Rapheal Versus Michael: Battle for the Crown of the Sun

          My new forthcoming book includes conjurations and spells based around work with the planetary angels. The test team who tried out the conjurations had a few questions along the way. Two of them asked why Raphael was listed as the archangel of Sol instead of the archangel of Mercury. It’s a question that comes up routinely. Some magicians do it one way some the other way, and many of them don’t even realize it’s something that’s up for debate. Some magicians think there’s a hard-fast right or wrong on this one. Honestly, as much as I like thinking of stuff as having a right answer this is one where I recognize there’s a basis and reasons for each, and both correspondences work, because the angels are simply bigger than that.

          For magicians who don’t understand that the angels are not themselves the planets, nor are they the same as the gods with whom the planets are associated, this idea that both can be true might be harder. If someone thinks Michael is Sol is Apollo is Tifaret, or Michael is Mercury is Hermes is Hod then they need there to be a single answer because they need these persons to be discreetly one thing so they can support their view that the correspondence is identity. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, those that think that way just don’t get it. So, the angels are left to be bigger than that thinking.

          With that said, here is some of my thinking on the matter.

          Personally, I’m not super invested in the argument, I’m comfortable with Raphael associated with the Sun and Michael associated with Mercury because initially I learned it that way. The Golden Dawn correspondences do it that way. They also recognize that the two play a little switcheroo and so on a different level the Golden Dawn also swaps them.

          First and foremost, Raphael makes sense in the Sun for me because the Sun is to me the main source for healing. Think about the feeling of a warm spring day. It’s therapeutic. The Sun is the chief amongst the planets, it is the perfection – the completion; of the concept of a planet. Healing is not fixing a problem, healing is completing or perfecting a state. Healing is removing deficiencies by restoring balance and order to a system. This concept is related to the Sun and to Tifaret. The Sun does this in our cosmos, the solar nature of Gold is the expression of this in alchemy. In the Kabbalah this is the nature of Tifaret. Tifaret orders the spheres around it, it is the heart, and it transmits the rightness of divine light from the higher into the lower, ordering it into a balanced state. So if we’re talking the divine concept of healing we’re talking the Sun.

          Now some people think that Raphael as a healer belongs in Mercury because Mercury relates to medicine. There is a difference between medicine and healing. Doctors are often associated with Mercury but the patron of doctors was Asclepius, a son of Apollo. The work of healing is solar. Medicine is Mercurial. Apollonian concepts are echoed in the rulership of Mercury. Apollo rules oracles, Mercury rules tools of divination. Mercury introduces himself to the world by stealing his big brother Apollo’s cattle, he is rewarded by taking rulership of those things with which Apollo is finished. This is not to belittle Mercury. Mercury is wonderous. Medicine as a tool of Mercury is his because it is a form of knowledge. It is the knowledge of technology used to facilitate healing. It is not the same as healing itself.

          So why would Michael belong in the sphere of the Sun? Michael is the likeness of God, and the Sun is the cosmic likeness of God. Michael is the general that commands the angels, just as the Sun commands the planets.

          One of the people who asked me suggested that Michael seems Martial rather than Solar or Mercurial. That actually makes a lot of sense. Sometimes I think Gabriel would make sense associated with Mars based on his name, but we associate Gabriel with the Moon. Gabriel is God’s herald or messenger so that would make sense in Mercury. For Michael, Michael is again God’s general. He is the archistrategos, or the high strategist of the divine host. Being a strategist may make sense in Mercury because it has to do with knowledge, analysis, planning, and communicating commands and plans. If we take it simply as an expression of military power then Michael begins to make sense in Mars. If we view Michael as the warrior who casts down the enemy then Michael makes sense for Mercury. If we view Michael in connection with the Maioral and as the scourge and the sun bathed sword who casts back the darkness at the dawn, then he simultaneously is Martial, the force of war and strength that commands away the devils, and Solar, the rising Sun that pushes out the darkness.

