Lecture VII

The names “Uriel,” “Gabriel,” “Michael,” are still known to the modern consciousness, but as a legend from the far past, and you need only look in the Book of Enoch to find the names of yet other Archangels. So, for instance, there is “Phanuel,” an important Archangel who has not only the task of guiding some people or nation, but another task too. We are aware that initiation consists of the fact that man strives upwards to an ever higher consciousness, and that even now in the course of earthly evolution he is ascending to an ever higher consciousness. Now the people in the Mystery centres knew well that here too guiding, leading forces were necessary. They therefore brought those who were to be initiated under the protection of the Archangel Phanuel. He was the protector who was called upon by the candidate for initiation.