By the Gods!

Virtues

Continuing with the hierarchy of Angels in Christian mythology, we arrive at the choir of the Virtues. Beneath the First Sphere (containing Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones) is the Second Sphere of Angelic Choirs, functioning as celestial government. While the Dominions (the chiefs of this sphere) act as lords over the lower angels, the Virtues supervise the movements of heavenly bodies themselves, ensuring that the cosmos stays on track and keeps on… cosmosing. They’re credited with the ability to control the elements, and keep the planets and stars on their appointed routes.

Dionysius the Areopagite believed that the Virtues were constantly channeling the divine power and energy of God into the universe itself, and into humankind, giving them a tiny taste of the “source of virtue.”

Virtues, like Thrones, are a strange bunch. It seems that by the virtue of their very existence they keep the universe working the way the Christian God/Yahweh planned it (Note: we link to Yahweh, the original conception of the Hebrew monotheistic God, though the God of the Christians and the New Testament certainly has notable differences in temperament, attitude, worship criteria). Some texts believe that Virtues and Thrones were originally the same divine beings, though later deuterocanonical texts desired nine tidy choirs. 

We don’t know what the Virtues look like, exactly, but there’s a chance that they look like their brothers in the higher sphere, the Thrones, whirling wheels of fire and eyeballs. There’s also the chance that they’re the most formless and metaphysical of all the Angels, existing in the Aether beyond even the sight of their brethren. Some more recent Catholic sources state that each choir takes the form of a beautiful, winged, humanlike creature, (the picture of angels we’re used to) with accessories and gear befitting their choir.

Dominions

And so, after a long delay, we return to the Hierarchy of Angels (the Christian version). Remember, way back in the day, when we discussed the 9 Choirs of Angels, divided into 3 spheres? Well, the first and most powerful/holy sphere of angels contains the Choirs of Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones.

The second sphere functions as heavenly government, and begins with the Dominions, ranked 4th among all the choirs. The Dominions (translated from the Greek term kyriotites) act as lords over the lower choirs of angels, regulating their divine duties. Dominions are said to rarely make themselves physically known to humans, but instead send the Angels, Archangels and Principalities (all from the third and lowest sphere) to do their divine work on Earth. The work of the Dominions, of course, would be the work of God; orders come down from the top, as usual.

Dominions are also the angels that preside over specific nations. This suggests that each Dominion would have his own specific territory to concern himself with. I wonder if they go by current political borders, or strictly biblical… I guess the Pope could probably answer that. 

The Dominions, though rarely seen, look like divinely beautiful humans, glowing with light, bearing a pair of majestic, feathered wings. I know, I know, that just sounds like a particularly nice ‘n clean version of any “angel.” To distinguish themselves, they also carry a sceptre with a shining orb of light fastened to the head, or a jewelled sword with an orb of light on the pommel.