{Angelic Hierarchies}[18th October 1987]

[Redbook4:130-146][19871018:2352]{Angelic Hierarchies}[18th October 1987]

19871018.2352

I offer this as a passing[****] thought, per* E[ncyclopaedia] B[ritannica].1.400 & St. Paul (Ephesians, I.Corinthians), et al:

		Angels**
		THRONES
	Archangels		Dominions
Seraphim		☼		Principalities
	Cherubim		Powers
		Virtues

--then again, per* Dionysius the Aeropagite (per Dante (Sayers/Reynolds) – I am reading notes beyond my progress with the text):

		Angels***
		SERAPHIM
	Archangels		Cherubim
Principalities		☼		Thrones
	Powers		Dominions
		Virtues

– or again, per* Gregory the Great:

			(I~)
		(Messengers, Agents)→	Angels****
(Chief Agents)			SERAPHIM	←(Serpents; Love?)
	(R~)	Archangels	(CHRIST)	Cherubim	(S~)	(Always airborne)
(G~)	Virtues		☼		Thrones	(M~)	(Conquest)
(Political Powers?)	(J~)	Powers		Dominions	(U~)	(Leo, of course!)
			Principalities
			(A~)

(The difference [between the last two] is small: Virtues and Principalities are reversed between Dionysius' and Gregory's.)

For various not very convincing reasons I slightly prefer Gregory's; but I don't go a bundle on any of them, or indeed the existence of such gradations at all... at present!#

*[In each diagram, the order is expressed to be per the source cited, but the roughly circular arrangement is not.]

**[By dashed lines at the top of the 1^st ms diagram, Angels are linked to Archangels and Dominions to Thrones.]

***[By dashed lines at the top of the 2^nd ms diagrams, Angels are linked to Archangels and Cherubim to Seraphim.]

****[By dashed lines starting at the top of the 3^rd ms diagram, Angels are linked to Archangels and then each is linked to the next in a rough circle finishing with Cherubim to Seraphim.]

#Oh yeah? (See below [[Redbook4:132][19871018:2352c]{Angelic Hierarchies [continued (3)]}[18th October 1987], final para.].) <871123>

[continues]

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