12 - Planets and Angels
Different days of the week and hours of the day and night are associated with specific energies and each particular time is ruled by a planet and an archangel. Though these were primarily centred on ceremonial magick, they can also be used to give focus and potency to informal spells.
The planetary and angelic hours can also be applied to the everyday sphere, for example by choosing the appropriate day and even hour for beginning a money-making scheme or a first meeting with a potential business partner or lover. You can further amplify the salient qualities and strengths of these times by using oils, incenses, coloured candles and crystals linked with the specific planets and angels.
There are also strong connections between the planet and angel of the day, though angelic magick tends to be used, not surprisingly, for rituals with a more spiritual and ecological or global focus. As you discover particular combinations that work well, you can add them to your Book of Shadows.
Planetary Magical Days Of The Week
Though I have written primarily about the significance of the different days, I have also listed the effects of the planetary hours.
The planets have had a special place in both ritual magick and astrology, since the Ancient Babylonians and Chaldeans first observed them wandering across the sky (the word 'planet' derives from the Greek planetes, meaning 'wanderer') against the fixed constellations of the zodiac.
The ancients knew of only five planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were discovered only after the invention of the telescope and so have not assumed the importance in magick that they have in astrology. What is more, the first astronomers also counted the Sun and the Moon as planets and credited them with certain qualities that have become woven into the Western astrological and magical traditions.
Astrologers believe that the positions of the planets in the zodiac at the time of an individual's birth can influence and indicate that person's fate. In magick, the planetary strengths can be applied to any purpose under the As above, so below' principle that stresses the interconnectedness of the whole universe.
You can create your own spells by using the associations, much as you create recipes by knowing the qualities and blending power of individual ingredients. And just as in cookery, those spells or recipes where you break away from the set formula are often the most successful.
For example, if you wanted to do well in an interview for a job, you might burn a wish in a candle of the colour blue - for careers - on Thursday, the day of Jupiter, who is associated with employment and worldly success and all matters of increase; for extra potency, the candle could be surrounded with small blue sodalite or lapis lazuli, Jupiter's special crystals. You could also burn cedar, one of Jupiter's incenses or sandalwood oil.
If you needed more general career success, you could make or buy an amulet of tin, the metal of Jupiter, perhaps a coin from a museum shop that you charged with power every Thursday by sprinkling it with salt, passing it through cedar incense, a blue candle flame and the fragrance of burning sandalwood oil.
If your projected job was to do with communication, technology or the media which are ruled by Mercury, you could carry out the spell on two consecutive days, beginning with the communicative power of Mercury on his hour, the third after sunset on a Wednesday. You could light yellow candles and use a Mercurian crystal, such as yellow jasper or a yellow-banded agate, and burn dill incense and fennel essential oil. On the second day of the spell, the Thursday, carry out the spell again at the third hour after sunset, which on this day is Jupiter's evening hour, to add his authority and opportunities for expansion.
Planetary Days And Their Applications
In this section I have listed the particular strengths of each planet, together with their most powerful times. Remember that, in addition, the sign you are born under will exert its influences on you at all times.
The Sun
Sunday, the day of the Sun, is for spells for personal fulfilment and ambition, power and success, for increasing the flow of the life force, asserting or strengthening your identity and individuality, for innovation of all kinds and new beginnings. It is potent also for energy, joy, health prosperity, spiritual awareness, self-confidence, for bringing wealth and prosperity if there is poverty and failure, for breaking a run of bad luck, and for all matters concerning fathers. I have listed various solar deities in Chapter 4. Though there are powerful Sun goddesses, the Sun's focus is mainly male/animus/ yang in both men and women.
Sun hour spells bring a surge of energy and vitality and so are excellent for personal empowerment and renewal.
Element: Fire Colour: Gold
Crystals: Amber, carnelian, diamond, clear crystal quartz, tiger's eye, topaz
Incenses: Cloves, cinnamon, frankincense
Trees: Bay, birch, laurel
Herbs and oils: Juniper, rosemary, saffron, St John's wort
Metal: Gold
The Sun rules Leo, 23 July-23 August, and is most powerful for those born under this sign.
