#DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE

[eyeoftheheart]

“With its roots in Jacob’s ladder and elaborated in biblical Jewish merkavah mysticism, the doctrine known later in Greek as theosis is found in the writings of Dionysius the Areopagite, and Symeon the New Theologian, as well as the Jewish Kabbalah as demonstrated by Joseph Karo, the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples. In other words, Pico intends his angelology in these two works to be understood by the learned classes throughout Europe as a prescription to achieve union with the divine.

By “divine union,” what is meant? The final snapshot of this arduous and paradoxical, or perhaps even inconceivable journey is different in various traditions. Different from the ecstatic, fiery, yet agonizing transformation of the prophet Enoch into the archangel Metatron, called “a lesser YHVH” in 3 Enoch,7 or the graphic, luminous transformation of the mystical abbot of St. Mammas Monastery in Constantinople, Symeon the New Theologian (949–1022), into the Body of Christ in the tenth century CE,8 Pico’s vision of theosis was more akin to sharing God’s “mind stream.” That is, instead of a merger of the corporeal human aspirant into the incorporeal infinitude of the godhead, theosis for Pico was a kind of gnosis and a point of view that was simultaneously individuated and collectively unified. This can be seen in his description of ultimate divine union as possible while the philosopher is incarnate, more akin to a supremely exalted state of consciousness. While achieving a state like this necessitated neglect of bodily cares and desires according to Pico, he also asserted that this prescriptive formula for divinization actually purified the body as a dwelling place for the divine presence.”

Celestial Intelligences: Angelology, Cabala, and Gnosis: Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Quest for the Perennial Philosophy

[maybeasunflower]

There is a branch of theology called "Apophatic theology" that (attempts to) define the divine in terms of what God is not. It's also known as "negative theology". It contrasts with "Cataphatic theology", which focuses on what God is.

An example can be found in a text attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite:

What God is, we do not know. He is not light nor spirit, nor one; nor what we name as God-head; not wisdom, not reason, not love, not will nor grace; no thing , no unthing , nothing. What He is – I and you and no created thing ere we came to be, never encountered what He is.

This text is used in parts of John Tavener's magnum opus, 'The Veil of the Temple'. The musical direction on how to sing it is "apothatically"

I have no idea how you sing apothatically.

“There’s a great Yiddish expression that says, “If I knew God, I’d be God.” In fact, I think that claiming that you “know God’s will” is an act of incredible hubris. Instead, what we say about God has much more to say about us than about God. There are, in fact, a whole range of different theologies within Judaism (you can find some of them in the terrific books “Finding God” and “The God Upgrade,” both of which describe a whole range of differing, and sometimes even conflicting, theologies.) And while I can only speak personally here, to me, “God” isn’t really a noun at all—it’s a verb. Here’s why. The most common name that God gives Godself in the Torah is “YHWH,” a name that is sometimes thought to be so holy that no one was allowed to pronounce it. But that’s not exactly right—it’s not that “YHWH” was not allowed to be pronounced, it’s that it is literally unpronounceable, since it consists of four Hebrew vowels (yod, hay, vav and hay). By the way, that’s also why some people incorrectly call this name “Yahweh,” since (as Rabbi Lawrence Kushner once said), if you tried to pronounce a name that was all vowels, you’d risk serious respiratory injury. But even more importantly, the name YHWH is actually a conflation of all the tenses of the Hebrew verb “to be.” God’s name could be seen as “was-is-will be,” so God isn’t something you can’t capture or name—God is only something you can experience. And indeed, when Moses is at the burning bush, having just been told by God that he will be leading the Israelites out of Egypt, he says, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God responds that God’s name is “Ehyeh asher ehyeh,” which is often translated as “I am what I am.” But it could also be translated as, “I am what I will be.” So God is whatever God will be—we simply have no idea. Indeed, for my own theology, I believe that God is found in the “becoming,” transforming “what will be” into “what is.””

— Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman

[visualpoett]

Dionysius the Areopagite - The Celestial Hierarchy

[orthodoxadventure]

Love for God is ecstatic, making us go out from ourselves: it does not allow the lover to belong any more to himself, but he belongs only to the Beloved.

