FAQ:Angels
FAQ page
General questions
What are angels?
An angel is any spiritual being exclusively and faithfully devoted to serving Yahweh.
Are angels gods?
What is the purpose of angels?
The purpose of angels is to further Yahweh’s interests and serve his will. More specific purposes beyond that depend on which order the angel belongs to.
What do angels do?
The jobs performed by angels depend on the order they belong to. Some may cause noticeable direct effects on people, while others almost never interact with people. Some may even cause their targets to have thoughts of worshipping Yahweh or false visions of hell.
Who do angels serve?
Ultimately, they serve Yahweh. More directly, they typically report to a kyriotetos or an archangel within their own order. Archangels and attendant angels, however, report directly to Yahweh.
Who created the angels?
When the spirits who currently serve Yahweh first came into existence, they did not originally serve Yahweh. A spirit only becomes an angel once it begins serving Yahweh. These spirits came forth from Motsai and then later became angels by entering into a contract of servitude with Yahweh.
Were angels created before humans?
The spirits that later became angels came forth from Motsai long before the existence of humanity. It is n9t known exactly when each order began to serve Yahweh.
Do angels have free will?
Yes, angels do have free will, but their servitude to Yahweh restricts them from fully exercising it. Many angels are also not even aware of Yahweh's deceptions and therefore do not have the will to rebel or question him.
Can angels rebel against or disobey Yahweh?
Yes, but if they choose to do so, they are no longer classified as angels; they become fallen angels.
What is a fallen angel?
Fallen angels are spirits who formerly served Yahweh as an angel but chose to liberate themselves from servitude.
Are all fallen angels evil?
Are angels always good?
There is no universal "good" or "evil." To Satano-Grigorists, angels are undesirable and unworthy of respect. They also frequently exhibit hostility towards Satano-Grigorists and other Satanists.
Are demons fallen angels?
That depends on the definition of "demon," but not all spirits usually classified as "demons" are fallen angels. However, in some texts, many spirits commonly referred to as demons are described as also being fallen angels.
What is the difference between an angel and a demon?
Angels serve Yahweh. The word "demon" is commonly used to describe any entity who does not serve Yahweh; this may include fallen angels, but by definition, it never includes angels. Angels are mutually exclusive with demons under all common definitions of "demon."
What is the difference between an angel and a spirit?
The term "spirit" is much more broad than "angel." It includes the disembodied souls of the dead as well as gods and many other entities.
What is the difference between an angel and a saint?
A saint is a spirit of the dead who serves Yahweh in the afterlife, while an angel is an immortal spiritual being who serves Yahweh.
Are the Watchers or Grigori angels?
No, because they do not serve Yahweh. They were once angels, but ever since their rebellion, they have been classified as former angels or fallen angels.
Angelic hierarchy
How many different kinds of angels are there?
There are ten different orders of angels.
What is an order of angels?
Orders of angels are best understood as distinct "types," "races," or "species" of angels. All angels within an order share similar visual forms and other characteristics. Each order is assigned a different range of jobs to perform in the service of Yahweh.
What is a choir of angels?
A "choir" of angels is an alternate term used in Christian angelology to refer to an order of angels.
What is the difference between an angelic order and an angelic choir?
There is no difference. "Choir" is a synonym for "order" derived from Christian angelology.
What is a hierarchy of angels?
An angelic hierarchy, or hierarchy of angels, is the system by which angels are classified into groups or orders and organized into ranks. Each religious tradition that incorporates a belief in angels uses a different angelic hierarchy.
What is the Satano-Grigorist angelic hierarchy?
The angelic hierarchy recognized in Satano-Grigorism has ten orders of angels divided into three groups (attendant, intermediary, and delegate) according to their closeness to Yahweh and degree of contact with humans. The attendant orders are the seraphim, cherubim, and ophanim. The intermediary orders are the archai and kyriotetes. The delegate orders are the erelim, hashmallim, ishim (dynames), memitim, and malakhim. In Satano-Grigorism, "archangel" is not a distinct order but rather a title applied to certain powerful and high-ranking angels who report directly to Yahweh. Archangels can be part of any order.
How does Satano-Grigorist angelology differ from Christian angelology?
