Mikael (Michael) is the archangel whose name, a rhetorical question, means 'Who is like God?' He is the chief of the archangels in the Abrahamic traditions, the great protector, and the angel of the South. His name is a battle cry, a declaration of divine uniqueness, and his role is that of the supreme commander of the heavenly hosts.

Position on the Tree of Life

Mikael is the archangel of Hod, the eighth Sephirah on the Tree of Life. Hod is the sphere of Splendor, intellect, and communication. This placement aligns Mikael with the active, analytical, and communicative aspects of the divine, a stark contrast to the purely martial role he often holds in popular piety. He is the archangel of the Sephirah that governs logic, science, and the transmission of knowledge.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the system of Liber 777, Mikael is assigned to the planet Mercury. This correspondence is derived from his position in Hod, which is itself the Sephirah of Mercury. This planetary link emphasizes his role as a messenger, a mediator, and a being of swift, precise action. The Mercurial Mikael is not merely a warrior but a strategist, a scribe, and a master of the divine word.

Historical context

Mikael is one of the few angels named in the canonical Hebrew Bible, appearing in the Book of Daniel as the 'great prince' who protects the children of Israel. He is the angel who contends with the devil over the body of Moses in the Epistle of Jude. In the Book of Revelation, he leads the heavenly army in the war against the dragon, casting Satan out of heaven. This martial aspect was heavily emphasized in the Middle Ages, where he was venerated as the patron saint of soldiers and the psychopomp who weighs souls at the Last Judgment. In the Enochian tradition, he is one of the four great Archangels ruling the corners of the world, specifically the South. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which heavily influenced Crowley's 777, systematized these correspondences, placing Mikael as the archangel of Hod, the sphere of the intellect and of the planet Mercury. This synthesis of warrior, protector, and intellectual force is unique to the Western esoteric tradition.

In the table of Liber 777, Mikael appears as the Archangel of Assiah corresponding to the 8th Sephirah, Hod. He is the active, intellectual, and communicative force of the divine in the material world, the angel of the sphere of Splendor.