-- Saint Dionysius the Areopagite

[fortunaestalta]

[longagoitwastuesday]

I've also been reading the three musketeers and the thesis chapter had me Cackling. the clowning on learning latin in particular and aramis as a character constantly emphasizing that being part of the higher sought after and hard-to-get-into regiment of the king's musketeers is just kind of a temp job for him is so funny. character of all time. (also bazin wanting aramis to be a abbe so bad is so good)

Disclaimer that I was actually not reading the book, just giving a look and toying with the idea of reading it soon. In fact I was reading something else, but the chapter was so funny I've abandoned it and will probably start The three musketeers instead xD

Yes! Bazin was so funny. While reading him I couldn't help but be reminded of Smee wanting to leave Neverland and done with Hook's obsession for Peter Pan. Aramis dismissing being a musketeer is hilarious, but it becomes particularly funny after reading Cyrano de Bergerac, where Cyrano mentions being a musketeer wistfully a couple of times. While I was reading the play I kept thinking that Cyrano's aspirations were basically to be Aramis haha

The use of Latin each character (the curate, the Jesuit, D'Artagnan and Aramis) does was indeed very funny, as well as insightful. I ended up reading a paper on the command each of the four protagonists has of Latin, and I loved the comparison it established between Athos and Aramis. I don't have an opinion on this formed because I have yet to read the book, which is a good thing (it will hopefully keep me from rambling), but I found what I read super interesting.

The chapter was very funny, and I felt Dumas managed everything very well? I loved the writing itself. Every part of the chapter worked wonderfully as a whole to enhance every aspect, making the funny parts more fun and drawing a more clear lively depiction of the characters.

By that I mean, basically, that even from the initial interaction between D'Artagnan and the hostess in which he asks for Aramis and she goes "the charming hot guy?" we can see Aramis' hypocrisy and unsteadiness by a mile. It's hilarious to read the chapter and see how Aramis ends up contradicting everything he does or says, at times not even that long after saying it xD

Which takes me to the thesis itself. Honestly, I loved the topics. I know they're supposed to sound a bit ridiculous and funny, but I thought Dumas conveyed very well the air of some of those intricate questions of theology that seem trifle but have a lot of implications, and end up being of a very poetic nature (such as the question about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, one of my all time favourite questions). I wasn't very interested on the topic of the hands until the Jesuit commented that sprinklers "simulate an infinite number of blessing fingers"; that's beautiful.

Now, the topic Aramis himself proposes is just gorgeous. The way he defends it with a syllogism is so clever of Dumas considering the link between theology and the development of Logic. Besides that, despite how unorthodox the topic may appear at first, as Aramis himself puts it, there is a lot of truth in what he says about the world being full of temptations and it being very much a sacrifice to leave it, and how there lies the devotional act. I ended up being very intrigued by the potential development of this thesis in a mix of appreciation of the world as God's creature, and thus the leaving of the world as an act of true love for God, of more importance; how instead of an easy surrender, the struggle and doubts are as much reflection of the condition of humanity's frailty as it is a more steady and full surrender to God.

The topic of Aramis' thesis is somewhat paradoxical yet sound, and reflects doubts, as well as an appreciation for the world, aesthetics and beauty; I think it reflects so much of what makes Aramis himself.

And then, again, there's the whole hypocrisy through the entire chapter (which is what makes it for me haha). The way he says he isn't defending a regret at renouncing the world while proposing the thesis, that the mere idea is sacrilegious, how he insists he won't miss it, that friends are but shadows and the world a grave, and still how his resolution wavers almost instantly with his "And yet, while I still hold to the earth, I would have liked to talk with you, about you, about our friends" (and what a tender shaking), only to end up asking D'Artagnan to tell him about the world in the last line? Hilarious. What an hypocrite xD

But how extremely charming and adorable, I must admit! I love how when D'Artagnan tells him "But how are you going to live while you wait for me? No more thesis, no more commentaries on fingers and blessings, eh?", Aramis smiles and replies "I shall compose verses". Truly one of the characters of all time xD

[guardsbian]

Wow the Byzantine mosaic artists of the 13th century sure fucked up when they made archangels look like normal winged people next to their depictions of seraphim/cherubim. Not "Biblically accurate" at all of them. Boy I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder

[neil-gaiman]

Does the Good Omens universe follow the same angel hierarchy that the bible does?

