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Maggidim (Angels) & the Power of Prayer


http://www.sophian.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=387

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Maggidim (Angels) & the Power of Prayer
by Tau Malachi Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:56 pm

According to the Tradition, God created the world with Ten Utterances, and a corresponding maggid (angel)
was created with each of these Utterances. As God expanded and unfolded Creation (Beriyah), each Utterance
divided and subdivided into many “sparks” (smaller utterances). This is reflected in the esoteric meaning of
the verse, “Behold, My words are like fire, and like a hammer that shatters rock” (Jeremiah 23:29). Thus,
many maggidim were created from every maggid, exactly according to the number of holy sparks that issued
forth; and the maggid that emanated from the original Utterance became a Great Maggid (archangel) set over
the hosts of a corresponding order of maggidim, all of which were created and formed from sparks of holiness.
How blessed Creation is! Praise Yah!

The masters of the Tradition say that each and every one of these holy maggidim is given a sacred trust or
responsibility for a particular aspect of Creation. Even trees and plants have maggidim set over them, guiding
and facilitating their growth and evolution, and even with such things as rocks one will find a holy maggid. As
the sages have said “There is nothing below, not even a common herb, which does not have an angel on high
that strikes it and tells it to grow” (Bereshit Rabbah). Every maggid in the Matrix of Creation receives its life
force, its light and spirit, from the Utterance which is its source of its creation – that expression of the Living
Word of God from which it receives its holy spark. It then, in turn, transmits a measured flow of this life force
to its specific charge, and thus all creatures and the entire Creation is sustained by God’s Holy Shekinah – the
Divine Presence and Power.

This reflects the emanation of the Holy Sefirot through the four Olamot – the Sefirot at the level of Atzilut
manifest as the Divine Names and Partzufim; the Sefirot at the level of Beriyah manifest as Great Maggidim,
and at the level of Yetzirah, as the Orders of Maggidim; then, at the level of Asiyah, as the sun, moon, planets
and stars, and all things of the material universe. The Ten Utterances are rooted in the Ten Divine Names and
the Five Great Partzufim, and thus the Maggidim and Matrix of Creation is the manifestation of the power of
the Great Name of God (Yahweh Elohim); specifically, the Maggidim and Matrix corresponds to Elohim, and the
Human One corresponds to Yahweh Elohim, according to the Holy Torah (Bereshit/Genesis).

Why does the Human One (Adam/Eve) correspond to Yahweh Elohim, but the Maggidim and Matrix corresponds
to Elohim? Because, in the Human One the heavens and earth are joined, and as the image and likeness of
Yahweh Elohim, the Human One can consciously unite with God and Godhead – through the agency of the
human being the Supernal Mochin, Ruhaniyut and Shefa of the Holy Sefirot are drawn down, and the greater
blessings of the maggidim are invoked and made manifest.

There is a natural restricted flow of divine blessing and grace through the maggidim, and in this natural
restriction there are klippotic influences – the influences of impure and dark spiritual forces. Through spiritual
study and contemplation, prayer and mediation, and sacred ritual, we can purify things of klippotic influences
and increase the flow of divine blessings and grace; most specifically, through prayers of blessings,
thanksgiving and praise, to which the maggidim are oriented by their nature – for they are creatures of
blessing, thanksgiving and praise in God’s presence.

This reflects the power of blessing prayers, and prayers of praise and thanksgiving; as we focus our mind and
heart on the Source of All, the Holy One of Being, we acknowledge Divine Providence and naturally bring forth
the Divine Presence and Power from within what we bless with the Holy Remembrance of God (God’s Name).
When we call upon the Divine Name below, the Maggidim draw upon the power of the Divine Name above, and
thus blessing or spiritual energy flows through them into that which we have blessed; then, as we partake of
what is blessed, we receive the blessing and are blessed. Likewise, through prayers of blessing, we serve to
uplift holy sparks and to gather sparks into the Mystical Body of the Risen Messiah (the Holy Sefirot). Prayers of
blessing, and prayers of praise and thanksgiving, thus have a theurgic function as much as a spiritual and
mystical intention.

