It is common knowledge that divine forces are at work in the world; whether one follows the cult of one god or many, the concept of angels is one which dates back to pagan times, and perhaps one of the few crucibles upon which all religions find a common ground. The angelic ranks are divided into three circles, which in turn are siphoned into various choirs. The sixth choir is, in the grand scheme of things, of particular importance: they care called Powers, a namesake suggestive of the notion that they have `power` over the devil, in order to restrain the power of the demons and to repulse the temptations and harm which they might wreak upon the mortal world if permitted free reign.
Powers owe to their name a variety of tasks, as eclectic as the angels within the branch. They are guards of the cosmic realms to ensure that souls which leave earth reach heaven safely, uncompromised by the demons they must pass. It is the Powers whose task is is to organize the world's religions and send divine energy to keep the positive aspects of them going. They function as regulators of chaos, angels of warning who send messages to those on earth when great harm is about to come to them. These messages may come in many ways: feelings, dreams, or plainly, in bits of conversation. They are excellent at divulging hidden ego based agendas, anf often times use such to predict possible future conflicts.
Yet such responsibilities aside, Powers have perhaps the most dangerous task of all the choirs: defending and maintaining the border between Heaven and Earth from all evil, be it demonic attack or otherwise. Credited as being the first Angels created by God (and thus, some claim, the most potentially Flawed), Powers act as a sort of elite guard, constantly on watch for demonic attack and standing as the major line of defense and battle during heavenly warfare. Normally praised for their skill in war and battle, it is not surprising, perhaps, that many (including St. Paul) should consider this choir of angels to be "evil," themselves. Nor should it have come as a surprise, given their proximity to nether regions and the evil inherant therein (be it the base mortal impulses or the demonic) that the majority of fallen (known, scathingly, as Grigori) are comprised of angels from this choir. Samael or Camael, angels of darkness, are said to be the chiefs of this choir, and the angels of both birth and death belong to this lineage, the alpha and omega said to be pirovtal in both the beginning and - ultimately - the end of the world.
The Powers strengthen the good ascetics in spiritual struggles and labors, protecting them so that they may not be deprived of the spiritual kingdom. They help those wrestling with passions and vices to cast out evil thoughts and slanders of the enemy and to conquer the devil. And yet, one can only assume that any who have the power to bring about the good and press down the bad, likewise hold reign over the reverse. Beyond birth and death, this hierarchy also contains the angels of vengeance, justice, punishment and destruction. For a Power to understand what it is fighting, and to have the urge to fight in the first place (violence is condoned only among a sparse few of the choirs), there must be an underlying color of darkness, of shadow bred in with the light.
What happens, then, when a Power comes across a catalyst? Something (or, as is more often than not the case, someone) who coaxes out that shadow? |
