"When we use the word “holy” today, we usually refer to a state of moral excellence. The Hebrew “kaddosh,” however, has nothing to do with morality as such but means “otherness,” a radical separation." -Karen Armstrong, "A History of God."
My interest in angels is what first got me into theology. Religion was always intriguing to me, but something about the lore behind these odd entities motivated me to do research on the side and dive into the complex world of religion. I'm sure I'll be posting more about angels in the future, but before I do that, I wanted to make sure that we're all on the same page about what an angel is, who the major angels are, and what we really know about them.
What's in the Scripture?
Although the Hebrew Scriptures feature many different angels, only two are addressed by name: Michael and Gabriel. However, angels captured the imaginations of all three Abrahamic faiths, and each one theorized about what angels might be like.
Judaism: The Talmud, a book of rabbinic writings, names two more angels beyond just Michael and Gabriel: Uriel and Raphael. These four angels are said to stand at each cardinal direction around the throne of God, so they've become known as Archangels. A mysterious angel named Metatron is also briefly mentioned.
Islam: Islam mentions all of the angels featured in the Talmud and adds one more to the list: Azrael, the angel of death.
Christianity: Christian texts say the least about angels. They stick to Michael and Gabriel, and only Michael is named as an archangel.
The Scriptures don't say anything specific about the existence of guardian angels, but each faith has its own version of the lore. In fact, Islamic tradition dictates that each person has two, who stand at either side of you. Unfortunately, however, there is no canon information about guardian angels.
But there are plenty more angels in the Heavenly Host. Even if only a few angels are given names, we know that there's an innumerable amount of them (Psalm 68:17, Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 5:1) and that they operate under some sort of hierarchy, but we don't know exactly what that hierarchy is.
Some of you might be doing a double-take. "But wait," you're saying to your computer screen, "I thought we knew all about the hierarchy! I've seen diagrams!"
What you've seen is most likely the work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. He was a Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher who wrote a book entitled "De Coelesti Hierarchia (On The Celestial Hierarchy)" back in the 5th century. It's been highly popularized and accepted by the culture at large, but it isn't technically canon. A number of Jewish rabbis have proposed their own versions of the angelic hierarchy, but none of their models look the same.
In summary, we know very little about angels. Most of the information we have comes from theories and proposals, but the Scripture is surprisingly silent about the details of specific angels.
What is an Angel?
The Hebrew word used to refer to these entities is mal'ahk, or מַלְאָךְ. This term is technically translated as "messengers," and that's exactly what angels are. The Kabbalah gives the most useful description in my opinion:
Angels are described in Kabbalah literature as forces that send information, feelings, between mankind and the God of Israel. They are analogized to atoms, wavelengths or channels that help God in his creation... They are not physical in nature but spiritual beings, like spiritual atoms. Therefore, the Kabbalah reasons, when they appear in the Hebrew Bible their description is from the viewpoint of the person that received the vision or prophesy or occurrence, which will be anthropomorphic. However, they are not material beings but are likened to a single emotion, feeling, or material, controlled by God for his purpose of creation.
So, they exist as messengers between God and mankind for various purposes. Considering that looking at God or hearing Him might cause our immediate demise (Exodus 33:20, Deut 5:26), it makes sense that He would need some other beings to speak for Him when He has something to say.
But the "message" they carry isn't always words, per se. Some angels appear to be warriors, protectors, scribes, or, in the case of Azrael and the angels who work under him, reapers. It seems that the message they carry is any direct order from God that they can fulfill or portray perfectly.
Yet, angels do not appear to be omnipresent, omnipotent, or omniscient. They're just designed to perform whatever task is assigned to them impeccably.
We also know that there are several different "types" of angels, and most of them took on fairly odd shapes before the eyes of the prophets:
Seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-8): These types of angels have six wings, which they use to cover their bodies before God. The singular form is Seraph.
Cherubim (Genesis 3:24): Cherubim have four heads (most of which are animals) and four wings that are covered in eyes.
Ophanim (Ezekiel 1:15-21): Sometimes called Thrones, these are wheel-shaped angels with eyes all along their edges. They're also cast in flame.
Archangels (Daniel 10:13): These are angels who seem to hold some sort of special authority over regular angels. Scripture only mentions Michael as an archangel, but some think there are up to 10.
Angels (Many verses): There stands to reason that there are several low-tier angels who are assigned to smaller tasks. Some believe that guardian angels fill these ranks.
Some Key Angels You Should Know.
