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Who are Arniel,
Mathael and Shalmiel?
The view of the Kabbala on the heavenly brigades
of angels
By Orna Ben-Shoshan *
Ra'anana, Israel
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From the Kabbalistic
point of view, angels and their role in our world is a serious business.
What can we learn
about angels, and how can we get in touch with them in our everyday life?
“There is no plant, bush or moss in the world which does not
have an agent above, who watches it ant tells it: Grow!” (Rabbi Simon)
According to one of
the Midrash (requisition) book, even plants have their own sponsoring angels,
who protect them and represent their destiny in higher realms.
In fact – every living
entity in this world is supervised by a superior life force, in the form of an
angel. Each person has two guardian angels, one on the left and one on the
right side.
Angels are spiritual
entities that arbitrate and transmit messages between the earthly realm and the
superior - divine realms. They are also considered as energy frequencies and
communication channels. Each angel performs only one single role, and unlike
humans angels can never change, or manifest the freedom of choice. Some angels
have masculine qualities (leaders and inducers) and some have feminine
qualities (passive).
How were Angels Created?
According to the
Kabbala, all angels were originated at the realm of creation - “Yetzirah”.
These Angels, Seraphs, Sacred Animals, and cherubs perform many tasks bridging
between heavenly realms with the earthly realms. Angels are the creation of God
itself, and are ordained to obey it blindly.
Angels were formed
during the six days of creation of the world, each type at a different day:
At the first day –
angels of grace who are eternal.
At the second day –
angels of judgment, including the death angel.
At the fifth day of
creation – all the other angels were formed.
That comes to teach us
that angels had already existed before the first human being was created, and
were a vital factor in the weave of the universe.
The Heavenly Brigades:
According to the
ancient Kabbala, there are four troops of angels, headed by Michael, Gbriel,
Uriel and Rephael.
The four major groups
of angels came from the uppermost “Mercabah” (or spheres) and represent the
four elements: water, fire, air and earth.
- Michael represents the energy
of grace, revival, protection and re-awakening.
- Gabriel represents the
essence of judgment and severity which exert the necessary pressure in the work
of the “tikkun” = reparation of the soul. It is connected to dreams given to a
person to evoke spiritual awakening. Gabriel is also known as the angel who
draws the soul out of the body at the moment of death.
- Uriel – is the angel of
balance and moderation, who helps people on their way to redemption and
enlightenment.
- Raphael: represents the powers
healing. This is the angel to turn to in request of a cure, and his name is
mentioned during spiritual healing sessions.
Other angels mentioned
in the Kabbala have different missions:
- Metatron, (whose name should
not be pronounced out loud), is a messenger who delivers prayers and litanies
to the upper realms and directs them to the right places. He is a direct
connection from the earthly realm to the upper realms. Matatron is known as the
angel heading the squad of supreme angels and considered the closest to
God. According to the late Zohar
revisions, he has the shape of a human, the same figure that was revealed to
Yehezkel in his vision: the figure sitting in the Merkabah chair.
- Raziel – is an angel who was
revealed to Adam and Eve in Paradise, had
escorted them when they were deported away, and taught them the secrets of the
Kabbala. “Raziel” is a derivative from the term “Raz” – or “secret” in Hebrew.
The ancient book “Raziel The Angel” contains theoretical and practical
Kabbalistic wisdom and considered as the first book of secrets that was given
to Adam. Its wisdom was later inherited through generations to Noah and
Abraham, all the way to King Solomon.
- Guardian angels: may be originated at
previous incarnations, a person’s good actions or the soul of a close person.
Guardian angels are around us at all times, protecting and guiding us.
Good deeds of giving,
devotion and help to others can create powerful light angels who have the
potential to banish “bad” angels.
- “Temporary”
angels are souls of enlightened people who arrive at the earthly realm in order
to assist humans in extremely difficult situations.
- “Alien” Angels - The Kabbala
recognizes the existence of parallel worlds, and mentions seven realms of
existence. Some angels are defined as “Aliens” from other realms who
visit our dimension for different purposes.
In different biblical
stories, angels were sent to earth by the divine in order to perform a task.
They may wear a human identity, as mentioned in the story of Abraham.
Sometimes, angels may appear as spirits, without a body.
Some religions talk
about a rivalry and competition among angels due to of pride and envy. However,
the kabbala observes an angel as a selfless entity, which doesn’t have a
freedom of choice or evil instincts.
Arniel, Mathael and Shalmiel
are only three out of many sacred names of angels that are forbidden to be
pronounced vocally.
According to an
ancient tradition, the names of angels should not be spoken out loud. An angel
might hear its name and appear for help. We can never know how powerful an
angel may be. Once it realizes that it was called in vain, it may harm the
person who called it. When we call an angel to assist us, we have to make sure
that its energetic quality is positive, and that we can contain the high energy
we invited upon ourselves.
Superiors and
Inferiors:
Ancient Kabbalistic
writings tell that there is a hierarchy among the different troops of angels:
Some of them act as messengers, announcers and forerunners, who deliver prayers
to the upper realms. They do not appear in a physical body, just a spiritual
body.
Supreme angels reside
in the upper realms of the “Merkabah” (Spheres) and squads of other angels
reside in seven different divisions: the four supreme divisions host the grace
and mercy angels, and the bottom three host the obstruction angels. The seven
divisions altogether, host the angels who are in charge of the souls.
According to Rabbi
Moshe Ben Maimon, the class that an angel belongs to has to do with its ability
to comprehend the intentions and motivations of the Creator.
According to ancient
legends, a human may become an angel in certain circumstances: Geneses mentions
Hanoch (or Enoch), who was elevated to a position of angel due to his flawless purity.
