Angel Chavakiah (No. 35): Reign, Psalm, Symbolism and Reading

Who is Chavakiah, angel no. 35?

Chavakiah is the thirty-fifth angel of the list, the third of the Powers choir. The transliteration of his name varies between authors. Tradition describes him as the angel of reconciliation: the one who repairs damaged bonds, within families or between neighbours.

His domain is that of conflicts settled through speech: inheritances, separations, misunderstandings between parents and children.

Chavakiah bears number 35 in the list of the 72 angels of the Shem HaMephorash, which Kabbalistic tradition derives from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21). Everything that follows is presented according to the Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition. For the origin of the system, read our introduction to the 72 angels.

Reference points of the tradition

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

The verse and the name

The verse retained opens Psalm 116: “I love the Lord, for he hears my voice and my pleas.” It is the beginning of a song of thanksgiving after an ordeal: the psalmist declares his love for the one who listened to him, and this theme of listening runs through the whole psalm.

The link with reconciliation becomes clear: one is reconciled only after having been heard. Chavakiah is thus tied to a rare quality, that of listening truly.

According to tradition, the name is formed from the triplet of Hebrew letters כוק (Kaph, Vav, Qoph), followed by the ending Yod and He (Yah, a name of God). French spellings vary (Chavakiah, Chavaquiah) depending on transliteration. Psalm 116 corresponds to Psalms 114 and 115 in the Vulgate; verse 1 is the first verse of Psalm 114. Lists of verses also differ slightly from one author to another.

What tradition associates with Chavakiah

According to the books, Chavakiah is associated with:

• Reconciliation and forgiveness, between relatives or between groups.
• Mediation: the figure of the third party who helps people speak to one another, hence the association with mediators and negotiators in recent lists.
• Family peace, including in inheritances and divisions of property, which are sensitive areas.
• Listening, a theme drawn from the verse.

Tradition does not say that this angel settles conflicts in your place: he symbolises an attitude, that of a listening which opens dialogue.

A reading for today

Mediation is today a recognised practice, with trained professionals (family, neighbourhood and judicial mediation). Their method rests on listening in turn and on restating, which Chavakiah’s verse evokes poetically.

In a conflict, a simple first step is to restate what the other person has said before answering.

His period of the year and his sign

Chavakiah’s period, from 7 to 11 September, falls in summer (northern hemisphere, original calendar frame). It roughly covers the sign of Virgo. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Chavakiah shares his with Menadel (no. 36).

In the Powers choir

In Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (around 500), the Powers form the end of the second triad; they evoke the force that maintains order and repels disorder. The term is read in Paul’s letters (Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12). In the list of 72, this choir groups angels 33 to 40. Note that this list places the Powers before the Virtues, whereas Dionysius cites the Virtues before the Powers: the systems differ on this point.

Chavakiah is the third of the Powers. Among these angels of force that maintains order, he embodies its gentle form: order restored through the repair of bonds.

To place Chavakiah in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Lehahiah (no. 34) before him and Menadel (no. 36) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of the Powers.

A gentle practice with Chavakiah

A listening exercise, ten minutes long:

1. Think of a strained relationship whose atmosphere you would like to improve.
2. Write, as if the other person were speaking, what they would need to hear from you.
3. Read the first verse of Psalm 116, which speaks of being heard.
4. Choose one small gesture (a message, a call) that acknowledges their point of view, without demanding an immediate reply.

If the conflict is old or serious, family mediation (offered by the family allowance funds, the Caisses d’allocations familiales, and by associations in France) provides a neutral and confidential framework.

What to keep in mind

Take this page as an honest account of a tradition, with its sources and its disagreements: no diagnosis, no horoscope, no prediction. If an idea speaks to you, so much the better; if not, the tradition itself asks nothing of you.

The Catholic Church does not recognise this system: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Believers of all faiths 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.