There is no angelic hierarchy in the bible.

Here are five different Jewish angelic Hierarchies:

There are Islamic heirarchies:

And there are many Christian heirarchies, most of them based on the 6th century work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.

[talonabraxas]

Celestial Guardian Talon Abraxas Celestial Hierarchy of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite

The angelic hierarchies divided into three triads: First --Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones Middle- - Dominions, Virtues and Powers Last -- Principalities, Archangels and Angels

[woodchuck019]

Crowley was Raphael?

WARNING: MAJOR GOOD OMENS 2 SPOILERS

Ok, so in the last few years we all enjoyed the headcanon that Crowley was the Archangel Raphal pre-Fall. To be completely honest, in season one this theory didn't make a lot of sense because we knew basically nothing about Crowley as an angel except for the fact that he helped create the stars and fell because he asked too many questions. So, even though it was a nice and interesting theory, I thought it would remain that, a theory.

Well, seems like this theory is basically confirmed now at the end of season 2. But let's start at the beginning.

First, we have to talk about the Hierarchy of Angels in Christianity. This Hierarchy was theorized by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). Dionysius described nine levels of spiritual beings which he grouped into 9 orders.

Highest orders:

Seraphim

Cherubim

Thrones

Middle orders:

Dominions

Virtues

Powers

Lowest orders:

Principalities

Archangels

Angels

Now, a lot of people asked Neil why the Archangels have so much power if they are so low in the Hierarchy and he said that he and Terry actually tought of archangels and Archangels as different beings.

So we have the arch-angels, in thre sense of being just above the lowest Choir of angels, and then we have the Arch-angels, in the sense of being above all angels.

Actually, the term archangel itself is not found in the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, and in the Greek New Testament the term archangel is used referring to Michael, who is called 'one of the chief princes,' and 'the great prince'.

The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the apocryphal Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him."

In Judaism the Archangels are given the title of śārīm, meaning "princes", to show their superior rank and status, so they are also called "Princes of Heaven".

In season 2 episode 6, when Crowley is in Heaven trying to find any info on Gabriel, Muriel gives him the missing Archangel's file explaining that even if they wanted, they couldn't show it to him, since only angels above the rank of Dominions could access it. Immediately after, without putting in any effort, Crowley opens the file, saying that he was an angel once and they never bothered to change passwords. (I totally read a fic like this btw).

When the Archangel Saraquel meets them and recognises Crowley, she says that they worked together on the Horsehead Nebula. So Crowley must have been pretty high up in the ranks if he worked with an Archangel.

When they show us the scene of the trial, Gabriel is ready to be cast down to Hell, but the Metatron stops him and says:

"You are not going to hell. For one Prince of Heaven to be cast into the outer darkness makes a good story. For it to happen twice makes it look like there is some kind of institutional problem."

So we know that one of the Seven Archangels has Fallen, and it could be Lucifer, even though in the bible it is never stated that he was an archangel, but wouldn't they have said so if it were the case?

Also in episode 2, when Shax tells Crowley that Heaven and Hell think Aziraphale has something to do with Gabriel's disappearence, she says:

"A miracle of enormous power happened last night. The kind of miracle only the mightiest of Archangels could've performed".

Reminds you of something? Raphael, one of the mightiest of Archangels?

I really hope they will confirm the theory in season 3.

