The Bridge Between Heaven and Earth: Archangel Sandalphon and the Divine Melody of Prayer
Archangel Sandalphon, a towering figure with one foot planted on the Earth and the other reaching the heavens, embodies the bridge between you and the Divine. He is your partner in the sacred act of prayer. This article explores Sandalphon’s unique role as a mala maker and how you can deepen your connection with this Archangel.
This article explores Sandalphon’s lore, symbology, nature, and unique role, particularly his connection with God as a mala maker, intricately weaving your prayers into a spiritual rosary and presenting it to the Most High. Learn how to connect with Sandalphon’s energy to get the most from your mala and mantra.
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About Archangels Sandalphon and Metatron
What is an archangel? All angels are angles of the divine or aspects of the creator. Each is a facet of God’s multifaceted nature. For example, Uriel is the Light of God, and Gabriel is the Messenger of God. The twelve archangels differ from the vast array of lesser angels in that they make up a larger arch or swath of the divine’s nature.
If divinity were a circle, you could view it in twelve sections like pie slices. These are the rays of the archangels. Within each ray are many more angels with narrower essences. Some texts assert that each arch rules over a legion of 6,000 angels, for a total of 72,000. Others propose far more than that.
Archangel Sandalphon is the twin brother of Archangel Metatron. Yet, he has his own mighty function, so awesome that he is supreme, ruling legions of angels and the highest level of the heavens.
Together, these archangels tend to your mantras, wishes, and prayers. Sandalphon weaves them into a glorious garland for the Most High. Metatron then delivers the answers to your prayers.
In this function, Sandalphon represents all matter and form in the universe (Source’s densified, manifested aspect), typified by the number ONE. Metatron represents the elemental emptiness from which everything emerges and disappears (the void, nothingness aspect of Source), represented by the number ZERO.
Together, the two energies dance and spin a toroidal flow of doing and undoing the universe and all creation – an infinite churning of becoming and dissolving, illustrated with the number EIGHT. This is one reflection of the magickal alchemy of the divine number 108, the traditional number of beads on a mala.
Sandalphon is the primary mediator between heaven and Earth, form and emptiness, and Source and creation, as one side of a cosmic coin with his twin. In the Greater Key of Solomon, these two archangels are the Cherubim on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, who create a space between them called the Mercy Seat, or Throne of God.
These archangels are, in short, your connection to Source.
The Weaver of Prayers: The Cosmic Mala Maker
In the liturgy for Sukkot, Sandalphon is credited with gathering the prayers of the faithful, making a garland of such prayers, and then “adjuring them to ascend as an orb to the supreme King of Kings.”
A garland (strand) of orbs (beads) made up of humanity’s prayers (mantras)? That is a mala!
The concept of the “garland of prayers” resonates deeply with the symbolism of malas. Malas, traditionally made from 108 beads, are used for mantra recitation and meditation in various spiritual traditions. Each bead represents a silent prayer, a whispered wish, or a mantra chanted with devotion.
The word “bead” comes from the Germanic “bitte,” meaning “please” or a request, and from the old English, “bid,” meaning a plea. From the inception of the concept of beads, we find these were meant to hold or represent prayers.
As a mala maker, I craft each mala with blessings and with the intention that the knots between each bead will hold your prayers in Divine order. I imbue your beads with the potential to become a meaningful tool for channeling prayers. You then practice mala mantra with sincerity. Sandalphon does the rest.
But how?
The Talmud states that Sandalphon causes the angels and all the hosts of the other realms to tremble in awe. He is so tall that it would take five hundred years to traverse his entire body, which allegorically means that Sandalphon is at least as big as our whole universe.
He takes all prayers ever sung, spoken, or whispered and weaves them into a massive garland. He then recites a charm, a secret name of God, magically sending the mala past the limits of this universe. This causes all the angels of all the realms to be so amazed that they tremble in awe.
As the intricately woven rosary of prayers reaches the Throne beyond all universes, heaven’s foundation shakes. Every part of the universe vibrates, and all aspects of creation sing in universal harmony, honoring creation.