Michael (מִיכָאֵל). Michael is the one angel who's referred to as an Archangel, and some believers maintain that he is the only Archangel. Either way, he's seen as a figure of particular power and authority in heaven and is usually referred to as the General of the Heavenly army, thanks to the Book of Revelation where he's pictured defeated Satan. He's considered the protector of the Hebrew people and a force to be reckoned with. Many artworks depict him wielding a flaming sword, which led to his association with fire and the sun.
Feast Day: September 29.
Associations: Fire/sun, masculinity, protection, leadership, lions, blood/heart
Gabriel (גַּבְרִיאֵל). Gabriel lies at the heart of all three Abrahamic faiths as the primary messenger between mankind and God. He appears several times throughout the Hebrew scriptures, bears the news of Jesus' birth in the Christian scriptures, and brings Muhammad his visions is Islamic texts. Gabriel seems to interact with humanity often, so he's known for his ability to bear messages in a kind, understandable way that makes sense to human ears.
Feast Day: March 24
Associations: Moon, white/silver, femininity, water, communication, sealife
Raphael (רְפָאֵל). Raphael isn't considered canon by all people, but he's been accepted by individuals in all three Abrahamic faiths. He's typically associated with doctors, nurses, physicians, and healers of all sorts, so he's often venerated during times of illness and injury. Some Christians even believe he was the angel in the Gospel of John who stirs the healing waters of Bethesda.
Feast Day: October 24
Associations: Green, healing, air, birds, creativity, music
Uriel (אוּרִיאֵל). Uriel's exact nature and duties is sometimes a bit hard to pin down, but most agree that he's highly connected to the earth, plantlife, and weather. For this reason, he's often prayed to in the sciences as a means of hopefully understanding these phenomenon better for ourselves. He also seems to specialize in peace and co-existence, making him a good angel to look to when working to create a better world. You can often recognize him in art because he'll be holding the stock of a plant.
Feast Day: July 11
Associations: Gold/yellow/brown, plantlife, farming, geography, knowledge
Azrael (עֲזַרְאֵל). Azrael's name suggests a Hebrew origin, and there's evidence to suggest that he existed in Jewish lore prior to the existence of Islam, but Islam was the first to include him in sacred texts. Azrael is the angel of death, tasked with guiding the soul from its body and into the afterlife. Islamic texts also mention that two classes of angels work under him, called the Nāzi'āt and Nāshiṭāt. Despite being a reaper-like entity, he's typically seen as a gentle guide rather than a dark, frightening creature.
Feast Day: None, but he's sometimes mentioned during grief-based holidays
Associations: Winter, silence, sleep/dreams, comfort, patience
How Can We Talk to Angels?
There are multiple verses that warn against worshipping angels, but that doesn't mean people haven't tried to communicate with them throughout the years. In fact, we even have scriptural examples of people seeking the aid of angels and being successful! In 2 Kings 6:17, Elisha prays that his servant's eyes will be opened to the realm of angels. Abraham initiates a conversation with an angel in Genesis 18:2-3 with no repercussions. Lot, Daniel, and Zechariah also started conversations with angels on their own. There doesn't seem to be any Biblical evidence suggesting that we shouldn't speak to angels, so long as our efforts don't turn into worship.
So how is it done?
The scriptures don't name a specific way to talk to angels. In fact, in the cases where angels do appear, they typically appear on their own. Elisha, in our earlier example, used prayer alone, but the verse isn't too descriptive about whether he used a ritual, if it was a formal prayer, or if he simply stated his request.
Well, I have some suggestions.
Meditation/Prayer. This is the most common means of contacting angels. Most of us are already extremely familiar with the concept of prayer or may be used to praying to saints, so it comes naturally. Some people like to do a more open meditation where they clear their minds and welcome angels to interact with them, or they include tools such as tarot cards or crystals. There are no rules on how to do this correctly! Just be sure you are genuine in whatever method you use.
Look for signs in your environment. As you were reading through my list of significant angels, perhaps the imagery attached to one of them stood out to you for some reason. This might indicate a personal inclination towards a particular angel. Maybe you should focus your efforts on reaching that angel, or pay more attention when you encounter that imagery in your life. Maybe an angel is trying to communicate with you through those signs. Alternatively, you can reach out to a particular angel based on what's happening in your life at this moment. If you're in a period of grieving, perhaps it's a good time to chat with Azrael.
Pay attention to your gut and instincts. Some say that intuitive feelings are messages from our personal guardian angels, so listening to them is a great way to communicate with them. You can also attune yourself to energies in your environment. Is there something that feels particularly sacred to you?