Cicero - Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition_Part 01

158 SELF-INlTIATION INlO THE GoLDEN DAWN 'fRAomoN
possession of this book and consequently renamed it The Book of Enoch.) Raziel's
duty is to make Wisdom available to all who are able to hear it..Raziel, as the
teacher of Wisdom, stands atop the white pillar, sometimes envisioned as the Holy
Mountain, proclaiming the secrets of the world in a great reverberatingvoice. He is
the Archangel of creative force and energy. His symbols include a key, a book or
scroll, an eye, and a lamp.
TZAPHQIEL <,M'i'~~): The Archangel of Binah. Her name means "Beholder of
God" or "the contemplation of God." Additional titles include Binael and Tzaphqiel
Erelel (as the leader of the Angels known as the Erelim). She is the Eye of God, watching
and observing, through which the Divine knows and sees all. Tzaphqiel governs
meditation and contemplation. She is the Archangel of the archetypal temple, and is
behind the formation of all mystical groups that have emanated fromwhat is sometimes
referred to as "the Great White Lodge."44 The root word of her name, tzaph,
indicates the overflowing of water. Tzaphqiel is also the Archangel of Primal Manifestation.
Her symbols include an hourglass, a sickle, and a book.
TZADQIEL <,M'i"~): The Archangel of Chesed. His name means "Righteousness
of God." This indicates a rightness by justification after the application of tests and
tribulations. It implies one whose essence is essentially correct. The root word of
this name, tzad, indicates the action of setting snares and hindrances (in order to
test). Tzadqiel's duty is to direct everything to its best possible state of being, to
make things perfect in order to assure that the ascent to the Divine is possible.
Additional titles include Tzadqiel Gedulael and TzadqielChashmadel (as the leader of
the Angels known as Chashmalim). He is the Angel of benevolence, abundance, joy,
mercy, and memory. His symbols include the rod or staff of guidance, a shepherd
crook and an orb.
KHAMAEL <,M~~): The Archangel of Geburah. His name means "the Severity of
God."45 Khamael is the protector of the wronged, and also the Avenging Angel
who pursues those who break both human and universal laws. He is associated
with divine justice and severity. Khamael is sometimes called "The right hand of
God"-metingout justice in order to restore a state of balance throughout the Tree
of Life. He controls the aspects of burning and destroying in order to purify and
44 Also referred to as the "Inner Council of Masters" or "SecretChiefs:' These arehumanbeings who
are said to have evolved spiritually beyond the need for physical bodies. They remain in the Earth
plane to teach younger, less evolved initiates through direct inner communication.
45William Gray erroneously stated that the root of this name was khab, which meant to suffer, to feel
pain or make war. However, prominent Golden Dawn scholar Adam P.Forrest has pieced together
the true origin of this name. According to Forrest, the original Archangel of Mars was Samael-a
name that MacGregor Mathers changed to Zamaelin order to avoid confusion with the Qliphotic
Samael. When the Qabalists began to assign Archangels to the Sephiroth, someone attributed a list of
Planetary Archangels to their corresponding Sephiroth, and the martial Samael was naturally
assigned to Geburah. At some point this list was copied into Greek. In late Greek writing, the letter
Sigma (the first letter in Samael) came to be drawn in the shape of a "C:' Still later, when the Greek
list was copied into Latin, the copyist made the error of transliterating the Greek name of CAMAHL
as "Camael" rather than "Samael," Even later, someone (perhaps a member of the Golden Dawn)
back-transliterated Camael as ~M~~ and thus was Khamael born. And although it originated as an
error in transliteration, it does help magicians distinguish between Samael, Archangel of Evil, Zamael,
Archangel of Mars, and Khamael, Archangel of Geburah.