According to the sages of wisdom, the power of the maggidim to receive and transmit blessings or life force is
called the power of the “hands.” (The Hebrew word for “power,” Ko’ach, numerically equals twenty-eight, the
number of bones contained in the fingers of both hands.) With the right hand the maggid receives the flow of
spiritual energy from above, and with the left hand it transmits the spiritual energy to its respective charge –
exactly according to what is needed and what has been invoked under the Law. This is reflected in the saying
of the sages, “he strikes it and tells it to grow.” “Striking” is performed with the maggid’s left hand,
exercising the power of its left wing – Gevurah (Judgment). When we bless things through prayer, and we give
praise and thanks to God, the maggidim are empowered to draw forth greater spiritual energy and life force –
their influence increases and grows more powerful in the world, and there is a greater manifestation of the
Holy Shekinah.

You will notice that the nature of the spiritual energy transmitted, first and foremost, is called “life power”
and implies “healing power.” Thus, prayers of blessing promote long-life and healing, and they naturally bring
about abundant life (good fortune). The true potential of spiritual power in the food we eat, healing herbs we
use, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and, indeed, in all things, is drawn out through prayer and
blessings – there is unimaginable power in prayer, and we are wise to bless all things.

It is said that a person who prays without ceasing is in the constant company of tzaddikim and maggidim
(“saints” and angels), and that the Holy Shekinah rests upon such a person, and the Divine Spirit works with, in
and through them – they are truly blessed by God Most High (El Elyon). Indeed, such a holy person is a vehicle
or channel of the spiritual force of holy maggidim – a vehicle or channel of the Divine Presence and Power. If
we remember to bless all things, and to give praise and thanksgiving throughout the day, then we may pray
continually, without ceasing – even if we merely hold the awareness of God’s presence as we go through our
day, naturally we will bless all things and abide in prayer. Blessing is as simply as the conscious intention to do
so!

The masters of the Tradition say that when we are aware of the mysteries of the Holy Sefirot and Maggidim
within and behind all appearances, and we pray with holy awe and wonder, our prayers are naturally more
powerful, becoming vehicles of greater Spiritual Light. Thus it seemed good to share a contemplation on the
blessing power conveyed by the maggidim – the holy angels of God.

May the Holy Spirit inspire our prayers and may we entertain communion with the Tzaddikim and
Maggidim through our prayers, amen.

Blessings & shalom!

by Zeke Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:26 am

Shalom my Tzaddik,

It's the Grace from Our Lord and Our Lady so that I can find you as my Tzaddik in this life. In the Cycle 3 of "St.
Mary Magdalene", it mentions Lady Mary had Yeshua as her Tzaddik, at the same time she had Ratziel as her
Maggid. Is there any practice so that we can contact with our destinate Maggidim and know their names?

Zeke

Guardian Angels
by Tau Malachi Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:41 pm

Greetings Zeke!

When it is said in the oral tradition that Ratziel was/is the Holy Angel of the Bride it points to the Sophian
view of Lady Mary as an embodiment of Sophia (Christ the Sophia); quite naturally the archangel of Hokmah-
Sophia-Wisdom would be associated with her.

Generally speaking, archangels do not serve that the “guardian angels” of individuals, for their spiritual work
is on a significantly greater scale than that of individuals; rather lesser angles serve as guardian angels to
individuals. The only time an emanation of an archangel becomes a companion to an individual is when the
work or mission of the individual is going to have a larger affect/effect on humanity, the larger collective.

That said, we may find that we have a special resonance with an archangel – the tone of our soul-being and
life’s intentionality having a direct connection to the spiritual dominion and labor of an archangel. In this
sense, it may be easier for us to invoke the influence of a specific archangel, and we may find a certain
affinity or attraction to a specific archangel. Yet, in the blessed name of Yeshua Messiah and Kallah Messiah we
may call upon the power of any of the archangels, invoking their influence. In Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ I
give a method for invoking the spiritual energy of each of the archangels of the Tree of Life, with the
exception of Archangel Metatron. If one invokes the archangels frequently, then one may be able to discern a
special resonance with one of them, which in turn might reflect something of one’s true will or the mission of
one’s soul.

