Raphael is an archangel whose name translates from Hebrew as "God heals" (Rafa-El). In the angelological hierarchies of the Western esoteric tradition, he is one of the seven archangels who stand before the Throne, and his primary attribute is that of healing, both physical and spiritual. He is also associated with travel, knowledge, and the element of Air.

Position on the Tree of Life

On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, Raphael is the archangel assigned to the sixth Sephirah, Tiphereth (Beauty), in the World of Assiah (the material world). As the archangel of Tiphereth, he serves as the mediating force that harmonizes the higher Sephiroth with the lower, and is a central figure in the system of practical and devotional Qabalah. His position at Tiphereth links him to the sun, the heart, and the principle of sacrifice and balance.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the correspondences of Liber 777, the planetary attribution of Tiphereth is the Sun, and so Raphael is intimately linked with solar energies. This solar association reinforces his role as a healer, as the sun is a universal symbol of life-giving and restorative power. It also connects him to the idea of the inner light of consciousness and the harmonizing power of the self.

Historical context

Raphael is one of the few archangels named in the canonical scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, appearing explicitly in the Book of Tobit (Deuterocanonical/Apocrypha). In that narrative, he is the guide and healer who travels with Tobias, binds the demon Asmodeus, and cures Tobit’s blindness. This scriptural role firmly establishes his functions as a healer and a protector of travelers. In later Jewish mystical traditions, particularly the Merkabah and Hekhalot literature, Raphael is depicted as one of the four principal archangels (with Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel) who surround the divine throne. In Christian angelology, he is one of the three named in the Catholic canon (alongside Michael and Gabriel) and is venerated as a patron saint of healers, pharmacists, and those seeking cures. In the Renaissance magical grimoires, such as the Key of Solomon and the Lemegeton, Raphael is invoked for planetary and angelic operations, particularly those concerning the Sun and the element of Air. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn adopted and refined these correspondences, and Aleister Crowley's systematic arrangement in Liber 777 places Raphael explicitly as the Archangel of Assiah for Tiphereth, thereby fixing him in a specific Qabalistic matrix for ritual and meditative use.

In the table of Liber 777, Raphael appears at the step of Tiphereth in the column of "Archangels of Assiah." He is the fourth of the ten archangels listed in that column for the ten Sephiroth, and his placement here is the practical, manifest link for the magician working with the solar current on the physical plane.