A medieval scribe in a candlelit scriptorium copies a series of circles onto parchment: a hexagram, a square, a seven-pointed star. Beside each figure he writes a name in Hebrew letters: Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, Samael, Sachiel, Anael, Cassiel. They are not gods. They are planetary archangels, the seven angelic intelligences that govern the classical planets in Western esoteric tradition. Each one rules a specific celestial sphere, a day of the week, and a set of magical correspondences. The system originates in the medieval synthesis of Jewish angelology, Hellenistic astrology, and Hermetic Qabalah, where these angels serve as intermediaries between the divine and the material world.
Where the Seven Archangels Came From
The idea of angels governing the planets predates formal grimoires. The Jewish Book of Enoch (2nd century BCE) names seven archangels who stand before the throne of God: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and others. By the time of the Hellenistic period, Greek astrologers had assigned deities to the planets — Hermes to Mercury, Aphrodite to Venus — and Jewish mystics began to map their own angelic hierarchy onto the same celestial spheres.
The critical shift happened in the 13th century. The Heptameron (attributed to Pietro d’Abano, 1250–1316) codified the planetary archangels for ritual magic. D’Abano, a physician and astrologer from Padua, drew on Arabic astrology and Jewish angelology to produce a handbook of conjurations. For each day of the week he assigned an archangel, a set of planetary hours, and a specific prayer. The Heptameron became the backbone of later grimoires.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1531–1533) expanded the system. Agrippa matched each archangel to a sephirah on the Tree of Life: Michael to Tiphereth (the sun), Raphael to Hod (Mercury), Gabriel to Yesod (the moon), and so on. His work gave the archangels a fixed place in the Qabalistic cosmos, linking them to the forty-two-letter name of God and the planetary seals found in the Key of Solomon.
By the 17th century, the Lesser Key of Solomon (the Lemegeton) had formalized the sigils and conjurations still used today. The names fluctuated slightly — Cassiel sometimes appears as Kafziel or Zaphkiel, but the seven remained constant.
What Each Archangel Represents
The symbolism of the planetary archangels is layered. Each angel governs a day, a metal, a color, a scent, and a sephirah on the Tree of Life. The correspondences are not arbitrary; they follow the astrological logic of the planets.
Raphael (Mercury, Wednesday, Hod) carries the caduceus and the traveler’s staff. His metal is quicksilver, his color yellow. He rules communication, writing, and healing. In the Heptameron, his conjuration is spoken at the third hour of the day.
Gabriel (Moon, Monday, Yesod) appears with a silver cup. His metal is silver, his color white. He governs dreams, intuition, and the tides of emotion. Medieval magicians invoked him for protection during night rituals.
Michael (Sun, Sunday, Tiphereth) holds a flaming sword. His metal is gold, his color yellow-gold. He is the ruler of fire, authority, and spiritual victory. The Key of Solomon places his seal on the Sun’s pentacle.
Samael (Mars, Tuesday, Geburah) wears armor and carries a spear. His metal is iron, his color red. He governs conflict, justice, and the breaking of obstacles. Some traditions equate him with the angel of death, but in ritual he is the warrior who clears the path.
Sachiel (Jupiter, Thursday, Chesed) holds a scepter and a crown. His metal is tin, his color blue. He rules expansion, generosity, and legal matters. The Heptameron specifies his conjuration at the first hour of the day.
Anael (Venus, Friday, Netzach) carries a laurel branch and a mirror. Her metal is copper, her color green. She governs love, art, and pleasure. In some traditions she is called Haniel, and her seal is inscribed on a copper disk.
Cassiel (Saturn, Saturday, Binah) sits on a throne of lead. His metal is lead, his color black. He rules boundaries, time, and the culmination of cycles. The Heptameron warns that his conjuration requires the most preparation.
How You Spoke to Each
The practices surrounding planetary archangels are precise. A magician does not simply call a name. He or she observes the planetary hour, prepares the appropriate materials, and recites the conjuration from the grimoire.
The planetary hour is the critical variable. It is not the same as the clock hour. Each day from sunrise to sunset is divided into twelve equal hours, and each hour is ruled by a planet in Chaldean order (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon). The first hour of Sunday belongs to the Sun, so Michael is accessible. The second hour belongs to Venus, the third to Mercury, and so on. A magician working with Raphael would choose a Wednesday during a Mercury hour, or a Mercury hour on any day if the operation is urgent.
