Shemot: Hebrew Divine Names — Achatri'el (also Aktri'el, Aktari'el, Achtri'el or Akatri'el)

The Talmud quotes Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha saying "Once I went in to burn incense in the innermost chamber [of the Holy of Holies]. There I saw Achatri'el Yah YHVH Tz'vaot, and He was sitting on a high and exalted throne" (Berachot 7a). Then there is the phrase from a Merkavah Ofan by Benjamin ben Zerah, an eleventh century Ba'al Shem who wrote "Michael roars and Gabriel clamours. Uriel shouts and Raphael bellows. Hadarniel extols and Achatri'el acclaims God's majesty. And I, the assembly of Israel, declare: 'there is none like God!'"

The Name Achatri'el (also Aktri'el, Aktari'el, Achtri'el or Akatri'el) meaning "Wreath-binder of God," which Moses Gaster maintains to be a composite of the words "Keter" and "Ari'el" , is both a Name of God and an Angel. It features particularly prominently in the Hechalotic literature, in which Achatri'el is a guardian at the celestial gates. In certain instances this Name refers to an angel, e.g. in one fragment titled "The Mystery of Sandalophon" we read "Elisha ben Abuya said: When I ascended to the Pardes, I saw Achatri'el Yah, God of Israel, Lord of Hosts, sitting at the entrance of Pardes and one hundred and twenty myriads of ministering angels were surrounding him. As it is written: 'Thousands upon thousands served him and myriads upon myriads stood before him' (Daniel 7:10)." On the other hand, in the Sefer Hechalot (3 Enoch Chapter 15b), we read "In that time Achatri'el Yah YHVH Tzva'ot turned to Metatron, the angel of the presence, 'Whatever he asks of Me, see that he not be turned away empty-handed'." Here the Name appears as a reference to the Most High in person. Yet, elsewhere again Achatri'el is a secret Name engraved on the throne of glory, whilst in "Sefer ha-Chochmah" (The Book of Wisdom) by Eleazer of Worms it refers to the divine crown when it is "upon the head of the Creator."

It is said the Name Achatri'el pertains to three biblical verses, specifically Exodus 15:6 which reads:

Transliteration: Y'mincha YHVH Nedari Bechoach Y'mincha YHVH Tir'atz Oyev

Translation: Thy Right Hand, YHVH, Glorious in Power, Thy Right Hand, YHVH, dasheth in pieces the enemy.

Isaiah 56:5 reading:

Transliteration: V'natati lahem b'veiti uv'chomotai yad vashem tov mibanim umibanot shem olam eten lo asher lo yikaret.

Translation: Even unto them will I give in My house and within My walls a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting memorial, that shall not be cut off.

and Exodus 15:11 reading:

Transliteration: Mi chamochah ba-elim YHVH mi kamochah nedar bakodesh norah t'hilot oseh fele.

Translation: Who is like unto Thee, YHVH, among the mighty? who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

The most prominent divine qualities listed in these verses are "Glorious Power" and "Glorious Holiness" expressed in the ability to perform "wonders." Combined with teachings about Achatri'el being within the "Light" that controls the creative act, which is said to pertain to "the secret of the mother and the father" in the work of creation, it is clear that Achatri'el is a most powerful "Primary Power" in manifestation. Of course, "the secret of the mother and the father" pertains to the sexual act, or the union of creative forces. We are told that during conception a soul is granted a Levush Neshamah, a "soul garment," which can accurately be considered the "body" used by the Neshamah, the "Higher Self," during the period of its incarnation in the flesh.

In this regard Chaim Vital maintains "there is no soul [Neshamah] in the world.....that can exist naked, without a garment [levush] in which it is clothed in this world." In fact, it is understood that throughout our lives, we receive the sacred life-force, or "Divine Abundance," via these Levushei Neshamot, these "bodies of light" of our Higher Selves. It is maintained that the actual quality of this "garment" is dependent on both parents, the best "garment" being acquired when the parents of the soul in question loved each other, acknowledged the sanctity of their sexual union, and coupled in holiness. In this regard Meir Poppers tells us that even in the case where "a great soul" is incarnating in the flesh, that soul "needs the sanctity of his father and mother during lovemaking so as to bring forth a superior garment, lest this garment cause him to sin." In fact, in the case of such a sacred sexual union, the Kavvanah (focussed attention) of the one to be born will be centered on Achatri'el, whilst he or she is being clothed in the "Levush Neshamah."

