Archangel Sandalphon

Archangel Sandalphon is the guardian of the Earth and the gatherer of prayers. The old stories picture him standing on the ground with his head among the stars, receiving the prayers of humanity and weaving them into garlands to carry upward. He is the angel of music, and he is always named beside Archangel Metatron, as the one who keeps the lower end of the ladder steady while Metatron holds the upper.

His presence is felt as weight in the best sense: a settling into the body, a warmth in the legs and feet, and a feeling of being held up from below.

The Tall Angel

The legends of Sandalphon are among the most beautiful in the angelic literature. He is said to be so tall that a traveler could walk for five hundred years and not reach from his feet to his head. He stands at the threshold between the worlds, and every prayer spoken on Earth, in any language and any tradition, passes through his hands. None is lost. None is too small to be carried.

Some traditions say that Sandalphon, like Metatron, once lived as a human being, and name him as the prophet who was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind. Others reserve that distinction for Metatron alone. Our circle has not been told, and we offer both accounts as they have been handed down.

Role in the Ascension

Much spiritual practice is about rising: raising the frequency, opening the crown, reaching upward. Sandalphon's work is the necessary other half. A light body that is not rooted in the Earth cannot hold its light for long, and people who open upward without grounding often become scattered, anxious or exhausted. Sandalphon helps the light that is received come all the way down, into the body, the home and the ordinary day, where it can be used.

He is also the angel of music. The teachings say that sacred music is one of the most direct ways in which the higher worlds touch this one, and that sound sung or played with love is itself a prayer that Sandalphon carries.

When to Call on Sandalphon

• Grounding after meditation, healing work or a strong spiritual experience
• Feeling scattered, dizzy, unreal or not fully in the body
• Carrying a prayer for someone who cannot pray for themselves
• Music, singing and the use of sound in practice
• Care for the Earth and for the place where you live

Signs That Sandalphon Is Near

• A warmth or heaviness in the feet and legs, as if the ground had risen to meet you
• A sudden sense of being calm and fully present in the body
• A melody arriving in the mind, often one you do not know
• Turquoise or soft earth tones seen with the eyes closed
• A feeling, after praying, that the prayer has been received

How to Work With Sandalphon

1. Stand or sit with both feet flat on the floor, or better, on the earth itself.
2. Breathe slowly into the belly and feel the weight of your body.
3. Say his name, and picture roots of turquoise light growing from the soles of your feet deep into the ground.
4. Speak your prayer aloud, simply. Picture him receiving it.
5. Hum a single note for a few breaths, and let the sound settle you. Then give thanks.

An Invocation

Archangel Sandalphon, guardian of the Earth,
root me in this ground and in this day.
Gather my prayers with the prayers of all who pray,
and carry them where they are meant to go.
Let the light I receive come all the way home.

Our Circle and Sandalphon

Sandalphon has not spoken at our sittings. Tomas Edevane receives the seven Archangels of the rays and Metatron, and this entry draws on the wider tradition rather than on our own record. We offer it a little more tentatively than the entries for the Archangels our circle knows directly, and we encourage readers to test it in their own experience.

Related Entries

• Archangel Metatron
• Archangel Ariel
• Learning to Channel
• Sacred Space and Ceremony