Groups of Four

Remember that scene in the Wild Bunch, when the four outlaws grab their guns and walk down the street, ready to face off against an entire army to save their cohort. Or how about the scene in the Angel episode Darla when Angel, Darla, Spike and Dru all walk in a group out of the ruins of a Chinese town. We see this image, four warriors walking together, fearless, again and again throughout film and television. Hell, even the bible talks of the four horseman of the apocalypse. There’s something about four warriors, grouped together, moving together as a unit, fearlessly, that awakens some very primal memory within us all, regardless of how they’re shown. It doesn’t work with three, it doesn’t work with five (which just adds a guy), it doesn’t even work with a whole army of mighty warriors, and you’d think that would be a lot more inspirational than just four.

Every time we see this image we see it as something powerful, as something noble and righteous, and it inspires within us hope. Even in Angel, when it’s villainous vampires that are feeding, it still inspires these emotions.

There are four archangels at the very top. There are always four. Upon every world, in every dimension, from the highest planes down to the lowest each has four archangels on the very top. In our world they are Micheal, Gabreal, Raphael, and Uriel. On other worlds they have other angels with other names. But there are always four. Together, as four, they compromise what is supposed to be the most powerful being of their world. Together, at least in theory, there should be nothing stronger than they are. They are warriors and guardians who know not of fear. They typically act separately. But when called upon, all four at once, they are something strong and powerful, something that should be able to defeat even the most powerful of threats.

Each of us has this memory buried within us. This idea. Most will never quite grasp it, never quite get it, never know what exactly it means. But when we see a similar image, four warriors, together, fearless, we’re reminded of the power and the hope they bring.

Sphinxes

Sphinxes, sometimes given a proper name as a Phix, are horrid and powerful creatures. Similar creatures appear in many mythologies through out Europe, the Middle-East, and Asia, although it was named by the Greeks, whose myth seems a proper depiction, although the thing is not a god nor is it a single being, but like fae and dragons and djinn is a type. The lion headed depictions of the Egyptians may not have been depictions of the Sphinx at all, but rather depictions of their ruling class being associative with Sehkmet.

A Sphinx would often times be used as a guardian. The creatures are naturally guardians, tend to stay in one place, and are strong enough to make good guardians of things, especially tombs and other places where folks and animals don’t normally go. They also may be associative with power in the Greek magickal traditions. Mastery of a Sphinx, as per the feat of Oedipus, would be something only a very powerful magician would be capable of, and as such Sphinxes could be seen as guardians of the sacred mysteries, only allowing access to those of such great power as to tame them.

For the most part, Sphinxes are no longer allowed into this world. Fortunately the current laws and rules surrounding this plane of existence bar them from coming here. They can’t even reach the realm of dreams, for the most part, without great effort on their part, and it’s very difficult for them to sustain a presence there for long.

Sphinxes come from the depths of the hell planes. They are a lower realm equivalent to a realm guardian, essentially a type of angel to that place, however they would exceed even an archangel’s power, at least in their realm of origin, and would be somewhat equivelent to the angelic energy bodies of the heavenly planes.

I would assume that, when encountered in higher planes, a good deal of their energy and power is devoted to just sustaining their presence, and within their own realm of origin they would be far more powerful, although it is also possible that the ones able to still reach higher realms like the dreaming are also the more powerful of their ilk, and that most in their natural realm of origin are much weaker (I’ve never seen one in its realm of origin, and I don’t think I want to either).

A Sphinx constantly masturbates, sort of. It doesn’t really play with itself, it just sort of orgasms and ejaculates again and again on a constant (granted I’ve only seen males, females, if they exist, may be a bit different). When it orgasms, very strong sexually predatory energy flows out of it and into the nearby area in waves. Anything that is not able to quickly produce a very strong psychic shield (which even among practitioners, many can’t) will be raped by it. And the rape will happen repeatedly until the creature becomes so worn out from it that it kills them. Small creatures tend to last seconds. Larger creatures like cats and dogs may get a minute or two, a human maybe a few minutes. Even with a strong shield the energy is so intense, and on a constant, that it will tear down the shield very quickly.

This masturbation is not an attack, it lacks any direction or purpose, it is just a side-effect of the Sphinx existing in a place. It only represents a fraction of the Sphinxes power. The Sphinx overflows with power, it drips off it, so much so it can be clearly seen as a beacon amidst it’s sexual waves, and is many times stronger than it’s masturbation, even when the Sphinx is calm and at ease.

The energy of the Sphinx is such that most will find it offensive and gross, and also completely horrifying. Not just the nature of it’s evil, but also the power and intensity behind it. Among angelics and those with an angelic connection it will most likely awaken a primal need to combat and expel it, although most angelics even will approach such a beast with caution.

The Sphinx originates in the Qlippothic version of the middle triad, and as such is a further physical complication from this plane, and so he has a physicality that is evolved beyond what is typically allowed into this world. He also has a realm guardian status, so we can presume that, like the realm guardians of this world, he may be atypical of his plane of existence in his manifestation of physicality and the laws that apply to him.

Also, like any realm guardian, he guards, ferociously and viciously, and is a natural warrior. I’m not sure the actual intelligence of such a beast, as I’ve never attempted to talk to one. Their energy does seem very violent and animalistic, but this is not rare among realm guardian types. It would be odd, even among a realm as low as his, for something to be of such vast power and lack intelligence.

Fallen Angel Mythology

This should provide some information as to what exactly fallen angels are and how they come to fall.

