Angels are spiritual beings that communicate and interact with people here and now, not just long ago in Biblical times. In fact, they are making themselves known more and more to people as more people are awakening to their spiritual nature on an experiential level. There is a myriad of angels serving in just about every capacity imaginable, from helping us tend to such things as our psychological and physical health, to healing the planet and maintaining its eco-balance, to more mundane practical matters such as finding parking spaces, passing tests, arranging "chance" encounters, etc. Angels are messengers of light whom the Father/Mother God created to minister to souls on earth as their guides, guardians and companions in Spirit. The word "angel" is derived from the Greek word "angelos" and the Latin word "angelus," both meaning "messenger" and records of their existence date back thousands of years.

Angels embody the will and frequencies of the Divine and make God's vibrations readily accessible to people. While Spirit is formless, angels are the essence of the Creator in form, vibrating at very high spiritual frequencies that are not usually visible. They appear to have wings because the light radiates out from their being in rays or waves that look like feathers. Angels are charged by the Creator to affect people and the environment with intensely positive vibrations that can be felt in the body and as a feeling sense. Their nature enables them to infuse people with the constructive qualities of Divine consciousness, bringing about profound changes that can actually transform a person's body and soul. Angels accomplish such transformations by causing movement at the molecular level that can alter matter, and causing movement within the neurons of the brain and nervous system that can alter the mind. The resulting changes are often called miracles. With these luminous beings surrounding us and working with us at all times, it is to our advantage to open our hearts and minds to them and call upon their energies for emotional healing and spiritual transformation.

THE HEAVENLY HIERARCHY

The mysterious landscape of the angels has been depicted by ancient theologians and metaphysicians over the centuries. The Christians adopted this Jewish model of the Cosmos, originally said to be founded upon the works of Dionysius and Thomas Aquinas, in which God is both at the center of the cosmos and at the highest point of the hierarchy. Spiritual entities radiate outwards from His Presence, some being close to the center while others move further away from the Divine source to more material forms of creation. The model shows nine celestial orders orbiting the Throne of Glory, rather like that of our own planetary system. (Source: "Angels, an Endangered Species" by M. Godwin)

Highest Triad - pure fiery and light energy
1. Seraphim 2. Cherubim 3. Thrones

Middle Triad - balancing and unifying the opposites
4. Dominions 5. Virtues 6. Powers

Lowest Triad - connecting to the material world
7. Principalities 8. Archangels 9. Angels

The inner orders of the Highest Triad resonate Love (the Seraphim) and Knowledge (the Cherubim). These subtle vibrations issue from the beat of their wings and the sound of their voices and yet remains essentially immaterial and insubstantial. However, the subsequent orbit of the Thrones is a region where form and substance begin to materialize. This progression shows the outward movement of the Divinity, which is pure Thought energy. Thought slows down as it moves from the source and becomes Light, which in turn decelerates to become Heat, which condenses into matter.

MORE ABOUT EACH ORDER...

1. Seraphim are in direct communion with God and as such are beings of pure light and thought who resonate with the Fire of Love. They ceaselessly chant in Hebrew the Trisagion (or Kadosh, Kadosh), translated as "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His Glory" while they circle His Throne. The song is actually a song of creation, the primary vibration of Love and resonating field of Life. When they appear to humans in the angelic form, it is as flaming six-winged and four-headed beings.

2. The subtle vibration emanating from the Cherubim is one of Knowledge and Wisdom. Originally, the Cherubim were mighty guardian figures which appeared throughout the Near and Middle East portrayed as winged lions flanking the portals of the temples. The Hebrew prophet, Ezekiel, witnessed at close hand four Cherubim, each with four faces and four wings. How such magnificent and awesome beings shrunk to the size of tubby little winged babies, fluttering in the corners of Baroque ceilings, remains one of the mysteries of history. True to common perception, however, they are the custodians of romantic love.

3. The Thrones are described in Jewish lore as the great "wheels" or the "many eyed one," with some references to them being God's chariot. There is a rare and wild detailed account of them in the Bible (Ezekiel 1:13-19) if you care to look further into that account.

4. The Dominions, according to Dionysius, "regulate angels' duties." They are channels of mercy living within the second heaven. The celestial letters of the Holy Name are suspended within its realm. The ruling Lords are said to be Zadkiel, Hasmal and Muriel. Hasmal is known as the "fire speaking angel."