As a unique "angel" or "spirit intelligence," Achatri'el is said to be the leader of the first angelic host in charge of the "Element of Water," these being: According to the Shorshei ha-Shemot the central "power" in the current instance is "the great Name Vuho'u ," actually the first triplet of the "Shem Vayisa Vayet" (Name of Seventy-Two Names), which incorporates within itself:

1. the potency of (Aza [Mighty One (?)])," who is the ruler over water;

2. the combined strength of the angelic camp overseeing Water, as listed above;

3. the might of Metatron, the Prince of the Face; and

4. the power of the Holy Names engraved on the Throne of Glory, of which the first eighteen triplets of the "Name of Seventy-two Names" are listed with a set vowels, and of which we are told that in this specific instance the following are the correct pronunciations:

VaHeiVo , YeLeYa , SoYaTa , AL'Mo , MoHeSh' , L'LoHa , ECha'A , K'HaTu , HiZaYa , ALaDa , L'AVa , HaHe'E , YaZaLe , MaV'He , HaRaYa , HaKiMa , L'UVa , and KaLiY' .

In order to align oneself with this "Divine Power," we are told to recite Psalm 29 six times:

Transliteration: (Verse 1) Mizmor l'David havu l'YHVH b'nei eilim havu l'YHVH kavod va-oz (Verse 2) havu l'YHVH k'vod sh'mo hish'tachavu l'YHVH b'hadrat kodesh (Verse 3) kol YHVH al ha-mayim el ha-kavod hir'im YHVH al mayim rabim (Verse 4) kol YHVH bako'ach kol YHVH behadar (Verse 5) kol YHVH shover arazim va-y'shaber YHVH et arzei ha-l'vanon (Verse 6) vayarkideim k'mo eigel l'vanon v'siryon k'mo ven r'eimim (Verse 7) kol YHVH chotzeiv lahavot esh (Verse 8) kol YHVH yachil midbar yachil YHVH midbar kadesh (Verse 9) kol YHVH y'choleil ayalot va-yechesof y'arot uv'heichalo kulo omer kavod (Verse 10) YHVH lamabul yashav va-yeishev YHVH melech l'olam (Verse 11) YHVH oz l'amo yiten YHVH y'vareich et amo va-shalom

Translation: (Verse 1) A Psalm of David. Ascribe unto YHVH, O ye sons of might, ascribe unto YHVH glory and strength. (Verse 2) Ascribe unto YHVH the glory due unto His name; worship YHVH in the beauty of holiness. (Verse 3) The voice of YHVH is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth, even YHVH upon many waters. (Verse 4) The voice of YHVH is powerful; the voice of YHVH is full of majesty. (Verse 5) The voice of YHVH breaketh the cedars; yea, YHVH breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. (Verse 6) He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild-ox. (Verse 7) The voice of YHVH heweth out flames of fire. (Verse 8) The voice of YHVH shaketh the wilderness; YHVH shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. (Verse 9) The voice of YHVH maketh the hinds to calve, and strippeth the forests bare; and in His temple all say: 'Glory.' (Verse 10) YHVH sat enthroned at the flood; yea, YHVH sitteth as King for ever. (Verse 11) YHVH will give strength unto His people; YHVH will bless his people with peace.

I believe this is used as a magical incantation to calm the raging seas. However, we are informed that if you should find yourself in the waters of an angry sea, or on a boat, and you should want to calm the raging waves, write the listed triplets of the "Name of Seventy-Two Names" with the vowels on a pure deerskin parchment, a piece of clean cloth, or on clean white paper, and cast it in the stormy waters.

Now, I am particularly interested in sharing the use made of Divine Names, not only for personal physical well-being, but also for spiritual growth and alignment with higher "Powers." In this regard I have been taught that the contemplation of the Name Achatri'el in combination with other "Names of Power," specifically will facilitate an especially close union with very lofty "Spiritual Powers." However we are also informed that since these good and powerful Names invoke particularly powerful "Spirit Forces," they should be revealed only "to those who are called by the Divine One."

It is said the Names in question were derived from the following three phrases, each comprising exactly 28 letters.

The first is Genesis 1:1

Transliterated: Bereishit bara Elohim et ha-shamayim v'et ha-aretz

Translated: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The second is Exodus 20:1

Transliterated: Vaidaber Elohim et kol ha-d'varim ha-eileh leimor

Translated: And God spoke all these words, saying.

The third is from the Kadish (Mourners Prayer)

Transliterated: Y'hei shmei raba m'varach l'olam ul'almei almaya

Translated: May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.

I was told that one could align with, and integrate, the special "Spirit Forces" inherent in "Achatri'el YH YHVH Tzva'ot Hadiriron" in the following manner:

1. Commence by mentally visualising and uttering

2. Recite the three phrases from which these Divine Names were derived.

3. Conclude by again mentally visualising and uttering

Besides attempting to align oneself with these mentioned unique "Spiritual Powers," it is worth noting that the Name Achatri'el is also employed in special Hebrew amulets. A good example of its talismanic use can be found in a Hebrew amulet (TS K1.94) which is part of a set of magical texts and amulets discovered in the Cairo Genizah. The Name Achatri'el, vocalised Echeitri'eil in this instance, is positioned with other letter combinations inside a hexagram, and encircled with a letter from one of the magical "Angelic Alphabets," e.g. "Writing of the Archangel Michael," "Celestial Alphabet," etc. placed inside each of the six corners, as shown below: The top inscription is an acronym of (YHVH God of Israel), and the combination below Achatri'el Divine Name is said to refer either to (Or Yashar—Straight Light) or (Or Yorad—Descending Light).