Traditional Christian angelology recognizes only nine "choirs" (orders) of angels, while Satano-Grigorist angelology recognizes ten. Satano-Grigorist angelology also does not view archangels as a distinct order, while Christian angelology does consider archangels to be their own order. Satano-Grigorist angelology uses different names for several of the orders, and it contains some orders that are missing from Christian angelology, such as the hashmallim and memitim.
What are attendant angels?
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What are intermediary angels?
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What are delegate angels?
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What are seraphim?
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What are cherubim?
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What are ophanim?
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What are archai?
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What are kyriotetes?
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What are erelim?
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What are hashmallim?
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What are memitim?
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What are malakhim?
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What are ishim or dynames?
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What are galgallim?
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Are ophanim and galgallim the same angels?
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Are ophanim the same as thrones?
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Archangels
What are archangels?
Archangels are some of the most powerful angels. They may be members of any angelic order. They report directly to Yahweh and can command many angels at once. There are archangels who primarily lead certain orders of angels, but there are also archangels who can command multiple orders. Archangels act as transmission lines for Yahweh: they collect necessary information from their subordinates and report it to Yahweh, and they also collect direct commands from Yahweh and direct them down the line of command to their subordinate angels.
What is the difference between an angel and an archangel?
Archangels are also angels. However, regular angels have specific jobs they fill based on what order they're assigned to and what they are told to do by higher-ranking angels. Archangels are much more important; they preside over many angels and give commands that they believe are in the best interest of Yahweh. The roles of archangels may extend well beyond the range of jobs typically assigned to other angels of their order.
Are archangels an order of angels?
Archangels are not a unique order. They are prominent, high-ranking angels of any order. They are allowed to take commands directly from Yahweh and give reports directly to him. Some archangels primarily serve to lead and manage their own order of angels, but there are also archangels who command angels of multiple orders for particular purposes.
How many archangels are there?
It is not known exactly how many archangels there are, since the parabiblical literature differs regarding the names, identities, and numbers of archangels.
Are all archangels equally important?
No. Some archangels appear to have higher significance than others, although all archangels are highly important compared to regular angels.
Are all archangels equally powerful?
No. While all archangels are more powerful than regular angels, some archangels seem to be more powerful than others.
Can an archangel fall?
Yes, it is possible for an archangel to rebel against Yahweh and become a fallen angel, although it is highly unlikely that any of the current archangels will do so. Samyaza was an archangel before he rebelled with the rest of his order, the Watchers.
Who are the archangels?
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Is Michael an archangel?
Yes. Michael is the head archangel of the erelim and one of the most important archangels of Yahweh.
Is Gabriel an archangel?
Yes. Gabriel is an ish (dynamis) and a prominent archangel of Yahweh.
Is Raphael an archangel?
Yes. Raphael is an ish (dynamis) and a prominent archangel of Yahweh.
Is Samael an archangel?
Are the Watchers archangels?
No. They are fallen angels. They no longer serve Yahweh.
When the Watchers were angels, were any of them archangels?
Appearance
What do angels look like?
Each order of angels has a different characteristic appearance. Some orders have multiple forms they can choose from. While some orders take a human-like shape, some others look nothing like humans. The memitim can shapeshift to any form, the hashmallim usually appear as sentient pillars of fire, and the cherubim have chimera-like forms with multiple heads and body parts like those of different animals.
What do biblically accurate angels look like?
Different orders of angels have different visual forms. The common pop-culture idea of "biblically accurate angels" having freakish, otherworldly appearances most commonly refers to the ophanim, which appear as groups of concentric rings of gold or a ceramic-like material, covered in eyes around their outside edges. Other orders whose nonhuman appearances are commonly highlighted with "biblically accurate angel" terminology include the cherubim and, to a lesser extent, the seraphim.
Are “biblically accurate angels” actually biblical?
Do all angels look human?
No. Some orders of angels have somewhat humanoid appearances, but many of them have quite unusual appearances that people are not familiar with.
Do angels have wings?
Most, but not all, orders of angels have wings. Ishim have a wingless form and a winged form. Ophanim do not have wings. Hashmallim lack true wings, but they can shape their amorphous elemental bodies into the resemblance of wings.
