About Angels – Dionysius the Areopagite and Angelic Hierarchies

Dionysius the Areopagite is the greatest authority on Christian angelology.

He was an Athenian man converted by the Apostle Paul in the Areopagus of Athens (cf. Acts, 17, 34).

To this character were later attributed the so-called areopagitic texts,

whose paternity, however, since the Renaissance has been disputed.

Whoever this author is, we continue to call him “Pseudo-Dionysius,” in the absence of a real name.

John Scottus Eriugena was not the first translator of Dionysius, he was certainly the one who consecrated him. In this way, Pseudo-Dionysius (through Eriugena) represents, along with Boethius, a significant bridge between Greek thought and the rational theological speculation of the medieval West.

It is extraordinary that we have access to such an accurate and nuanced description of angelic hierarchies and this is only slightly overshadowed by the fact that… It is obvious that it is a revealed text and we can only trust, at first, to trust it.

But through spiritual practice, we will see how the world of angels becomes close to us and we can verify what Dionysius said. directly from the source.

Such things are always
subject to doubt because they are verifiable only by one who has reached a certain spiritual level,

while evil or ignorance can be “verified” by anyone.

They exist or are visible to everyone because “what is above” can “see” what is below, but “what is below” cannot see “what is above.”

The existence of angels, explained in almost all traditions, can only be disputed until it is verified.
Of course, through one’s own experience and it is true that any realization and any higher reality can be challenged by those below it, but… and affirmed with great certainty by those who lived up to it.

Why not dare to check out something that proves so important to us and our lives!?
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In our opinion, angels are the ultimate level of evolution of human beings who have understood that it is thousands of times preferable to achieve Good. This good is the universal good, all that invites us to make the transition

– from Ignorance to Knowledge

– from limited to unlimited

– from finite to infinite.

They manifest themselves as veritable celestial NGOs, determined to volunteer to put precious spiritual principles into practice and to help people and various beings achieve this in turn.

Evolving more and more as spiritual beings, humans come into contact with the angelic realms, become similar to his angels, even be part of them.

In fact, angels are particularly available, even eager to be contacted by human beings, to be asked for help and thus to be able to fulfill their divine mission as messengers of God and guides of men to Him. For example, the great initiate Rudolf Steiner states in his writings that the Archangel Michael is the guiding angel of the new times, who is now leading humanity to a universal consciousness. Steiner also argued that it is imperative for human beings to develop imagination and intuition in order to communicate with angels.

“The Celestial Lerarchy” is the most famous text of Christian angeology.
This text brings together and codifies millennial wisdom handed down through the centuries by people who have reached the highest levels of spiritual perfection.

In this work the Areopagite says that the heavenly angelic hierarchies participate in the governance of all creation and are much closer to the Divine Principle, reflecting in a much greater proportion the divine will than it does in the case of humans:

“The illuminations of the Divine Principle are first fulfilled in them, and then through them the higher revelations are transmitted to us, humans.”

There are three levels of angel organization, called Choirs, Angelic Hierarchies, or Triads.

In a broader sense, they are called:

(a) The Choir of Paradise, made up of Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim – angels who guide us to participate in the life of the universe and its evolution by God’s grace.

(b) The Choir of Creation, comprising the angels of Lordships, Virtues and Masters, those who watch over the relationships between people and human groups, large and small;

(c) The Forming Choir, closest to the plane of material life. It comprises Angels, Archangels and Primates.

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First Triad:

Here, any being who lives in consciousness at this level completely detachs himself from the ego, living only in the unconditional love of the Divine and His Angels. Here we are beyond pain, emotions, conflicts and doubts. Paradise is the land of ecstasy and pure blissful bliss. Here, creation manifests itself freely, and the experiences lived by human beings are pure, full of harmony and love. Here one can no longer feel the concern for survival, because the spirit has already transcended the struggles of ordinary earthly life.

Seraphim are the angels closest to God, they participate in performing Divine miracles. They are the angels of love who give us this pure, fundamental energy of God. Seraphim lead us to the highest heights of consciousness. They also mediate our encounter with authentic spiritual masters, from the physical plane or from the subtle planes.

Cherubim are the bearers of ultimate wisdom in the universe. They give strength to those people who obey the Word of God. Cherubim bring us wisdom, discernment, and authentic knowledge.

