The Archangel Raphael is one of the three archangels whose name appears in the Bible. He comes from the Hebrew רפאל and means medicine of God, so his healing attribute is clearly marked.

The prophet Enoch (Book of Enoch 2nd century BC) lists Raphael as the angel of the human spirits and the healer of diseases and wounds.

Traditionally he is associated with the element of air, the east, spring, the planet mercury and his day is Wednesday, and one of his main attributes is clarity.

It is the ruler of the Tipheret sphere, beauty, so it helps us in that area, beauty is not only about the physical aspect, it is also about what happens in our lives and how we can make it more beautiful, more perfect. This sphere is right in the middle of the tree of life and combines the strength of Geburah with the goodness of Chesed.

To empower the energies of the archangel Raphael in our lives it is important to use his seal or talisman together with a consecrated green candle.

The seal or pentacle can be used to call upon him at any time or next to the candle when asking for his help.

The signs of the zodiac for which he has special sympathy and care are: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

It is possible to ask for his help, among other things, for:

• Healing of all kinds.
• Getting closer to the perfection of our being.
• Achieving beauty in our lives.
• Clarity in our ideas or in a difficult situation.
• Protection from illnesses and mitigate their effects.
• To make us more equanimous by putting heart into justice, less rigorous, more human.
• To put heart and passion into things.
• To give us back the will to live and passion if we have lost it.

The archangel Raphael is associated with the element of air, therefore he rules the signs of that element, namely: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius; although any person, regardless of their sign, can ask him for help.

In the article on archangels I explain that according to different beliefs, some consider the existence of 3, 4, 7 or 10 archangels. Usually four archangels are considered for the four elements and seven archangels in total according to many cosmogonies. If we consider seven archangels, the main signs ruled by the archangel Raphael would be Gemini and Virgo, and this is stated in many hermetic writings.

Quick thinking, imagination, intellect, logic are typical of the air element, they are usually very sociable, free and respectful. They are usually very talkative, cheerful, analytical people. So we can strengthen all these qualities with the help of the archangel Raphael.

People in whom the air element predominates can have problems of hyper-rationality, isolate themselves from emotions and sometimes, in extreme moments, disconnect from reality. All these negative aspects can be balanced by working with the archangel.

The relationship between the elements, the archangels and the zodiac goes back a long way, to the earliest times of Sumer and Babylon. The civilisations of the ancient Near East studied the relationship between the stars and mankind. In fact, the origins of the zodiac are lost in the mists of time. The word comes from the Greek zodion (little animal), designating the celestial part that the sun travels through in a year, being divided into twelve parts or signs.

Experts suggest that the Zodiac was invented by Babylonian astronomers, however, Sargon I of Akad (around 2334 BC) had an astrological work and from Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) it became a common scientific-religious practice (source: “dictionary of magic in the ancient world” Ana M. Vazquez Hoys. Óscar Muñoz Martín).

The zodiac represents the wheel of life (Zoe- life, diakos- wheel) and was related to the seven known planets in the beginning and later to the seven archangels in many traditions.

The magical tradition endows each planet with a magic square and an intelligence, a talisman or protective pantocrat can be created by putting together the squares of the seven planets.

The Egyptians, according to Budge, took the zodiac from the Greeks, and the Greeks from Babylon. The zodiac seeks to create an archetype similar to the tarot, creating a model for understanding existence, which is exactly what kabbalah does, hence its use and relationship in magical kabbalah.

The archangel Raphael is the ruler of the sixth sephira or sphere in the Kabbalah, the sixth on the Tree of Life. Tiferet is his name and means beauty. This sphere has a close relationship with healing and acceptance.

The virtue of this sefirah is the fulfilment of our destiny, what we have come to do in this world, which in Kabbalah is known as Tikun, and its vice is pride. They are opposite poles that must be balanced according to what is found in us, for this we must know our personal tree and know how we are with respect to this sefirah. In this action the archangel Raphael can help us to obtain the virtues of Tiferet and overcome its defects if we find ourselves unbalanced.

This sphere, and those influenced by birth by this archangel, will endow them with a sense of individuality, harmony and love of beauty; it will make them apt for analysis and study, they will also be researchers and innovators if their imagination is well aligned, otherwise it can produce the defect of lack of concreteness in their actions. We can ask the archangel Raphael for all these qualities, both to strengthen and to balance them.