The third and last triad of the celestial hierarchy is the one that touches the human world. If the first contemplates and the second governs the cosmos, this one is concerned with peoples, with the great turning points of history and with individual persons. It is also the triad about which tradition tells the most stories, because its members are, by definition, the ones who allow themselves to be encountered.
The Principalities: the angels of the peoples
The name again derives from the Pauline lists, where the Principalities appear beside the Powers. But the idea that a heavenly being presides over a people is much older and has roots in the Old Testament.
The «prince of Persia»
In the book of Daniel a heavenly messenger explains to the prophet that he was held back for twenty-one days by the «prince of the kingdom of Persia», until Michael, «one of the chief princes», came to his aid. Later on a «prince of Greece» is also mentioned. Michael himself is called «your prince», that is, the protector of Israel.
The text suggests that behind the affairs of earthly kingdoms heavenly powers are at work, each linked to a people. A passage in Deuteronomy, too, in the Greek Septuagint version, states that the Most High fixed the boundaries of the peoples «according to the number of the angels of God», whereas the traditional Hebrew text reads «according to the number of the sons of Israel». The difference between the two readings has been much discussed.
Their function in the hierarchy
For Pseudo-Dionysius the Principalities have a guiding function: they are turned toward the divine principle and lead the lower orders and human communities toward it. In later tradition they were regarded as the guardians of nations, cities and institutions. In art they are sometimes depicted with a crown and sceptre.
The Archangels: messengers of great announcements
The word archangelos means «chief of the angels» or «principal angel». In the New Testament it appears twice: in the First Letter to the Thessalonians, regarding the «voice of the archangel» at the end of time, and in the Letter of Jude, where Michael is called an archangel.
Tradition has used the term in two different senses, and it is worth distinguishing them:
| Sense | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Generic | the great named angels, leaders of the hosts | Michael, Gabriel, Raphael |
| Technical | the eighth choir of the Dionysian hierarchy | the angels of the most important messages |
In the first sense Michael is often regarded as above all the choirs, as prince of the heavenly armies. In the second, the Archangels are the next-to-last rung of the ladder. The contradiction is only apparent: a name can denote both an office and a rank.
For Gregory the Great the Archangels are those who announce the highest things, while the Angels announce the simpler ones. The classic example is Gabriel at the Annunciation: a message that changes history requires a messenger of higher rank.
The Angels: the nearest
The last choir bears the general name of all: angelos, which in Greek translates the Hebrew mal'akh, «messenger». In the strict sense it denotes the lowest rank of the hierarchy, but for that very reason the nearest to humankind.
Tradition places the guardian angels of individuals here. The most frequently cited scriptural basis is the passage in the Gospel of Matthew saying that the angels of the little ones always behold the face of the Father. Scholastic theology holds that every person receives a guardian angel, and Thomas Aquinas discusses this doctrine at length.
The logic of descent
The third triad completes the movement of light from above to below:
- The Principalities guide communities and peoples.
- The Archangels carry decisive messages at turning points.
- The Angels accompany the individual in daily life.
We thus move from the collective to the individual, from the universal to the particular. The pattern reflects a principle dear to all wisdom traditions: the divine does not remain far off, but descends by degrees to the very least of living beings.
A symbolic reading
In inner work this triad invites reflection on three dimensions of existence: belonging to a community and a history, the turning points at which one receives a «call», and the daily presence of a discreet guide. Maestro Cornelio often recalls that tradition places the angels closest to humankind at the bottom of the ladder not because they are worth less, but because their task is to descend.
In short
- The third triad comprises Principalities, Archangels and Angels and is turned toward the human world.
- The Principalities are linked to peoples: the book of Daniel speaks of the «prince of Persia» and the «prince of Greece».
- The term «archangel» has a generic sense (the great named angels) and a technical one (the eighth choir).
- The Angels, the lowest choir, are traditionally associated with the guardianship of individuals.
- The triad describes the descent of light from the collective to the individual.
