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Angelic Spirit Guides: Guardian Angels, Archangels
It is commonly believed that each person is assigned a Guardian Angel at birth by God (or Source, depending on your belief system). Angels are heavenly spirits that serve God's Will across multiple traditions and are usually good-natured (with the exception of Fallen Angels, which we will discuss in another article).
Types of Angelic Guides
Even among multiple traditions, Angels are more than the usual Hollywood depiction of humanoid figures with wings. There is a full hierarchy of Angels, however I will only list the ones that frequently interact with humans as spiritual guides.
Domenichino, Guardian Angel, 1615
Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels are the most commonly known type of Angels. You may have heard of the belief where an Angel is assigned to every person at birth, to guide and protect you throughout your life. It is not uncommon for a person to subconsciously take on certain traits of your Divine Guardian Angel, as you get to know and connect with them more.
There are differing beliefs on how certain Guardian Angels have come to be your guide in your life, and how many you may be assigned. It is commonly believed to have only one Angel assigned to you, but there are also cases where multiple Guardian Angels voluntarily come down to Earth to protect you, your family, or a group of people.
Unlike Archangels, your Guardian Angel(s) appearances and name are mostly not known unless they have manifested to you. In certain religious sources, it is also not recommended to find out your Guardian Angel's name. However since this article is written by an occult practitioner (Yours truly, AJ), I will divulge some of the ways you can find out who your Guardian Angel later in this article.
The Three Archangels and Tobias, Francesco Botticini c.1470
Archangels
You may know Archangels as the most powerful Angels in the Angelic hierarchy, however that is not necessarily the whole truth. They are known to be the "most powerful" because of their noticable effects in the material world and direct contact with you, but they are the second lowest rank in the Angelic hierarchy.
Higher ranking classes of Angels like Seraphim and Cherubim are much more abstract in nature, and while they themselves emanate such blinding Divine power that is inconceivable to men, they seldom interact with humans. When they manifest, they often manifest to a large group of people to deliver God's messages.
The Great Battle, Pieter Brueghel the Elder c.1562
The Kicker: Can Archangels be your Guardian Angels as well?
We have establised that Archangels and Guardian Angels are two seperate ranks of Angels, however in the grand scheme of traditional sources, the rankings of Angels are not clear cut and certain Angelic beings tend to overlap in multiple Angelic hierachies.
This means that Archangels can indeed be your Guardian Angel, although I have a slightly differing opinion on why that is. I believe that the chances of an Archangel being personally assigned to you is slim. (This is different from the Archangels assigned to different birthdates) However, through supernatural intervention of God (think miracle babies), an Archangel may appear at your birth and act as your secondary guide along with your primary Guardian Angel.
Notable Archangels
While Archangels may not necessarily be assigned at your birth and been present in your life, you may still call upon them to aid you in guidance and act as a spirit guide for you. One of the endearing traits of Archangels is that most of them are predisposed to hear your pleas if you are genuine with them.
Anonymous Spanish Colonial, Sant Michael the Archangel, 18th Century
Archangel Michael
Archangel Michael often appears as a fierce, warrior like man with wings, holding a shield and sword/lance. He appears in the Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions and is said to be the first Angel created by God, the leader of the Archangels. He is the protector, one who gives courage, strength and inspires truth and integrity. The name "Michael" is translated from the Hebrew word מִיכָאֵל = "Who is like God?"
Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Gabriel, whose name means "God is my Strength" often appears as a fully grown man and long hair, his sturdy appearance juxtaposed with his serene expression and flowy robes. He is the Archangel of truth, joy, judgement and revelations, which is why he is often seen holding a trumpet.
The Archangel Raphael, 18th Century
Archangel Raphael
Archangel Raphael, whose name means "God has Healed" is the Archangel that presides over all manners of healing, whether it be spiritual, physical or emotional. He appears as a young(or a robust old man) holding a fishing line with a fish. He is also the Archangel of compassion, healers and understanding.
Archangel Uriel, Cuzco School of the XVII Century
Archangel Uriel
Archangel Uriel's name translates into the "Fire of God" and appears as a young teenage boy holding a flaming sword and scroll, sometimes he carries a crystal tipped wand. He is the Archangel of wisdom, the arts, inspiration and repentance.
Source unknown
Archangel Azrael
Archangel Azrael is the Angel of Death in Judaism and Islam. His name translates into "God has Helped" and appears as a hooded figure dressed in black, carrying a scroll of every living soul. Despite his ominous appearance, he has a comforting energy that calms the departed. He presides over death and Spirit.
Recognising Angelic Guides in Your Life
Unlike other kinds of spirit guides, it is safe to say that everyone has a Guardian Angel in their life. Much of the challenge is not about knowing whether you have one, but the lack of psychic awareness and ignoring our own intuition that causes a disconnect with our Angelic guides.
