Under His Protection: Michaelmas
Although we must honor all the Angels, we ought to invoke in a very special manner the glorious St. Michael, as the Prince of all the heavenly spirits, because of his sublime dignity, his pre-eminent office, and his invincible power, which he proved in his conflict with Satan, as well as against the combined forces of Hell.
—St. Lawrence Justinian
Today I wanted to focus on the holiday celebrating one of my most beloved holy figures: Archangel Michael. Considered an archangel across several denominations (including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity), he’s often invoked for protection and justice and inspires devotion even outside of the church.
The Fall of the Rebel Angels, Luca Giordano, 1634-1705
O Mary Immaculate, great Queen of Heaven and earth and our gentle advocate, we beseech thee to intercede for us. Ask God to send St. Michael and the holy Angels to ward off all the obstacles contrary to the reign of the Sacred Heart in our souls, our families, our country, and in the whole world. And thou, O holy Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, from our hearts we beg thee to come to our aid. St. Michael, First Champion of the Kingship of Christ, pray for us. Amen.
(The above prayer is one of my favorites as it not only calls for Michael’s protection but does so via a relationship with the Blessed Mother.)
Archangel Michael (from the Hebrew "who is like God?") is humanity’s great defender. As a protector and guardian, he can defeat any evil spirit. Even just whispering his name will summon him in your defense. He is the special protector of victims of assault and may be invoked for protection against abuse. As the guardian of firefighters, I’ve asked him on several occasions to watch over my husband.
You might recognize his traditional prayer, which can be repeated anytime you need surrounded by his presence:
Michael to the right of me,
Michael to the left of me,
Michael before me,
Michael behind me
Michael above me,
Michael below me,
Michael within me,
Michael all around me,
Michael, with your flaming sword of cobalt blue, please protect me.
As you say it, envision yourself in a fiery, protective circle of blue flame (created by Michael’s sword).
Historically, Michael appears in the book of Joshua's (Old Testament) account of the fall of Jericho. Though Michael is not mentioned by name, it is said that Joshua "looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand." When the still-unaware Joshua asks which side of the fight the Archangel is on, Michael responds, "Neither...but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." (Joshua 5:13-14)
The Book of Daniel mentions him multiple times: in Daniel 10:13 as “Michael, one of the chief princes,” and in Daniel 12:1 where “Michael, the great prince,” protects the people of Israel. Michael is also mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12, where he does battle with Satan and casts him out of heaven: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
(The fall of Satan at the coming of Jesus marks the separation of the New Testament from Judaism.)
According to the story, after the creation of the heavens and earth, Lucifer rebelled against God, taking a third of the angels with him. Michael, with the rest of the angels, defeated Lucifer and cast him and his supporters out of heaven and into a blackberry bush. As a reward for his loyalty, Michael was made the chief angel. In the Eastern Liturgy, he’s given the title "Archistrategos" (meaning “highest general”).
Michael’s favorite offerings include red and silver candles and frankincense. Garlic is considered an actual manifestation of Michael, so including some on an altar or in a ritual is an easy way to include him.
Below are a few more ways to invite and invoke Archangel Michael in workings related to protection and justice.
Grains of paradise (also known as guinea pepper or alligator pepper) are a powerful ingredient in luck, love, home protection, and money magic. A classic charm in Appalachian folk magic and hoodoo is to attach a small bag of the spice to Michael prayer cards and place them at every entrance to your home (traditionally, one at your front door and one at the back).
While you may want to ritualistically sew small cloth bags, the easiest option is to staple a small plastic baggie to the back. I like sticking them in the top center of the doorframe.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the other evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
In addition to his strong association with protection, Michael is also considered a champion of justice. If you feel like you’ve been cursed or hexed, you may want to use a Revocation of Archangel Michael against the threat (this can also be considered a reversal spell, but I like to imagine that Michael’s presence adds a little extra kick to the return).
Start by writing your enemy’s name on a small piece of tissue paper.
Place it inside a glass and cover it with sea salt.
Fill the glass with storm water.
Cover the glass with a plate and flip it quickly so the water doesn’t leak.
Burn a tealight candle on top of the glass. As it burns, tell Michael what’s going on and ask for his help fixing it. (In this case, I would try to leave time to allow the candle to burn down completely.)
Holding the plate, carefully flip the glass right side up.
Remove the paper and dispose. Pour the salt water down the drain.
Flush everything down the drain, and close with a prayer to Michael.
Unfortunately, if the water spills from the glass, you’ll have to start fresh.
In Pennsylvania Dutch healing and magic, which inspires a lot of the folklore in this region of northern Appalachian, individuals would traditionally carry papers known as Himmelsbriefs (i.e. “holy letters” or “letters from Heaven”). These were basically used as passports (or character references) to heaven in case of unfortunate, fatal circumstances. These sometimes invoked Michael and were sold and carried during wartime. According to legend, the version entitled “St Michael’s Letter,” was written in gold by God himself. Here’s an excerpt:
“In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: As Christ stopped at the Mount Olives, all guns shall stop. Whoever carries this letter with him he shall not be damaged through the enemy’s guns or weapons. God will give him strength that he may not fear robbers and murderers, nor guns, pistols, swords and muskets shall not hurt him through the command of the angel Michael, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, God with me.”
During times when you may need extra comfort, I recommend preparing a small, similar letter for yourself. Himmelsbriefs often included beautiful, colorful imagery (if you were here for hex sign month, you’d recognize the commonly-used distelfink) and provided comfort during stressful times. Think of it like a physical prayer kept “on you.”
You could write the words yourself, or include another standard prayer, such as this one to Michael:
O God, who made blessed Michael, thine Archangel, victorious over the proud Lucifer and all the wicked spirits, we beseech Thee that, fighting under the Cross and ever adopting his maxim, “Who is like unto God,” we may be victorious over all our enemies and be delivered from all evils. Do Thou regulate our lives according to Thy Will and Commandments. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From there, you can include personal petitions, finish with “God with me,” and adorn with symbolism that represents strength and love.
Additional prayers from “Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration: St. Michael the Archangel.” TAN Books.
“Revocation of Archangel Michael” inspired by version in Judika Illes’ “Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells.”