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The Roman Catholic Church’s criteria

for ‘conferring sainthood’ rests upon intercession.

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Intercession can be described as,

‘the predilection of disincarnate entities

to affect the incarnate world in a positive way’.

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If enough people report a successful outcome

or outcomes from their prayers of supplication to such entities

a case can be made for ‘promotion’ to sainthood…

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A history will be written, icons and relics will be manufactured,

more people will pray to the new saint and seek their graces…

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This process, apparently, applies to both humans and angels

which gives us the seemingly incongruous phenomena –

Archangelic Saints!

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Of which, St Michael is one…

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All this is a far cry from the early scriptural tradition

which seemed loath to even name ‘God’s Messengers’.

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Strange as this process might be it does suggest

that calling on the Archangels for help actually works!

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This is easy to explain from the magical point of view:

 engaging in this process manifests will

by giving intent an imaginative agency.

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This is one use of symbology and the Renaissance paintings

of religious entities and other mythological subjects

are particularly efficacious in this regard

because they were conceived and executed during

a magical revival.

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The mediaeval Book of Hours worked in a similar way

for the private devotions of the Aristocracy.

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But, where on earth does St George fit in?