As for communion with one’s “holy guardian angel,” there are many methods. Here we may give a simple
method:

Abide in primordial meditation; then through conscious intention invoke your holy guardian angel in the
blessed name of Yeshua Messiah. As you invoke, imagine a great luminous being behind you, seeing the light
shine from behind you – the light-presence of your holy guardian angel. Envision that holy and luminous
presence steps into you, merging with you, and abide joined to the angel of God. At the conclusion give
salutations to the holy angel and give praise and thanks to God.

This can be a deceptive practice, so spiritual discernment is necessary – one must be without vital demand,
without grasping from a state of insecurity. Generally speaking, before such a practice it is good to entertain a
process of self-purification, in whatever way one understands, and tend to a continuum of prayer, cleaving to
the Risen Christ in one’s mind, heart and life. Likewise, during this continuum of prayer you can ask the Spirit
of Christ to empower you in the communion with your angel. (In other words it is good to prepare yourself –
perhaps taking a week to four weeks to do so.) Then, through the Holy Spirit, such a practice may bear good
fruit.

When I say such practices can be “deceiving,” I’m speaking of potential self-deception primarily; thus, in such
practices we must entertain an openness and honesty with ourselves, and maintain the presence of awareness.

As for you question elsewhere about various spiritual involvements, you will find Sophians may become
involved with various groups or traditions – when considering involvement in a group or tradition it is good to
pray about it and meditate on it, seeking guidance from within. In this way your will acquire your answer as to
what is right for you. Generally speaking, we have a clear and conscious intention for all our associations, all
as facilitates our spiritual life and practice, and provides opportunities for service.

May we be guided by the Shekinah of Messiah and by the Spiritual Sun indwelling us; amen.

Blessings & shalom!

by moronacles Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:22 pm

I understand that in your tradition, there is openness to different ideas, partially because one seeks for the
practice that “resonates” with their spirit. I thought I would add, on the subject of guardian angels, my two
cents.

I agree that it is not archangels that serve as guardian angels, unless one bears the name of a guardian angel
at initiation, in which case a person has a guardian angel and an archangel to watch over them. To bring about
a closer relationship with one’s guardian angel, it is necessary to converse with them in prayer. There is prayer
in our own words, and there is also the single-phrased prayer common in our tradition. For guardian angels,
the common prayer used is “Holy Angel of the Lord, my Guardian, pray to God for me.” Of course, one is not
bound by the exact words, and equally one could use a derivation of this, such as “My Holy Guardian Angel,
pray for me” or something similar.

It is possible to pray this for a certain period of time, letting the attention dwell on nothing but the words,
and ignoring all other thoughts, but commonly, as with all single-phrased prayers, an aid to this practice is
used. We have a specific aid, but if one is not had, any beaded instrument may suffice, such as a mala,
weeping beads, or rosary. I once used the little chain used to keep pens attached to a desk as an aid to prayer.
I had nothing else! One should set a set number of repetitions, undertaken with the advice of your spiritual
father, which would in this case be, I assume, Tau Malachi.

The prayer, unlike the chanting of prayer in an assembly, should be spoken, as in a conversation. And of
course, just as Tau Malachi pointed out, one must be careful to avoid self-deception, for we can easily mistake
thoughts and feelings, whether bad or seemingly good, and be led astray.

Over time, one will develop a sense of a relationship with the guardian angel. Experience tells us that often
one is not aware of the divine aid the angel gives, until after the aid has been given. And usually if we think
we are experiencing the help at a certain time and think we are aware of it, it might be a deception.

This is just our tradition. A common rule for the guardian angel would be something along the lines of 50, as
part of a larger rule of other prayers, where the prayer is said very slowly, or even maybe 100, the standard
length of our aid – but starting small is the best.

Bob

Angel Practice
by Tau Malachi Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:48 am

Salutations Bob!

That is a delightful practice. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Blessings & shalom!

ten utterences and maggidim


by Marion Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 4:39 pm

Shalom!