[devildomwriter]

More About Angels

All information is taken from the Bible and Christian/Jewish /Abrahamic religion studies

Seraphim

Seraphim are said to be the caretakers of God’s throne and continuously sing his praises

“The name seraphim clearly indicates their ceaseless and eternal revolution about Divine Principles, their heat and keenness, the exuberance of their intense, perpetual, tireless activity, and their elevative and energetic assimilation of those below, kindling them and firing them to their own heat, and wholly purifying them by a burning and all-consuming flame; and by the unhidden, unquenchable, changeless, radiant and enlightening power, dispelling and destroying the shadows of darkness.” — Dionysius the Areopagite

Seraphim are often associated with a burning love for God and thought to be born inflexibly toward God

Seraphim are said to have God’s knowledge revealed to them which engages their role to divine levels though they cannot comprehend it all

In Islam they are associated with “Bearers of the Throne”

In some texts Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Leviathan held the rank of Seraph

In the game

• Lucifer (formerly), Michael, Raphael, and Simeon(formerly) are seraphim

• Mammon believe Luke can become a Seraph

• Asmodeus describes them as bossy

Cherubim

Cherubim are the most frequently appearing heavenly beings mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. They are described with many different roles but it’s generally mentioned they transport God’s throne, pull chariots of God, or carry him upon their backs.

Cherubim are often associated with Knowledge

In Islam Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Azrael are said to be Cherubim

In the game

• Beelzebub reached at least the position of Cherub

Thrones

Thrones are also referred to as Ophanim and Galgallin

The Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed these beings to be angels

In the Bible Thrones are described as functioning like chariots and are characterized by peace and submission. They mete out divine justice and maintain cosmic harmony

Some texts site Asmodeus as having been a Throne

In the game

• Mammon was a Throne and acted as Lucifer’s assistant

Dominions or Lordships

Dominions are said to deliver justice in God’s place, show mercy to humans, and lead lower-ranking angels and help them do their work

In the Bible it was Dominions that completely obliterated the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah after warning the only faithful people there to leave

Their main role is to act as governors and maintain order of the cosmos

In the Game

• Simeon mentions they watch over the human world

Virtues

Virtues are described as having control over the elements and protecting nature.

They also encourage humans to strengthen their faith in God and assist with miracles

Powers or Authorities

These angels are given their name because they have authority over evil and are able to restrain evil to stop more harm from being done

Principalities or Rulers

These angels are tasked with guiding and protecting nations and groups of people.

Some texts site Belphegor as having been a Principality

In the Game

• Luke hopes to one day be a principality

• When Luke reveals he and Simeon were sent to earth, the brothers think it’s weird as this is usually the job of Principalities

Archangels

The specific role appears to vary from one archangel to the next. Something they have in common are being protectors and dealing directly with humanity in one way or another.

Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael are mentioned as archangels in most branches of faith, Uriel is mentioned as well but not always.

Many branches depict seven to eight archangels but there are said to be thousands though very few are named.

In the Game

• Michael, Raphael, and Simeon (formerly) are said to be archangels

• Luke describes archangels as being powerful warriors

• Mammon was an archangel before being promoted to Throne via Lucifer’s recommendation

Angels

The lowest rank of angel is not well described as most angels, despite their rank, are simply referred to as angels however some Christian denominations believe this rank act as guardian angels—angels assigned to specific people

Angels are said to be able to disguise themselves as human and walk among humans testing them and aiding them

In the Game

• Angels are the main inhabitants of the celestial realm

• They have halos, appear bright and shiny to demons, and can fly

• Luke is currently the lowest rank, Angel. Angels have not yet been assigned higher ranks based on their powers at birth and what they are best at.

[halemerry]

Alright, I've had a few people ask for this now so time to take a break from the big draft I’m writing to dig a little deeper on angel rankings in relation to Crowley.

Before we get into it I want to preface this by saying I am not a religious scholar. Like many of us I have a complicated relationship with religion and as a result this stuff was a long time special interest of mine but, as always, take it with a grain of salt.

To be frank, even if I was an expert, I think it’s also important to keep in mind that the Good Omens angel hierarchy has already taken some liberties on its own. It hasn’t been shy about reinterpreting things to suit its needs or about pulling from various sources to establish its own lore. It's definitely its own beast and there's no guarantee the universe operates the same rules that have become the most popular ones.

