Was that an Angel?

Two Angels (detail)
North Italian Paintr, first quarter 14th century
Fresco  Metropolitian Museum of Art

As we stand in our circle, depending on your chosen path, the words come to mind and we say them sometimes without thinking....

Gabriel before me
Raphael behind me
Michael to my right
Uriel on my left...

How did Angels come to the pagan path? What do they represent?

Let us examine this a little closer....

The Lemegeton is the most important of the old Quabala group of the Books of Knowledge. It is divided into four books. The first is Goetia, which deals with the fallen Angels (Devils or Demons). The second is the Theurgia Goetia, which deals with the spirits of the cardinal points or watchtowers. The third is the Pauline Art, which deals with the Angels themselves. The fourth is the Almadel, which enumerates the four other choirs of spirits and is a bit obscure in its meaning.

What we want to explore is the Pauline Art, an old tradition, dealing with Angels and their places in our lives. Each of the four Elementals is represented by three of the Zodiac signs and are assigned a Major Angel and three minor Angels. Each set is called a Triplicity. Broken down it reads like this

Major Angel

Zodiac Signs

Minor Angels

Fiery Triplicity	Michael	Aires	Aiel
	Represents	Leo	Ol
	South	Sagitarius	Sizajasel

Airy Triplicity	Raphael	Gemini	Giel
	Represents	Libra	Jael
	East	Aquarius	Ausiul

Watery Triplicity	Gabriel	Cancer	Cael
	Represents	Scorpio	Sosol
	West	Pisces	Pasiel

Earthly Triplicity	Uriel	Taurus	Tual
	Represents	Virgo	Voil
	North	Capricorn	Casujoiah

See the patterns developing?

There is also the Fourth Book of Cornelius Agrippa, and the Magical Elements, attributed to Peter of Abano. The books usually comprise the root of the material of the Renaissance Magician.

It can be summed up in a curious constitution type of opening in a Grimoire called The Grimoire of Honorius, supposedly a Bishop of Rome (Pope?). To summarize, Christ gave to the Pope "The Keys", which is power over all God's Angels. This seems to also include the Fallen Angels, so the Pope has power to conjure and control them as well. And Honorous took it upon himself to pass this knowledge on to others.

Its an interesting thought.....

All this "High Magic" is Christian based. It has no bearing on the modern Craft movement except to explain origins of certain expressions used in Calling a Circle, where Watchtowers and Angels are used as opposed to Elementals and Direction.