Angel Lecabel (No. 31): Regency, Psalm, Symbolism and Reading

Who is Lecabel, angel No. 31?

Lecabel is the thirty-first angel of the classical table, the seventh of the choir of Dominions. He is the third of the angels of Psalm 71, after Seheiah and Omael. Tradition makes him the angel of the harvests, in the literal and the figurative sense: what is sown, what is cultivated, what ripens.

His period, from mid-August, falls at the time of the summer harvests in the northern hemisphere. This seasonal coincidence has nourished his rural image.

Lecabel bears the number 31 in the list of the 72 angels of the Shem HaMephorash, which Kabbalistic tradition draws from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21). Everything that follows is presented according to Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition. For the origin of the system, read our introduction to the 72 angels.

Reference points in tradition

The dates follow the most common calendar (angel No. 1 reigns from 21 to 25 March, then five days per angel over 365 days). Sources sometimes shift by a few days, and leap years are treated differently: see how to calculate your guardian angel. According to many authors, the hour is counted in local solar time.

The verse and the name

The verse chosen says that the psalmist will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord and will mention only his justice. It is a promise of witness: whoever has received something commits to telling of it. The words “strength” or “mighty deeds” refer to the powerful acts God has accomplished, which the psalmist wishes to proclaim.

The link with the harvests is therefore indirect: it passes through the idea of a finished work, presented at the end of labour. Lecabel is the angel of that moment.

According to tradition, the name is formed from the triplet of letters לכב (Lamed, Kaph, Beth) followed by the ending Aleph and Lamed (El, “God”). French spellings vary (Lecabel, Lekabel) depending on transliteration. Psalm 71 corresponds to Psalm 70 in the Vulgate; verse 16 bears the same number in most Bibles. Lists of verses also differ slightly from one author to another.

What tradition associates with Lecabel

Most often, Lecabel is associated with:

• Agriculture and the land: harvests, gardens, vineyards, livestock, local sourcing in current readings.
• Talent and acquired skill: what one knows how to do and has worked at.
• Practical intelligence: a sense of measure and of calculation, which some editions connect with sciences such as astronomy.
• Recognition of work accomplished, the theme of the verse.

These associations are symbolic; they imply no influence on real harvests, which depend on climate, soil and work.

A reading for today

In modern life, Lecabel can evoke what is cultivated: a garden, a balcony vegetable patch, but also a skill. Many people find in gardening a moment of calm and of connection with the seasons, and that is precisely the meaning of this figure.

The verse also invites a simple acknowledgement: telling those who taught us something that it mattered.

His period of the year and his sign

Lecabel’s period, from 18 to 22 August, falls in summer (northern hemisphere, within the framework of the original calendar). It roughly covers the sign of Leo. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Lecabel shares his with Vasiariah (No. 32).

In the choir of Dominions

In the “Celestial Hierarchy” attributed to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (around 500), the Dominions open the second triad: they are credited with a role of governance and of regulating the order of the world. The term appears in the letter to the Colossians (1:16) and in the letter to the Ephesians (1:21). In the list of 72, this choir groups angels 25 to 32.

Lecabel is the seventh angel of the Dominions. He brings to the choir the dimension of cultivated land: an order that nourishes, and not only one that governs.

To place Lecabel in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Omael (No. 30) before him and Vasiariah (No. 32) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of Dominions.

A gentle practice with Lecabel

A ten-minute exercise on what is cultivated:

1. Choose a skill you have acquired over the years, however modest.
2. Note the three people or experiences that passed it on to you.
3. Read verse 16 of Psalm 71, then write a sentence of thanks to one of those people.
4. If you have the opportunity, plant or water a plant at that moment.

For a houseplant or a garden, check a reliable source on the care suited to the species; some plants are toxic to animals and to children.

What to keep in mind

This table of 72 angels is a learned system of the Renaissance, enriched by French authors of the nineteenth century, and not a revealed teaching. It remains a prompt for reflection, which replaces neither medical advice, nor legal counsel, nor psychological support.

The Catholic Church does not recognise this system: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Believers of all denominations nevertheless find in the psalms a text for prayer.

See also the guide to the 72 angels and the guide to the archangels.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the 72 guardian angels.