The Moon
Monday, the day of the Moon, is for spells concerning the home, family matters and the influence of the family, especially the mother, children and animals. Its prime focus is fertility and all the ebbs and flows of the human body, mind and psyche. It is also potent for protection, especially while travelling, for psychic development, clairvoyance, secrets and meaningful dreams, all sea and garden rituals and for herb magick and healing.
Although there are Moon Gods, lunar energies are primarily yin/female/anima in both men and women.
Moon hour spells are good for bringing unconscious powers to the fore and thus also for gaining magical insights and for bringing wishes into actuality.
Element: Water
Colour: Silver or white (although some magical traditions that use the Triple Goddess in ritual dress show the Maiden in white, the Mother in red and the Crone in black)
Crystals: Moonstone, mother of pearl, pearl, selenite, opal Incenses: Jasmine, myrrh, mimosa
Trees: Willow, alder
Herbs and oils: Chamomile, lotus, poppy, wintergreen
Metal: Silver
The Moon rules Cancer, 22 June-22 July, and its spells are particularly potent during that period and for all who are born under Cancer.
Mars
Tuesday, the day of Mars, is good for spells for courage, taking the initiative at home, independence and separateness from others, and change. It also represents aggression, competitiveness and anger, all qualities that can be used positively for altruistic purpose, for example, standing out against injustice and protecting the vulnerable and loved ones under threat. This is the lifeblood planet and so can be used to overcome seemingly impossible odds, to defeat opposition, to survive and thrive. It is also for physical health and vitality and so its rituals are always dynamic.
Mars rules passion and the consummation of love. Like Fire magick, the energy of Mars is very powerful and so spells should always be for positive purpose and with a circle that can afterwards be closed down.
Mars was the Roman Warrior God, and legendary father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. As god of both agriculture and war, he represented the ideal Roman, first as a farmer and then as a conqueror and so the agricultural Fire festivals are linked with his power. He is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Ares and the Viking Tyr, the altruistic Warrior God who sacrificed his sword arm to save the other deities (the word Tuesday derives from his name).
The hour of Mars is especially good for psychic self-defence and for courage in a crisis.
Element: Fire
Colour: Red
Crystals: Garnet, bloodstone, ruby, jasper
Incenses: Dragon's blood, ginger, mint, thyme
Trees: Cypress, holly, pine
Herbs and oils: Basil, coriander, garlic, pepper, tarragon
Metal: Iron or steel
Mars rules Aries, March-20 April, and is the co-ruler of Scorpio, 24 October-22 November. In magick, it is most potent during these two Sun sign periods and for those born under Aries and Scorpio.
Mercury
Wednesday, the day of Mercury, is good for spells to assist money-making ventures, for clear communication, persuasion, adaptability and versatility, for improving memory and sharpening logic, for learning, examinations and tests, for mastering new technology, for short-distance or brief breaks, and for conventional methods of healing, especially surgery. It is also potent for business negotiations, overcoming debts, repelling envy, malice and spite and those who would deceive. For this reason, Mercury spells must always be used with honest intent. Wednesday is also traditionally associated with divination.
Mercury, the planet nearest the Sun, completes its orbit in only 88 days and so is named after the fleet-footed messenger god who, like his Greek predecessor, Hermes, carried the healing caduceus. He is also linked with the Anglo-Saxon god, Woden, after whom Wednesday is named.
Mercury hour spells are good for finding a quick way out of difficulties and for melting rigid opinions in others.
Element: Air
Colour: Yellow
Crystals: Agate, citrine, falcon's eye, jasper, malachite, onyx
Incenses: Lavender, lemongrass, mace
Trees: Hazel, ash
Herbs and oils: Dill, fennel, parsley, valerian
Mercury rules Gemini, 22 May-21 June, and also Virgo, 24 August-22 September. In magick it is most potent during those periods and particularly so for those born under Gemini and Virgo.