Kabbalah, Tarot Magic & an Evangelist

A while back I received an email from an individual who queried whether Kabbalists believe “in the magic of tarot cards and such,” which the querant ranked amongst the “evil stuff God mentions in the bible to not engage in.” The individual lectured me “to not engage in the things of the world, but to come with prayer and faith to Him and He shall deliver you.” Plainly, I was simply faced with another of those unpleasant, invasive evangelical types, who like to barge in on ones private space, like a bull in a china shop, employing as intense condemnatory rhetoric as possible, and jumping to unfound conclusions without any comprehension of the basic facts of the matter.

Resisting my initial reaction to dispatch individuals such as these to the very conflagration they maintain to be the consequence of “Divine Wrath,” I thought I would attempt a rejoinder in a more civil manner. As can be expected, the “civil response” turned out to be a waste of time, however, I thought others who scrutinize this blog might find something beneficial in the said reply.

“I have yet to find any reference to ‘magic of tarot cards’ in the Bible or anything of the kind in primary Kabbalistic literature. Furthermore, there is no indication anywhere in our Tradition that Kabbalists ‘believe’ in ‘tarot cards and such.’ I do however know that there are many, including my late mentor (William G. Gray), who have applied the tarot in terms of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life in order to get a better understanding of the workings of creation, our role within it, and the meaning of being. It is perfectly clear that some of these applications have indeed turned out to be most fruitful and meaningful.

However, I do not believe the Tarot to be the fundamental issue here. It is clear that you are keen to express the ultimate authority of a brand of religion promulgating no engagement ‘in the things of the world but to come with prayer and faith to Him and He shall deliver you.’ This approach presupposes that all manifestation, the entirety of physical existence is naturally evil, that all humans are automatically sinners for being born into this world, and therefore not warranting a decent place in the hereafter. It further assumes that an enormous gulf exists between a holy God out there somewhere and an exeedingly unholy humanity down here, and that ‘He’ is the ‘master’ whilst we are the ‘slaves.’ Let me make it clear that this is not Kabbalistic teaching. To Kabbalists everything is part of God, and all existence the manifestation of God, hence God can be found even in a stone of most insignificant appearance.....

.....why should you pray as a slave to a master? Why should we grovel in front of a jealous, dictatorial deity; an insecure one requiring our eternal praises; a spiteful deity who, it is said, will cast us into a fire because we did not flatter him enough? That is not my idea of a ‘god’! I do not praise God for God's sake, I praise God for MY sake! I am the one who stands in awe at the wonders of creation around me, and who feels the need to say ‘Baruch ha-Shem! This is a most wonderful example of your handiwork! Now could You show me how I could emulate something like that in my own life?’

The idea of prayer should be a relationship with God, a mutual relationship, through which God and we evolve together. I believe that God manifest is also evolving, because He would not be almighty if He could not. I was taught in Kabbalism that He originates out of Nothing, that He IS but His origination IS NOT. If He thus evolves towards the Infinite Nil of His origination, He will do so eternally, because He will never find His beginning or His end. It is simply a question of the better you make yourself, the better you make God, and thus, because of my belief in the evolution of God, I also know that our evolution has no end. We also evolve eternally. I cannot fathom a condition in which I will be in eternal bliss and ecstasy, one in which I would not be able to grow ever higher, but would be condemned to sameness for ever and ever. I would deplore such a state, because it would be static and boring. I am reminded of a rather profound phrase in a song from the musical ‘Paint Your Wagon,’ which goes something like ‘When I get to Heaven, tie me to a tree, for I’ll begin to roam and soon you know where I will be?’

Besides, what is prayer and how can a ‘God’ hear us? Only THROUGH OURSELVES, and to the extent that we are in contact with ‘God.’ On this earth WE are the ears, eyes and agents whereby It knows man. By making a ‘God’ in the very best and finest form we can imagine It, we are helping that Being become its own Intention. To pray is to entreat, to postulate and to make supplication, and it seems to me the greatest supplication to the Eternal Living Spirit is surely for It to be what It wills within oneself. Our relationship with God should always be based on a continuous flow of energy, generated and projected by Divinity to us, which we have to focus and return for renewal and reprojection to us, to be refocused again and returned to God, and so on. I believe that God and ourselves stand in a reciprocal relationship, each benefitting the other. It is really no wonder that this special relationship is called a ‘Mystical Marriage’ when it is fully realised.”