ANGELS

Human assumptions about – and interpretations of – members of the ninefold celestial hierarchy vary greatly.  Cherubim and seraphim, angels and archangels, principalities, thrones and dominations, powers and virtues; understanding the rank and file of of heavenly attendants is ‘rank’ to some, while others consider the information fascinating ‘must-knows’ for their mental files.  How people feel about angels, and if/how they categorize angels in their personal understanding of spirituality, ranges widely depending on individual belief systems.  But there is no doubt that, regardless of {un}belief, angels are among us:  they appear in scripture, song, art, and story, and they are credited with the success of altruistic and beneficent endeavors worldwide.

Snow Angels

Photo cropped from an Instagram screenshot, originally posted by sirensong1208 and sent to me by Dokurtybitz

There is a certain magic in making snow angels.  Perhaps it is because, for those of us on the north side of the equator, snow happens at Christmas.  Angels are, after all, quite commonly associated with the holiday.

One angel in particular:  Gabriel.

Not only did a Victorian-era snow-bound group of Basque church-goers create a carol about Gabriel’s message to Mary (aptly named Gabriel’s Message and first published by Charles Bordes in 1895 – you can have a listen, here), but a modern interpretation was offered just last Christmas – in story form – by the delightful Ella Scandal.  In which, ‘delivering a message’ takes on a whole new meaning.

Most highly favoured lady, indeed.

Click here to read.  (FAIR WARNING:  Story includes religiously subversive content.)

Avenging Angels

Angels are guardians and warriors, intercedents and protectors.  Embodying two sides of one coin, they are heraldic but likewise harbingers of bad news.  They are peaceful…  But in a ‘raining down fiery vengeance’ sort of way.

Which quite appeals to me, actually.  😉

As does this heavenly angel-allusive piece by Ferns, which…

I want you to understand the clarity of violence and the force of truth.

…UNF.

Created through correspondence, I Want You To Be Silent is my kind of holy terror – written in raw teardown poetic renewal – and it’s fucking beautiful.

Broken Wings

One of the reasons angelic beings appeal to so many people, I think, is their vulnerability.

‘Vulnerable’ seems an odd descriptor, perhaps, given their (perceived) power, but angels – for all their strength – are a bit like glass:  forged in fire, they are the embodiment of beautiful incandescent strength; yet a single fall to earth can cause an irreparable shattering of being.

But battered wings can be bandaged.

And fallen angels can relearn to fly.

Tabitha Rayne, whose stunning creativity never ceases to amaze me, captured this concept beautifully in the photo below.

Photo courtesy of Tabitha Rayne, used with permission

Her images are always inspiring to me.  This one, as well as the story and additional photography that accompanies it, is well worth a closer look.  It can be found here.

Choirs of Angels

While ‘choir’ has generally come to mean ‘a group of people who sing together harmonically’, the supernal definition is a bit different.

The three groupings within the ninefold angelic hierarchy are referred to as choirs.  How ‘choir’ came to be associated with musical harmonic vocalizations is not exactly clear (though I’m fairly certain the interpretation originated with the famous “multitude of heavenly hosts” passage from Luke detailing the angels’ announcement of Christ’s birth to the shepherds), but whatever the reason, the concepts of ‘choirs’ and ‘angels’ and ‘vocal stylings’ all sort of… amalgamated… and now, angels are very much associated with music.

It should come as no surprise, then, that so many songs about angels have been written over the centuries.

Though they may date me a bit, the following angelic selections are not necessarily holy, but I find them wholly delightful:

[Videos are embedded below song titles — just click to play.]

Aerosmith:  Angel

Jeff Healey Band:  Angel Eyes

The Heights:  How Do You Talk To An Angel

Real Life:  Send Me An Angel

(Yes, I really did just post four YouTube music videos in a row.  Yes, from Back Then™.  😉  Feel free to add your own contributions in the comments section below.  😀 )

Philanthropic Angels

Considering the aforementioned vengeful-sword wrath and the un-shatter-proof vulnerability of such celestial creatures, it feels a bit strange to equate the concept ‘financial support’ with ‘angel’.  (Though ‘bank’ seems an appropriate match, somehow, doesn’t it?  Stalwart furor that crumbles.  Or something.  But I digress.)  Nonetheless, the term ‘angel’ has long been utilized to mean ‘financial backer’ in philanthropic endeavors.

Used in this way, someone who is an angel, is a/n:

• advocate
• ally
• backer
• benefactor
• champion
• contributor
• donor
• endorser
• patron
• sponsor
• supporter

and is usually perceived as a/n:

• altruist
• encourager
• fan
• friend
• good person

I have recently been researching various charitable causes (stay tuned; I may be doing something bloggerly with the results of my research), and have found many that not only rely on ‘angels’ for financial backing but also that utilize the term in their organizational nomenclature.  Vitamin Angels has caught my attention in recent months for their worldwide work with women and children; Angel Tree charities abound at Christmas time to provide gifts to kids who may not otherwise receive any; Boat Angel and Car Angel programs across the U.S. and Canada accept vehicle donations to benefit various charities.

I donate time, money, and gifts-in-kind when/where I am able; I may not have a lot, but what I do have, I’m happy to share.  For some reason, thinking of this practice as angeling appeals to the whimsy in me.  😉

Though whether my whimsical angeling is Wrathfully Winged Vengeance or Beatific Flight-of-Fancy Benevolence is (probably) largely contingent on how much sleep I’ve gotten the night before.

And food. It’s always a Good Idea to make sure I’ve had food.  (And sex.)  (Or, y’know… orgasms.  Which do not require sex.  Not exactly, anyway.)

But I digress.

(Which probably means it’s time to end this post.  😉 )

So…

FIN

What kinds of angels do you believe in?
Which charities/causes do you angel for?