Words are powerful, but words infused with thousands of years of practice, filled with real intent and intoned with the vibration of your soul are the most powerful words of all. As prayers go, this Qabalistic prayer might not be one of the most recognizable: 

Ateh,
Malkuth,
Ve Geburah,
Ve Gedulah,
Le Olam, amen.

Switch on the universal translator and it becomes very familiar indeed:

As above,
so below,
the power and the glory,
forever, amen.

The Qabalistic prayer is also accompanied by hand gestures: Ateh – pointing to above the crown or touching the top of your head, Malkuth – pointing down to your feet, Ve Geburah – touching your right shoulder, Ve Gedulah – touching your left shoulder, bringing your hands together in a prayer gesture for Le Olam and bowing on the word Amen. 

Whilst using this in its entirety during Qabalistic ritual and temple work is essential for the work about to take place, I also use it daily to protect my energy and by that I mean reminding myself of what is mine and what belongs to those I meet or interact with energetically during the day. In a modern world, I would include social media interactions in this too. How often has a comment affected you? Or a news story, perhaps? This prayer reconnects the soul to source. 

Archangels 

I say the Qabalistic prayer, or intone it, in the morning and before bed, not always using the gestures. I say it to keep my aura clean and, for me, it’s also a way to show respect for my training and for the spiritual beings I work with. It helps keep my energy as clear as possible. Used in conjunction with the four great archangels, the prayer increases the depth of meditations, the feeling of peace in a busy household, clarity in decision-making and a sense of wellbeing. 

The four great archangels; Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel are the archangels of the elements Air, Water, Fire and Earth respectively. Elemental balance is far more important than some people realise; the elements are the building blocks of our world and as such should be treated with enormous respect (as any alchemist will tell you). 

Descriptions of the archangels are many, images are plenty and none of them are necessarily true. We clothe these energies to better understand them and to distinguish one from the other, for example in visualisations. Visualisation is a misleading term, it suggests you see the archangel, and you do, but you should also be able to feel the energy and hear it crackle. 

In daily practice, the energy of the archangels, for me, is called upon by seeing them as columns of light; yellow and electric blues for Raphael, reds and gold for Michael, the blues of oceans and lakes for Gabriel and the earthy tones of russet, olive and browns for Uriel. The way you experience them is your call. Try it! 

In Qabalah, it helps to know where they stand in relation to your physical being; Raphael in front of you, Michael on your right, Gabriel behind you and Uriel to your left. Ideally, you’d be facing east, so you have Raphael in the east, Michael in the south, Gabriel in the west and Uriel in the north. This means you are surrounded by Air, Fire, Water and Earth. 

To draw down their power for daily protection, I would first perform the Qabalistic Cross, then say: 

Before me Raphael
Behind me Gabriel
At my right hand, Michael
At my left hand, Uriel
Around me burn the pentagrams of fire and behind me shines the six-rayed star of pure white brilliance, not my will, but thine be done. So be it.

To be clear, you aren’t giving your power away, you’re recognising the power of the soul, your own soul. These words must be delivered with certainty and confidence; you are requesting the protection of the archangels after all. 

This last part links the energy of the archangels and places a bright light behind you intended to shield your energy from negativity. 

Again, I would use this in ritual work, but for daily use and personal energy protection some people put the archangels around objects they wish to keep safe, their home for example. I also do this from inside my home. I see the archangels around my home in their relevant quarters and facing out in protective stance and I always renew their protection on rising and on retiring. And I always do this with gratitude, respect and love. 

Finally, remember any use of ancient words, prayers and certainly the archangels are like all magick; they are very real and not to be undertaken lightly. 

Take David's Introduction of Qabalah online course