This process maintains the continuous vibration of every particle in the universe. Without this, the manifest cosmos would cease to exist. This is connected to string theory which states that all matter is made up of subatomic strings, and the basic fact of physics that nothing exists at zero point, which is the juncture at which all vibration stops.
Thus, prayer is a crucial element in sustaining the physical universe, and Sandalphon is the medium through which your prayer becomes real. As Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, BG 7.7: “There is nothing higher than Myself, O Arjun. Everything rests in Me, as beads strung on a thread.”
Prayer takes many forms. Words spoken make up a mere portion of Saldalphon’s mala. An intention is a prayer, tears are a prayer, and laughter is a prayer. Prayer is emotion. Most angels don’t understand English. They only understand emotion.
Interestingly, Metatron and Sandalphon are the only archangels to have lived human lives (Enoch and Elijah, respectively). This gives them the unique ability to communicate with spoken language and receive and deliver answers in words. In fact, Metatron is known as the scribe of God.
These are the only angels whose names don’t end in “el,” which means “of God.” Their mysterious ascension from human form to archangel suggests that God may expand, grow, and evolve with creation. As above, so below. As it is in the greater macrocosm, so it is in the microcosm. This ancient hermetic principle is proven with quantum physics.
This just scratches the vast surface of Sandalphon’s nature and the elaborate way he continually weaves your mantras, prayers, and emotions into the beautifully crafted mala he does. If you wear a mala or practice mala mantra, you are partnering with Archangel Sandalphon in a very real way.
No matter who you pray to or what your mode of prayer may be, the energy of Sandalphon is that aspect of Source that mediates and sends your prayers upward.
You are invited to start here and now. Invoke Archangel Sandalphon whenever you wear or use your mala, practice mantra, pray, choose a new intention, or feel a strong emotion. Know you are never alone but always connected to the Most High by this loving and attentive archangel.
The Divine Symphony: Mantra, Music, and Prayer
As the Archangel of Music, the celestial conductor who oversees the heavenly choirs, Sandalphon imbues creation with its Divine melody – vibration. Music, in its purest form, transcends language and resonates with the soul. Similarly, when offered with sincerity, prayers carry a unique frequency that speaks directly to the Divine.
Herein lies the beautiful synergy between Sandalphon’s two roles. He weaves the individual melodies of prayers into a harmonious symphony. This grand composition expresses humanity’s individual and collective hopes and aspirations.
Mala beads are beautiful instruments for praying. Mindful repetition on a mala will transform mumbled pleas into a focused and rhythmic chant, aligning perfectly with the essence of celestial music. If you question this, listen to Kirtan music for a day and see how you feel.
How I Connect with Archangel Sandalphon
As a mala maker, my dedication to crafting these sacred tools resonates with the very essence of Sandalphon’s energy. I am an adherent of the Divine Weaver, contributing to the bridge between humanity and the Divine. Each bead I choose and each knot I tie imbues the mala with a specific energy. My focus and intention while creating malas become part of the mala’s essence, further amplifying the prayers it carries.
Here are some ways I imbue your malas with the power of prayer:
- Intention Setting: Before starting a mala, I always set the intention that it will be a powerful tool for prayer and connection with the Divine.
- Sacred Materials: I use only high-vibrational vegan and cruelty-free, quality, natural, and meaningful materials for your malas. Vegan malas mean no coral, pearls, shells, bone, or silk.
- Mantras and Music: While crafting, I always chant a mantra associated with the intentions set for the mala and listen to high-frequency music or Kirtan to infuse the mala with its vibrations.
- Love: There is no higher frequency I can offer than love. I infuse all malas with love and light throughout the process. This is natural and easy because Sandalphon works through me and loves you so much!!
At Malaology, I always include anointing oil with your mala so you can dedicate your beads to a higher purpose. Remember, the most powerful tool you possess is your own intention. By imbuing your malas with love and a desire for connection with the Divine, you turn your mala beads into musical instruments that send your prayers soaring toward the heavens.