Jupiter
Thursday, the day of Jupiter, is good for all forms of increase and expansion, whether improving fortune or career prospects or bringing promotion, power, ambition and joy through fulfilment of objectives. Jupiter's influence may be personal or more usually socially orientated; it is also potent for leadership, for conscious wisdom, creativity, for extending one's influence in the wider world, for idealism, matters of justice and the law, authority and altruism. Jupiter increases what already exists, so can bring greater prosperity and abundance or success and good fortune. It rules marriage, permanent relationships (both business and personal), fidelity, loyalty and male potency in both the human and animal kingdom.
Ironically, Jupiter can lead to excesses, including greed, addictions and obsessions, so it can also be used for banishing these.
Jupiter, known as the Sky Father, was the supreme Roman god, ruler of the universe. Like Zeus, his Greek counterpart, Jupiter controlled the thunderbolts, which were carried by his eagle, the noblest of the birds. However, he ruled not despotically, but as the chief of a triumvirate of gods: the other two were Juno, his consort, and Minerva, goddess of wisdom, who made up the feminine principle of deeper, more instinctual wisdom.
Use the hour of Jupiter to profit from an opportunity to upgrade your life.
Element: Air
Colour: Blue/purple
Crystals: Azurite, lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise
Incenses: Agrimony, cedar, sandalwood, sage
Trees: Beech, oak
Herbs and oils: Borage, cinquefoil, coltsfoot, hyssop, mistletoe
Metal: Tin
Jupiter rules Sagittarius, 23 November-21 December, and is co-ruler of Pisces, 19 February-20 March. Jupiter spells are therefore especially potent in the period of Sagittarius and Pisces and at all times to those born under these Sun signs.
Venus
Friday, the day of Venus, is associated with love and all forms of love magick, especially to attract love. Because Venus rules harmony and peace, however, if the success of a love spell depends on ruining another person's happiness and security, it tends not to work without repercussions on the spell-caster.
Venus is also invoked for beauty, the arts, crafts and music, relationships, friendships, blossoming sexuality, the acquisition of beautiful possessions and the slow but sure growth of prosperity, for Venus rules all matters of growth. Like the Moon, she can be invoked for horticulture and the environment; because she can be associated with excesses of unwise love and romance, spells can be created in her name to reduce the influence of destructive lovers and possessiveness. Also like the Moon, the spells of Venus are potent for fertility and for matters of women's health.
Venus is sometimes known as the morning or evening star and at her brightest she is the most brilliant object in the sky besides the Sun and Moon. For this reason, in many cultures she took the name of the goddess of beauty. She was Ishtar to the Babylonians, Aphrodite to the Greeks and her Viking counterparts are the goddess Frigg, the Mother Goddess, and Freyja, maiden goddess of beauty and love, after one or both of whom Friday is named.
Spells at the hour of Venus are especially good for new love and the growth of self-love, for if we do not love ourselves we cannot love others creatively.
Element: Earth
Colour: Green, pink
Crystals: Amethyst, emerald, jade, moss agate, rose quartz
Incenses: Geranium, rose, strawberry, vervain
Trees: Almond, apple, birch
Herbs and oils: Feverfew, mugwort, pennyroyal, verbena, yarrow
Metal: Copper
Venus rules Taurus, 21 April-21 May, and also Libra, 23 September-23 October. Venus spells are especially potent during these Sun sign periods and for those born under Taurus and Libra.
Saturn
Saturday, the day of Saturn, is potent for spells concerned with unfinished business, and with endings that lead to beginnings. It is therefore a good day for all slow-moving matters and for accepting limitations, as well as for overcoming obstacles that are long-standing or need careful handling. It also aids lifting depression or doubts, meditation, long-term psychic protection, locating lost objects, animals and people and regaining self-control whether over bad habits or emotions. It is also the planet of mystical experiences and of exploring the unconscious depths of the individual and collective psyche and for past-life work.
Saturn can be used to slow down the outward flow of money and to encourage repayment by those who owe you favours or money. It helps banish pain and illness and brings acceptance of what cannot be changed.
