Barchiel

From Occult Encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Seal of Barchiel from the Magical Calendar

Barchiel is the angel who rules over the zodiac sign of Pisces.

His name means "Lightning of God." The four letters of Yahweh are ההוי HHVY.

Characteristics

Barchiel's primary office is to defend mortals from evil spirits. According to occultist Franz Bardon, who calls this angel "Jophaniel," this spirit is responsible for directing evolution among all forces in the universe.

As an Archangel of the Zodiac, Barchiel also rules over the month of February and the feet of human bodies. In the hierarchy of angels, he is in the Confessors choir (part of the 10th choir of "non-angels," the Innocents, Martyrs, and Confessors). Its stone is sapphire.

The Archdemon of the Zodiac under his control is Vacabiel, the demon king of Pisces.

Textual history

Barchiel is mentioned in many grimoires from the 1500s onward. His name first appears in print in Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1531), but must have come from an older, unidentified source. The Magical Calendar (1619) marks the earliest publication of his summoning seal. Arsenal Manuscript 2495 (1600s) contains the earliest known explanation of the angel's abilities, although this text likely utilized an older source.