Seven Archangels: Difference between revisions

The earliest reference to a system of '''seven archangels''' as a group appears to be in ''Enoch I'' (the [[Book of Enoch]]) which is not part of the Jewish Canon but is prevalent in the Judaic tradition, where they are named as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Remiel and Saraqael. While this book today is non-canonical in most Christian Churches, it was explicitly quoted in the New Testament and by many of the early Church Fathers. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church to this day regards it to be canonical.

In the late 5th to early 6th century, Pseudo-Dionysius gives them as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel. <ref>''A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels'' by Gustav Davidson, 1980, Free Press Publishing</ref>The earliest Christian mention is by Pope [[Pope Gregory I|Saint Gregory I]] who lists them as Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Samael, Oriphiel and Raguel. A later reference to seven archangels would appear in an 8th or 9th century talisman attributed to Auriolus, a "servant of God" in north-western Spain. He issues a prayer to "all you patriarchs Michael, Gabriel, Cecitiel, Oriel, Raphael, Ananiel, Marmoniel ("who hold the clouds in your hands").<ref>Julia M.H. Smith, Europe After Rome: A New Cultural History 500-1000. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Page 77</ref>

==Archangels in current church traditions==

== Other ideas ==

In the Book of Enoch, [[Remiel]] is described as one of the leaders of the 200 Grigori, the fallen angels. Other Names derived from [[pseudepigrapha]] but not recognized by Christian churches are [[Selaphiel]], [[Jegudiel]], and [[Raguel (archangel)|Raguel]].

Seven angels or archangels are given as related to the seven days of the week: Michael (Sunday), Gabriel (Monday), Raphael (Tuesday), Uriel (Wednesday), Selaphiel (Thursday),Raguel or Jegudiel (Friday), and Barachiel (Saturday).

Various occult systems associate each archangel with one of the traditional "seven luminaries" (the seven naked-eye moving objects in the heavens: the Seven [[Classical Planets]]): the [[Moon]], [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], [[Venus]], the [[Sun]], [[Mars]], [[Jupiter]], and [[Saturn]];<ref>''Morals and Dogma (of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry)'' by Albert Pike (1871, 1948, L. H. Jenkins)</ref> but there is disagreement as to which archangel corresponds to which body.

According to [[Rudolf Steiner]], four important archangels also display periodic spiritual activity over the seasons: [[Spring (season)|Spring]] is Raphael, [[Summer]] is Uriel, [[Autumn]] is Michael, and [[Winter]] is Gabriel. Following this line of reasoning, Aries (astrologically ruled by Mars) represents Spring, Cancer (ruled by Moon) represents Summer, Libra (ruled by Venus) represents Autumn, and Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) represents Winter. Therefore by association, Raphael is Mars, Uriel is Moon, Michael is Venus, and Gabriel is Saturn. Rudolf Steiner's Northern Hemisphere indications regarding the seasons and their placement in the Zodiac will be the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, making Michael the Autumn archangel - with Mars in Ares; Raphael the Spring Archangel - with Venus in Libra; and in mid-winter Gabriel in Cancer;  Uriel presides in Capricorn during mid summer in the south.The seven archangels figure in some systems of [[ritual magic]], each archangel bearing a specific seal.