That all being said, let's get cracking.

So in canon we actually don't know that much about angelic rank. Before season two we knew there were Principalities and Archangels and that's about it. This season decides to give us a little more information. Muriel is a Scrivener (likely they'd fall under the general Angel category) and then we get a nod to Thrones and Dominions being a thing. We also learn there are orders/classes of various ranks.

With the exception of Scrivener which isn't a traditional rank at all as far as I can tell, these ideas all fit under the traditional Christian angel hierarchy.

The most influential version of this hierarchy comes mostly from Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite's De Coelesti Hierarchia (On Celestial Hierarchy). He divides angels into three Spheres, with three Orders within each Sphere. The Lowest Sphere contains the orders Angels, archangels (different from Good Omen's Archangels who are at the top of the food chain so to speak), and Principalities. The Middle Sphere contains the orders Powers, Virtues, and Dominions. And then the Highest Sphere contains Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim.

Now onto the angel that would become Crowley.

Thanks to us witnessing Crowley opening a document only accessible to Dominions and above, we can eliminate the lower half of these rankings.

This leaves us with Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim and the Good Omen’s version of Archangel.

Dominions are tied to things like regulation. Their job is to keep passions in check and deliver justice and judgment (to be frank these last two are in some capacity apply to most rankings of angel), They’re built to keep ranks beneath them organized and optimize their performances. They’re organizers. They’re functionally middle management and are sometimes known as Lordships. They’re also occasionally tied to the set of angels that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 

The really only thing that even kind of suits him here in my opinion is the interacting with lower ranks bit but the vibe doesn't seem quite right with that. Crowley as we know him is not even really a leader even in his own schemes and has a tendency to rely on his considerable talent at improvisation and quite frequently on the cues Aziraphale tends to send him. (We get a stellar example of this dynamic actively in play in Episode 2 this Season). We also know now that the angel in question tended to work alone. He seemed baffled by the concept of Earth, as if it had been a long time since he’d had a check in with Head Office. 

So Thrones are what people tend to think of when you say the phrase Biblically Accurate Angel. They're the wheels with a bunch of eyeballs. They contemplate the power of God and have, you guessed it, ties to justice and judgment but in a more contemplative sort of way. They are associated with peace and submission, except for when they are sometimes also associated with the erelim - a ranking in the Jewish Hierarchy that tends to be more of a warrior class. They're maybe most famously associated with being a part of the chariot that moves God's throne around. They live where material form begins to take shape and are tasked with maintaining cosmic harmony.

Honestly I don't mind this for Crowley. That last bit especially sounds close to what we see him doing. And there's something very fun to me about a former Throne going off and getting himself a big gaudy throne. I’ll admit I have a hard time associating him with something so passive and again I feel like it doesn't quite fit how out of the loop he was about Earth, but this is probably the second favorite option of mine here.

If Thrones are the wheels of God’s Throne then the Cherubim are the ones making those wheels turn. They’re often represented as pushing Thrones about and attending God directly. Their job is to magnify God’s glory and serve as representatives of God’s power. They also, notably, were thought to be the superhumanly strong guards tasked with the protection of Eden.

Because of this we get a very old piece of theory: that Aziraphale was a Cherub who had been demoted. I’ve gone through phases with this theory but I definitely think it’s at a minimum fun to consider. And though I'm hesitant to take any Amazon promotional materials too seriously during the strike, there's a post here they've made recently that refers to Aziraphale as such.

Partially because this theory is so old and so rooted in the lexicon of my headspace for this media, I don't like this for the angel who would become Crowley particularly well. Superhuman strength feels weird in regards to him, as does situating him as a guard of Eden. And even if that line from season 2 where Crowley talks to Beelzebub about scaring that cherubs was talking about young angels and not literal cherubs, it seems like a weird phrasing for someone who was once the other kind of cherub to use. I like this better than Dominions but not nearly as much as Thrones.