This information was channeled, almost directly, for an unfinished book I was working on some time ago. The names are not exact, just close phonetically to the names I heard in my head which I cannot pronounce. Some of the words are not exactly given but were ideas I have trouble expressing. I have gone back and fixed some minors errors with spelling and word usage, although I have kept the original intact. This is the angel’s mythology. In other words it’s not mythology about angels, but rather mythology that is believed by angels.

In another world, one long forgotten, only ever known to the eldest, there came to be a species, and with it came an assemblage, and so it was determined where each was to be placed and what duties they would take. Highest among them was Maldoth, and next was Hedeth.

And the duties were carried out as they should be, and for ages the world carried on, and for generations the charge was protected and guided in all the ways that it should be.

And among the charges the seeds of evil were planted, and those that guard would come and stomp out the seeds as they sprouted, all save one that was missed, or possibly couldn’t be destroyed.

And as the evil spread the charges changed. A dark taint fell upon their souls and they gave into evil desires.

And those that guard began to fear the fate of their charges who they loved so greatly. And so they came among them and guided them, and argued with them, and pleaded with them, and fought for them in bloody battles against the source of the taint. But their efforts, so great, were in vain and the evil spread further. And as the world sank deeper, those that had remained pure and those that they saved upon death would ascend to a more suitable world, leaving only those who were badly tainted behind, and the evil spread at an even faster rate.

As they reveled in their sins, Hedeth fell to his knees in desperation upon seeing the hopeless fate of those he loved so much. Their souls so twisted and tainted, and so many already leaving this world, so much beauty had been lost, a great pain befell his heart, a pain beyond description, beyond comprehension to those who have not felt it. A creature of action, most powerful among a world save one, fell to his knees crying, overtaken by emotion.

And Maldoth was filled with sorrow, as was Hedeth, and also rage, knowing that they had brought this fate upon themselves. And instead of falling to the ground he rose up, and stated ‘If they choose this end, then leave them to their own destruction’, his anger so powerful had they heard his words, and felt his voice, they may have fallen to the ground in obedience to him. And so Maldoth had opened up the way out of that world, to lead the guardians to some other charge.

But Hedeth had raised himself back up, and could not bare to leave behind those he loved so much. He was at least as angry at them as Maldoth, but his love for them was so much greater, and he pleaded with Maldoth and the others, asking them to stay and save this world. But choices had already been made, and all means had been used, and to remain was futile.

But Hedeth spoke “We could be as gods, or not gods, but we would be gods to them, as the gods themselves are divine to us. And as gods they might follow us, and do as they’re told. And we can cast a wrath upon those who will not surrender their will to us. And we could make them righteous, or at least keep them from evil. To be without will, without decision, is a better fate than what lies ahead of them on their current path. How can it be wrong not to do all in our power to save that which we love?”

Such things are not allowed, certain interferences must not be made, certain rules must be followed.

And so occurred the first division, and so came to be the first fallen among the angelics.

Some had sided with Hedeth, but most went with Maldoth, and the numbers on his side were much greater. It is thought that if Maldoth had attacked with his legion, Hedeth and his would have been taken, and their betrayal avenged. Even if the loss was certain, Maldoth was still bound to engage in any just battle. Yet he and his legion stayed their hands, and each left Hedeth and his and moved on to other lands.

And Hedeth came upon the people, and announced himself as god, and some cowered before him in fear, and he convinced them to save their souls and kept them ignorant of that which could corrupt them. Had he come earlier he would have saved the world, but the evil had already grown too great, and its roots grew too deep, and it spread faster than it had before, and again all efforts were made in vain.

But Hedeth would not give up on his world and his charge, and as his world sank ever deeper into darkness, and as some of his companions left him he stood his ground, determined to defend them and attempt to save them until the very last, never abandoning his place. And as the world sank deeper, as the souls became more twisted, new guardians emerged from the lower planes, horrifying and powerful beasts. And the greatest among them, a power and horror never before seen by Hedeth, flew to him first and swallowed him whole. The great angelic struck not a single blow before his defeat.

Hedeth, so powerful, so strong, so filled with love could be so easily defeated, but he could not be so easily destroyed. After a long while of being a part of it he burst out of the beast’s stomach stronger and renewed. He was the first of the pure to have a taint upon him, and now he had combined and been digested by the beast, and himself had ingested it, and it was no longer known if he was more a guardian of the lower realms or the higher realms, but his love for his charge remained, and he longed to return to his duties.

But he had been defeated for so long, and all remnants of his world, and all the beauty he had beheld, had been destroyed. It had fallen deeper still, and had been twisted beyond recognition and repair. And his heart became filled with such sorrow and anger and depression and he felt the pull upon him trying to take him ever deeper into the realms, and his love was so great and his sorrow so great that all he could do was give in.

And Hedeth was tainted first, and he was the first to fall into the lower realms, and his sadness is so great that he falls faster than the rest, reaching every point first. He is the most tainted, the most twisted, the most vile, and the most evil of all the fallen, of all the angelics. And with every battle, he does battle still, he becomes more powerful and more wretched, one of hell’s greatest monsters.

Such a thing is no longer pure, or beautiful, or among the angelics, and so a hand moved towards a list to strike Hedeth’s name from the hierarchy, the first name to be stricken, but the hand was stayed by the highest, and all that were among the angelics then saw a single vision.

In the final hours, as the Angelics stand arm to arm in battle, as the legions push them back, Hedeth will burst forth from hell, leading an army of others like him that he has freed, and they will join again with their brethren. And brave and bold and strong Hedeth will lead them in one glorious charge, and only then, as the enemy falls upon him, will his energy finally return to the fabric of its creation. And so the name Hedeth will have proved its place eternally among the hierarchy.