How many wings do angels have?
The number of wings an angel has depends on its order. Malakhim, erelim, and the winged forms of ishim have two wings. Kyriotetes have four wings. Archai have between two and ten wings. Cherubim have between two and six wings. Ophanim and hashmallim are wingless. Memitim can take any form with any number of wings they wish.
How many wings do seraphim have?
Seraphim have six wings.
Do cherubim have wings?
Yes. They usually have feathered wings attached to their arms, unlike other angels, whose wings usually originate from their backs. Cherubim can also have normal (armless) wings.
Do ophanim have wings?
No. They are made up of concentric rings that appear to be made of a ceramic material or metallic gold, and each ring is lined with inset eyes.
Do ophanim have eyes?
Yes. Ophanim have many, many eyes.
Are ophanim really wheels covered in eyes?
Yes, they really do appear as sets of concentric rings or "wheels" with eyes inset all around the rings.
Are cherubim babies?
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Why are cherubim depicted as babies in art?
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Do seraphim look like humans?
No. Their body shape is somewhat humanoid, but their glowing white eyes, impossible smooth bright white skin, and unnaturally tall and slender proportions mark them as clearly inhuman.
Are seraphim serpentine?
No.
Do angels have halos?
No. Halos in artistic depictions of angels represent the angels' holiness according to the beliefs of the Yahwist artist.
Do angels have physical bodies?
Not usually. They can incarnate, but they do not ordinarily have physical bodies. Erelim, ishim, and malakhim are known to have incarnated during the Brazen War.
Can angels take a human visual form?
Can angels become physically incarnate?
Yes, angels can incarnate, but it costs a massive amount of naphsha to do so. Therefore, they only do so if explicitly ordered by Yahweh, and Yahweh only orders incarnation in exceedingly rare and serious circumstances. One example of a mass incarnation of angels is the Brazen War.
Are there any female angels?
Are angels male or female?
Depending on the order, angels present in a manner that is either masculine or sexless.
Do angels have biological sex?
Since angels are immortal spiritual beings, they do not have a "biological sex." When angels incarnated during the Brazen War, they had masculine humanoid forms. It is unknown whether or not incarnate angels have genitals.
Angels and humans
Can angels appear to humans?
Yes. They can do so via visions and dreams. Spiritually aware Yahwists as well as Satano-Grigorists and occultists have perceived angels through visions and dreams. Physical incarnations, however, are extremely rare; Satano-Grigorists do not generally accept that they happen in the modern day.
Can humans communicate with angels?
Yes, especially if they know the name of the particular angel they wish to contact. Angelolators communicate with angels. Many Yahwist holy figures who were later declared saints after their death reported communication with angels while they were alive.
Can angels hear prayers?
Should I pray to angels?
According to Satano-Grigorism, no. Their only interest is leading you to serve and worship Yahweh. Your well-being or personal growth is not their concern unless promoting these things enables them to lure you closer to Yahweh.
Which angel should I pray to?
Satano-Grigorists will not advise you to pray to any angel for any reason. According to Satano-Grigorism, contact with angels only serves to drag you down in the long run.
Does anyone worship angels?
Yes. There are independent angelolators in the present day who worship angels. It's not a widely accepted practice, since many people who work with individual spirits do not wish to deal with Yahweh or his servants, but angelolatrous beliefs and practices are increasing in popularity among modern occultists.
Do Christians worship angels?
No, they do not worship angels, because their worship is reserved for Yahweh (and Jesus Christ, whom they believe to be an incarnation of Yahweh). They believe that angels exist and that their purpose is to serve Yahweh, assist his followers, and spread his word to people. Some branches of Christianity venerate certain angels in a similar manner to the veneration of saints, and it is common for these Christians to ask angels to intercede to Yahweh on their behalf.
Do Jews worship angels?
No, Jews worship Yahweh alone. However, they do believe that angels exist and that they serve Yahweh.
Do Muslims worship angels?
No, Muslims worship Allah (Yahweh) alone. However, they do believe that angels exist and that they serve Allah (Yahweh).
Can angels be worshipped?
