Angel Damabiah (No. 65): Ruling Period, Psalm, Symbolism and Reading

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Damabiah, the sixty-fifth angel of the Shem HaMephorash, in the Choir of Angels, rules from 4 to 8 February. Dates, ruling hour, Psalm 90 and symbolism according to tradition.

Key points

Number	65 of 72
Ruling period	4 to 8 February
Ruling hour	9:20 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.
Choir	Angels
Associated psalm	Psalm 90, verse 13
Hebrew triplet	דמב (Daleth, Mem, Beth)
Symbolic theme	Wisdom, water, uprightness in exchanges

Who is Damabiah, angel no. 65?

Damabiah is the sixty-fifth angel on the list and the first of the Choir of Angels, the last of the nine. His name is sometimes glossed as “God, fountain of wisdom”: the image of the spring from which clear water flows is central to his symbolism.

French works associate him with wisdom, uprightness in exchanges, navigation and everything connected with water: rivers, seas, travellers on the water.

The number 65 in the list of the 72 angels belongs to Damabiah; the list itself is drawn, according to the kabbalistic tradition, from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21). We present it here according to the kabbalistic and esoteric tradition, with its divergences. For the history of the system, see our introduction to the 72 angels.

Traditional reference points

Reference	According to tradition
Number in the classical list	65 of 72
Ruling period (5 days)	4 to 8 February
Ruling hour (20 minutes)	9:20 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.
Choir	Angels (the first of the 8 angels of the choir)
Traditionally associated psalm	Psalm 90, verse 13
Triplet of Hebrew letters	דמב (Daleth, Mem, Beth) with the suffix יה (Iah)
Approximate zodiac sign	Aquarius

Calendar followed: five ruling days per angel in continuous succession from 21 March (angel no. 1), with no extra day. Printed or online lists do not always coincide to within a few days; for leap years, consult how to calculate your guardian angel. The ruling hour is often understood as local solar time, which authors do not always specify.

The verse and the name

The verse is a plea from Psalm 90: “Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants.” Psalm 90 is the only psalm in the Bible attributed to Moses: it opens with “A prayer of Moses, the man of God.” It meditates on the brevity of human life and contains a famous verse, 12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Wisdom is born from awareness of the passing of time.

The name is formed from the triplet דמב (Daleth, Mem, Beth) followed by the ending Iah. Verse 13 carries the same number in Hebrew and English numbering; the Vulgate places this psalm at number 89.

What tradition associates with Damabiah

According to French editions, Damabiah evokes:

Wisdom gained through experience and through awareness of time.
Uprightness in business: honesty in contracts and exchanges.
Water and navigation, which older editions make a theme of symbolic protection for sailors.
Balanced emotion: welcoming one’s feelings without drowning in them.

These associations come from esoteric works; they vary from one author to another and are not established facts.

A reading for today

Verse 12 of the same psalm gives the key to reading it: counting one’s days in order to act with wisdom. It is not about frightening yourself, but about choosing what you give your time to. In a full life, this question comes back regularly.

The image of protecting sailors remains a symbol. At sea, safety depends on the marine forecast, the equipment and caution, not on an angel.

His period of the year and his sign

Damabiah’s period, from 4 to 8 February, falls in the middle of winter (northern hemisphere, within the framework of the original calendar). It roughly covers the sign of Aquarius. In the old Roman calendar, February was the month of the februa, purification festivals: a resonance with water and the spring. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Damabiah shares his with Manakel (no. 66).

In the Choir of Angels

The Angels form the last choir of the “Celestial Hierarchy” of Pseudo-Dionysius (around 500), the closest to the human world; angelos in Greek and malakh in Hebrew mean “messenger.” The Christian tradition entrusts them with the guarding of persons: the Bible speaks of the “angels” of little children (Matthew 18:10), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in § 336, mentions the guardianship of angels around human life. In the list of 72, this choir includes angels 65 to 72.

Damabiah opens the Choir of Angels, the closest to the human world. He follows Mehiel, the last of the Archangels, and begins this final series with the wisdom of the passing of time. Some websites link this choir to the archangel Gabriel, but this link varies according to the author.

To place Damabiah among the other angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Mehiel (no. 64) before him and Manakel (no. 66) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of Angels.

A gentle practice with Damabiah

An exercise in the wisdom of time, twenty minutes long:

Go back over yesterday in three-hour blocks and note what you did.
Underline what truly mattered to you.
Choose one thing to do differently this week, just one.
Read verse 12, then verse 13 of Psalm 90, slowly.

The point is not to optimise everything, only to look at where your time goes.

What to keep in mind

This system is symbolic, not an established fact. No angel protects sailors or guarantees fairness in business, and no one can promise you a result. Read these pages for the images they offer and for the reflection they prompt.

Let us recall that the Catholic Church does not recognise this system: only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named as archangels in Scripture, and the list of 72 names does not include them. The psalms cited remain, for their part, a text of prayer shared by many believers.

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Damabiah’s ruling period?

According to the classical calendar, Damabiah (angel no. 65) rules from 4 to 8 February. Some sources shift these dates by a few days, and leap years are handled differently depending on the author.

At what time does Damabiah rule?

His ruling hour of 20 minutes runs from 9:20 p.m. to 9:40 p.m., every day, according to tradition. Many authors specify that this is local solar time.

Which psalm is associated with Damabiah?

Tradition associates Damabiah with Psalm 90, verse 13: “Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants.” Verse lists vary from one author to another.

What does the name Damabiah mean?

It is often glossed as “God, fountain of wisdom.” This is a symbolic interpretation, with no established philological translation.

Does Damabiah protect sailors?

Older editions say so, in a symbolic sense. At sea, caution, the weather and safety equipment matter above all.

Why is Psalm 90 attributed to Moses?

Its Hebrew title says “A prayer of Moses, the man of God.” It is the only psalm in the Bible carrying this attribution.

Also read

Guardian angelChoir of AngelsChoir of Angels, of which Damabiah is a part, with its sources.Guardian angelMehiel (angel no. 64)Mehiel, the angel who comes before Damabiah and closes the Choir of Archangels.Guardian angelCalculating your guardian angel from your date of birthHow to work out your angel from your date of birth.Guardian angelThe 72 angels: origins, tradition and calculating your angelThe origin of the system of the 72 angels, its sources and its limits.SignAquariusThe sign of Aquarius in astrological symbolism.ArchangelGabrielGabriel, an archangel named in Scripture, whom some authors link to the Choir of Angels.

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.

Photo: Sailko (mosaic attributed to Andrea Tafi and Apollonio, Florence Baptistery, c. 1225), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

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