creator, and later as the bearer of human prayer. Modern Hermetic Qabalah places him in Malkuth, the Kingdom, though the first source for that placement has not been identified.