VMs: Stars and angels

[Jorge Stolfi <stolfi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

   > [Pam:] [Agrippa] states that the spirit of each angel (that is
   > _each_ angel, seemingly regardless of fallen or unfallen state)
   > is bound to a star (either a fixed star or a wandering star; that
   > is, a planet).

The association of angles with stars seems to be quite old. The Book
of Enoch (which is said to have been written a few centuries BC, but
may be based on older traditions) seems to consider "stars" and
"angels" as beings of the same general sort:

  I saw there seven stars like great burning mountains, and
  to me, when I inquired regarding them,

  The angel said: 'This place is the end of heaven and earth: this
  has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.

  And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have
  transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of
  their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed
  times.
  
  [...] 

  These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have
  transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here
  till ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins,
  are consummated.'

  And from thence I went to another place, which was still more
  horrible than the former, and I saw a horrible thing: a great
  fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as
  far as the abyss, being full of great descending columns of
  fire: neither its extent or magnitude could I see, nor could I
  conjecture.

  [...]

  And [Uriel] said unto me: 'This place is the prison of the
  angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.'

Perhaps the star-angel "bound" was really an equation, much like the
major Greek gods (and more other ancient ones) were idntified with the
planets? I.e. the concept of "angels" may have arisen as a
personification of stars, especially comets. Consider the imagery of
angels as wielding fiery swords, appearing on the sky at fixed places
every day for a number of days. Or falling stars, meteorites, and the
concept of the fallen angel...

--stolfi
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