Ali Olomi is an Assistant Professor in the United States and a keen historian of all things related to the Middle East and Islam. He has a firm grasp on popular folklore which was birthed in this part of the world. He has previously talked about horrific monsters and demons; which are categorized under different jinns.
But this time, he brought forth a lighter topic for discussion; angels and astrology.
He talked about how each angel was assigned a planet and, with that planet, a specialty. And magicians even today use the forbidden practice of making talismans (taweez) to give to people.
Angels are an important part of faith in Islam. As in the case with Judaism and Christianity, a mystical interpretation of angels is found within the writing of some thinkers
A thread on angels, magic, and astrology
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
He talked about how medieval Muslim writers who came across a discussion of the cosmos by Persian, Indian and Hellenic writers, started looking at the cosmos in terms of angels.
As medieval Muslim writers encountered Hellenic, Indian, and Persian literature on the cosmos some mapped angels out onto the classical astrological planets.
While falling outside orthodox belief, the correspondence of angels to the planets were used in some magical practices
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
The angel Ruqiyail is associated with the sun. He exudes a lot of power and is attended by heavenly kings.
The angel Ruqiyail is associated with the Sun. Described as carrying a great banner and attended by mighty heavenly kings, this angel exudes power and joy.
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
The angel Jibrail, known for the revelations, is associated with the moon.
Jibrail rules over the Moon. In traditional accounts, Jibrail is the angel of revelation while in esoteric traditions the angel is called upon to constrain the djinn
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
Samsamail rules Mars and this angel was thought to be fierce; the imagery reminds one of that of a warrior. And Mikail rules over Mercury – the angle who and grants sustenance and mercy upon people.
Mars is ruled by Samsamail a fierce angel carrying red banners aloft on a lance.
Mikail on the other hand governs Mercury and is an angel that grants mercy and sustenance
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
Kasfiyail rules Saturn.
Finally there is the dour Kasfiyail who rules over Saturn armed with a sword and mighty tempests
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
These ideas of angels and astrology being interlinked is quite complex and brings together a lot of schools of thought.
These angels are a point of intersection between Jewish mysticism, Hellenic, and Persian astrology, and Indian mathematics with Islamic esoteric practices
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
And this is where things get interesting; the association of these angels with these planets and powers has made those who do forbidden magic know whom to call when they want a certain result.
For instance, one way is using astrological timing to make a taweez with certain numbers that invoke Kasfiyail, the ruler of Saturn. And with his associated power of strength, he could help discover and trap thieves.
For example the Muslim mage using astrological timing could craft a talisman under the auspices of Saturn, invoking Kasfiyail, along with alpha-numeric symbols.
Such a charm could be used to discover and trap thieves
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
Or, in other cases, using Mars for its timing and invoking Samsamail to force people to shower honor and respect on you.
Or invoking Samsamail under Martial timing and using one of the Names of God, Al Jabbar, the wise could craft a talisman to force powerful people to shower them with respect and honor
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
While the practice is forbidden in Islam, it is still widely in use.
Though considered a forbidden practice, it was still quite popular and many treatises were written about angels, astrology, and talismans
— Ali A Olomi (@aaolomi) January 8, 2020
The idea that astrology and angels are related since medieval times, and are invoked according to the time and numerical digits of their planets blows my mind!
What do you think of angels being associated with astrology for magic? Let us know in the comments below.