I always wondered how it could be that there could be an order of angels within the body of an archangel. This
seems to perfectly elucidate how this is so. I am wondering though, if these ten utterances have a
corresponding archangel associated with them, then could we contemplate the descriptions of the six days of
creation as descriptions of aspects of the archangel corresponding to that utterance?
I was also thinking about how the many are in the body of the one, having their life and substance in the one.
Does this speak to something of the mystery of the divine name Yahweh Elohim as well? For we know that this
name is Yahweh pronounced Elohim. For sake of contemplation, may we also say, Yahweh seen as Elohim?
Would this be the case with an archangel and the corresponding order of angels? Because it seems like we
could get a taste of the archangel through interactions with the order of angels, as if we could glimpse the one
in seeing the many? Could we also contemplate this in terms of human beings and God? As in, we can glimpse
the image of God whenever the Human One shines forth in a human being, that is to say, a Christed One, as we
see with Yeshua, Magdalene, The Buddha, White Buffalo Cow Woman etc…? Because in Genesis it says, that the
Human One was made according to the image and likeness of Elohim. How beautiful! As in, the Human One
manifested as all of these Maggidim? Because there is that teaching that in the six days of creation God makes
the body of Adam Kadmon, and the Shabbat (The seventh day) is the in-souling of this body, so could we
contemplate these angels as part of the soul of the body of Adam Kadmon? There is also another line of
contemplation in this. Where I was wondering if the angels associated with the ten utterances of creation
could be seen as the agents of the creation of the body of Adam Kadmon, and the Shekinah as the soul of
Adam Kadmon, because it is said that the Shekinah rests on the world on the Holy Shabbat. But this puts a bit
of a spin on things because you say in the original post “It (the Maggid) then, in turn, transmits a measured
flow of this life force to its specific charge, and thus, all creatures and the entire creation is sustained by
God’s Holy Shekinah- the Divine presence and power.” If I am hearing correctly, this would seem to mean that
maggidim are the appearance of the Shekinah?

Regarding the use of the word “Strike” Could one contemplate this in conjunction with the verse from
Jeremiah cited earlier? “Behold, my words are like fire, like a hammer that shatters rock.” (Jer 23:29)
Therefore, could one contemplate this striking as the angel releasing holy sparks from the being, aiding its
evolution?

Praise the Ha-Shem for the utterance of Divine Mysteries!

Blessings and Shalom!


Marion

by Elder Gideon Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 6:51 pm

Shalom Dear Sister!


You're onto something! Yahweh--That Which Was, Is and Forever-Shall-Be--we pronounce Elohim; from Father
YHVH, Mother Elohim discloses and reveals. We also know that what is revealed is equally and oppositely
concealing; doesn't any new insight in any endeavor generate deeper questions? There is no end! Praise Ein
Soph!

YHVH, the One, conceals itself as Elohim; the One become Many. From the First Day, Six others unfold. What
are Divine Names in Atzilut are Archangels in Beriyah, are choirs of angels in Yetzirah are planets in Assiyah.
Where is the Human One in all of this Creation? Everywhere! Holographically! I remember Tau once teaching
"where" this happens: the physical chair you're sitting in, the screen you're reading, the house surrounding all
is Assiyah; molecules composing these are Yetzirah; individual atoms composing these molecules are of Beriyah
and the subatomic, quantum level of infinite possibilities is Atzilut.

I still catch myself imagining Atzilut way far away. But we're abiding in it and breathing it like a fish in water!
The model sketched above helps my imagination access how the Ten Utterances generating Creation are still
happening. Likewise, how we literally "utter" the Human One through our actions. By contemplating how
beings exist within beings existing within Great Being, we learn how we move and are moved, all
interdependently--this is Ma'aseh Bereshit! With this growing awareness, how we act, feel and daydream
reveals more and more deeply how we move and are moved by this tremendous matrix. What do you then
suppose becomes of Ma'aseh Merkavah? It seems to suggest, at least most practically how we are empowered
to reflect faith, hope and love in others; what good and light others recognize in us is their own reflection.

1 O LORD, our Lord,


how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens,


the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what are people that you are mindful of them,


the Human One that you care?

5 You made all a little lower than the heavenly beings


and crowned the Human One with glory and honor.

What can inspire and transmit to others, as Psalm 8 does for me, then seems to be most essential in
actualizing this Great Human One in Creation.

May we remember the Good, in Whose Image and Likeness we are!

Blessings dear sister!

Brothersmiley

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