Ariel (angel)

Ariel (Hebrew: אריאל, "Ari'el", "Arael" or "Ariael") is an archangel found primarily in Judeo-Christian mysticism and Apocrypha. Generally presented as an authority over the Earth and its elements, Ariel has also been called an angel of healing, wrath & creation.

The Hebrew name "Ariel" means literally "Altar" or "Lion of God." "Ariel" has been called an ancient name for the leontomorphic Gnostic Demiurge (Creator God). Historically, the entity Ariel was often pictured in mysticism as a lion-headed deity or demon with power over the Earth, giving a strong foundation for Ariel's association with the Demiurge. It is possible that the name itself was even adopted from the Demiurge's Zoroastrian counterpart Ahriman (who is likely the predecessor of the Mithraic "Arimanius"). According to the German occultist Cornelius Agrippa: "Ariel is the name of an angel, sometimes also of a demon, and of a city, whence called Ariopolis, where the idol is worshipped."

Ariel is often associated with the better known Judeo-Christian Archangel Uriel. The name "Auriel" is commonly used to denote the combined, However, Elizabethan court astrologer John Dee called "Ariel" a "conglomerate of Anael and Uriel."

Attributes and properties

In mysticism

Ariel is generally presented as an angel with authority over the elements, or else the Earth itself. In Thomas Heywood, "Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels" Ariel is called both a prince who rules the waters and "Earth's great Lord." In several occult writings, Ariel is mentioned with other elemental titles such as the "3rd archon of the winds," "spirit of air," "angel of the waters of the Earth" and "wielder of fire." In mysticism, especially modern, Ariel is usually conjured as a governing angel with dominion over the Earth, creative forces, the North, elemental spirits, and beasts.

Ariel is known as an angel of healing and is associated with the Archangel Raphael in the curing of disease. ["Rf." Moses Gaster, "Wisdom of the Chaldeans".]

In wrath

Ariel has been portrayed as a destructive spirit of retribution. In the Coptic "Pistis Sophia", Ariel is in charge of punishment in the lower world, corresponding with Ur of the Mandeans. (Possibly due to Ariel's association with the Archangel Uriel who is often equated with Ur and said to serve the same role.) Both Ariel's leonthromorphic and destructive attributes have led to associations with the deities Nemesis and Sekhmet, among others. However, Ariel's position as a spirit of wrath seems to be more in keeping with Judeo-Christian tradition of heavenly servitude. Ariel is usually depicted as a controller and punisher of demons or wicked spirits rather than a general retributive force. ["Rf." "The Testament of Solomon".]

Perhaps due to this darker nature, Ariel has been portrayed (particularly in fiction) as a malicious spirit. According to John Milton's Paradise Lost, Ariel is a rebel angel, overcome by the seraph Abdiel in the first day of fighting in Heaven (during the War of Heaven). Ariel has also been associated with demon Arioch, who shares the same destructive qualities, and is considered a fallen angel. ["Rf." Schwab, "Vocabulaire de l'Angélologie"; De Plancy, "Dictionaire Infernal, 1863 ed."]

Hierarchy and role

Ariel is generally regarded as originally of the order of Virtues or Archangels in the Hierarchy of angels. As one of the Archangels, Ariel is regarded as having a high position in the hierarchy, with attachments to several orders/choirs. Ariel is called one of the seven Angels of Presence or "Angels of the Face", and believed to be a ruling prince of the Arelim (Jewish angelic hierarchy), all orders equated with the Thrones. Ariel has also been listed as being a Cherubim, Power and Principality.

Ariel has been claimed as a "guardian" spirit by several individuals, notably authors. Percy Shelley claimed to be protected by the angel, and often referred to himself as "Ariel." Modern authors have released several books which claim to channel the entity Ariel such as Julie Y. Tortora's, "The way of Angels," & "Interview With an Angel" by Linda Sue Nathanson and Steven J. Thayer.

ee also

*Angel
*Archangel
*Uriel

References

* Davidson, Gustav 1967. "A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels." The Free Press. ISBN 0-02-907052-X.
* Godwin, David 1994. "Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia." Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 1-56718-324-7

Bibliography

* Mathers, Samuel Liddell MacGregor, 1888. "THE KEY OF SOLOMON THE KING: (CLAVICULA SALOMONIS)."
* Butler, Elizabeth M. 1949."Ritual Magic." ISBN 0750918594.
* Briggs, Constance Victoria, 1997. "The Encyclopedia of Angels : An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries." Plume. ISBN 0-452-27921-6.

External links

* [http://www.megadriel.com/known/ariel.html] - Ariel in lore, art, and myth.
* [http://www.drstandley.com/angels_ariel.shtml "Ariel ~ Angel of Nature"]
* [http://www.greatdreams.com/archangels.htm "Great Dreams"]