In which an idle search for a likely low level Angelic bureaucrat Turns Into a Voyage of Discovery of All Manner of Angelic Esoterica
After composing a previous article on The Rainbow Bridge, I found a question rattling around in my mind like (florid metaphor here). Said question was "What Angel is blessed with administration of this division of Heaven?" So I donned my questing cardigan and velvet soled library loafers and descended into that sub-cellar of my athenaeum which encapsulates my vast collection of various works of religious apocrypha of that I have accumulated through out the passing of years (much of it recieved during my time as a youthful acolyte in an ancient Armenian Christian mystical sect, rumored to have been passed down from Gregory the Illuminator. Unfortunately the immensity of the sect's information was stored in the memories of the society's elders, who were avid proponents of arcane mnemonic techniques, and was subsequently lost when the magnitude of the sect was either killed or captured by Turkish para-militaries on an illegal border crossing with the goal of performing an ancient Easter ressurection rite upon Mount Ararat, may their souls rest in eternal harmony). Poring through the works of Enoch, Agrippa, Dee, and many other illustrious compilers of Judeo-Christian Mysticism I discovered and re-discovered many tid-bits of Angelic lore that I felt compelled to share with you, my faithful readers.
Raziel ("Secret of God") is associated with rainbows in some literature, although as he is also the "angel of the secret regions and chief of the Supreme Mysteries," leading one to conclude that this Seraphim was likely far above the pay grade of overseeing the short term storage of domestic animals. In addition to being the author of The Book of the Angel Raziel1 "wherein all celestial and earthly knowledge is set down," Raziel was one of 9 archangels of the Briatic World, also known as the World of Creation to Kabbalists. The aforementioned book was said to have been in the possesion of Adam, Enoch (who himself was translated into heaven and became Metatron the Lesser Tetragrammaton), Noah, and Solomon.
Israfel is notable for being tetrapterous and for the fact that "3 times a day and 3 times during the night he looks down into hell and is so convulsed with grief that his tears would inundate the earth if Allah did not stop their flow." It seems he was something of a Saturnine Seraphim. He is also prophesied to be one of the 4 angels destroyed after the third horn is blown and Armeggedon takes the world, so I supposes a certain amount of Sentimentality may be forgiven in his case.
Laugh if you must, but the phrase Hocus Pocus actually derives from the appellations of a pair of angelic princes. In elder days, angels were apparently more apt to heed the summonings of mortals (if adherence to the strict set of formal guidelines was properly maintained) and there are many magical rites that specify what specific Angels one ought to beseech for a given boon. For instance one desiring to sway the heart of another would ask upon Jazar the "genius2 who 'compels love.'" One who wishes to amplify their intelligence could summon Hodniel, who's duties include "curing stupidity in man." For the procuring of a Lady's garter, one would call upon Baltazard, and so on and so on.
Tagas was the Conductor of the "Song-Uttering Choirs."
Hemah, "the angel of wrath, with dominion over the death of domestic animals" who was "500 parasangs tall and 'forged out of the chains of black and red fire'" appears to be the most likely choice, excepting for the fact that he was slain by Moses, who was quite peeved after being swallowing and then reguritated by the "angel of destruction." It is quite possible that his responsibilities were then taken up by his brother Af "a prince of wrath and ruler over the death of mortals" as mortal is quite the broad ranging term. Strangely enough, Af once swallowed Moses all of the way up to his "circumcised membrum" but was forced to expel the Lawgiver after Moses' wife performed a circumcision upon their son and by that act rejoined the graces of God.
At this point in my explorations into the minutiae of the Holy Ranks, I came aware that my supply of spiritually anodyne candles with which I illuminate my library of enlightenment was growing scarce and was forced to discontinue my research for another day. If I was a younger man I would have taken this opportunity to perform a summoning of my own and perhaps gained some minor epiphanies, but these days I find my self wearied by the stilted conversation and insipid prattle so common among the grade of Elohim that deign to expose themselves to man. Ah, such is life.
1possible earthy authors of this manuscript are Eleazer of worms, or Isaac the Blind
2in this context genius is meant to imply that this aspect of the angel is a sort of intangible intelligence. Several angels are known only to us by their titles Genius of the Contretemps and Genius of Bestial Love. The conoations of these names are left to the less cautious of summoners