Despite so, Angelic guides are by far one of the easier guides to detect as they have been with us since birth. Signs that they are communicating with you includes
- Feeling deja vu, like the situation has already happened before and you are alerted to make your decision wisely
- Symbolic dreams, recurring dreams about or from childhood
- Old friends and family suddenly bringing up you "seeing and talking" to spirits as a child
- Light-headedness, tingling, feeling floaty like you are rising (rule out any medical conditions!)
- Repeated number patterns, Angel Numbers
- Feeling drawn to Angelic imagery, certain Angels
Tobias and the Angel, Girolamo Savoldo c. 1540
How to Connect with Angelic Guides
If you wish to communicate with your Angelic Spirit Guides and receive divine wisdom from them, it is important to not only know when they are reaching out to you, but to also show that you are proactive in connecting back with them. Here are some ways to connect with your Angelic Guides.
Prayer
There is no simpler way to connect with your Angelic Guides than with a simple prayer. You need not know who your Guardian Angel is, but to simply direct your prayer to them. Below is an example of prayer you can say out to connect with them:
O glorious angel, to whom our blessed Lord in his most merciful grace hath entrusted me for protection, to thee, I, sinful creature, cry and call with a sincere mind, beseeching thee ever to be a special comfort to me in all my need. Permit me never to be overcome by temptation or sinful deeds, but help me, that by grace I may ever proceed in virtuous living. Be present at the hour of my death, that my ghostly enemy may have no power over me, and afterwards bring me to the bliss where I may live and praise our Saviour forever with thee. Amen.
~ Monumenta Ritualia Ecclesiae Anglicanae
The ASTRACHIOS Prayer
There is another prayer I would like to share, however this comes from a popular Infernal grimoire called the Grimorium Verum. This is also known as the "Prayer of Success", ideal for any purpose you wish to succeed in. In this case we can use this prayer to connect with your Angelic Guides.
ASTRACHIOS, ASACH, ASARCA, ABEDUMABAL, SILAT, ANABOTAS, JESUBILIN, SCIGIN, GENEON, DOMOL, Lord God, Who dwellest above the heavens, Whose glance searchest the abyss,. grant me, I pray Thee, the power to conceive in my mind and to execute that which I desire to do, the end of which I would attain by Thy help, O God Almighty, Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
~ Grimorium Verum
The part of the prayer that is bolded and capitalised should be intonated with a strong and clear voice. It is ideal to say this prayer on an empty stomach everyday to connect with your Angelic Guides.
Ritualistic Systems
On the other end of the spectrum, there are intricate and time consuming rituals that make sure you can connect and communicate with your Angelic Guides. Such is the Book of Abramelin, where the practitioner is required to set aside 9 months to complete the ritual of meeting their Holy Guardian Angel.
If you wish to commit more time to connect more deeply and yield greater effects in your spiritual journey, I recommend starting with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (Also known as the LBRP), which is a very popular but simple ritual on banishing negative influences and protects you.
While this ritual does not serve to put you in direct contact with your Angelic Guides, it is the first step required before you can peform the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, the actual ritual that empowers you spiritually and allows you to contact your Guardian Angels and the Archangels.
Night with her Train of Stars, by E.R. Hughes 1912
Maintaining a Connection with Your Angelic Guides
Regardless of who or what type of Spirit Guides you connect with, it is important to maintain good rapport as you would with someone you deeply respect and love.
Angelic Guides in general are unique in a sense where they do not expect offerings to made for them, in fact it will please them more if you brought your reverance and offerings to God. However, there is nothing wrong in honouring them in ways that also includes the big G.
Altar Space
You can delineate a small space for your Angelic Guide's paintings or statues in the corner, leaving the center area empty or filled with Divine images of God. The Altar should be exceptionally clean and hold only what is necessary. You may place your incense and other magical tools like a scrying ball and candles to contact them.
Daily Devotion
You may choose to recite your daily prayers to God and/or your Angelic Guides everyday when you wake and before you sleep as a form of devotion to their guidance. You can perform simple cleansing rituals as part of your growing magical practice.
Confessions
The idea of confessing your "sins" to God and then forgetting about them and repeating them as though you can always be forgiven has become notorious amongst the religious crowd. However, we cannot overlook confessions as a form of spiritual cleansing and central part of working with Angelic Spirit Guides. Think of it as earnest reflection instead of an outlet to absolve yourself of guilt. Afterall, it is God that knows when someone is being genuine or not.
Final Notes
You do not need to be a Christian or come from an Abrahamic religion to believe and connect with your Angelic Guides. Regardless of how you came to be conceived, one can contact their Guardian Angel and choose to even work with Archangels if you feel drawn to them.
The Angels do not turn away from requests and help, and while their solutions may not always be aligned with human interests, we have much to learn from their infinite wisdom and unyielding energy.
