Archangel Michael

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ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, An Introduction

ARCHANGELS
The term Archangel does not mean too much, except that it implies a spiritual creature of a higher rank. In the mind of the laic, there is truly no difference between a bishop and an archbishop, except the color of their clothing and the size of the jewelry; in the immensity of the One-Creation, only one Consciousness exists that manifests through multiple flames.

"An Archangel is the recipient of one Face, one aspect, one energy, one color of the Infinite Creator. Its function, its personality – another generic term -- is immutable. Archangels travel along with Creation from one Universe to the other, without changing, because they are the Seven Pillars of Creation. And yet, in harmony with the One-Universe, as the Infinite Consciousness, they gradually evolve. The Infinite Consciousness and the Galaxies are moving in concert, in the same direction."14

In the Judeo-Christian texts, the number of archangels or creators is, according to the source, fixed to four or seven. The number seven, which corresponds to the Seven Aspects of the One-Divinity, to the Seven Creators, and to the Seven Powers of the Hindus, is the most plausible and logical.

When one separates the first three aspects, the Trimuti/Trinity, the next four aspects might reasonably represent the solid basis of matter, built around the four Archangels. The names of the Archangels differ according to traditions and times. It is generally admitted/accepted that the Archangels are Beings of Light. Nevertheless, certain lists include the pillars of Darkness, for instance Samael, which we will introduce later on.


CHAPTER TWO – MICHAEL, ONE OF THE CREATORS

"The seven sublime lords are the Seven Creative Spirits, the Dhyan Chohans, who correspond to the Hebrew Elohim. It is the same hierarchy of Archangels to which St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and others belong, in the Christian theology. The Dhyanis watch successively over one of the rounds and the great root-races of our planetary chain. They are said to send their Bodhisattvas, the human correspondents of the Dhyani Buddhas, during every round and race."15

A Creator is an extension of Spirit, of the One in Its male and luminous aspect. Michael’s Essence then can only be the Light, and the Michaelic Principle is the Luminous Principle.


MICHAEL IS THE LUMINOUS PRINCIPLE
The names given to the angels and especially to the archangels are only temporary, artificial, and human. They allow the latter to entertain relationships with unreachable Consciousnesses. For instance, the neters, or gods of ancient Egypt, that made some believe that the Initiates worshiped statues, simply represented aspects of the All-Powerful God.

One cannot accurately define a vibratory Principle or an Intelligence/Consciousness. The restricted information presented by visionaries, the space-time travelers, are only doorways, intuitions clothed in words toward which the reader will gravitate in order to acquire awareness through a personal and direct experience of the Divine.

As the Principle or Consciousness designated by Christians under the name Michael is inherent to the story and the logic of creation and thus to the existence of humanoids (ibid for Lucifer). He is the Luminous Principle that balances the Principle of Darkness, both being necessary to Life in form.

These two principles that translate the dance of Spirit and Matter, manifested in all strata and all aspects of creation, are then naturally and powerfully present in the functioning of the human psyche. They are also the main archetypes in the thinking process and religious philosophy.

Michael (or the Luminous Principle) reveals Itself throughout the ages under diverse names, many forms adapted to epochs, and to the geography of His apparitions. The myths attached to this Presence are similar. His enemies are always the same and His return has been announced for the end of an epoch.

This means that after a mandatory journey in the Shadow, humankind must return to the Light. Lucifer, Principle of Darkness who has endorsed the power during the first part of a life cycle, retires. Michael, Principle of Light, then returns and rules, leading humankind and the Earth toward Spirit.

The interaction of those two basic Principles is not limited to the planet Earth or to the solar system. It is operating in all strata of creation.

The descent of the Michaelic Consciousness embraces all planes of creation, one after the other. At each stage of the descent into incarnation, of the taking of a body/ materialization, a Consciousness divides itself in two equal parts that represent, in their context, the Soul/Spirit and the other, the Body/Matter.

In a very simplistic way, we could say that in the system to which the Earth belongs, the Vital Fire passes successively or takes a body:

In the universe.

