extract from the book “No Apocalypse” volume 2 by Gregorian Bivolaru

"The angelic entities (known in the oriental tradition as deva) are beings of light whose main role in the Manifestation is to mediate between God the Father and His Creation. The mysterious universe of these divine spirits is structured as a gigantic hierarchy led by God the Father. The Christian tradition mentions that there are nine angelic ‘orders’ or ‘choirs’ grouped in three triads, through which God the Father governs and inspires in a divine way the different levels of manifestation. They are structured according to The Law of occult resonance. 

The Archangels’ hierarchy belongs to the third triad (formed, in descending order, by the choir of Principalities, that of Archangels, and that of Angels) being in the same time the closest to the human level of consciousness. Here is how Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, the famous Christian angeologist, presented this angelic choir in his work, The Celestial Hierarchy: “The choir of the holy Archangels is placed in the same Order as the choir of Celestial Principalities and the choir of Holy Angels. (...) The holy Order of Archangels, (...) communicates both with the most holy Principalities and with the holy Angels. With the former because it is turned (oriented) towards the Beginning which is above Being (God), and with the latter because it is, in the same time, an interpreting order (of the angelic hierarchy), receiving the godly illuminations from the Principalities in a descending way; announcing them to the Angels, in an angelic way; and finally, through the angels, revealing them to us according to our measure of holiness, thus enlightening us in a divine manner. “

The human being who, owing to its purity and opening of the soul, is able to enter into a profound communion with the angelic hierarchy of the Archangels, can awaken and amplify in itself, through their help, a very broad range of conditions, such as: happiness, fulfilment, meekness, love for God, spiritual aspiration, detachment, peace, lucidity and love for all the other human beings.

There are countless Archangels, some of them being well-known in the Christian world, even celebrated at some precise dates. Three of them are mentioned explicitly in the Bible: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, but in the texts of the apocrypha the names of others are mentioned as well, the most well-known of these being Uriel. However, the Archangels are not known solely in the Christian tradition, but in Judaism, Islamism and other oriental traditions as well, in which they act as mediators between the superior angelic hierarchies and humanity. Throughout the world history, different Archangels inspired and supported certain human societies.

Each Archangel is traditionally described as having some specific attributes, so that one asks for his help with predilection, in certain situations. Thus, Archangel Michael, considered the most important of all, is especially well-known for his protective role. That is why he is often represented in the traditional Christian iconography as defeating the dragon, a symbol of the forces of darkness. Being pre-eminently the hero fighter of God, he is always represented as being young and very beautiful; he inspires and supports the ones who courageously fight against the forces of evil.

Archangel Gabriel is mentioned four times in the Bible, each time acting as divine messenger. He is the angel of the Annunciation, the one who announced the Virgin Mary the birth of the Redeemer. In the Islamic tradition, Gabriel is considered the divine spirit of Truth, under whose protection the Islam was born. The Prophet Mohammed said that is was Archangel Gabriel, the one with 140 pairs of wings, who dictated him the Quran, line by line. In the Christian iconographic representations, Archangel Gabriel holds a lily in his hand, symbol of purity and of divine splendour.

Archangel Raphael is the one who announced the birth of Jesus to the three magi. He is considered the protector of the young people, the children, and the travellers. In The Zohar, (The Book of Splendour) it is affirmed that Archangel Raphael is “charged with healing the planet and, thanks to this purification, (...) humans can be healed any time of all their illnesses”. That is why he is considered the protector and inspirer of all those who pursuit in their life the noble ideal of healing and comforting their fellow humans (doctors, healers). Often represented in a pilgrim’s clothes, the image of this Archangel radiates an overwhelming kindness.

Archangel Uriel is especially known in his role of saviour from any difficult situation. In The Book of Enoh, he is called “the vigilant and protective angel of those found in a state of fear and terror”. He supports any activity of repentance and of inner transformation, but in the same time he is the one who brings the divine punishment to the bad and the perverse. Symbolically represented with a flame in his palm, this Archangel is considered in the western esoteric tradition as being the protector and inspirer of the alchemists.

Archangel Metatron is the Divine Face Angel (angel of the Face of God) and the mediator of theophanies. In the Book of Life, he records all our deeds and helps us to become aware of our power to love, and the sense of our existence".

From the 31^st of October to the 7^th of November we will celebrate the Archangels week, a week full of meditations, workshops, angelic actions. For more information please click here