Angel Imamiah (no. 52): reign, psalm, symbolism and reading

Who is Imamiah, angel no. 52?

Imamiah is the fifty-second angel on the list, the fourth of the choir of Principalities, at its centre. French editions link him to humility, to the acknowledgement of one’s faults, often called “atonement” in older works, and to a symbolic deliverance from trials.

Some authors add the protection of travellers; this attribution is secondary and late.

In the classical list of the Shem HaMephorash, the 72 names are read from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21), and Imamiah occupies place 52. What follows is presented according to the Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition, and not as an established fact. The origin of the system is set out in our presentation of the 72 angels.

Reference points in tradition

These dates follow the most widespread calendar: five days per angel from 21 March (angel no. 1), over a year of 365 days. Other lists shift the periods by one or several days, and 29 February poses a specific problem detailed on the page guardian angel calculation. As for the hour, many authors speak of local solar time, others of legal time.

The verse and the name

The verse is the conclusion of a psalm of distress: “I will give thanks to the Lord for his righteousness, and I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” Psalm 7 is the lament of a man unjustly accused who entrusts himself to God’s judgement; the final sentence is his relief. The Hebrew text titles it a “shiggaion of David”, composed concerning a certain Cush, a Benjamite.

The verse bears the number 18 in Hebrew numbering (the title counts as verse 1) and 17 in English Bibles; the Vulgate also places it in Psalm 7, verse 18. The name is formed from the Hebrew triplet עממ (Aïn, Mem, Mem) followed by the ending Iah. No established philological meaning is attached to it, and the glosses vary.

What tradition associates with Imamiah

French tradition associates Imamiah with:

• Humility, understood as a right measure of oneself, neither pride nor self-belittlement.
• The acknowledgement of faults and the will to repair them (the “atonement” of older texts).
• Symbolic deliverance from a situation of constraint, a dependence or a grudge.
• Gratitude: the move from complaint to thanksgiving, as in the psalm.

These associations come from esoteric works and vary; they are not established facts.

A reading for today

Acknowledging a mistake is a difficult act, and yet a liberating one: we stop justifying ourselves and can make amends. This is the sense one can give to Imamiah today, setting aside any vocabulary of crushing guilt.

If the weight of a fault or of sorrow becomes too heavy, speak to someone close to you or to a professional. In France, if you have suicidal thoughts, 3114 answers free of charge, day and night; in case of immediate danger, dial 17 or 112 (the emergency number across the European Union).

His period of the year and his sign

Imamiah’s period, from 1 to 5 December, falls at the start of meteorological winter, a few weeks before the solstice (northern hemisphere, within the framework of the original calendar). Roughly speaking, it covers the sign of Sagittarius. In the Christian liturgy, Advent generally begins between 27 November and 3 December: a time of waiting and recollection that often accompanies this period. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Imamiah shares his with Hahasiah (no. 51).

In the choir of Principalities

The Principalities open the third and last triad of the “Celestial Hierarchy” attributed to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (around 500), together with the Archangels and the Angels. The Greek word is archai, “principles” or “beginnings”. The New Testament speaks of “principalities” (for example Ephesians 3:10 and Colossians 1:16), without always specifying whether they are favourable beings. Scholastic theology, after Thomas Aquinas, readily links them to the governing of peoples and of those who lead them, relying on the book of Daniel (10:13), which speaks of the “prince of the kingdom of Persia”. In the list of the 72, this choir groups angels 49 to 56.

Imamiah is the fourth of the Principalities, at the centre of the choir. After the greatness of Vehuel, the clemency of Daniel and the knowledge of Hahasiah, he brings clear-sightedness about oneself, the condition of all just conduct. He comes before Nanael.

To place Imamiah in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Hahasiah (no. 51) before him and Nanael (no. 53) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of Principalities.

A gentle practice with Imamiah

A very simple repair exercise:

1. Think of a misstep that is still unresolved: a delay, a harsh word, a missed appointment.
2. Write down what happened, without making excuses or berating yourself.
3. Note one possible act of repair, however small.
4. Do it, or set a date for it, then read verse 18 of Psalm 7.

The exercise aims at clear-sightedness, not self-reproach. If the subject is too painful, set it aside and ask for help.

What to keep in mind

This system is symbolic, not an established fact. No angel frees you from a trial in your place, and no one can promise you an outcome. Read these pages for the images they offer and for the reflection they inspire.

On the religious level, the Catholic Church does not recognise this system of the 72 names and names only three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, according to Scripture. The psalms, for their part, belong to the prayer of many religious traditions, well beyond this system.

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.