At the galactic level: the Soul-Michael lodges in the constellation of Lyra, while the body has entered the constellation of Draco.

At the level of the solar system, the Soul is in the Sun and the Body in Saturn and Mercury.

On the Earth: the ‘inferior’ part of the Michaelic Consciousness is the vital and chaotic Fire that has manifested as the Dragon.

In the context of the solar system, Michael is the source of Light, of life, therefore the Sun. Consequently, on the Earth, he takes on the mantle of the Solar God, of Mithras, and of all the gods whose attributes evoke the power of the sun. This explains why he is represented with a solar crown on his head.


MICHAEL, THE SECOND LOGOS
"From Mind proceeded the Word, Logos; from the Word, Providence (Divine Light), then from it Virtue and Wisdom in Principalities, Powers, Angels, etc."16

"Michael is the angel of the Vision, the Son-of-God ‘who was like unto a Son of Man.' It is the Hermes Christos of the Gnostics, the Anubis-Syrius of the Egyptians, the Counselor of Osiris in Amenti, the Michael leontoid of the Ophites, who wears on certain Gnostic jewels a lion head."17

The Greek term Logos means speech, word, reason (Webster's Dictionary). It has been used in Christian Theology to "designate the second person of the Holy Trinity and has the same meaning as the Verb."18 The Universal Consciousness is the abstract Power that stands outside of time. In order to exteriorize Itself, the Divine uses intermediaries. The first intermediary that transmits the creative impulse is the First, non-dual Logos. It is sometimes described as non-manifested. The First Logos holds within Itself all possibilities and projects them into the matrix of matter. Initiator of this movement, It could be considered to be of a masculine essence, as is the letter Aleph which is symbolized by the number one. When the Logos projects Its ray into the plane of manifestation, Its light reflects Itself in the Second Logos, which is in fact, the Michaelic Consciousness, playing Its role of "Face." It manifests the Divine Plan in the realm of matter:

"The symbol for the Second Logos is shown as the blue circle bisected horizontally. It stems from the heart of the Sun, as Solar Fire, and is responsible for the grouping of the atoms of the various planes into forms more and more capable of expressing the nature of the life of the Logos. This is the second force of the Trinity."19

The descent of the Second Logos into matter forces It to lose Its purity. This is the role assumed by the Dragon, who remains under the power of the Michaelic Consciousness. The Second Logos then becomes the Demiurge, the Consciousness or Deity that manifests the world from chaos. Because of Its interaction with the Creation -- Its obligation to grime Its wings within matter -- the Logos is often presumed double or stained by Its function.  "It is a well-known fact that in every great religion of antiquity, it is the Logos Demiurge, the Second Logos, or the first emanation from the mind who is made to strike the keynote of that which may be called the correlation of individuality and personality in the subsequent scheme of evolution. The Logos it is, playing two parts in the drama of Creation and Being --, i.e. that is the purely human personality and the divine impersonality of the so-called Avatars, or divine incarnations, and of the Universal Spirit called Christ’s by the Gnostic and Farvashi/Ferouer in the Mazdean philosophy."20



CHAPTER THREE - MICHAEL BETWEEN – THE LIGHT AND THE DARKNESS

BETWEEN THE SUN AND SATURN
All divinity becomes demonic or satanic -- that is to say, reversed -- as soon as it gets involved in the creation process or in matter. In the same way, Michael, Chief of the heavenly militia, Luminous and Solar Principle, reverses its Essence when he is polarized in the context of creation. He is then symbolized by Saturn, master of Time, sealed by human memories and crystallized into karma.

MICHAEL AND LUCIFER
In popular imagery, when Lucifer rebelled against God, Michael came forward to defend the Most High and to represent Him. His name literally means "in the resemblance of El." This is the reason why Michael is "The Face of God." Michael is also the Face of God because he is the only manifestation of the Creator, whose Face cannot be seen by anyone.