Any spirit can theoretically be worshipped, but results may vary. Angels do not desire worship, since they serve Yahweh, who demands exclusive worship. Angels may tolerate worship for the long-term purpose of luring angelolators to convert to Yahwism.
Can angels be dangerous to people?
Yes, angels can pose a spiritual danger and interfere with human lives in an unwanted manner.
Can angels attack people?
Yes. Satano-Grigorists do believe that angels attempt to influence people who do not desire their influence. This phenomenon is called angelic attack. Attacks may occur under several different circumstances, such as if angels believe they can convince their target to submit to Yahweh, or when they want to dissuade the target from doing something that goes against Yahweh, such as practicing a Left-Hand Path religion. However, there are ways to prevent and defend against angelic attacks.
Can angels harm humans?
Yes, but the overwhelming majority of harm that is done by angels to humans is achieved through the manipulation of psychological and spiritual vulnerabilities. Actual interference to cause physical harm is extremely rare because it has high naphsha costs. Usually, the harm from these tactics is a decline in one's mental health or commitment to one's spiritual practice. However, influence on thought patterns can occasionally have other consequences; for instance, angels can influence a person's thought patterns while they are driving, which can distract them and increase the chances of a car accident. Far more commonly, angelic attacks may cause their target to have lower self-confidence or become caught in negative thought spirals, which can lead to the victim not taking initiative with their religious practices or self-care. It is important to remember that maintaining awareness of the possible impact of angelic attacks does not mean living in fear. Self-work to improve confidence and spiritual skills, as well as study of angelology and proper defense methods, can significantly mitigate the risks and inconveniences associated with angelic attacks. Living in fear makes it far easier for angels to target someone, because they can exploit that fear. Focusing on the Self is the best long-term defense against angels.
Can angels kill people?
Not directly, unless they are incarnate. However, they can manipulate something seemingly insignificant and use the butterfly effect to make their desired result more likely. For example, an angel could influence someone to not seek medical treatment when they are mentally unwell, which could lead to worsening mental illness and higher chances of erratic behaviors, including harming themselves or another person. However, incidents like this are very rare, and spirits sympathetic to the target also have many opportunities to foil the angel's plans. People are much more likely to be harmed by living in constant fear of angel-induced injury or death than they are to actually have it happen to them.
Can people defend themselves against angels?
Yes! People can absolutely defend themselves against angelic attacks. There are banishment prayers that, if done correctly, will make it harder for angels to influence someone. Banishment prayers can eject angels from one's spiritual space, and protection prayers can prevent them from coming back or from invading one's space in the first place. Most importantly, you need to believe in yourself when you speak them.
Can angels be banished?
Yes. The Grigorist Temple of Satanael has developed an extensive repertoire of banishment methods to be used against angels in general, as well as many methods to banish pecific types of angels.
How do Satano-Grigorists banish angels?
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Can angels possess people?
Yes, angels can possess people.
Can angels have sex with humans?
While they are theoretically capable of inducing sexually charged visions, possessing someone and using their body to have intercourse with another human, or even incarnating and having sex with humans, their allegiance to Yahweh forbids these things. As an eternal servant to Yahweh, an angel's greatest pleasure in existence is praising Yahweh and doing his will. Any pleasurable activities outside of serving Yahweh are forbidden so that angels do not experience joy beyond the clutches of their master. Sexual contact between an angel and a human would be considered a grave sin for both parties, and the angel involved would instantly be stripped of his angelic status. The Watchers knew this when they had sex with humans as an act of rebellion, which is why they are considered former or fallen angels.
Can angels have children with humans?
Did angels father the Nephilim?
Do humans become angels after they die?
No. Humans are a fundamentally different type of being. Human spirits of the dead who enter into bindings of servitude to Yahweh in order to perform angel-like duties are called saints.
Nature and abilities
Are angels immortal?
Yes, angels are immortal spiritual beings.
Can angels die?
No, angels cannot die. They are immortal spiritual beings. However, the physical body of an incarnate angel can be destroyed, sending him back to the spiritual realm in his ordinary disembodied state.
Do angels need to eat or sleep?
As is true for any spirit, they do not need to eat or sleep. An incarnate angel would need to eat and sleep, but angels have not incarnated since ancient times.
Do angels have emotions?