Angels of Thrones exist at the level of pure thought, and are, we might say, the Eyes of God. They transmit the power and glory of the Divine throughout the universe. When our minds are open to anything new, and when we live more and more in the present moment, we connect to the glory and splendor of creation as intended by God.

“The holy name of the Seraphim means “those who burn” or, more clearly, “those who purify”.
That of the Cherubim signifies “plenary knowledge” or “effusion of wisdom.”
The names of the Thrones indicate the vicinity of the divine throne, being therefore very high spirits who are in close proximity to God and receive in a direct and immediate manner divine perfection and knowledge.”
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About the intermediate triad:

Lordships, Virtues and Dominions include those angels who help us maintain harmonious relationships with others, teach us what Love and Wisdom really is. The dominions constitute the group of angels of peace, harmony and serenity of soul. They allow us to transform our hectic lives into one of calm and peace. The virtues teach us to love freedom and faith. These angels help us materialize any powerful thought and any intention firmly oriented towards an object. Lordships give us the ability to manifest Divine compassion. Their angels bring us reconciliation with the past and the power to forgive those who have wronged us. They give us the gift of wisdom to live in harmony.

“I believe that the revealing name of the holy Lordships shows us their capacity for elevation, which is never diminished, being free from all compromise; they never descend, never respond to disharmonious action, are above all degrading servitude, and are as long as possible in communion with the Divine Principle. The names of the Holy Virtues signify courage in all activities, they never tire of accumulating the light of the Divine Principle and are intensely and firmly oriented to reflect God in their being. As for the names of the holy Dominions, it shows equality in degree with Lordships and Virtues, the ability to accumulate divine gifts and superhuman powers; they do not tyrannically abuse their forces, using them selfishly, but constantly seek to elevate themselves and elevate their subordinates to divine realities; they tend to assimilate the Principle of Divine Power, the source of all power, and which they reflect, giving it selflessly, as far as possible, to angels.”
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About the Third Heavenly Hierarchy Dionysius says:

” The names of the Primates indicate a sovereign divine character and commanding power, which is perfectly consonant with sovereign powers; they are modeled after the same One Principle, the source of all principles;
they, through the good coordination of sovereign hierarchies, express this principle as the sovereign ordering principle.

Guardian angels, Archangels and Primates are the angels closest in vibration to the physical plane. Their purpose is to help us humans understand that God is present in every being and every thing in the universe. They bring us love and protection, and they are also available to help us solve any seemingly small problem we face in our daily lives.

Archangels bring us spiritual revelations and watch over our evolution. They also support the spiritual development of humanity in general. There is a beautiful Jewish prayer that emphasizes the essential role of archangels in guiding human beings:

“Almighty God,
King of Israel,
May Michael stand at my right hand,
Gabriel on the left,
Before me Raphael,
Behind me Uriel,
And above me the Divine Presence of God.”

The Holy Order of the Archangels, by its central position in the hierarchy, is equally linked to both the Holy Primates and the Angels;
they receive on a hierarchical ladder the light of the Divine Principle through higher orders

and I kindly transmit them to the Angels, who in turn manifest them to us, in response to good, divinely integrated actions and appeals to those who need help.

Angels of the last order possess, SOMETIMES also the character of messengers

and they are closest to us;
their task is to advocate for the divine Order,

that is, for the Universal Good all that is manifested.

In ancient times it was said that the boundaries of a people were established

according to the number of angels of God who protect him.”

Summarizing the duties and role of heavenly hierarchies, Dionysius the Areopagite states that:

“The heavenly intelligences are all revelators and messengers of what precedes them in the hierarchy.

The highest are animated directly by God,

while the others, each according to their own strength,

they are under the tutelage of spirits animated directly by God.

The sovereign harmony of all things foresaw, in its desire to help beings elevate and perfect themselves, thesubmission of every rational and intelligent being within a hierarchy of sacred order. […] In my opinion, there is one more thing that deserves deep reflection: the tradition of the Lodge says that angels are “thousands of millions” and “ten thousand myriads”, repeating and multiplying for this the largest numbers we use, with the clear intention of revealing that the number of heavenly beings is incalculable. And even more are the beatitudes manifested by these superhuman intelligences, having an understanding far beyond our own.

They could be perceived by our minds knowing that they possess heavenly, superhuman knowledge, bestowed upon them by the omniscient Divine Principle, Source of Wisdom, Sovereign Principle, Creative Cause, Power that embraces and embraces all beings, God the Father.”