Angels of Presence of God
"Angels transcend every religion, every philosophy, and every creed. In fact angels have no religion as we know it ...their existence precedes every religious system that has ever existed on earth."
~ St. Thomas Aquinas
According to various traditions, there are many levels of interaction between God[1] and man and these include Angels and stars.
Both the Midrash[2] and the Zohar[3] state: “There is no blade of grass that does not have a constellation, or Mazal over it, telling it to grow.” This means that God’s Divine intervention works through the angels, and these angels in turn work through the stars and planets.[4]
Angels could be described as being the souls of the stars. There are references to the stars as having intelligence, but the commentaries state that this is actually speaking of the angels that are associated with the stars. The Zohar teaches that every star in the universe has a name, and the Midrash indicates that the names of the stars correspond to the names of the different angels.
When we apply the understanding that the Word of God, or Divine energy, is stepped down at each vibrational level below Source to a form that can be understood by Beings on that level and be transmitted down to the next level, we can see that the Divine influence and flow comes through the stars, through the Angels, and finally to earth.
According to various traditions, Angels comprise the Celestial Hierarchy through clearly delineated ranks. The rank of the Angel will define the different duties entrusted to it as well as the honors associated with it.
One of the most well known listings of the Celestial Hierarchy was written by the scholar Dionysius the Areopagite in his book, The Celestial Hierarchy. This listing has a total of nine distinct orders of Angels which in turn fall under three major headings known as Choirs. This is the basis for ranks of angels in the Christian Tradition. They are:
- Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones
- Dominions, Virtues and Powers
- Principalities, Archangels and Angels
Other traditions teach different numbers for the levels of angles. This article will discuss the levels above the Choir of Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones as outlined by Dionysius the Areopagite: The First Choir, The Will of the Source.
The First Choir is the non-tangible "invisible" one and the expression of the loving intention of the Source of the Whole of Existence. We can say they belong of the realm of “Ain Soph[5]”. Within the First Choir are three Orders of Beings of Pure Light which are everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and thus, are an "extension" of God Himself - The Source of the Whole of Existence[6].
This First Choir forms a kind of Trinity[7] and the means for The Source of the Whole of Existence to extend his Divine Will, Wisdom and Light downward to the next Orders of Angels and so on to the physical realms.
The first order of angels was the first companions for the Source of the Whole of Existence also known as the Holy Twelve or the Angels of Presence.
Then the second order and third order came into being in the same capacity. In actuality, they came into being simultaneously before there was time.
Each order took on different roles and a variety of duties as they interacted with the universes. The first angels existed as brilliant shinning light, and radiated tremendous loving everywhere.
The Angelic Orders of the First Choir are: The Supernals, the Celestials and the Illuminations.
The SUPERNALS
The First Order of Angels is of brilliant gold light and is companions to the Source of the Whole of Existence. They form what are known as the Holly Twelve or the Angels of the Presence. They are known as the Supernals. There are always 12 Supernals at any given time that serve in this capacity, as 12 is the number of completion within physical orders. Their presence forms within it, the abode of the Source of the Whole of Existence.
The CELESTIALS:
The Second Order of Angels maintains the connections between Divine Thought and Wisdom and its manifestation into the physical realms. They appear as shinning silver light. They are known as the Celestials. They are present throughout all of existence.
The ILLUMINATIONS:
Those of the Third Order of Angels are of the highest physical form and maintain and accomplish the emulations of divine light and wisdom throughout the physical realms. They appear as iridescent light and are known as Illuminations.
[1] There is no disrespect intended to the reader’s personal belief the proper address for All That Is, Mother/Father God, etc. In this article, we will use the name God for the ultimate Source of all creation.
[2] Midrash is a Hebrew word meaning the critical explanation or interpretation of religious text and the application of its principles
[3] The Zohar is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five Books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on theosophic theology, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology.
[4] This understanding is the foundation upon which all esoteric astrological traditions are founded.
[5] Ein Sof, or Ain Sof, is understood as infinite divinity. Ein Sof is the divine origin of all created existence: Ain Sof, the Ancient of All Ancients emanates the sefirot into the cosmic womb of the Ein in a manner that results in the created universe.
[6] Ain, the vacuum of pure spirit, moved and created Ain Soph, or Infinity, which was concentrated into Ain Soph Aur, the "limitless light," whence emanated the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life.
[7] Ain Soph Aur, from the Hebrew tradition, is the Boundless Light which concentrates into the First and highest Sephira or Kether, the Crown of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
