As some of you may already be aware the Archangel Ariel is an extremely powerful celestial being celebrated primarily within traditional Judeo Christian beliefs, as well as in Judeo Christian Apocrypha and mysticism. The name itself of Ariel is often spelled different ways such as Arael, Ari'el, or even Ariael. Generally speaking the Archangel Ariel is usually shown as a governor over earthly elements such as wind, water, fire, and rock. Occasionally Ariel is also associated with healing, rage, wrath, and even with creation itself. The name Ariel is obviously ancient Hebrew in origin and will translate into English to mean Altar or Lion of God. Within some noncanonical scripture Ariel's name has been used as a name for the holy city of Jerusalem. Within Orthodox Jewish and Christian tradition Jerusalem is often associated with God's altar and occasionally it is called the Lion of God which is a play on the power that the Jewish city once symbolized.
Within Judeo Christian mysticism the Archangel Ariel is a powerful deity and one of the highest ranking archangels. Within the literary work by Thomas Heywood entitled Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels, Ariel is said to be the spiritual prince and lord over the Earth and specifically it's waters. Occult writers have often created literary works with parallel claims regarding Ariel's powers, giving him titles such as spirit of the air, 3rd archon of the winds, angel of the waters of the Earth, and even the wielder of fire. These contemporary occult groups also believe in conjuring Ariel through chants, prayers, rituals, and seance. These occult members will try to summon Ariel for various reasons such as to draw on the angel's creative powers or his power over the Earth's elements and it's beasts. It's not known exactly when Ariel became such a noteworthy figure within the realm of the occult however some claim it's a very ancient tradition.
Occasionally the Archangel Ariel is associated with rage and wrath, and in these cases he is presented as an extremely destructive force, and an angel of retribution. According to the Coptic Pistis Sophia, it is the Archangel Ariel that is responsible for dishing out all of the punishment within the lower world, in correspondence with the Ur of the Mandeans. It isn't extremely clear why Ariel in these cases is associated with destruction, however some scholars have concluded that this is due to Ariel's very close association with another archangel named Uriel. Scholars also state that there are some interesting parallels between Ariel and the figures of Sekhmet and Nemesis, however it isn't known for sure whether or not there is a real connection beyond the similarities of these deities. Within Christian and Jewish beliefs, Ariel does occasionally appear as a destroyer, however it's usually as the destroyer of Lucifer's demons.
As far as Ariel's role in the Hierarchy of angels is concerned, he appears within the Order of Virtues, and many of the Archangel hierarchies. While Ariel is often celebrated within traditional Christian denominations such as Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox Church, he is somewhat marginalized by the other more mainstream seven archangels, in which his name seldom appears. He seems to hold a predominant role within Judeo Christian mysticism and occult circles, which will undoubtedly hurt his position within mainstream Christian denominations, as they will not be so quick to celebrate an angel that is tainted by the stigma of angel worship, a form of blasphemy. Ariel's role is also further diminished by the fact that he generally is only mentioned in noncanonical scripture, and doesn't exactly appear by name in mainstream translations of the Old and New Testament. That concludes this article, we hope that you all learned something new.
