Angel
Branches on the Tree of Life
The term "Angel" refers to a wide variety of related beings which inhabit Samayim, serve the Creator God worshiped by Christianity and Sancta Sedes, and oppose the Demons of Gehenna. In common iconography, angels appear as beautiful humanoid figures with the wings of a bird upon their backs. Many are seen dressed in flowing white robes, wielding swords, and with a halo of light surrounding their heads. This description is largely accurate, although angels of the sixth rank and below are more likely to have wildly differing physical forms.
There are nine total orders of angels, denoting their relative level of power both spiritual and influential. From the least powerful to the most, these are Angel, Chief Angel, Principality, Power, Virtue, Dominion, Throne, Cherubim, and Seraphim. The highest three ranks, Throne, Cherubim, and Seraphim are commonly considered Archangels. These orders are unique among divine beings in that they have attained free will, the capability of acting against their own conceptual nature, through the separation of a Qlippoth. The hierarchy of angels applies to nearly all beings falling under this divine species, with the only currently known exception being Metatron. Likewise, this categorical structure is utilized to describe angels of all ten circles.
The ten circles, also called spheres or sephirot, of angels are representations of the nodes on the Samayic Tree of Life. Each of these spheres represents an aspect of existence, God, and the human psyche. Likewise, the angels belonging to a circle draw from it their purpose, or ideal they champion, in the cases of Archangels who are not bound to serve their divine nature. An example is the circle of Netzach, whose Elohim fulfill their aspect of "Eternity" by weighing the acts of mortals to determine if they are worthy of partaking in God's infinite nature. Each sphere is headed by its most powerful and learned Seraphim, who sit upon the Divine Council to determine matters relating to Samayim and the mortal realms. The angels of a given sephirah tend to share physical and emotional characteristics with each other to the point that they can be distinguished as separate sub-species. This goes for archangels as well.
The ten major sephirot and their accompanying concepts are as listed below:
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The above concepts are a simple indication of the aspects of creation, God, and the human psyche which each circle represents. However, these are ancient ideas which have evolved over ages before humanity had developed their own cultures. Therefore, there exist aspects which may be confusing and difficult, if not entirely impossible, for mortals to grasp.
There is a tendency for angels to be depicted in writings, particularly those of Sancta Sedes, as beneficent and kind deities. This is the case for some sephirah, but not others. In general, the denizens of Samayim are not concerned with benefiting humankind so much as they are with championing the virtues they symbolize. If this were to lead to death and destruction in the human realms, most angels would not be overly concerned, though they would as a group certainly stop short of the elimination of all mortalkind. It is the various aspects of the human psyche which give them their purpose, after all.
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| Sephirah | Angelic Demonym | Aspect | Divine Councilor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Keter | Crown | Purity, Absolute Divinity, Ineffability | Metatron |
| 2: Chochmah | Wheel | Wisdom, Intuition, Creativity | Raziel |
| 3: Binah | Aralim | Contemplation, Reasoning, Rationality | Jophiel |
| 4: Chesed | Mercy | Kindness, Love, Ardor | Michael |
| 5: Geburah | Arbiter | Strength, Punishment, Scorn | Kamael |
| 6: Tiferet | Malakhim | Beauty, Balance, Sacrifice | Raphael |
| 7: Netzach | Elohim | Eternity, Judgment, Leadership | Haniel |
| 8: Hod | Splendor | Majesty, Magic, Integrity | Zadkiel |
| 9: Yesod | Engine | Foundation, Communication, Essence | Gabriel |
| 10: Malkuth | Ishim | Equality, Law, Humanity | Aotsuki Tsukamoto |
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
Immortal
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Comments
Author's Notes
This article on angels is an overview of their function and organization only in the worlds of Tsuwamono. While it draws influence from classical angelology of major religions including Christianity and Judaism, it is fiction and not intended as a treatise on or reflection of those religions' beliefs.