Archangels are God's most important messengers. Archangel Gabriel, for instance, was sent to tell the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus Christ. The word "archangel" means "chief-angel," as the prefix arch means "chief," "principal," or "most important."

In the Bible, Michael is the only angel identified as an archangel (Jude 9). He is also called, "one of the chief princes" (Daniel 10:13), denoting his importance. Archangels are important angels who are actively involved in ensuring the wellbeing of every form of life on earth. Each archangel has a specific role to play in this.

Archangels protect, guide, and assist humanity in many different ways. Because they're so close to humanity, they're willing to help you in any way they can, and will respond immediately to your call. You can ask them to help others, as well.

Archangels are tireless, and can appear in more than one place at a time. You can call on any of the archangels for help and support whenever necessary, and be confident that they will instantly come to your aid.

Here are seven ways to help you connect with archangels.

Instant Help

If you need help urgently, all you need do is call out to an archangel. Archangel Michael, God's warrior archangel, is the best angel to call when the situation is desperate or urgent. I've called upon him on three occasions, and he responded instantly every time.

How to Invoke the Four Great Archangels
The word "invoke" means, "to call upon," and is usually done when someone needs help or inspiration. All you need do is to recognize that the angels are present, and are willing to help you. Whenever possible, I face east, and start by invoking Raphael, who looks after that direction. Sit down quietly, close your eyes, and take three slow, deep breaths. Say to yourself, "Relax, relax deeply" each time you exhale. Once you feel yourself starting to relax, focus on different parts of your body, telling them to relax. I usually start with my feet, and gradually work my way up to the top of my head.

When you feel totally relaxed, visualize archangel Raphael standing in front of you. I usually picture him as a good-looking young man holding a fish in one hand, and a staff in the other. This is how he is usually depicted by artists. You may "see" him as a swirling ball of energy, or in any other shape or form that you choose.

Once you become aware that archangel Raphael is standing in front of you, visualize archangel Michael standing on your right side, followed by archangel Gabriel standing behind you, and archangel Uriel standing on your left-hand side.

You are now totally surrounded and protected by the four great archangels, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel, and are probably feeling full of confidence and vitality. Finally, visualize a stream of pure divine light coming down from the heavens, entering your body through your head and revitalizing every cell of your body. There is so much of this divine light that it overflows and completely surrounds you in a tunnel of light.

It's now time to speak to the archangels, and make any requests you have. Once you've finished, thank each archangel in turn. Wait until the moment seems right before saying, "Thank you," once more, and then open your eyes.

Chakra Method
Sound connects our everyday world to the spiritual world. The most spiritual sound is aaah, which is contained in the words aum and Amen. It's also found in the names of most deities, and is a sacred mantra in many Eastern traditions. It's a sound of creation. It's produced involuntarily in times of high emotion, such as anger, grief, and exultation. You can use "aaah" to connect with any of the archangels. Sit down quietly somewhere where you won't be disturbed, and think of the archangel you want to connect with. Close your eyes, and take a slow, deep breath. Say "Aaah" as you exhale. Continue doing this until you feel a vibration in your heart chakra, in the middle of your chest. This happens because "aaah" is a sound of compassion, feeling, and love, all of which relate to the heart chakra.

Once your feel your heart chakra vibrating, take three more slow, deep breaths. As you exhale, continue saying, "aaah," but visualize your breath leaving your body through your heart chakra, filling the area you're in with divine love. As you continue doing this, visualize the archangel you wish to connect with standing about six feet in front of you. When you have a sense of "knowing" that your archangel is there, forget about your breathing, and start talking to your chosen angel.

Guidance Invocation
This is a useful invocation if you're wanting to communicate with an archangel for guidance of any sort. If you want protection, release from fear, or to learn the truth about something, you'd ask to speak with archangel Michael. If you're seeking healing, abundance, or protection while traveling, you'd communicate with archangel Raphael. If you're seeking clarity and purity of mind, you'd speak with archangel Gabriel, and if you wanted peace of mind and spiritual growth, you'd choose to talk with archangel Uriel.

You start the invocation by walking for at least fifteen minutes, preferably outdoors. While you're walking, think about all the things for which you're grateful. You might, for instance, be grateful for sunlight, green grass, automobiles, birds, warm smiles, and a kiss from your partner. Think of as many blessings as you can while you're walking.