          So how is Michael Mercurial? Again, Mercury takes on attributes related to Apollo. Michael is God’s likeness, so he takes on attributes like unto God. Michael is one of the many angels who is a Prince of the Presence. These angels appear to mankind and represent God or speak on God’s behalf because mankind can’t receive God directly. They are messengers of the highest order. Again, as the high strategist, he plans, he communicates plans, he analyzes threats, all of these being intellectual elements. The Princes of the Presence are, in some cases, associated with writing the decrees of Heaven, and thus again this is a Mercurial function. Michael defeats Satan, this is Martial right? Well…are we talking Christianity or Judaism? In Christianity sure, it’s Martial. In Judaism it’s different. Satan is not a person, Satan is a title which refers to a group of angels, the Satanim, who at time, but not always are led by Sataniel. These are not the evil angels, those are led by Shemyaza and Mastema, although Mastema is also one of the Satanim. Of the Satanim, Samael, who at times is linked to Mars and other times to Saturn, is often considered to be the equivalent of the Christian Satan, the chief opposer. Samael is the Prince of Rome and with Rome as a special enemy of Israel Samael’s job is to present the evils of Israel in the divine court and call for their persecution. Michael is the Prince of Israel and his job is to speak of Israel’s righteousness and glory and counter the message of Samael, so much so that all the evil deeds Samael calls to be written of Israel are burned while Michael’s proclamations are written. This is a very Mercurial way of defeating Satan. In fact, it’s not just speaking and writing, it’s legalistic. Michael is the defense attorney for Israel acting in the divine court on their behalf. While law and legalism and court victories are associated with Venus, lawyers are associated with Mercury.

          Michael is abundantly Mercurial. So, what about Raphael? What’s Mercurial about Raphael? Well honestly, not much. Again, Raphael relates to healing, which is Solar, not to medicine, which is Mercurial. If we equate healing and medicine then sure we can associate Raphael with Mercury, but there isn’t much other reason. Mercury has a vast array of rulerships and elements, but Raphael only really shows up in a story about healing someone.

          Again, different books present it differently. Different magicians approach it differently. You can probably learn different things about the Sun and different things about Mercury calling each angel for each. The big thing though is people aren’t correspondences. You and I each relate to many, many different things and have a whole depth to the complex of elements which form our characters. Non-human persons are often like this too, particularly the lofty complex and powerful ones. Gods, angels, and demons aren’t simply a row within a column in 777. They are bigger and deeper. We have to approach them as such and learn from them their vastness.

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The Devil Chaser: Kicking Out Vexing Spirits

Sometimes evil spirits get uppity and need to get their walking papers...or at least, sometimes people think that's what's going on. Usually it's not the case if magic is being done right. A good magician will go through rituals and ceremonies which establish his place of working and his authority as well as his spiritual allies in a way which results in being mostly safe from that problem. Mostly. It's still possible something can come up. On the road to becoming a good magician it's also possible something problematic can arise. Normally it won't be anything that isn't easily handled. Still, it's important as a magician to have the tools to handle such an issue, for yourself or for others where it may arise.

For the methods being described here they will be sufficient for dismissing the common sort of spirits that one may encounter from normal activity as well as for providing some basic protections. They will not cause any particular harm in a situation where the spirit is not the problem. Because it is very possible, and often likely, that there is a non-spiritual cause for problems one is experiencing those not thoroughly trained in examining such problems should also explore various mundane causes and solutions.

That having been said, let's look at solving the problem of vexing spirits.

There are a lot of traditional sorcery methods for such things. In fact, that's a big part of the job of a local sorcerer traditionally. As a kid and young adult, I tended to use pretty pagan methods, banishing by the elements and by tools and signs of authority. These types of methods all work pretty well. As an adult though I have also begun incorporating methods more linked to ceremonial magic and Catholic mysticism. A couple simple methods of this variety are what I'm going to present today.

Recently I was having an issue that seemed to be unruly spirits. Quick solution? I have a box of rosaries dedicated to Saint Benedict, whose patronage includes exorcism and the destruction of evil sorcery. I also have a handful of Benedictine medals on bracelets. I popped on a bracelet and hung a rosary over my bed. The issues stopped immediately.

This is basically the use of a talisman. In this case a talisman specifically set towards banishing spirits. Similarly a talisman dedicated to the archangel Michael could be used the same way. Or if you knew what spirit was vexing you you could use a talisman dedicated to the angel who commands that spirit. That would be a bigger process to undergo. So as a catch all, conjure Michael to consecrate your Benedictine talismans before use. Such a conjuration could be done as a general precaution and the talisman wrapped and put away until needed. For those not ready for a full conjuration a simple prayer could be used.