Now Seraphim are a little unique. Their primary job tends to get framed as singing praise to God. They seat themselves around God's throne and sing holy, holy, holy at God. Several interpretations of them argue that they are different from angels entirely and only got grouped in with them in later texts like De Coelesti Hierarchia. They purify Isaiah in a vision he has and have strong associations with smoke and heat. They're tied to clarity and purifying via fire and occasionally are thought to help keep the world in order. Interestingly enough the word Seraph comes from saraph which means to burn and Seraphim can be translated as the fiery ones or those who kindle. Saraph is also used in certain contexts to describe a fiery flying serpent.

Now I’ll admit the Seraphim theory was always one of my favorites. If the show hadn’t recently been adding more ticks to the Archangel column I think I’d still probably be in this camp. There's the obvious bits that tie in here like the fire and snake imagery associated with both. But I can't help but to think of how often we get Crowley implying that just maybe God intended what they'd done to be the right thing. Or that scene where Crowley prays on the throne in season 1. He hangs off of it instead of sitting and begs God to not destroy them. It's an echo of a twist on what a Seraph would do in Heaven.

Now that just leaves us the Archangels. I won’t reiterate my other meta other than to link it here, but I do think the show at the very least wants us to consider this as a possibility.

In my opinion? Seraph and Archangel sit near the top of the metaphorical likelihood scale. I'd then follow this up with the Throne, then the Cherub, then the Dominion in order. But who knows! Half the fun of Good Omens is it doesn't always play by the traditional rules. And honestly there's something fun in never having an answer here. After all, no matter where he started, Crowley is Crowley now and that's the way it should be.

[funeral]

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, The Mystical Theology

[orthodoxadventure]

Leave the senses and the workings of the intellect; and all that the senses and the intellect can perceive, and all that is not and that is; and through unknowing reach out, so far as this is possible, towards oneness with Him who is beyond all being and knowledge. In this way, through an uncompromising, absolute and pure detachment from yourself and from all things, transcending all things and released from all, you will be led upwards towards that radiance of the divine darkness which is beyond all being.

Entering the darkness that surpasses understanding, we shall find ourselves brought, not just to brevity of speech, but to perfect silence and unknowing.

Emptied of all knowledge, man is joined in the highest part of himself, not with any created thing, nor with himself, nor with another, but with the One who is altogether unknowable; and, in knowing nothing, he knows in a manner that surpasses understanding.

-- Saint Dionysius the Areopagite

[proxylynn]

How strong is Adam actually?

[Power scaling is hard due to Heaven not having been fully fleshed out yet. The most influential Catholic angelic hierarchy was that put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy). Dionysius described nine levels of spiritual beings which he grouped into three orders:

Highest orders: Seraphim, Cherubim, Ophanim (thrones)

Middle orders: Dominions, Virtues, Powers

Lowest orders: Principalities, Archangels, Angels

During the Middle Ages, various schemes were proposed, some drawing on and expanding on Pseudo-Dionysius, others suggesting completely different classifications.

Now, with what we know of Vivz's lore shown so far, Angels have their own hierarchy, with certain groups and tiers of angels dictating the degrees of authority in their government, such as the high-ranking Seraphim. It has also been stated that the powers angels possess are distinct from the powers that demons possess, with the former inherently holding dominion over the latter. Seraphim are still up high on the power dynamic but we're told there are "Elders" and Sera herself answers to these beings who can outrank/outpower her, hinting they have the power to make an angel "Fallen". We saw the Cherubs in Helluva Boss but, like they are in modern media, they aren't like their biblical source as badass warrior enforcement, but cute baby-like messengers that appear near on par with Imps (this might have been just the ones in the episode or the joke due to both groups being parallels for the bit). Ophanim are also present and have been since the start (the many-eyed wheel heads) but we don't know their role or if they are still up there with Seraphim but likely so. In the episode "Overture", Adam mentions a sexual encounter with a "Virtue chick". The term "Virtue" is also often the angelic counterpart of the Seven Deadly Sins, each one being a direct inverse of the respective sin. It is unknown which use of "Virtue" Adam was referring to.

