It is said that the angel Sandalphon was created from the Tree of Life, and walked the Earth in human form as Elijah, the great prophet of Israel who we’ve read about in the book of Kings in the Bible. Toward the end of his days he was taken in a flaming chariot in a whirlwind into the Heavens – alive and well – to return to his angelic form.

Psalms 91:11-12 For he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Sometimes we may feel like we are being bombarded with negative energy. Maybe we are not sleeping well and are having nightmares. Perhaps there is trouble at home or work and we feel we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. We may be stressed out, frightened, angry or anxious, or even all of these things. If you are feeling upset or fretful it’s time to call in the angels for help.

Archangel Raphael, whose name means “God has healed” or “the Shining One who heals,” is one of the most well of known of the archangels. He is one of seven angels who attend the throne of God and he is the archangel over all the healing angels. He is also known to be the funniest of the angels, and he frequently enjoys the company of humans, disguised as a human himself of course!

Raphael’s origins can be traced back to the Mediterranean to before the time of Christ where he is included in a pantheon that had as the high god, El, his consort Atirat and her child, Raphael. He was originally known as “Labbiel.”

Archangel Gabriel, whose name means “God is my strength,” is one of the few angels whose gender seems to point to being female. It is said that she sits at the left hand side of God (left being feminine) in the Seventh Heaven, and she is the ruler of the cherubim (the order of angels who act as intercessors and carry out God’s will). Gabriel is one of only two angels mentioned in the old testament (the other is Archangel Michael).

Gabriel’s origins are Chaldean, and it’s believed she was a Babylonian goddess who was later transformed into an archangel (as were both Archangels Michael and Raphael).

Just about everyone has heard of angels. Much of our religious literature is filled with stories of angelic intervention, and every culture has angelic mythology, whether it’s religious in nature or not. But sometimes I am surprised at how little the majority of people really know about the angels. They believe in angels, yet also hold the belief that they are not good enough to receive angelic attention. I work in holistic healing, and routinely call upon angelic assistance when seeing clients. My clients are always surprised to find out that they could possibly receive angelic help during a healing session. I would be more surprised to find out they were not!

We have long been fascinated with stories of the angelic host. Tales of heavenly beings who travel throughout the realm of man, helping and doing the will of the Divine, are told at the fireside and in Sunday school. Guardian Angels bring solace to those seeking, and TV angels fill both heart and spirit with faith and hope of a better tomorrow.

So who are the angels? Whilst tales of divine beings predate many of the great religions, the most popular consensus (both religious and non) seems to be that angels are of divine origin, and have never incarnated in mortal form. They are here to be guardians, and they guide the natural forces behind the scenes while unknowingly we plod merrily along.