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 a 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.