Saturn is the shadow side of Jupiter, and offers the reality factor, the constraints of fate, time and space, but also turns challenge into opportunity, effort and perseverance. He represents the joy of Jupiter tempered by experience, the expansiveness of Jupiter held in check by caution. Saturn was the Roman form of Cronus, Greek god of time, who was deposed by his son Jupiter, after he had refused to allow natural change and progression. But even this led to joy, because Saturn was sent to Italy where he taught the farmers agriculture and engineering and he established a Golden Age of peace and plenty.
Saturn hours are especially good for bringing patience and for dealing with long-terms obstacles and difficulties.
Element: Earth
Colour: Black/grey
Crystals: Haematite, jet, lodestone, obsidian, smoky quartz
Incenses: Aconite, cypress, patchouli
Trees: Blackthorn, yew
Herbs and oils: Aspen, bistort, comfrey, horsetail, Solomon's seal
Metal: Lead or pewter
Saturn rules Capricorn, 22 December-20 January, and is co-ruler of Aquarius, 21 January-18 February.
These Sun periods are most potent for Saturn spells and for those born under these signs at all times.
Magical Hours
The hours of the day are also influenced by the planets. To choose the best time for a spell, you should consult first pages 227-32 on the planetary days and then page 235 where I explain the planetary hours. For example, if you were carrying out a love spell in which you wanted rapid results, perhaps for a special meeting, you could work on a Friday, Venus's day, on both her hours - sunrise and the third hour after sunset.
If you wanted courage in love, you would use a Mars hour on a Friday. If you needed to communicate your feelings, but found it difficult, you could add the energies of a Mercury hour to a Friday love spell. If you wanted a banishing spell for shedding excess weight, you could use the last days of the waning moon cycle when it is in the sky during the morning before it sets. The banishing lunar energies should take away the compulsion to binge that is keeping you from a healthy lifestyle and if you use them at the hour of Venus, this would increase your inner beauty and help to bring you to a state of self-love. Remember that the beginning of the hour is always the most potent.
The times of sunrise and sunset are different each day. Calculate the precise timings from true sunrise, which is the first hour of the magical day. Alternatively, for a less formal spell, you can make an approximation. Any good diary will have the sunrise and sunset for each day, but choose one also with the moonrises and moonsets. You will need a calculator if you decide to use the exact planetary hours.
You can calculate a week or even a month ahead if there is a period in which you intend to do a lot of magical work. In this way you can maximise the energies of specific hours and choose a good time for anything from asking for a rise at work to sorting out the budget with a reluctant partner. Enter the planetary and angelic hours in your diary or the appropriate section in your Book of Shadows. These calculations can also keep bored children amused on rainy afternoons - just tell them stories about the angels and planets first. Children also adapt quickly to angelic time - after all, it's far more fun if you change sad old bedtime into St Michael's hour and have a bedtime story by the light of his golden candle.
To calculate the magical hours, you need to divide the time from sunrise to sunset and then the time between sunset and sunrise by 12. At the height of summer, the days are much longer than the nights, so each 'day' hour will be longer than the 'night' hours. At the spring and autumn equinoxes, when day and night are equal, day and night hours will be of the same length.
As a short-cut, when you need instant magick, you can use the times of sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight and the day of the week energies, with approximations of hours if you wish. Combine the day energies with the power of solar magick, which tends to be more immediate than lunar. So if you are seeking a new beginning, go for dawn. For full power or realising your potential, carry out your rituals at noon, the height of the Sun, and for banishing spells, try sunset. You will know instinctively if it's a solar or lunar issue and whether you need a blast of Sun power or clarity, or more subtle Moon bindings or unravellings.
Angelic Correspondences
You can, if you wish, use angelic rulers instead of planetary ones for the magical hours, or combine the energies of both. In practice, if your magick has a spiritual focus or is concerned with healing or global or ecological matters, angels work better than planets. If you have calculated your daily planetary hours, your angels will correspond exactly.
As with the planets, each archangel rules the first hour after sunrise of his own day. Though many people do regard the Archangels as male, they are androgynous and so I have called them 'he' merely for convenience.
Many magicians from the Middle Ages onwards have used angels as part of formal rituals and they have long been a potent form of psychic protection both for guarding the four corners of the ritual circle and as personal guides in less formal magick.