When you return home, sit down in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and think about each of the things for which you're grateful. Visualize them as clearly as possible in your mind. Once you've done that, think about your need to communicate with an archangel. You might need help in resolving a problem, or you may have made a decision and want an archangel's approval before you proceed.

Take three slow, deep breaths, before exhaling slowly. Ask the archangel you've chosen to join you. You might say something along the lines of: "Blessed archangel...Thank you for all the blessings in my life. I am grateful to you for your guidance, love, and help. Please come to me now, as I need your help again."

Pause for thirty seconds. If you've felt your archangel's presence, you can continue with your request. If you felt nothing, repeat your request again, and a third time, if necessary. If you've still felt nothing, visualize all the things for which you're grateful once more, and then ask the archangel to join you. This time, explain your problem or concern, after making the request.

You don't need to feel concerned if you fail to receive a response, as you've explained your concern, and the answer will come to you when you least expect it, possibly when you wake up on the morning after you've performed this ritual.

Finish the ritual by thanking the archangel for their help and support.

Crystal Ritual
This is a useful ritual that you can perform anywhere you happen to be. All you need is an attractive crystal or gemstone. It can be any color you wish. However, you might want to hold a crystal that relates to a particular archangel. For Raphael, you might choose a yellow crystal, and you'd probably choose red for Michael, blue for Gabriel, and green for Uriel. You may prefer to use celestite, selenite, angelite, and seraphinite, as they're frequently used to encourage angelic contact.

Sit down comfortably, close your eyes, and gently fondle your crystal. Take several slow, deep breaths, and then ask the archangel you wish to communicate with to come to you. Often, this is all you need to do. You might notice a difference in the energies of the crystal, or become aware that the archangel is with you. If the archangel does not come immediately, continue caressing the crystal for a few more minutes, and then ask again.

Walking with an Archangel
My favorite way of making angelic contact is to walk with an angel. I enjoy walking, and miss my daily walk when it's not possible to do it. I almost always ask an angel to walk with me. This is usually my guardian angel, but I call on other angels, including archangels, whenever I need their help. I start walking in my usual way, and after about five minutes, I'll invite an angel to walk with me. After a minute or two, I'll become aware that the angel I want to communicate with is walking beside me. I don't see or hear this angel, but experience a strong sense of his or her presence. Once I realize that the angel is with me, I'll start a conversation. I usually do this silently, but if I know I'm completely on my own, I prefer to speak out loud. The angel's answers appear as thoughts in my mind. After we've discussed everything I need to know, I thank the angel, and finish the walk on my own. I prefer to use this method while walking in the countryside, but have found that I can do it anywhere, even in a busy shopping mall.

Writing to an Archangel
Writing a letter to a particular archangel is a highly effective way of making contact. The act of thinking about what you're going to say, and then writing it, concentrates your energies, and you may find that the archangel will respond while you're still writing the letter. You can write a letter asking for the help you need to resolve a problem involving you, or someone close to you. You can also write to establish a connection.

Write the letter as if you're writing to a close friend. Include information about your family, relationships, work, hopes, and dreams. Doing this helps you clarify what is going on in your life, and you'll find that the act of writing them down will help resolve many of your concerns.

Finish the letter by thanking the archangel and expressing your love. Sign the letter, seal it in an envelope, and write the archangel's name on the front.

The final stage is to "mail" your letter to the archangel. Sit in front of a lit candle with the envelope in your cupped hands. Think about the archangel and your request. Say anything else you wish to add, and then burn the envelope in the candle flame. Watch the smoke carry your message to the heavenly realms. Once the envelope and its contents have been burned, thank the archangel again, and carry on with your day confident that you'll hear back from the archangel when the time is right.

Naturally, you need to be careful whenever you're working with candles. I place my candles on metal trays, and have a jug of water close by, just in case of an accident. I've never had to use the water, but feel happier knowing that it's there.

Experiment with the different methods, and see which ones work best for you. Once you've made an initial connection, you'll find you'll be able to call on that particular archangel whenever you wish, and the bond between you will get stronger each time you make contact.