The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite — trans. John Parker

d mystical visions, and the consecration of their whole life^ And the girdles signify the guard over their productive powers, and the collected habit of being turned uniformly to It, and being drawn around Itself by an unbroken identity, in a weil-ordered circle.

Section V. The rods signify the kingly and directing faculty, making all things straight. The spears'' and the battle-axes denote the dividing of things unhke,

' Eph. iii. lo. K John xx. 12. ^ See Maximus D.N.

c. 4- s. I. 1 Dan. x. 5. ^ Gen. iii. 24.

on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 6i and the sharp and energetic and drastic operation of the discriminating powers. The geometrical* and technical™ articles denote the founding, and building, and completing, and whatever else belongs to the elevating and guiding forethought for the subordinate Orders. But sometimes the implements assigned to the holy Angels are the symbols of God's judgments to ourselves; some, representing His correcting ° instruction or avenging righteousness **, others, freedom from peril, or end of education, or resumption of former well-being, or addition of other gifts, small or great, sensible or intelligible P. Nor would a discriminating mind, in any case whatever, have any difficulty in properly adapting things visible to things invisible.

Section VI.

But the fact that they are named winds ^ denotes their rapid action, passing almost instantaneously to all things, and their transporting movement in passing from above to below, and again from below to above, their elevating the second to the height above, and moving the first to a common and provident advance of the inferior Orders. But perhaps some one would say that the appellation of wind, to the aerial spirit, also denotes the Divine likeness of the Heavenly Minds ; for this also bears a likeness and type of the supremely Divine energy (as o 2 Kings xxiv. 16. P Zech. iii. 9. ^ Ps. civ. 3 ;

* Ezek. xi. 3. ™ Amos vii. 7. ° Num. xxii. 31.

Dan. vii. 2.

62 Dionysius the Areopagite we have demonstrated more fully in the symbolic theology, in our explanation of the four elements) in accordance with the moving and life-producing, and the rapid and resistless development of Nature, and the Hiddenness of the moving sources and terminations to us unknown and invisible.

fully in the symbolic theology, in our explanation of the four elements) in accordance with the moving and life-producing, and the rapid and resistless development of Nature, and the Hiddenness of the moving sources and terminations to us unknown and invisible. For He says, "Thou knovvest not whence it cometh '" nor whither it goeth." But also the Word of God attributes to them the appearance of a cloud ^, signifying, through this, that the holy minds are filled supermundanely with the hidden Light, receiving the first manifestation without boasting over it as such, which they distribute ungrudgingly to the second, as a secondary manifestation, and in proportion to capacity ; yea, further, that the productive, and lifeproducing, and increasing, and perfecting power is enshrined in them, after the fashion of the intelligible production of showers *, which summons the receptive womb of the earth, by fruitful rains, to the life-giving pangs of birth.

Section VII.

Also, the Word of God attributes to the Heavenly Beings a likeness to Brass '^, Electron*, and manycoloured stones. Electron, as being partly like gold, partly like silver, denotes the incorruptible, as in gold, and unexpended, and undiminished, and spotless briUiancy, and the brightness, as in silver, and a luminous and heavenly radiance. But to the

"^ John iii. 8. ^ Ezek. lO. 4. * vor\Ty\v 6iA.^po(TKiay,

" Ezek. xi. 3. ^ Ibid, viii, 2.

on the Heavenly Hierarchy. 63

Brass, according to the reasons assigned, must be attributed either the Hkeness of fire or that of gold.

We must consider that the many-coloured appearances of stones denote either as white, the luminous ; or as red, the fiery ; or as yellow, the golden ; or as green, the youthful and the full grown ; and within each likeness you will find an explanation which teaches the inner meaning of the typical images.

But since, I think, according to our power, this has been sufficiently said, let us pass to the sacred explanation of the Divine representations of the Heavenly Minds through wild beasts y. We must consider that the shape of a Lion ^ signifies the leading, and robust, and indomitable, and the assimilation, as far as possible, to the unutterable Godhead, by the concealment of the intellectual footprints % and by the mystically modest covering of the path, leading to It, during Divine illumination.

Section VIII.

The Image of the Ox ^ denotes the strong and the mature, turning up the intellectual furrows for the reception of the heavenly and productive showers ; and the Horns, the guarding and indomitable.

e path, leading to It, during Divine illumination.

Section VIII.

The Image of the Ox ^ denotes the strong and the mature, turning up the intellectual furrows for the reception of the heavenly and productive showers ; and the Horns, the guarding and indomitable.

The representation of the Eagle ^ denotes the kingly, and soaring, and swift in flight, and quickness in search of the nourishment which makes y Ezek. i. 10. z Ibid.

^.* The Lion was said to erase his footsteps by his tail. ^ Ezek. i, 10. c Ibid.

64 D tony sins the Areopagite strong, and wariness, and agility, and cleverness ; and the unimpeded, straight, and unflinching gaze towards the bounteous and brilliant splendour of the Divine rays of the sun, with the robust extension of the visual powers.

That of Horses represents obedience and docility, and of those who are white, brilliancy, and as especially congenial to the Divine Light; but of those who are dark blue, the Hidden ; and of those red, the fiery and vigorous ; and of the piebald, the uniting of the extremes by the power passing through them, and joining the first to the second, and the second to the first, reciprocally and considerately.

Now if we did not consult the proportion of our discourse, we might, not inappropriately, adapt the particular characteristics of the aforesaid living creatures, and all their bodily representations to the Heavenly Powers, upon the principle of dissimilar similitudes ; for instance, their appearance of anger, to intellectual manliness, of which anger is the remotest echo, and their desire, to the Divine love ; and to speak summarily, referring all the sensible perceptions, and many parts of irrational beings, to the immaterial conceptions and unified Powers of the Heavenly Beings. Now not only^is this sufficient for the wise, but even an explanation of one of the dissimilar representations would be sufficient for the accurate description of similar things, after the same fashion.

, on the Heavenly Hiei-archy. 6^'

Section IX.

But we must examine the fact that rivers^ are, spoken of, and Wheels*^ and Chariots^ attached to. the Heavenly Beings. The rivers of fire signify the supremely Divine streams furnishing to them an ungrudging and incessant flow, and nourishing the productive powers of life ; the chariots, the conjoined communion of those of the same rank; the wheels being winged, and advancing without turning and without deviation, the power of their advancing energy within a straight and direct path, towards the same unflinching and straight swoop ^ of their every intellectual track,