Below I have given the association for each of the daily and hourly angels. Since angels are a very personal form of empowerment and protection, I have not made the descriptions too precise, however. To learn more about them, see the section in Further Reading on page 297, or try entering angels on your web browser. Images can be downloaded and form a focus for meditations, through which you can invoke each angel using your own higher self or consciousness. In this way, the protective angel draws on your own spiritual powers.
Archangels And Their Days Of The Week
Michael
Michael is the archangel who rules the Sun. Michael's day is Sunday.
Michael, the Initiator, brings illumination and inspiration in many spheres of life, through the efforts of our individual creative spirit. Michael is the guardian of all who stand alone with their unique vision for bettering the world and are not prepared to compromise their ideals for humanity, purely for money or fame. This archangel can be invoked in ritual for all creative ventures, for original ideas and individuality, contact with the Divinity and the Spirit Guides, for reviving barren land despoiled by industrialisation, and for cleansing air pollution.
Colour: Gold
Crystals: Citrine and pure crystal quartz
Incenses or oils: Frankincense and orange
Gabriel
Gabriel is the archangel who rules the Moon (see page 228). Gabriel's day is Monday.
Gabriel, the Integrator, brings increased spiritual awareness, mystical experiences, astral travel and significant dreams, as well as connection with the world soul and mind through the unconscious mind, especially in prayer and meditation and in beautiful, natural places close to water. He brings deepening spirituality within the family and work environment. He can be invoked for protection against inclement weather, for travel across water, for taking away sorrow and for diminishing self-destructive tendencies and replacing them with the gentle growth of new hope. Gabriel also rules rituals to protect water creatures and to cleanse polluted seas, lakes and rivers.
Colour: Silver
Crystal: Moonstone and opal
Incenses or oils: Myrrh and jasmine
Samael
Samael is the archangel who rules the planet Mars (see page 229).
Samael's day is Tuesday.
He is sometimes called the Severity of God and as such is an angel of cleansing and of righteous anger. One of the seven regents of the world and said to be served by two million angels, he is also called the Dark Angel who in the guise of the serpent tempted Eve. This is a very ancient concept in which kings and rulers were constantly tested to prove worthy of their sacred trust and so he is not an angel to invoke lightly.
Samael is also the avenger who offers protection to the weak and vulnerable and cleanses doubts and weakness, replacing them with spiritual courage to stand against what is corrupt, especially those who abuse power. He can be invoked for rituals to relieve those in war-torn lands, minorities who are being oppressed and endangered species
Colour: Red
Crystals: Garnet and bloodstone
Incenses or oils: Allspice and dragon's blood
Raphael
Raphael is the archangel of the planet Mercury. Raphael's day is Wednesday.
Raphael, the Harmoniser, offers healing of all kinds, protects children, bringing guidance and sustenance to all who are lost whether physically, emotionally or spiritually. He can be invoked in all health matters, for spiritual knowledge and insight and for alleviating the worries of daily lives that keeps us bound to the Earth. Most importantly he shows us how to teach others our spiritual insights. He heals technological and chemical pollution and the adverse effects of modern living.
Colour: Yellow
Crystals: Citrine and yellow jasper
Incenses or oils: Lavender and clover
Sachiel
Sachiel is the archangel of the planet Jupiter. Sachiel's day is Thursday.
Sachiel, the Divine Benefactor, is the angel of charity who says that only by giving freely to others will our own needs be met. He works constantly to help others and to improve the lives of humankind. He can therefore be invoked for all rituals to bring better harvests, both physical and emotional, and for increasing abundance and prosperity, not just for a minority but the good of all. He restores rundown areas or cities where unemployment has been lost, blending new skills with traditional knowledge.
Colour: Blue
Crystals: Lapis lazuli and turquoise
Incenses or oils: Sandalwood and sage
Anael
Anael is the archangel who rules over Venus. Anael's day is Friday.
Anael, the Regenerator, is one of the seven angels of creation; he is Prince of Archangels and controls kings and kingdoms. His is pure, altruistic love, love of one's fellow beings and of all creatures in the universe. He can be invoked for all matters of forgiveness, both towards ourselves for what is past and towards others that we may be free from their thrall.