In the context of the energy, Michael and Lucifer are simply the two Divine Aspects that were manifested and instantaneously appeared when the Infinite Consciousness entered into a cycle of creation/manifestation. Lucifer incarnates and represents the Darkness and Matter into which he has agreed to lead a crusade; Michael incarnates the opposite pole, the Light and Spirit. We invite our readers to study the book A Kiss for Lucifer, published earlier.


SPIRIT BECOMES DARKNESS – THE DEMIURGE
Because the Michaelic Consciousness represents the Divine Impulse of Spirit and thus the masculine aspect, He/She while incarnating becomes feminine or "the opposite principle of darkness.' This is why some theologians have associated Michael with Satan, the opposing principle. The Spirits who have agreed to create, that is to say to incarnate and to generate a progeny, are unfairly referred to as fallen angels. They are, in fact, the loyal servants of Spirit, His ambassadors.

In the context of heaven, in the invisible planes, Lucifer is the opponent, the Darkness. When he incarnates, he absorbs the polarity that complements the Shadow; that is to say, he assumes the role of "Light Bringer."

This concept was taught by the Gnostics and by Plato. Gnosis means knowledge. The term Gnostic then designates the pagan groups or sects, Jewish or early Christian, that revered the occult wisdom and knowledge of the Divine as the means for salvation. The Ophites, for instance, held that the Serpent had acted for the good of mankind in offering the knowledge of good and evil. Gnostics distinguished the Demiurge from the unknowable and inaccessible Divinity. In ancient Greece, a demiurge was a public magistrate. In the spiritual context, the Demiurge is the visible Face of the Divinity, a Creator who manifests the visible world or organizes it from chaos.


THE FARVASHI OR CELESTIAL DOUBLE
"On the lower rungs of theogony the celestial Beings of lower Hierarchies had each a Farvashi, or celestial double. The Roman Catholic Church (accepts) as the Ferouer of the Christ, Saint Michael, who was his Angel Guardian."21

These terms emerged from the Zoroastrian tradition. The Faravahar is "the powerful, supra being who blended with the urvan, or human soul" and assisted Ahura Mazda to order the world in the beginning. This term applied to Archangel Michael means that he is the invisible Higher Self of the Christ. The Michaelic Consciousness overshadows the Christ Body and the extensions of the Monad that have generated bodies for this function.


CHAPTER 4 – THE ASPECTS OF THE LUMINOUS PRINCIPLE

Each representation of the Divine or of a Principle incarnates one aspect, one function of this Consciousness. Human beings, according to their own level of consciousness and their personal needs, often conditioned by the temporal and geographical context, translate their intuition of the Divinity and invent their gods, clothing them with the attributes and functions that are convenient to them. Then, the meeting/merging of groups, ethnicities, and civilizations leads, after a time of battle or conquest, to a religions blending in which peace is often the product of assimilation or identification of each group’s gods, one with the other. We will comment on some of these representations of the Michaelic Principle.


THE WINGS OF SPIRIT
Wings and birds have always represented Spirit. Christians might have chosen the dove for its grace and purity. But Spirit has mostly been associated with powerful birds such as the eagle. In the mind of the American Indian,  "The eagle flies higher than any other bird and sees far and wide. To the Indian, the eagle flies closest to the sky, and, since in Indian cosmology sky is likened to Spirit, the Eagle represents that which is closest to Spirit."26

In Egypt and in Latin America, Spirit (therefore Michael) is symbolized by the falcon or the vulture. Horus, the solar god of Memphis, bore a falcon head. The pharaohs wear a falcon feather on their forehead, next to the Ureus. "According to a very ancient Egyptian conception of the cosmos, the heavens were the wings of a great falcon whose eyes were the sun and the moon, and whose speckled underside was the starry sky. The deity was the falcon-shaped god Horus, and the conception of the heavens as his wings may be seen in the First Dynasty tomb of King Djet where the wings are attached to the solar barque on which the falcon rides." 27 The goddess Nakhbet, vulture-headed woman was the protector of the King.