How You Can Connect with Archangel Sandalphon
Sandalphon is always listening and continually receiving your vibrations. He faithfully welcomes your prayers and mantras. The more you call on him and lean into your partnership with his energy, the more readily your prayers will be heard. Here are a few ways to start now:
- Use Sandalwood Beads: Sandalphon resonates particularly closely with sandalwood beads because they are deeply grounding and uplifting, a perfect reflection of the archangel’s reach.
- Use Sandalwood Oil. Sandalphon loves the scent of Sandalwood, which opens your Crown Chakra to divine messages yet keeps you firmly grounded in Mother Earth.
- Listen to high-frequency sounds: All archangels respond to 963Hz sounds. You can find countless variations of this on YouTube.
- Listen to music: You’ll know you are connecting to Sandalphon when you hear an old song with new ears and find beauty in songs you hadn’t noticed before. Sandalphon loves music and will help you find an ever-deeper appreciation for many styles of music.
- Practice Mantra: Sandalphon is all about connectedness and grounding. The following mantras resonate well with this energy.
- OM – for deep grounding and relaxation
- Love – for connectedness with all creation
- I Am – for connectedness with the divine
- Watch your Frequency: It’s all about vibration. Know that your words, prayers, and emotions carry specific vibrational frequencies. Harmonizing with creation brings ease and bliss, while disharmony causes discomfort and illness. Thoughts become things, so choose good ones!
Remember, if you ask for a peaceful world with your words but reflect discord with your emotions, Sandalphon will receive mixed messages. Emotion always trumps words in the angelic realms. Be mindful of your vibration and what messages you are sending!
A Poem - Sandalphon, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1858)
Have you read in the Talmud of old,
In the Legends the Rabbins have told
Of the limitless realms of the air,–
Have you read it,–the marvellous story
Of Sandalphon, the Angel of Glory,
Sandalphon, the Angel of Prayer?
How, erect, at the outermost gates
Of the City Celestial he waits,
With his feet on the ladder of light,
That, crowded with angels unnumbered,
By Jacob was seen, as he slumbered
Alone in the desert at night?
The Angels of Wind and of Fire
Chant only one hymn, and expire
With the song’s irresistible stress;
Expire in their rapture and wonder,
As harp-strings are broken asunder
By music they throb to express.
But serene in the rapturous throng,
Unmoved by the rush of the song,
With eyes unimpassioned and slow,
Among the dead angels, the deathless
Sandalphon stands listening breathless
To sounds that ascend from below;–
From the spirits on Earth that adore,
From the souls that entreat and implore
In the fervor and passion of prayer;
From the hearts that are broken with losses,
And weary with dragging the crosses
Too heavy for mortals to bear.
And he gathers the prayers as he stands,
And they change into flowers in his hands,
Into garlands of purple and red;
And beneath the great arch of the portal,
Through the streets of the City Immortal
Is wafted the fragrance they shed.
It is but a legend, I know,–
A fable, a phantom, a show,
Of the ancient Rabbinical lore;
Yet the old mediaeval tradition,
The beautiful, strange superstition,
But haunts me and holds me the more.
When I look from my window at night,
And the welkin above is all white,
All throbbing and panting with stars,
Among them majestic is standing
Sandalphon the angel, expanding
His pinions in nebulous bars.
And the legend, I feel, is a part
Of the hunger and thirst of the heart,
The frenzy and fire of the brain,
That grasps at the fruitage forbidden,
The golden pomegranates of Eden,
To quiet its fever and pain.
Browse meaningful malas handcrafted by me just for you and your intentions.
Mala Blessings, Love, and Light,
Teresa Mayvville, MscD
Teresa Mayville, MscD, is a Doctor of Metaphysics specializing in Gemstone Healing, Tarot, and Spirit Guides. She has guided individuals on their journeys of self-discovery and energetic healing for over twenty years. Visit Malaology.com and YouTube for more information on mantra meditation and other energetic practices, and explore her books on Amazon.
Citations:
- Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Free Press, p. 257, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505
- Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S. (Editor) (1996), Angels A to Z, Entry: Sandalphon, pp. 352, 353, Visible Ink Press, ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1886) [1841]. “Sandalphon”. The Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: The Poetical Works. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. pp. 175–176.