Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00005)

>I don't see anything in theosophy that would prohibit a belief in angels. In
>fact, just the opposite. Evidence for their existence can be found in
>occultism, magic, and theosophy throughout our history. Personally, I believe
>that they are all denizens of the lower cosmic planes along with such things as
>elementals and pretas.
>
> Jerry S.

Agreed. But like other ideas in the source literature, the terminology
has changed. Many now call as "angels" what HPB would have called
"elementals." This is like how the "astral" is now, in some circles,
spoken of as both "etheric" and "astral" (in the Adyar and Bailey camps),
where the term remains "astral" in Point Loma and ULT. The idea of
an "angel" is more poetic. The danger we face, though, when we adopt
more graphic, metaphoric terminology, is that the actual meanings
eventually get lost, and we have another system of exoteric religious
stories and imagery.

-- Eldon