In Meso-American mythology, the falcon was linked to the element air, whether or not it was considered a deity. The constellation of the Lyra, abode/dwelling of the Michaelic Consciousness in the human system, was represented on ancient maps by a vulture. The Lyra is the instrument played by Hermes, himself a physical expression of the Michaelic Consciousness. The Lyra "commemorates the fabled instrument invented by Hermes (Mercury) and given to his half-brother Apollo, who in turn transferred it to his son Orpheus." At one time Vega/Wega was the polestar called in Akkadian Tir-anna, "Life of Heaven," and in Assyrian Daya-same ("Judge of Heaven"), having the highest seat therein; in Egypt it was Maat, the vulture-star, when it marked the pole. This was 12,000 to 15,000 B.C.E.28


ANUBIS
Anubis is Apnu in Greek. He is the jackal-headed or dog-headed god. Identified with Hermes who guided souls, he became Hermanubis.

"In the pyramid texts, he is the fourth son of Ra. Later, it was said that Nephthys (Isis’s sister) bore Anubis adulterously to Osiris. Abandoned by his mother at birth, he was raised by Isis. Anubis accompanied Osiris on his conquest of the world, and when the Good One was murdered, he helped Isis and Nephthys to bury him."29

During the drama of Osiris, Anubis assisted the two distressed goddesses. On this occasion and in order to protect the body of the deceased god, he invented the funerary arts. Thereafter, he served as the god of the dead for a long period of time. Later, he was identified with Hermes.  "In the procession in honor of Isis which Apuleius describes, it is the dog-headed god, baring in his hands the caduceus and the palms, who marches at the head of the divine images."30

Upon the death of their physical bodies, souls are escorted and welcomed by angels to help them remember and understand their lives. Then they are led to a suitable dimension in which they will wait for the next experience in a body. All this is accomplished by angels or Light Beings, the light being the principle that carries and conveys information. Their leader is obviously the Luminous or Michaelic Principle.

"In the presence of Osiris, the god who rules over the kingdom of the dead, Anubis the jackal weighs the good and bad deeds of the deceased on a scale." In the same way, Hermes and Michael (the latter often represented by a scale), "lead the dead to the beyond, and proceed with their judgment."31

MICHAEL AND THOTH
Mediator in the battle between the gods of light and of darkness. Leads the deceased. In the form of Mendes, is represented as bull-headed. Also the "Master of Cynocephalus," the dog-headed ape that symbolizes the third race (Michael leads the race across time/Saturn). The character of Thoth, a semi-human or demi-god, shares his functions with Anubis.

The manner in which he appears in history seems to suggest that he reincarnated several times. Or, as in the case of Quetzalcoatl, it's possible that he generated a lineage of characters who would carry his teachings and eventually his Divine Presence throughout history. Thoth, often depicted with a solar disk on his head, is Hermes and Mercury. The filiation with Archangel Michael’s attributes is easy to find.

INDRA
In the Aryan Pantheon, Indra, also named Vayu, is one of the favorite and major gods and has multiple functions. Although considered one of the most powerful gods, he also has a very human personality. For instance, his passion for soma (the gods' drink) drives him to drunkenness. Indra exerts his power over the natural elements -- the seasons, rivers, rain, storms, and lightning. He is a warrior god who ensures the protection of those who invoke him in battle. According to some sources, the chariot that he rides becomes the sun. As Michael, Indra battles and triumphs over the demon (Asura) and the dragon (Ahi) Vrita (Vrtra), "the enveloper and the obstructer." Vrita has power over the natural elements, the water, the light, and the chaos.32 Indra and Vrita are sometimes brothers. "He is the conqueror of all enemies of the gods, the Daityas, Nậgas (serpents), Asuras, all the Serpent-Gods, and of Vritri, the Cosmic Serpent. Indra is the Saint Michael of the Hindu Pantheon -- the chief of the militant hosts."33

QUETZALCOATL
Quetzalcoatl is a prominent figure in Meso-American and Mexican mythology, a culture to which he contributed the calendar and maize. Named and depicted as the "feathered serpent" or the "plumed serpent," his relationship with the Michaelic Consciousness is easy to establish. With his enemy, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl dominates a cycle of creation and destruction.