Which now brings me to Adam and the Exorcists. Adam is a human soul that went to Heaven and for being an ordained mortal soul, the dude is fucking OP, on par with Overlords, which I think is hilarious considering I believe mortal souls being angels are the bottom bitches of Heaven's citizens which shows just how insane divinity can be when compared to the demonic powers. Now for the hard part, because Adam hints at making the Exorcists. We don't know if they are former human souls like him or if he himself made them, as he even gave Vaggie her name and Carmilla refers to the other Exorcists as Vaggie's sisters. Now this could mean they are all creations, and it does fit with Adam's ego to make a group of women who are subordinates under his command, but they also could've easily been recruited by Adam and he merely gave them new names upon being Exorcists. I also think Exorcists are even weaker than basic angels and are as barebones as an angel could be possible. Exorcists rely heavily on their weapons and lack defense, wielding no shields and having little armor, very much brutal crusaders that live for the slaughter of the damned under the guise of a holy mission...They're pawns. They also appear to lack abilities other than flight and making portals to traverse realms. Exorcists are very bloodthirsty and love violence. They seem to take sadistic joy in killing demons. Their loyalty is a core staple of their character, even so, Exorcists don't tolerate betrayal of any kind, and express hatred for Vaggie and the desire to gleefully kill her when offered the chance to go after her, becoming even more eager to do so when Adam offered a reward to the Exorcist who successfully brings him Vaggie's head.]

{So after all that, to answer your question of how strong is Adam...The dude was fucking strong. As the first human soul to go to Heaven and with millennia of training under his belt, his strength was up there to possibly archangel level and he was a threat to take seriously.}

Abilities

Flight - Adam had a set of wings that he could use to fly at great speed. He could also remove a feather from his wings to use as a quill pen.

Nephokinesis - He could control clouds he creates and make them into steps.

Cloud creation - With a flap of his wings, he can create a gust of clouds around him.

Immense strength - He was shown to be able to smash a light projector in front of him with brute strength in a moment of rage, and later shatter Alastor's barrier with a single punch. He was also shown to be strong enough to physically overpower Charlie, despite the latter assuming her full demon form. However, Charlie managed to use more of her demonic powers to stop him from punching Lucifer, utterly overpowering him and confusing him, indicating that he is only stronger than Charlie if she doesn't focus on all her power.

Enhanced endurance - Despite having not experienced pain for likely millennia, Adam was able to easily shrug off getting stabbed by Charlie with her trident despite saying that it hurt and he quickly retaliate after being repeatedly punched in the face by Lucifer.

Angelic power - As an angel, he most likely possessed high angelic power, especially as the leader of the Exorcists. His strength was proven to be immense, surpassing all but the strongest of Demons and Sinners as he was able to easily overwhelm both Alastor and later Charlie, who had assumed her full demon form and could have won had Lucifer not interfered.

Portal creation - Adam could create portals for other Angels to use, notably to transport himself and his Exorcist army to Hell at the start of each annual extermination. He also opened a portal to banish Charlie and Vaggie back to Hell in "Welcome to Heaven".

Conjuration - Adam could summon objects as he pleased, summoning his guitar and physical Exorcist copies during Hell is Forever, a golden scroll informing Charlie of Heaven's decision to move up the next Extermination, and a piece of golden paper to write on in court.

Alteration - Adam also showed he could alter the objects he created, such as when he made his axe guitar larger while fighting Alastor.

Photokinesis - Adam could fire blasts of holy light strong enough to vaporize Sir Pentious and his war machine in one small blast and slice tall buildings in half. He also showed he could channel his light through his guitar/axe to create powerful blades of light that were able to cut through Alastor's cane and through his fist to destroy demonic barriers. In "Overture", he created a giant bright orb of light above him while he was singing Hell is Forever.

Skillset

Musical talent - He was capable of singing and in "Overture" was implied to have been part of a band.

Guitar-playing - Adam was talented at playing the guitar and did so seemingly whenever he could.

Axe proficiency - Adam wielded his guitar-axe with amazing skill as he could fight out and seriously wound Alastor during their duel.

