Archangels

There is a great controversy about the number of archangels, an Archangel is a type of powerful angel, who has specific tasks and directs other angels.

• The Catholic Church only recognises three: Michael, Raphael and Gabriel.
• In Judaism there are hardly any references to angels and archangels, yet traditionally seven are accepted.
• The Orthodox Church recognises seven, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Yehudiel, Shealtiel and Barachiel, although sometimes it adds one more: Jeremiel.
• The Copts, in addition to Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, add Uriel (mentioned in the book of Enoch), Zedekiel, Seratiel and Ananiel.
• The Anglican Church recognises the four main archangels but sometimes represents seven; adding Chamuel (Camael), Jophiel and Zadkiel.
• Islam also recognises seven archangels of different names, for example Azrael, the archangel of death. The main ones would be Israfel, Mikhail, Jibrail and Azrael.
• In esotericism, Agrippa recognises Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Camael, Haniel (Anael), Zadkiel and Zafkiel. Some add Cassiel. Others consider the existence of more archangels, such as Raziel…

Despite controversy, esotericists and many ancient traditions accept a correspondence between the archangels and the seven planets of antiquity, the seven days of the week and seven Greek gods.

In the Kabbalah, although they are not called archangels, one corresponds to each sephira or sphere.

It should be borne in mind that the traditions communicated and intertwined by assimilating different concepts and adding them to their own.

Be that as it may, the archangels are energies that can be worked with and can be of help to us.