"God of the wind, patron of every art and inventor of metallurgy, Quetzalcoatl was originally a deity of Chololan, but was driven out by the intrigues of Tezcatlipoca and decided to return to the old land of Tlapallan. He set sail on the Eastern Sea preceded by his attendants who had been changed into bright-hued birds, after promising his people he would return."34

The return of Quetzalcoatl was at the root of the mistake made by the indigenous people when the Spaniards arrived in their boats. The emperor, thinking that the god had returned, offered them Quetzalcoatl's mask.

His name has also been attributed to a king, Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, who lived at the time of the Toltecs, which is to say around 900.35 Son of Mixcoatl and King of Tollan, he built four temples and was celebrated for his acts of faith. In the mythology, the stories about the god and the king are confounded. For instance, Topiltzin's birth is said to have been in some way miraculous. "He was considered divine, which resulted in his becoming the spokesman and representative of the gods."36

His splendid reign ended when under the influence of his enemy, Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcotl god drunk and committed a reprehensible religious act. The king had to leave the city of Tollan. He established himself in Tlapallan where he "was transformed into the Morning Star." In this story the god and the king are confounded/one. The Aztecs say that "the royal blood of their governors was derived directly from the reigning lineage of Tollan" through marriages with the Toltecs. We note that Venus, as the morning star, is associated with Michael.37

In Quetzalcoatl are blended Archangel Michael’s two most important attributes. He is both a bird/Angel/Spirit and a Serpent/Dragon. As a semi-reptile himself, his enemy is not a dragon but Tezcatlipoca, the summer sun that brings drought and sterility. In the legends, Tezcatlipoca is sometimes introduced as Quetzalcoatl's brother. His name means "smoking mirror". He is also described as the god of night and of sorcerers. He is a cruel creator who brings destruction. As the god of hunting and of providence, he is the "sower of discord" -- the "enemy on both sides."

Just as Michael weighs the souls and assists them in the invisible world, Quetzalcoatl has also a twin brother with whom he descends into hell to find and bring men back.

BEL AND THE DRAGON
Certain of Michael’s attributes, the Solar Hero, are found in the gods Bel and Marduk. Tiamat, primeval goddess of chaos and darkness, exhibited the traits of a monster or a dragon who spread terror. Only Marduk could subdue her. Marduk is "then generally represented armed with a kind of scimitar felling a winged dragon, a souvenir of his victory over Tiamat."38

The Dragon mushrushu or mushhushshu held a major place in the life of the Babylonians as revealed in the mosaics of the Ishtar Gate. Mushrushu looks like a kind of dog with a long neck and the head of a serpent. Its slender body is covered with scales.

Centuries later, Bel and the Dragon are still among the familiar gods. In the apocryphal book Bel and the Dragon, we are told that Nebuchadnezzar adored both the god Bel and the dragon. The prophet Daniel proved to the king that both were only idols. God "delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who destroyed him and his temple."39

"And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped.

"And the king said unto Daniel: Wilt thou also say that this is of brass? That he is no living god ?

"Daniel said unto the King: 'Give me a leave, O King, and I shall slay this dragon without sword or staff.'"40

When the Babylonians invaded Sumer, they assimilated their major divinity, Enlil or Bel, with Marduk. Bel or the Lord, "dispenser of good and evil," had a mate named "the Lady" or "Mother of the Gods."

SOLAR PRINCIPLE AND MITHRA
"Mithra, a god common to both Indian and Iranian worship, though in somewhat different forms, was one of the great Persian gods. In pre-Zoroastrian times, he was associated with Ahura Mazda as a god of light, while under the Parthians, his cult penetrated western Asia and was spread throughout Europe by the Roman armies."41 Mithra sacrifices the bull, between sol and luna.

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