Mikael

The principle angelic warrior guardian. Mikael, ‘Who is as God,’ is an elder archangel, meaning a preeminent or chief-angel, and is usually assisted by two warrior angels. Angels are androgynous. However, in Mikael’s case I refer to this archangel’s consciousness, spirit and energy as male even though all heavenly beings are one with creation and neither male nor female.

Mikael is the angel of fire, storm and the bringer of the rains. In Islam he is the angel of mercy, which in Arabic may also mean rain. It is a little known fact that Mikael was the messenger angel to the prophet Noah. In addition, he has assisted all of the other prophets since that time.

Mikael is the guardian of the Holy Grail and is acknowledged within Christian, Hebrew and Islamic lore. He also extends back through the mists of time and has been called by many different names in many diverse cultures. Two of these names were the Greek Apollo and the Celtic Lugh, both Sun Lords.

As the fiery warrior archetype, Mikael represents spiritual illumination as well as being the spirit guide for the dead, or what we would call the heavenly shaman—the psychopomp. As a psychopomp, he aids in the passing over of souls to the Otherworld and weighs the light of each soul’s incarnation with his ‘scales of truth.’

He is the angel of the sun, honored on Sunday and during the dog days of summer—the astrological sign of Leo. Mikael’s honor day is celebrated as Lughnasadh on the first Sunday of August. His feast day, Michaelmas, is celebrated on September 29^th in the sign of Libra, the sign of the scales and the ruler of Venus.

Mikael’s symbology and iconology include: the laurel tree (Apollo’s tree according to the Greeks), feline energy, the dragon-slaying sword—the ‘sun sword,’ the spear of truth—the ‘sun spear,’ serpents and dragons. He is the patron of warriors, swordsmiths and mariners as well as the great initiator into the Mysteries and the guardian of high places, spirals and labyrinths.

As the heavenly Prince of Light, Mikael pierces the dragon energies of the earth, thus forming the connection, union and oneness of Heaven and Earth. But Mikael, with his ‘sun sword,’ does battle with another dragon. This is the dragon of materialism, greed, and external power—the wingless dragon of the ego that stands in the way of achieving peace and unity on earth. In addition, this materialistic dragon blocks the path to our own spiritual power and the feathered-serpent ideal.