The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite/On the Heavenly Hierarchy/Caput XV

by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

What are the morphic likenesses of the Angelic Powers? what the fiery?
  what the anthromorphic? what are the eyes? what the nostrils? what the
  ears? what the mouths? what the touch? what the eyelids? what the
  eyebrows? what the prime? what the teeth? what the shoulders? what the
  elbows and the hands? what the heart? what the breasts? what the back?
  what the feet? what the wings? what the nakedness? what the robe? what
  the shining raiment? what the sacerdotal? what the girdles? what the
  rods? what the spears? what the battle-axes? what the measuring lines?
  what the winds? what the clouds? what the brass? what the electron?
  what the choirs? what the clapping of hands? what the colours of
  different stones? what the appearance of the lion? what the appearance
  of the ox? what the appearance of the eagle? what the horses? what the
  varieties of coloured horses? what the rivers? what the chariots? what
  the wheels? what the so-called joy of the Angels?

Section I

  Come, then, let us at last, if you please, rest our mental vision from
  the strain of lofty contemplation, befitting Angels, and descend to the
  divided and manifold breadth of the many-shaped variety of the Angelic
  forms, and then return analytically from the same, as from images, to
  the simplicity of the Heavenly Minds. But let this first be made plain
  to you, that the explanations of the sacredly depicted likenesses
  represent the same ranks of the Heavenly Beings as sometimes ruling,
  and, at other times, as being ruled; and the last, ruling, and the
  first, being ruled; and the same, as has been said, having first, and
  middle, and last powers --without introducing anything absurd into the
  description, according to the following method of explanation. For if
  indeed we were to say that some are ruled by those above them, and then
  that they rule the same, and that those above, whilst ruling those
  below, are ruled by those same who are being ruled, the thing would
  manifestly be absurd, and mixed with all sorts of confusion. But if we
  say that the same rule and are ruled, but no longer the self-same, or
  from the self-same, but that each same is ruled by those before, and
  rules those below, one might say appropriately that the Divinely
  pictured presentations in the Oracles may sometimes attribute, properly
  and truly, the very same, both to first, and middle, and last powers.
  Now the straining elevation to things above, and their being drawn
  unswervingly around each other, as being guardians of their own proper
  powers, and that they participate in the providential faculty to
  provide for those below them by mutual communication, befit truly all
  the Heavenly Beings, although some, pre-eminently and wholly, as we
  have often said, and others partially and subordinately.

Section II

  But we must keep our discourse within bounds, and must search, in our
  first explanation of the types, for what reason the Word of God prefers
  the sacred description of fire, in preference to almost every other.
  You will find it, then, representing not only wheels of fire, but also
  living creatures of fire, and men, flashing, as it were, like
  lightning, and placing around the Heavenly Beings themselves heaps of
  coals of fire, and rivers of flame flowing with irresistible force; and
  also it says that the thrones are of fire; and that the most exalted
  Seraphim glow with fire, it shews from their appellation, and it
  attributes the characteristic and energy of fire to them, and
  throughout, above and below, it prefers pre-eminently the
  representation by the image of fire. I think, then, the similitude of
  fire[1] denotes the likeness of the Heavenly Minds to God in the
  highest degree; for the holy theologians frequently describe the
  superessential and formless essence by fire, as having many likenesses,
  if I may be permitted to say so, of the supremely Divine property, as
  in things visible. For the sensible fire is, so to speak, in
  everything, and passes through everything unmingled, and springs from
  all, and whilst all-luminous, is, as it were, hidden, unknown, in its
  essential nature, when there is no material lying near it upon which it
  may shew its proper energy. It is both uncontrollable and invisible,
  self-subduing all things, and bringing under its own energy anything in
  which it may happen to be; varying, imparting itself to all things near
  it, whatever they may be; renewing by its rousing heat, and giving
  light by its uncovered illuminations; invincible, unmingled,
  separating, unchangeable, elevating, penetrating, lofty; subject to no
  grovelling inferiority, ever moving, self-moving, moving other things,
  comprehending, incomprehended, needing no other, imperceptibly
  increasing itself, displaying its own majesty to the materials
  receiving it; energetic, powerful, present to all invisibly,
  unobserved, seeming not to be, and manifesting itself suddenly
  according to its own proper nature by friction, as it were by a sort of
  seeking, and again flying away impalpably, undiminished in all the
  joyful distributions of itself. And one might find many characteristics
  of fire, appropriate to display the supremely Divine Energy, as in
  sensible images. The Godly-wise, then, knowing this, depict the
  celestial Beings from fire, shewing their Godlikeness, and imitation of
  God, as far as attainable.