The talisman is the physical anchor. The Key of Solomon prescribes inscribing the archangel’s seal on a metal disk of the corresponding planet. For Cassiel, a lead disk. For Raphael, a disk of tin or mercury-coated copper. The inscription is done with a consecrated stylus during the planetary hour, while reciting the psalm associated with the planet (Psalm 8 for the Moon, Psalm 19 for the Sun, and so on). The disk is then wrapped in silk of the planet’s color and placed under the altar.
The conjuration itself is a fixed text. The Heptameron provides a standard formula: “I conjure thee, O spirit N, by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, who created the heavens and the earth…” The magician stands inside a circle, faces the direction of the planet’s rising, and speaks the name of the archangel three times. The tone is command, not prayer. The archangel is not worshipped; it is directed to perform a specific task.
Archangels and Gods: The Line That Blurs
The planetary archangels are often confused with the planetary gods of Greek and Roman religion. The difference is historical and theological. The archangels are intermediaries of a single God, not independent deities. But in practice, the line blurs.
The Picatrix (11th century), a grimoire of Arabic astral magic, treats the planetary spirits as beings with names like “Barzai” and “Alphat,” not archangels. The Arbatel of Magic (16th century) lists the Olympic spirits: Aratron for Saturn, Bethor for Jupiter, and so on. These are not archangels but spirits of the planets, each with a different hierarchy.
Agrippa himself argued that the archangels correspond to the seven planets but are not the same as the Olympic spirits. He reserved the title “archangel” for the seven who stand before God. The Olympic spirits, he said, belong to the elemental world.
We treat the archangels as distinct from the gods. The archangel Michael is not Helios, though both rule the sun. The archangel is a fixed intelligence; the god is a personified force. In ritual, you can work with both, but you do not confuse their names.
What People Get Wrong
The most common error is assuming the names are universal. The Heptameron gives Cassiel as the archangel of Saturn. The Key of Solomon sometimes calls him Orphiel. The Book of Abramelin uses a different set entirely: Bael, Asmodeus, and others. The names shifted as the grimoires were copied, translated, and reinterpreted. There is no single canonical list.
Another misconception is that the archangels are to be worshipped. The grimoires are explicit: the archangel is a servant of God, and the magician is a servant of God. The conjuration is an act of partnership, not adoration. You do not bow to Raphael. You address him with respect and authority.
Some sources claim that you cannot work with planetary archangels without being initiated into a formal tradition. That is false. The Heptameron was written for solitary practitioners. The seals, hours, and conjurations are available to anyone who studies them. What matters is precision and sincerity, not lineage.
FAQ
Are planetary archangels the same as the seven archangels of Judaism?
Partly. The Jewish tradition recognizes Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel as the four primary archangels. The grimoire tradition expanded the list to seven by adding Samael, Sachiel, Anael, and Cassiel, drawing on Hellenistic astrological correspondences.
Can I invoke more than one planetary archangel in a single ritual?
It is possible but not recommended. Each archangel has a specific planetary hour and direction. Attempting to call two at once can confuse the resonance. The grimoires advise working with one archangel per operation, then dispersing the circle.
Do I need to use the exact Hebrew names from the grimoires?
Using the names as given in the Heptameron or the Key of Solomon is safest. However, variations like Kafziel for Cassiel appear in later texts. The power is in the intention, not the exact pronunciation.
What if I cannot obtain the correct metal for the talisman?
You can substitute a paper disk inscribed with the seal, drawn in the appropriate color. The metal is an amplifier, not a requirement. Many practitioners use parchment or virgin paper.
The planetary archangels are a doorway into the structured cosmos of medieval magic. They are not vague entities. They have names, seals, hours, and histories. Learning them is the first step toward working with the wider system of planetary magic. For a deeper study of the timing of these operations, see our guide to planetary hours. And for the full architecture of celestial intelligences, including the Olympic spirits and the planetary gods, visit our planetary magic hub. The glossary entry on archangels provides a quick reference for the seals and correspondences.