Angel books, angel jewelry, angel newsletters, and even specialized angel stores. How do we perceive angels? As a statistical indication of increasing interest, a 1992 Gallup Youth poll (Jordan 2) found that 76% of American teenagers believed in angels, up from 64% in 1978. Clearly we are in the midst of a national phenomenon, a steadily rising interest in celestial beings that is not just meaningful to the New Age movement.
             The appeal of angels is easy to understand. In an age of chaos and uncertainty, it is extremely comforting to believe in the existence of spiritual beings whose main duties consist of the protection and encouragement of human beings. Angels are the traditional mediators between God and humanity, often defined by their duty of message-bearer, although this is only one of many of their activities.
             Belief in angels seems to be intertwined in the need for humanity's spiritual search as it was for me. From actual angel encounters to ancient myths, and every form of religious practice, angels have been recipients of prayer as well as guests at celebrations and rituals. Angels are indeed holy and bright. They bring us light and laughter, as well as assisting our finite minds to arrive at a better understanding of divinity, infinity, and the wonders of the unseen universe.
             Fairies, elementals, nature spirits, and devas are part of the same energy stream as angels (Taylor 87). There is an evolution of energy such as plants and minerals to incarnate into angels, archangels and other higher ranks of heavenly hosts (Taylor 90). Three main categories make up the angelic realms with three sub-divisions each. Only a few groups of angels will be mentioned. The angels who are said to be closest to the divine energy are called Heavenly Counselors (Taylor 115). Their subdivisions consist of Seraphim, the most highly evolved angels who work to keep the right balance between planet
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