Saturday, March 9, 2013

Paranormal Creatures A-Z: Angels Part 2


Greetings!  Today, I have a little more about angels.  As I said in my last post, there is a lot of information out there on the subject of angels, so I decided to break this topic into smaller bits.  



Characteristics of Angels
Angels lack a physical body, so they manifest in a variety of ways. They sometimes take the form of as human beings if the mission requires, or may appear with wings, as beings of light, or in other forms. 

Many Christians regard angels as asexual beings.  However, biblical angels have masculine names. Angels are usually depicted in painting and sculpture as winged male human beings, yet in Western decorative arts they are often shown as winged female figures.  In the Bible, only cherubim and seraphim are said to wings.  No lower level angel is ever mentioned as having wings.

Angels are sometimes portrayed as being composed of Aether. Aether (also called ether) is a substance said to have filled the whole of space. This term was adopted from ancient Greek philosophy and science.  Aristotle believed that the physical world was made up of four elements: air, earth, fire and water.  According to him, Aether was the fifth element and most important element that held these together.  In Greek mythology, Aether, or Acmon, is one of the primordial Greek deities, the first-born elementals and the personification of celestial light.

Similarly, in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, everything in the universe is composed of Akasha (Aether).  It is considered to be the unifying energy which exists in every living being, and the basis and essence of the material world.  It was the first material element created from the astral world, followed by air, fire, water and earth.  So, in a sense “The Force.” 

Some more angels:

Fallen Angels are those who are seen as rebelling against God. They are often called devils or demons and portrayed as the opposite of angels.  They are associated with evil, death and destruction.

Sataniel/Satan- Tempts humans, serves as an adversary, and brings people's sins before them in the heavenly court.  He is known by many names, such as:
Lucifer- First Light of the Morning; Morning Star, God's first living creation. Most beautiful of all angels, betrayer of the hosts of heaven.
Beelzebub
Mephistopheles


Other Angels in Judeo-Christian Religious Tradition

Uriel (translation: God is my light), leads us to destiny.

Samael- An angel of death.

Sandalphon- Battles Samael and brings humankind together.

Camael/Chamuel- Expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden and punishes those who transgress against God.

Metatron- God's heavenly scribe recording the deeds of all that is.

Angel of the Waters- In John 5:1-4 an angel "troubles" the waters of the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, giving the water healing properties that will heal anyone who bathes in it.  On Bethesda Terrace in Central Park in NYC, there is a statue atop a fountain commemorating the event.  John 5

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