Leadership - Adam appeared to be a competent and capable leader of the Exorcists, often personally leading them into battle. Additionally, Adam appears to genuinely care for his subordinates.

Strategic mind - In both "Overture" and "The Show Must Go On", Adam demonstrates sound and logical thinking both in and out of combat; in the former, Adam waits to begin the next extermination so as not to prematurely reveal his plan, while in the latter, Adam personally attacks high-threat targets to even the odds for his Exorcists, as seen with his battle with Alastor, since he recognized him as the conjurer of the hotel's barrier.

[aliferousonyx]

Sera is NOT the ruler of heaven - Theory

Alright, so, regarding the hierarchy of angels, I don't think the Sera is like the ruler of heaven or the eldest; in the beginning, when Charlie talks about how Lucifer fell, he's talking about the eldest ones, these guys:

" Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates, known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshiped good and shielded all from evil. Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation. But, he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world."

And now, in episode 5, when Lucifer tells Charlie about how his dreams were shattered, the six angels appear again, who, due to having six wings, are Seraphim. We can tell that they are the same ones from their crowns.

As we can see, Sera does not appear among them. She comes later when the discussion about the creation of the Earth begins, and she is together with the Ophanim.

So maybe she appeared later, considering there are older and younger Seraphim, like Emily. I believe the elders were the ones who expelled Lucifer and Lilith from heaven as punishment for what they did. Sera probably was afraid to tell Emily, fearing she might end up like Lucifer. She didn't want to lose another sibling. She sounds very scared for her when Emily defends the sinners. She probably thinks that if the elders find out, they will also cast her out for disobedience.

Perhaps Sera leads the department of humans, much like Lucifer leads the Pride Ring, while the elders handle other aspects, I don't know, the universe.

Regarding the other angels, I'll take the hierarchy from the wiki and try to identify what and how.

"The most influential Catholic angelic hierarchy was presented by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book "On the Celestial Hierarchy" (De Coelesti Hierarchia). Dionysius described nine levels of spiritual beings grouped into three orders:

Highest orders

Seraphim

Cherubim

Ophanim

Middle orders

Dominions

Virtues

Powers

Lowest orders

Principalities

Archangels

Angels"

1.Highest orders

Seraphim

In Vivzi's vision so far, it seems that Seraphim are the highest class of angels, with the oldest members, Sera, Emily, and Lucifer, belonging to this category.

Cherubim

The book of Ezekiel provides the most detailed depiction of the Cherubim. They are described as having four different faces, wings covered with eyes, and legs like a calf’s, gleaming like burnished bronze. Ezekiel’s description of the Cherubim is arguably the most detailed in the Bible. It indicates that each Cherubim possesses four faces: a human, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.

Now I know, I know that in Helluva Boss, Vivziepop depicted Cherubs as cute creatures, not just having the four-faced aspect.

They also have only one pair of wings instead of two.

The wings of the Cherubim are another notable element in their descriptions across biblical literature. Cherubim are most often depicted with two or four wings. In the Ark of the Covenant context, each Cherubim has two wings. The wings spread upwards, overshadowing the Mercy Seat, creating an intimate space that symbolizes the dwelling place of God.

In the visions of Ezekiel, the Cherubim have four wings. Two cover their bodies, and the other is used for flight, indicating their readiness to execute divine commands (Ezekiel 1:6).

Now, do you know who has four wings? These guys.

And these guys too.

They also look like eagles too.

I don't know, what do you think?

Ophanim

These guys:

The Ophanim, also known as Thrones Angels, are often described as “wheels within wheels” or the “Many-Eyed Ones.” 

Their unique appearance, filled with symbolism and profound meaning, represents a complex interplay between divine wisdom, cosmic order, and eternal movement.

In ancient texts, they are depicted as part of a celestial chariot, moving in harmony with other divine creatures such as the Cherubim. Their intricate design, filled with eyes, symbolizes divine omniscience, while their perpetual motion reflects the unending cycles of creation and transformation.

Now, what the hell is this guy?

WHAT ARE YOUUUUUU?????

I will make a second part.