As with the rest of the universe, the angels exist in a hierarchy. There is a form and order to the universe and the Divine Forces. The Angel community is the perfect example of this order and structure. The kingdom is divided into 3 Hierarchies and 9 Choirs. Each section of the community has it's own particular purpose and energy.

The Archangels

Many people focus on or feel drawn to the archangels above the rest. Here I've tried to give a description of the correspondances of those angels and how they relate to occult practices.

The Angel Groups In addition the Angelic Hierarchy are also gathered into 9 groups which govern and provide guidance on the universal aspects of life. These aspects are Death, Mercy, the Zodiac and so on.

The Lower Angel Forces These 9 groups are often some of the most controversial because their existence depends on your personal beliefs. The lower forces include Fallen Angels, Demons, Devils and Satan.

Each Angelic Order has its special purpose for existing, and now lets see some details about them.

Orders of the First Choir are: Supernals - Celestials - Illuminations

Orders of the Second Choir are: Seraphim - Cherubim - Thrones

Orders of the Third Choir are: Dominations - Virtues - Powers

Orders of the Fourth Choir are: Principalities - Archangels - Angels

Each of these orders will be discussed in subsequent hubs.

 In the West, the origins of the concepts of angels and demons were in the religions of Sumeria and Egypt. Their stories of the gods and an ancient war in heaven were transmitted and transformed by the Jews, Greeks and Persians. The words 'angel' and 'demon' are of Greek origin, though their present meanings were later overlays of the Jews and Christians. In the oldest stories we have discovered, either the 'gods' were not inherently good or evil, or their roles were reversed from those assigned to them today.

The origin among the Jews of the stories of angels and demons was the Sumerian religion brought to the Canaanite Jews after 1960 BC by Abraham. He brought the worship of Baal and Asherah, the God and Goddess. In a Sumerian story of the war in heaven, Baal defeats the sea monster YAMM, whose name was changed to Leviathan by the Jews. After 1260 BC, the Yahwist Jews began to re-write and transform this religion of the Jews of Canaan into the form later adopted by the Christians and Moslems.

 The Jews divided the angelic hosts into ten divisions: First, three aspects of the essence of the Most High: Metratton, who bestows the gift of being on all through the power of the Most High (Jehovah) Masleh, who formed the cosmos through the word of God (Jah) and the angency of the angel Raziel  Sabbathai, who transmitted the Holy Spirit (Ehjeh) into individual souls through Saturn The seven measures or visible attributes of the Most High: El, divine benevolence flowing through the angel Zadkiel to give form through Jupiter Elohi, divine fortitude flowing through the angel Gamamliel to give strength through Mars Tsebaoth, divine Lord of Hosts flowing through the angel Raphael to power the Sun Elion, divine intelligence flowing through the angel Michael to give wisdom through Mercury Adonai, divine love flowing through the angel Haniel to give mastery through Venus Shaddai, divine judgement flowing through the angel Gabriel to give just deserts through the Moon Elohim, divine knowledge flowing through the angel Jesodoth to give guidance through the Earth The Torah gives an account of the seven angels who beset the Path of the individual soul after death.

The Nine Celestial Orders of Dionysius - St. Denis - the Areopagite Seraphim - surround the throne of God, regulate the movement of the heavens with their singing Cherubim - guardians of light and the stars, they filter lght from heaven Thrones - angels of the planets Dominions - govern activities of lower angels and integrate spiritual with mystical Virtues - send out immense spiritual energy that sustains creation Powers - angels of birth and death, keepers of collective history, send divine visions Principalities - integrating angels who guard large groups such as cities and nations Archangels - tend to the larger arena of human endeavor Angels - guide men into greater consciousness

In Islamic tradition, the highest angel is Azazil (later called Satan), followed by Azrael, the angel of death, and Asrafil, the angel of resurrection. Two angels, Moukir and Nakir, examine the soul after death, and every soul has two angels assigned to it in life. One of them records every good deed, the other every bad deed. But the bad deeds are not recorded until after the man has slept, and if he repents of his error before then, he is recorded as being forgiven by God.