Anael brings harmony to places and people. He restores natural balance, healing rainforests, bringing wildlife habitats to the city and greenery everywhere. For his fertility is that of the whole Earth, rich in fruit, flowers, people and creatures of all kinds, whether living in the wild or in sanctuaries.
Colour: Green
Crystals: Jade and rose quartz
Incenses or oils: Valerian and rose
Cassiel
Cassiel is the archangel of Saturn. Cassiel's day is
Saturday.
Though Cassiel, the Conservator, is the angel of solitude and temperance, he was traditionally invoked for investment and speculation. In a sense, this is not incompatible, for true speculation is based not on random selection, but on deliberation and an almost intuitive scanning of any situation. He brings moderation in actions and dealings and development of inner stillness and contemplation.
Cassiel can form a focus for rituals for the reversal of bad fortune and for conserving resources and places in their natural state. Invoke him for conserving history and tradition as a legacy for future generations.
Colour: Purple
Crystals: Obsidian and jet
Incenses or oils: Cypress and thyme
A Ritual With Seven Angels
This would be a suitable ritual for welcoming a new baby or child into a family whether in birth, by adoption or through the joining of two existing families. It may also be used for sending a teenager out into the world. You can also adapt the ritual to welcome adults into a family or help them to move on to a new phase or place.
You might like to use a seven-branched candlestick, like the Jewish menorah, and light a candle on seven consecutive hours throughout the day. You could carry it out on the baby's christening or naming day or on a quiet day with the teenager. Alternatively, you could perform the ritual for seven days at the same hour of the day on the week before the christening or departure and make this a special family orientated hour.
It does not matter in which order you invoke the angels. Start at the hour that suits you best. If you keep to the same hour, you will work with the energies of each of the archangels over a seven-day period.
Alexandra, a friend who carried out the ritual for her son Sam who was going away to college, began on the first hour at sunset on Wednesday, which meant the ritual used the energies of the archangel Michael. The final ritual on the Tuesday was Sam's leaving party. Sam joined in the final candle-lighting just before his party and later said that when he was lonely or scared at college, he remembered the candles and felt protected.
If you cannot obtain candles of the right colour, use white. If you cannot find the right angelic fragrance, substitute lavender or sandalwood - these are all-purpose. For angelic crystals, use any of the colours associated with the angel, if the specific ones you want are not available. The crystals need only be tiny.
I have set this out as a seven-day ritual but if you are instead holding the ritual on seven consecutive hours, then consult the tables above for the order of angels, as this will be different. You can start at any day or hour as long as you use the fragrances and candles or their substitutes of the ruling angel.
* Take your seven angel candles and place them in holders.
* Light a golden candle as the hour begins and then light your frankincense incense.
* Take a small, clear crystal quartz for Michael and pass it through the candle flame, saying:
Flame high, O power of illumination, enter might of Michael's sword, inspiration, life-bringer.
* Pass the crystal through the smoke of the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance the clear vision of Michael, fire of the Sun, light-bringer.
* Hold the crystal high in the air and circle it deosil, over the child, if present. If they are absent or would be self-conscious, use a photograph or personal item belonging to the child, saying:
Endow, O Michael, - [name the child] that he/she may have the powers of originality and the creativity to make the world a better place by his/her presence here.
* Place the crystal in a clear dish in front of the candles and blow out the candle, sending the light to the person. Leave the incense to burn through and spend the rest of the hour in a pleasurable way with the focus of the ritual or in a family-orientated activity.
* On the second day at the same hour, light the Michael candle and the silver Gabriel candle, plus some myrrh incense.
* Take a moonstone, or other crystal of Gabriel, and pass it through the flame of the silver candle, saying:
Flame high, O mystical guardian, with thy mighty sceptre, ruler of the waters of the Moon and the oceans, bringer of dreams.
* Pass the crystal through the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance, the compassion and understanding of Gabriel, truth-bringer and clarion of hope.
