What Are Angels? Options

This is something i'm interested in, i haven't worked with angels (yet anyway, or Goetic spirits, but i'd like to start), but i was just wondering, in your opinion or your UPGs (personal gnosis), what do you believe angels are, and, i know that Yahweh seems to have the majority of angels serving him/her, but do you think there are other gods that also have angels serving them (or do you think there are angels that are truly independent and act more like supernatural 'merceranries' and don't serve an deity/deities).

Also, i've read things that say that angels 'don't have free will' and only 'care' about humanity but i'm not sure if i'd believe that as i've heard that some angels can pretty much mess you up worse than Goetic demons (or any other demonic being, although i'm not sure if that's true).

Anyway, either in your own personal opinions/gnosis, or in your experiences, what do you think angels are and do you think they have a choice in what they do (and do they all serve Yahweh, or do some of them serve other deities, or even branch out on their own).

I think that angels may be a bit like humans (kind of, only more supernatural, with greater powers, etc but similar wants, needs, desires, feelings, etc), and that some may serve Yahweh (or whoever) and some may just branch out on there own, so to speak and do what they want. (It may sound dumb, though).

Anyway, i hope that made some sense and didn't sound too dumb.

As Erosc said, mine post is also only part of my current belief system.....

Many cultures and religions have beings described very similarly to the Judaic Angels (and beings matching "demons"). Its my best understanding that "angels" exist outside of any particular religion or enculturation.

If you think of "God" or the highest expression of the divine as a universal spread of immenent and eminent "Light" (the form,function,feeling of the power of creation undifferentiated) . . . angels are like coalesced rays of the pure divine. They are the first order of differentiation personified. (many theurgist may descibe them as forces of macrocosmic functions instead of individual "beings")
In that way, they are direct aspects of Divine Will as it shows its intention. In that regard . . . no, "they" have no free will as we would consider it.
But, once you know your true will (and have union with the Divine) . . . would you still have free will as you knew it before?
In essence, they are God/Divine/Tao/Kia in its differentiated form . . . and act out the functions of the intention of the Divine.

Yahwah is just one aspect of one cultures pantheon of the Divine . . . as is Eheieh or Elohim
(ok, that last one is a bad example (IMG:style_emoticons/default/13.gif))
In that concept, the God Name, would be the highest aspect of the differentiated Divine (tho severly abstract to the point of extreme), and each would have its angels as condensations of the rays of its particular shades of the Divine Light it represents.

As well, "demons" or Qlippothic entities would be considered exactly the same . . . simply as personified coalesced rays of differentiation of an otherwise entirely undifferentiated Divine.
All is One.
Nothing is outside of the One.
Everything represents some aspect of the One . . . no good or bad about it, just The One.

And in turn, you yourself would could be considered part of that same system of Divine differentiation.

Its not a dumb question . . . its one you will have to come to terms with in your magickal work.
Let beliefs evolve as you progress. In time, you may find that your new beliefs are entirely different then the ones you originally started with . . . welcome to magickal Initiation!!!


(I Know Nothing)

This post has been edited by palindroem: Sep 3 2006, 11:44 AM