Section III

  But they also depict them under the likeness of men,[2] on account
  of the intellectual faculty, and their having powers of looking
  upwards, and their straight and erect form, and their innate faculty of
  ruling and guiding, and whilst being least, in physical strength as
  compared with the other powers of irrational creatures, yet ruling over
  all by their superior power of mind, and by their dominion in
  consequence of rational science, and their innate unslavishness and
  indomitableness of soul. It is possible, then, I think, to find within
  each of the many parts of our body harmonious images of the Heavenly
  Powers, by affirming that the powers of vision denote the most
  transparent elevation towards the Divine lights, and again, the tender,
  and liquid, and not repellent, but sensitive, and pure, and unfolded,
  reception, free from all passion, of the supremely Divine
  illuminations.

  Now the discriminating powers of the nostrils denote the being able to
  receive, as far as attainable, the sweet-smelling largess beyond
  conception, and to distinguish accurately things which are not such,
  and to entirely reject.

  The powers of the ears denote the participation and conscious reception
  of the supremely Divine inspiration.

  The powers of taste denote the fulness of the intelligible
  nourishments, and the reception of the Divine and nourishing streams.

  The powers of touch denote the skilful discrimination of that which is
  suitable or injurious.

  The eyelids and eyebrows denote the guarding of the conceptions which
  see God.

  The figures of manhood and youth denote the perpetual bloom and vigour
  of life.

  The teeth denote the dividing of the nourishing perfection given to us;
  for each intellectual Being divides and multiplies, by a provident
  faculty, the unified conception given to it by the more Divine for the
  proportionate elevation of the inferior.

  The shoulders and elbows, and further, the hands, denote the power of
  making, and operating, and accomplishing.

  The heart again is a symbol of the Godlike life, dispersing its own
  life-giving power to the objects of its forethought, as beseems the
  good.

  The chest again denotes the invincible and protective faculty of the
  life-giving distribution, as being placed above the heart.

  The back, the holding together the whole productive powers of life.

  The feet denote the moving and quickness, and skilfulness of the
  perpetual movement advancing towards Divine things. Wherefore also the
  Word of God arranged the feet of the holy Minds under their wings; for
  the wing displays the elevating quickness and the heavenly progress
  towards higher things, and the superiority to every grovelling thing by
  reason of the ascending, and the lightness of the wings denotes their
  being in no respect earthly, but undefiledly and lightly raised to the
  sublime; and the naked and unshod denotes the unfettered, agile, and
  unrestrained, and free from all external superfluity, and assimilation
  to the Divine simplicity, as far as attainable.

Section IV

  But since again the simple and variegated wisdom both clothes the
  naked, and distributes certain implements to them to carry, come, let
  us unfold, according to our power, the sacred garments and implements
  of the celestial Minds. The shining and glowing raiment, I think,
  signifies the Divine likeness after the image of fire, and their
  enlightening, in consequence of their repose in Heaven, where is the
  Light, and their complete illuminating intelligibly, and their being
  illuminated intellectually;[3] and the sacerdotal robe denotes
  their conducting to Divine and mystical visions, and the consecration
  of their whole life. And the girdles signify the guard over their
  productive powers, and the collected habit of being turned uniformly to
  It, and being drawn around Itself by an unbroken identity, in a
  well-ordered circle.

Section V

  The rods signify the kingly and directing faculty, making all things
  straight. The spears and the battle-axes denote the dividing of things
  unlike, and the sharp and energetic and drastic operation of the
  discriminating powers. The geometrical and technical articles denote
  the founding, and building, and completing, and whatever else belongs
  to the elevating and guiding forethought for the subordinate Orders.
  But sometimes the implements assigned to the holy Angels are the
  symbols of God's judgments to ourselves; some, representing His
  correcting instruction or avenging righteousness, others, freedom from
  peril, or end of education, or resumption of former well-being, or
  addition of other gifts, small or great, sensible or intelligible. Nor
  would a discriminating mind, in any case whatever, have any difficulty
  in properly adapting things visible to things invisible.

Section VI

  But the fact that they are named winds denotes their rapid action,
  passing almost instantaneously to all things, and their transporting
  movement in passing from above to below, and again from below to above,
  their elevating the second to the height above, and moving the first to
  a common and provident advance of the inferior Orders. But perhaps some
  one would say that the appellation of wind, to the aerial spirit, also
  denotes the Divine likeness of the Heavenly Minds; for this also bears
  a likeness and type of the supremely Divine energy (as we have
  demonstrated more fully in the symbolic theology, in our explanation of
  the four elements) in accordance with the moving and life-producing,
  and the rapid and resistless development of Nature, and the Hiddenness
  of the moving sources and terminations to us unknown and invisible. For
  He says, "Thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth." But
  also the Word of God attributes to them the appearance of a cloud,
  signifying, through this, that the holy minds are filled
  super-mundanely with the hidden Light, receiving the first
  manifestation without boasting over it as such, which they distribute
  ungrudgingly to the second, as a secondary manifestation, and in
  proportion to capacity; yea, further, that the productive, and
  life-producing, and increasing, and perfecting power is enshrined in
  them, after the fashion of the intelligible production of showers,
  which summons the receptive womb of the earth, by fruitful rains, to
  the life-giving pangs of birth.