* Hold the crystal high in the air over the child or their symbol and circle it deosil, saying:
Endow, O Gabriel, - [name the child] that he/she may speak always wise words and gentle counsel, drawn from the depths of the universal well of wisdom.
* Place this crystal in the dish with the crystal quartz and blow out first the Michael and then the Gabriel candle, sending the light to the child. Leave the incense to burn. Again, spend a quiet but joyful hour.
* On the third day at the same hour, light the first two candles and then the red Samael candle and some dragon's blood incense.
* Take a bloodstone and pass it through the Samael candle, saying:
Flame high, O protective spirit, dispelling danger and darkness, warrior of flame, bringer of faith.
* Pass the crystal next through the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance, the courage and determination of Samael, defender of the weak and oppressed.
* Hold the crystal high in the air over the child or symbol, and circle it deosil, saying:
Endow, O Samael, - [name the child] that he/she may never falter from a challenge and fear none who seek to oppress or intimidate with harsh words or unjust deed.
* Place this crystal in the bowl with the others and blow out the candles, ending with the Samael candle, sending the light to the child and leaving the incense to burn through.
On the fourth day at the same hour, light the first three candles and then the yellow Raphael candle and lavender incense.
* Take a citrine and pass it through the Raphael candle, saying:
Flame high, great messenger, with thy pilgrim's staff, bringing safety to travellers far from home, O guide and keeper of all.
* Pass the crystal next through the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance, the healing and nurturing powers of Raphael, teacher and uplifter of the spirit.
* Hold the crystal over the child or symbol and circle it deosil, saying:
Endow, O Raphael, - [name the child] that he/she may pass between the dimensions and be as at home in the world of spirit as of matter.
* Place the crystal in the bowl with the others and blow out the candles, ending with the Raphael candle, sending the light to the child and allowing the incense to burn through. Again, spend time in a positive family way.
* On the fifth day at the same hour, light the four candles, then the blue candle of Sachiel and some sandalwood incense.
* Take a lapis lazuli and pass it through the blue candle flame, saying:
Flame high, lord of all abundance, bringing increase of all that is good and noble and joy-giving.
* Pass the crystal next through the incense, saying;
Enter through this fragrance, the benign and all-encompassing powers of Sachiel, bringer of knowledge and understanding of the universe and its creatures.
* Hold the crystal high over the child or symbol and say:
Endow, O Sachiel, - [name the child] that he/she may know prosperity of spirit as well as of material blessings, and share willingly with others the fruits of good fortune won by endeavour and application.
* Place the crystal in the dish and blow out the candles, ending with the Sachiel candle, sending its light to the child and leaving the incense to burn through.
* On the sixth day at the same hour, light the five other candles and the green Anael candle and some rose incense.
* Take a rose quartz crystal and pass it over the green candle, saying:
Flame high, gentle peace-bringer, spreading harmony and goodwill even where there is division.
* Pass the crystal next through the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance, the love and fertility of Anael, bringer of reconciliation and connections between souls as well as mind and body.
* Hold the crystal high over the child or symbol and circle it deosil, saying:
Endow, O Anael, - [name the child] that he/she may love all creatures, man, woman, child, bird, animal, plant and all sacred places, which is the whole world.
* Blow out the candles, the last being the Anael candle, and send the light to the child. Leave the incense to burn through.
* Finally, on the seventh day at the same hour, light a purple candle and cypress incense for Cassiel.
* Take an obsidian crystal and pass it through the purple candle flame, saying:
Flame high, you who bring silence and contemplation to a noisy world, spreading stillness and detachment in which the spirit may thrive.
* Pass the crystal next through the incense, saying:
Enter through this fragrance the patience and perseverance of Cassiel, bringer of wise caution and preserver of all that is of worth in our heritage.
* Hold the crystal high over the child or symbol, saying:
Endow, O Cassiel, - [name the child] that he/she may turn obstacle into challenge and maximise opportunities within the constraints of what is possible, rather than lamenting what is not, and build on the foundations of the old world a new and better place.
* This time, leave all the candles and the incense to burn through and if the child is present express in your own words, even to a tiny baby, how much you treasure them in your life and how they have enriched your being. Give the crystals to the child.