Pope Leo XIII penned this prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after a vision of a war with evil spirits in which Michael was casting them down. Interestingly enough Leo III was the Pope to whom the Enchiridion was ascribed.

“Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the Divine Power of God,
cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.”

Now if that's a little too heavy handed in the Christian department and you want to go a bit more standard on the magical end we can amend it a bit to something like this:

“Archangel Michael, in the name of the God of Hosts

defend me in battle.

Be my protection against the onslaught of evil spirits.

In the name Elohim Tzvot, Mighty angel, rebuke them;

I conjure you mighty Prince,

In the name of Elohim Tzvot

cast into the fire all spirits set against me,

destroy and turn back all bent upon my ruin.”

With either prayer end by tracing Michael's seal above the seal of Benedict and whisper Michael's name into the seal.

If you have to deal with a spirit aside from simply using a talisman and wish to banish, the opening banishings of more traditional ceremonial magic can be useful. Not things like the LBRP, or LHR, these are rituals of a mystical quality which can be applied practically, rather than practical rituals straight up. Opening using the Chaldean Oracles can sanctify a space and remove minor disturbances. The Enchiridion has some great exorcising Orisons which can be used for such purposes or as the openings of rituals. The psalms used to establish the working space in the Greater Key, as well as prayers of constriction and banishing from the grimoires.

The problem with these is they're usually kind of long and need to be looked up. For the most part they're designed to be used in a larger ritual. They also might be overkill for small disturbances. Something easy to memorize which is more than sufficient for the average disturbance is the Vade Retro Satana which is built into Benedict's seal.

Crux sacra sit mihi lux

Non draco sit mihi dux

Vade retro satana

Numquam suade mihi vana

Sunt mala quae libas

Ipse venena bibas

Let the Holy Cross be my light

Let not the dragon be my guide

Turn back Satan

Never tempt me with vain things

What you offer me is evil

You drink that poison yourself

This small exorcism represents several points of the mythology of Saint Benedict, principally a story of a monk who attempted to leave his guidance and was almost consumed by the devil before returning, and attempts to poison him which were miraculously defeated.

This one would take less adapting to make it more comfortable for the contemporary magician. The Holy Cross of Light is already a symbol used heavily in the Western Mystery Tradition. This can be associated with the Rose Cross, which is a highly appropriate symbol for such work. Being tempted with vain things is precisely the antithesis of the magician. Satan and the Dragon are the only images that may be less fitting, although the Dragon appears in the Enochian materials as the Telocvovim or the Death Dragon, another name for Coronzon.

So we simply adapt one non-Latin word...

Crux sacra sit mihi lux

Non draco sit mihi dux

Vade retro omnia mala

Numquam suade mihi vana

Sunt mala quae libas

Ipse venena bibas

Let the Holy Cross be my light

Let not the dragon be my guide

Turn back all evil things

Never tempt me with vain things

What you offer me is evil

You drink that poison yourself

A consecrated candle, or a ritual sword or wand could be used as a tool in conjunction with this exorcism. The Benedictine talisman could be used in conjunction with this as well. The charm references the cross of light and so the Rose Cross sign can be made in conjunction therewith. The charm references the destruction of poison bread and wine as well. A ritual involving the destruction of a false Eucharist and consumption of one truly consecrated could be employed as well.

So none of these methods is particularly difficult. Unfortunately the expulsion of vexing spirits isn't something that gets treated a lot in most readily available magical writing. It tends to be assumed that this is something for which people need to seek out someone's assistance. In a case where things are pretty intense that is probably sound advise. In cases where something is just giving you the heebie jeebies or disturbing your dreams these techniques are sufficient, at least as a starting point.

Again, there are a lot of serious mundane problems that people at times mistake for spiritual affliction. Be careful to thoroughly examine those possibilities. Where necessary seek out the help of those who can help you explore those possibilities. There are magicians who do things against other people, there are spirits who cause problems for people, the popular sentiment that this is not the case is false, but it remains true that it is also not the most common occurrence. Be ready to protect yourself, but also be intelligent and responsible.