Section VII

  Also, the Word of God attributes to the Heavenly Beings a likeness to
  Brass, Electron, and many-coloured stones. Electron, as being partly
  like gold, partly like silver, denotes the incorruptible, as in gold,
  and unexpended, and undiminished, and spotless brilliancy, and the
  brightness, as in silver, and a luminous and heavenly radiance. But to
  the Brass, according to the reasons assigned, must be attributed either
  the likeness of fire or that of gold.

  We must consider that the many-coloured appearances of stones denote
  either as white, the luminous; or as red, the fiery; or as yellow, the
  golden; or as green, the youthful and the full grown; and within each
  likeness you will find an explanation which teaches the inner meaning
  of the typical images.

  But since, I think, according to our power, this has been sufficiently
  said, let us pass to the sacred explanation of the Divine
  representations of the Heavenly Minds through wild beasts.[4] We
  must consider that the shape of a Lion[4] signifies the leading, and
  robust, and indomitable, and the assimilation, as far as possible, to
  the unutterable Godhead, by the concealment of the intellectual
  footprints,[5] and by the mystically modest covering of the path,
  leading to It, during Divine illumination.

Section VIII

  The Image of the Ox[4] denotes the strong and the mature, turning up
  the intellectual furrows for the reception of the heavenly and
  productive showers; and the Horns, the guarding and indomitable.

  The representation of the Eagle [4]denotes the kingly, and soaring,
  and swift in flight, and quickness in search of the nourishment which
  makes strong, and wanness, and agility, and cleverness; and the
  unimpeded, straight, and unflinching gaze towards the bounteous and
  brilliant splendour of the Divine rays of the sun, with the robust
  extension of the visual powers.

  That of Horses represents obedience and docility, and of those who are
  white, brilliancy, and as especially congenial to the Divine Light; but
  of those who are dark blue, the Hidden; and of those red, the fiery and
  vigorous; and of the piebald, the uniting of the extremes by the power
  passing through them, and joining the first to the second, and the
  second to the first, reciprocally and considerately.

  Now if we did not consult the proportion of our discourse, we might,
  not inappropriately, adapt the particular characteristics of the
  aforesaid living creatures, and all their bodily representations to the
  Heavenly Powers, upon the principle of dissimilar similitudes; for
  instance, their appearance of anger, to intellectual manliness, of
  which anger is the remotest echo, and their desire, to the Divine love;
  and to speak summarily, referring all the sensible perceptions, and
  many parts of irrational beings, to the immaterial conceptions and
  unified Powers of the Heavenly Beings. Now not only is this sufficient
  for the wise, but even an explanation of one of the dissimilar
  representations would be sufficient for the accurate description of
  similar things, after the same fashion.

Section IX

  But we must examine the fact that rivers are spoken of, and Wheels and
  Chariots attached to the Heavenly Beings. The rivers of fire signify
  the supremely Divine streams furnishing to them an ungrudging and
  incessant flow, and nourishing the productive powers of life; the
  chariots, the conjoined communion of those of the same rank; the wheels
  being winged, and advancing without turning and without deviation, the
  power of their advancing energy within a straight and direct path,
  towards the same unflinching and straight swoop of their every
  intellectual track, supermundanely straight and direct way. Also it is
  possible to explain, after another mystical meaning, the sacred
  description of the intellectual wheels; for the name Gel, Gel, is given
  to them, as the theologian says. This shews, according to the Hebrew
  tongue, revolutions and revelations. For the Empyrean and Godlike
  wheels have revolutions, indeed, by their perpetual movement around the
  Good Itself; but revelations, by the manifestation of things hidden,
  and by the elevation of things at our feet, and by the descending
  procession of the sublime illuminations to things below. There remains
  for accurate explanation, the statement respecting the rejoicing of the
  Heavenly Orders; for they are utterly incapable of our impassioned
  pleasure. Now they are said to rejoice with God over the discovery of
  what was lost, as befits their Divine good nature, and that Godlike and
  ungrudging rejoicing over the care and salvation of those who are
  turned to God; and that joy, beyond description, of which also holy men
  often partake, whilst the deifying illuminations of the Deity rest upon
  them. Let it suffice, then, to have said this much concerning the
  Divine representations, which, no doubt, falls short of their accurate
  explanation, but which will prevent us, I think, from being servilely
  entangled in the resemblance of the types. But if you should say that
  we have not mentioned in order the whole Angelic Powers, or operations,
  or likenesses, depicted in the Oracles, we answer in truth, that we do
  not possess the supermundane science of some; and further, in regard to
  them, we have need of another to conduct to light and to reveal. Other
  things, however, as being parallel to the things said, we have omitted,
  out of regard to the symmetry of the discourse; and the hiddenness,
  beyond our capacity, we have honoured by silence.

  St. Michael and All Angels, 1898.

Footnotes

1. Le Cratyle de Platon, i. 302.
2. Gen. xxxii. 24.
3. See Maximus D.N. c. 4. s. 1.
4. Ezek. i. 10.
5. The Lion was said to erase his footsteps by his tail.