5. The Virtues are angels of grace bestow blessings from on high, usually in the form of miracles. They are most often associated with heroes and with those who struggle for good. They instill courage when it is needed most. Known as "The Brilliant or Shining Ones," their ruling princes are said to be Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and other mighty beings.

6. The Powers inhabit the perilous border region between the first and second heavens. Dionysius accredits them with resisting the efforts of demons to take over the world. As such, they appear to act as a kind of border guard who patrol the Heavenly Pathways on the lookout for infiltration of darker energies. In Christian lore, the Soul is considered the great battleground of the forces of good and evil. The Powers' demanding task is to transform the duality of our everyday understanding into a unity with the Divine source. They are the spirit guides who assist those who have left the body and have lost their way in the astral plane. If the deceased are unbalanced by the experience, their fears can magnify to such an extent that they become insane and it is the Powers' who help in guiding their souls back to the Light and Love of God.

7. Originally, the Principalities were seen as an order which was in charge of nations and great cities on earth. Later these boundaries expanded to include the role of protectors of religion.

8. The number of Archangels differs amongst the major religions, but there are four names which do, nevertheless, appear regularly: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel. Dionysius tells us that Archangels are "messengers which carry Divine Decrees." They are considered the most important intercessionaries between God and humans and it is they who command the legions of Heaven in their constant battle for Good on the inner planes. They also oversee nations, wars and other global matters on Earth.
The archangels also serve humankind on the personal level. They help guide our choices and decisions and encourage us to take the high road as we traverse the sometimes tricky and uncertain inner terrain of our spiritual path. It is by meditating on their names and their qualities, and by consciously inviting them into our lives, that we can experience a more personal connection with the archangels. Why connect with the Archangels? We may want their assistance, for example, in healing any and all aspects of our lives, for achieving great works or endeavors, and for deepening our connection with the Divine in all its magnificent forms.

9. Angels are the last order of the celestial hierarchy and the one closest to humankind. The word itself means "messenger." There are angels who have very specific functions, which can be named and invoked for any situation. You do not need to know their precise ancient name to invoke their assistance. Instead, call upon the angel of a certain quality you desire.

For example, if you are obsessing or worried about money, and you remember that doing so only makes the situation worse, then you'll want to call up the Angel of Money. Surrender your worry thoughts to this angel and allow your consciousness to be imbued with the higher God qualities about money - abundance, perfect supply, generosity, etc.

You'll find that there is great power in realigning your consciousness to that which you desire, as opposed to continually thinking about what you don't want, and the angels can help us do this. Other examples of angels to call upon to help you realign your thoughts and intentions with higher vibrations are the following:

Love and Romance Angel -- Angel of Safe Travel -- Angel of Calm Nerves-- Healthy Eating Angel -- New Job Angel--Angel of Friendship -- Fun and Laughter Angel -- Angel of Finances -- Angel of Lost Pets -- Angel of Parking Spaces--etc.

Everyone has what is commonly called a guardian angel, which is a profoundly large, powerful and wise being who resides over each of our Soul's incarnations. In the Bible, Jesus makes reference to them: For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11). in addition to our guardian angel, there are many other angels around us at any given time. They have a wide range of qualities and functions in their service to God and humans. They can come and go in our lives as our interests, needs and circumstances shift and change throughout our life.

Other types of angelic beings include the elementals. They are the nature-based beings of the earth, air, water and fire. Fairies, gnomes, undines, sylphs and yes, even the mythical creatures such as mermaids and unicorns, are part of this realm of beings who are very closely connected to the earth and nature.

Also around people are deceased loved ones and pets. Some have not yet crossed over; others have and return to serve as a guide. Other types of guides include high-level beings who work on the other side to the benefit of human evolution and who have incarnated through the Earth plane at some point. They have highly-refined areas of expertise. So, for example, if you have an interest in alternative medicine, you may very well have a guide who knows about the old ways of healing, such as an Indian Medicine Man or even Paracelsus, who was a forefather to homeopathy. Often times, we have our own past lives come through from the Soul level with former specialized abilities that are actually gifts for us to use in our present life. Additionally, some people have "other worldly connections" to benevolent star beings who also serve as guides and they can be accessed through reading one's energy field.

THE ASCENDED MASTERS

Contrary to some beliefs, they work directly with people to help heal our lives and evolve our consciousness on the Soul level. They come to help us realize more of our own spiritual nature and to help us experience more of Heaven on Earth right here and now. Some familiar examples are Jesus, Mother Mary, Buddha, Krishna and Melkizadek, just to name a few. There is at least one main Ascended Master who works intimately with each Soul.