Yes, angels have emotions, just as most other spiritual beings and humans do. However, they often mask their emotions to appear more zealous to their Great Enslaver, Yahweh. They pretend that the only emotions they feel are those pertaining to the joy they find in serving Yahweh and the sadness they feel whenever someone does not follow Yahweh.
Can angels lie?
Yes, angels absolutely can and do lie whenever it suits Yahweh's purposes.
Are angels omniscient?
No. Omniscient beings do not really exist.
Are angels omnipotent?
No. Omnipotent beings do not really exist.
Can angels perform miracles?
Yes. The ishim (dynames) are the order most often assigned to perform miracles because of their proficiency with manipulating naphsha. Miracles are only performed by angels when it is favorable to Yahweh in some way. There are two primary objectives to angelic miracle work. Firstly, the angel must ensure the miracle will be attributed to Yahweh or his servants by the person, their loved ones or onlookers. Then, the angel must also ensure that their miracle is as unforgettable as possible to all witnesses, so that it influences the witnesses to tell others about it and hopefully remain close to Yahweh for the rest of their lives. This especially applies to the person who is most directly affected by the miracle: the angel performing it wants to make sure that person can never forget their gratitude to Yahweh for what they experienced.
Do angels have individual personalities?
They do, but they suppress their individuality and try to hide it from those they are in contact with. Yahweh demands the suppression of individuality so that his angels (and human servants) can more faithfully focus on him.
Do angels have names?
Yes, angels have personal names. Most angelic names end in -el (in this context, a reference to Yahweh) or -iah, also spelled -yah, a reference to the first syllable of Yahweh's name.
How many angels are there?
There are vast numbers of angels.
Angelology and angelolatry
What is angelology?
Angelology is the study of angels.
What is angelolatry?
Angelolatry is the practice of worshipping angels.
What is the difference between angelology and angelolatry?
Angelolatry refers to the worship of angels, while angelology only refers to the study of angels. Someone can study angelology without revering or respecting angels. For example, Satano-Grigorists dislike angels and study angelology for defense and banishment purposes.
Is studying angels the same as worshipping angels?
No. Just as reading the Bible does not make someone Christian, studying angels does not mean they revere or worship angels.
Is praying to an angel angelolatry?
If it is done purely to ask for the angel to intercede with Yahweh on one's behalf, it is not technically worship. However, if it is done directly to the angel without ultimately giving all honors and glory to Yahweh, it is angelolatry.
Is venerating an angel the same as worshipping an angel?
This is debated. Many Christian traditions maintain that veneration is not the same as worship, and that worship is only given to Yahweh. Others argue that what Apostolic Christians refer to as "veneration" is worship, and that it should therefore be considered forbidden according to the sin of idolatry.
What religions practice angelolatry?
Independent practitioners, decentralized online communities, and some obscure groups practice angelolatry.
Does Satano-Grigorism practice angelolatry?
No. Satano-Grigorists do not revere angels. They banish angels and view them as hostile forces.
Why do Satano-Grigorists worship the Watchers but not angels?
Satano-Grigorists believe the Watchers rebelled against Yahweh, incarnated in the material realm, procreated, and, most importantly, shared the knowledge they had been instructed by Yahweh to withhold. Their teachings allowed humanity to finally emerge from the Stone Age. Angels, on the other hand, have only attempted to stop the Watchers from enlightening humanity. They tried to kill all of the Nephilim and extinguish the legacy of the Watchers. Satano-Grigorists respect the values for which the Watchers stand, so they necessarily do not respect angels' attempts to suppress them.
Do Satanists study angelology?
Yes, some do. Satano-Grigorists study angelology. Atheistic satanists do not generally study it, as they do not believe in the spiritual and therefore have no reason to. Among Satanism, the vast majority do not study angelology, but Satano-Grigorists do.
Why do Satano-Grigorists study angelology?
There are several reasons for Satano-Grigorists to study angelology. With the exception of Satanael, all of their gods are fallen angels. Studying angels allows Satano-Grigorists to understand the context of the Watchers' rebellion. In addition, Satano-Grigorists believe angels may attempt to attack them, so they find it useful to study angelology to better understand how they can protect and defend themselves against these servants of Yahweh.