Angels
4 In the chapter on astral worlds, we introduced the idea of beings that live in realms beyond our physical perception. 2That can include a number of different entities but for the moment we will look at the most common of them: angels.
3There is a lot more to understanding these ethereal beings than the stereotype of winged creatures in robes who serve God. 4They actually exist in more than one religious form.
Angels through History and Scriptures
5In attempting to define what an angel is, you can gain a lot from looking back in history. 6Religious scripture holds most of our written knowledge on these beings, though the descriptions obviously have a bias toward each individual faith.
7When it comes to the Christian outlook, you ll find that they hold a more important role for Catholics than for Protestants.
8The typical depiction of an angel is as a winged human-like being, usually dressed in white robes.
9The Bible doesn t support this claim, only describing wings for the Seraphim, the higher order of sacred angels. 1OIn one verse:
“Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. (Isaiah 6:2)
11There is also mention of angels with wings in the Quran:
“Praise be to Allah, who created out of nothing, the heavens and the earth, who made the angels, messengers with wings – two, three or four (pairs); He adds to Creation as He pleases, for Allah has power over all things. (Sura 35:1)
12Notice anything odd? 13Both examples have multiple wings rather than the rather mundane single pair usually depicted in artwork.
14There also tends to be a noticeable military slant to the concept of angels, especially when you see pieces of Classical artwork, particularly the archangels, who have armour and shields like any Earthly soldier. 1SIn fact, the only place in the Bible where they are described as being warriors is in Revelations. 16In one example:
“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Revelations 12:7)
17Even in the realms of heaven there is war. 18And yet today many people view angels as peaceful creatures. 19Interesting how views change over time.
The Archangels
20These angels stand out from the rest because of their importance and because they are known by name and character. 21You hear about archangels in several religions (namely Christianity and Islam) but they are mentioned elsewhere. 22We ll stick to the monotheistic religions for now, since that is where they are most frequently encountered.
23Biblically speaking, these are high-ranking angels with great power and status in Heaven. 24They are often identified as saints, but not in the same way as humans who have achieved such status.
25There are three well-known and well-documented archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. 26They are all mentioned by name in books of Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant branches), Islam and Judaism. 27The specifics will vary by faith, but here are the known traits of these powerful beings:
i . Michael – He is known as the leader of God s angelic army, in the great battle during the End Times of Revelations. In that battle, it will be Michael who finally defeats Satan. From another perspective: Michael is considered the patron saint of the Jewish people, and by Catholics as the being who collects the souls of the dead to take to Heaven. The Jehovah s Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists (two smaller Christian sects) consider him to actually be Jesus Christ as he exists in Heaven. (The name means who is like God .)
ii. Gabriel – One of Gabriel s main roles is as a messenger from God to man, most notably as the angel who speaks to Mary and announces that she will have a child (Jesus). Gabriel is also the angel who revealed the Quran to Muhammad, though he is known to Muslims as librail. He is often depicted carrying a horn, and is believed to be the one to mark the return of God to Earth during the End Times with a blast.
iii. Raphael – Known to Muslims as Israfil, he is the angel associated with the art of healing. He is not mentioned by name as often as the other two, and mainly in the Book of Tobit, which is not canon for many Christian denominations (it's in the Apocrypha).
28Other known archangels include Metatron, Uriel, Suriel, Raguel and Azrael. 29It also depends on what faith you are following because the texts that include these beings may or may not be considered official canon. 30Lucifer was also an archangel before he fell from grace (if you believe that he is also the same as Satan).
Contemporary Views
31Regardless of historical or scriptural descriptions, people today have their own views on what angels are.
32Today many people see angels as beneficial and helpful spirit guides, or the stereotypical guardian angel that watches over us. 33The idea that we each have our own personal angel is a common one as well. 34There is clearly a disconnect between this view and the original Biblical descriptions of the mighty warriors of heaven. 35Meditation, crystals, and some New Age rituals can help you get in contact with any personal angels you might have.
36Another view of angels is that they may be otherworldly beings. 37Some say that the beings who have made appearances both in modern day and Biblical times may in fact be aliens, as in physical (or semi-physical) beings from another planet.
38Stories of people seeing angels descend from above seem to support this view. 39And if alien beings really visited Earth a few thousand years ago, the witnesses would have had difficulty grasping their true nature. 40This could be the basis of the wall carvings from ancient civilisations. 41The Old Testament of the Bible also states that some of them had children with humans. 421s it possible that we have demi-gods/part aliens living amongst us? 43After all, Greek mythology speaks extensively on this subject. 44Certainly food for thought.
45Others suggest aliens are in fact semi-physical and/or non-physical entities, which would explain why many humans have described seeing spirit and spirit-like beings. 46Again, a very interesting line of argument.
Ascended Masters
47The term ascended masters is also frequently tied in with modern-day angels. 48Though they are not really angels, they do fit with this subject. 49These beings are said to have once been human but, having become fully enlightened, were released from the cycle of physical reincarnation.
50There are many such masters known by name but since the only way to meet or know them is through the astral realms, the information can be difficult to verify. 511t is generally believed that Jesus, Confucius, the Buddha and Krishna are all ascended masters who can be directly contacted through meditation or astral travelling.
52Ascended masters play a large role in the belief system of theosophy, so you will hear more about them in that chapter, later in the book.
Enochian Magick
53This is a bit of an offshoot from the topic at hand but a fascinating one nonetheless. 54Not everyone is content simply to know about angels or possibly pray to them for protection or guidance. 55Some branches of magickal practice seek to work with them in a proactive way.
56This school of magickal arts is known as Enochian magick and comes from the work and supposed revelations that came to Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley in the late 1500s.
57The key to working with angels in this way is the language, known as the Angelic language or Enochian script . 58This was part of the information revealed to Dr. Dee, and each letter is represented by a unique symbol, usually written from right to left. 591t s not a language per se, but rather a way of coding regular English.
60The principles of Enochian work are part of the larger system of Ceremonial Magick, and there is more on this topic in the section on Theosophy. 61This is a highly complicated system of magick which differs from the more casual ways to work with angels mentioned above. 62There is the script to the right as well as a number of tables filled with seemingly random patterns of letters.
63There are four main tablets, known as the Four Watchtowers, which correspond to the four elements. 64Each is filled with these characters, and depending upon how you read them, you can learn the secret names of God, his angels and many other celestial beings. 65Another very elaborate and powerful sigil (a symbol used in magic, usually a type of pictorial signature) within Enochian magick is the Sigillum Dei Ameth (or the Seal of Truth), which is said to represent the nature of God Himself. 661t s an interconnected series of rings, pentagrams and six-pointed stars all filled with further Enochian script.
67This is just a quick taste of Enochian magick and you ll need to do a lot of your own research if you really want to grasp this difficult occult science. 681t's not for the casual novice.