The opposite happened
with the angels “Aza” and “Azael” who had fallen from the high realm of
creation into the bottom realm of the makings (The earthly realm), engaged with
human females and surrendered to the temptations of the material world.
Angels and Demons:
The divine spiritual
forces in each and every person are also related to “Angelic powers” that serve
the soul as it opens to upper realms.
The “Devilish powers”
are the energies that lock the spirit away from the divine. Therefore – devils
or demons are considered as human (earthly) originated forces that cause the human
spirit to run around in circles and entangle in an ever-lasting mesh of weary
thought patterns with no way out.
Communicating With
Angels:
A Kabbalistic way to communicate with angels:
A special prayer is
addressed to the angels in order to request divine protection and ask their
help in bringing positive things to life. It should be read twice a day,
morning and night.
From the ancient book
“Raziel the Angel” we can learn a traditional Kabbalistic method to communicate
with angels (written as a plain translation from Hebrew):
“A person who wishes
to succeed in something should prepare himself three days before the beginning
of the Hebrew month (new moon), and refrain from eating any impurity, or foods
that contain blood, shall not drink wine or engage in sexual activity. He
should wash himself in water before sunrise…
The instructions go on
and describe a ritual in which organic matter is prepared and burned for the
duration of three days, and certain names of angels are pronounced. At the
night of a new moon the person has to make his bed over the burnt substances,
remain silent, not talking to another person, and go to sleep while mentioning
the names of angels that are responsible for the coming month. At night, the
angels will appear to him in his dream and will reveal anything he would like
to know.
An Easier Way to
Communication with Angels:
In order to establish
communication with angels, it is essential to believe that angels are a real
part of our world. They do not exist “elsewhere”, but right here, under our
noses, in a different dimension, which most people cannot sense or see.
Once we elevate our
energy levels and develop spiritually, we can be aware of their existence and
benefit by them.
Angels are entities
that deliver our requests and wishes to upper realms. They are not allowed to
interfere in our world without being asked, and have to standby for our
requests.
Talk to your Angels:
You can communicate
with angels the same way you would talk with a close friend. To do so, you
should quiet your mind and get into a relaxed mode, similar to the practice of
meditation.
It may take a few sessions until you acquire
the ability to see angels and have a conversation with them, so do not be
discouraged, and keep trying, knowing that angels are there to listen and help.
Sit or lie down in a
quiet place, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths.
You will be able to
have a glimpse at angels through your crown chakra – your opening gate to
higher realms.
An open cone shaped funnel
rises from inside your head, at the crown chakra, and extends upwards, widening
towards an infinite top, all the way to the upper realms.
As you focus your
vision through the round opening at the top of your head, you will notice some
transparent bodies fly across the wide opening of the funnel high above you.
Take a few moments to
sharpen your vision, and you shall see the abstract bodies become clearer until
you can identify them as light entities, or angels.
Wait until one of the
entities stops its flight and look down at you through the funnel.
This is the time to
start communicating with the angel that stopped by.
Ask the angel who it
is, and tell it what it is that you desire. In many times, an angel will not
identify itself by a specific name.
The first few sessions
may be quite silent, as you’ll find yourself staring at the angel while it
gazes back at you, and no (virtually verbal) conversation will occur.
As you establish
communication, you will be able to distinguish between your own words and the
messages that come from the angel:
Your speech will come
out (virtually) through your own mouth, and the angel’s voice will come down
echoing through the funnel above. If you are able to make this distinction, you
will always feel sure that you are not “talking to yourself”.
Remembering that the
angel acts as a messenger, you can ask questions that have to do with your
life, your destiny, get interpretations for things that have happened in your
life, and ask for advice.
As long as you can
stay focused in the communication process, information will pass back and forth
smoothly, until one of you gets tired.
It is important to
honor the process of communication with angels and not to turn to them too
frequently with irritating questions. After receiving their guidance, always
show gratitude and thank them for their cooperation.
Therefore - Embrace
Life:
Rabbi Itzhak Luria,
the greatest Kabbalist of Safed in the 16th Century, has taught that
angels are born as a result of our spoken words and deeds – good or bad. Each
angel connects us to a certain energetic frequency, and it’s up to a person
whether his angels are good or bad.
According to Rabbi
Itzhak Luria, the quality of angels we create during a lifetime depends on the
amount of enthusiasm we invest in what we do.
This gives us a good
reason to be focused on the blessed and luminous aspects of our life and never
tangle with negativity. Appreciate every given moment and see the wholeness of
our existence.
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*Artist Orna Ben-Shoshan conceives
the images she paints through channeling. All of her paintings are
completed in her mind before she transfers them onto the canvas.
Her metaphysical work infuses deep spiritual experience with subtle humor.
Orna Ben-Shoshan has been an auto deduct artist for the past 30 years.
Her artwork was exhibited in numerous locations in the USA, Europe and
Israel. Her Major motivation as a visual artist is to share her visions
with others to expand their consciousness and inspire new ways of
thinking.
To see more of her artwork, please visit: http://www.ben-shoshan.com
During 2008, Orna has embarked on a new and challenging project: Her
artwork became the theme of a new set of reading cards: "King Solomon
Cards", a new and innovative divination tool which combines her
metaphysical art with ancient Kabalistic symbols. To see more, please
visit: http://www.k-s-cards.com |
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Keywords: Kabbalah, Kabalah, angels, spirituality, healing, Metatron,
Gabriel, Rafael, Michael, Raziel, demons, guardian, heaven, divine, channeling,
meditation, communication, prayer, moon
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agosto de 2009
Rev. Dig. UNIVERSO Nueva Era
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