Supernatural Season 6 Makes Me Want to Cry

Warning* This blog contains some spoilers of the show Supernatural.

For the past few years I have avoided watch season 6 and beyond of the series Supernatural. I LOVED the first five seasons and felt they told a great tale about family, sacrifice, and kicking monster ass. Most shows tend to falter and fizzle into a story of the week sort of thing. Supernatural didn't because I believe Eric Kripke had a plan. That plan ended with season five and he left the show. However, it still continued, badly.

I finally broke down and watched season six out of morbid curiosity. Who were these characters? They certainly weren't the ones I'd grown to love during the first fives seasons, though they were still great to look at. It felt like the writers were really reaching to bring the plot lines together? What was the point of the episode with fairies? Let's give Sam and Dean something they haven't fought? Also, it took the breaking of 66 seals to open Lucifer's Box and 4 rings of the Horsemen to close it. Someone explain how Castiel can open the door and let Sam out without Lucifer or Michael noticing.

All in all, the season was completely lackluster. It got better toward the end, but I would only rate it to be about the same level as the beginning of Season 3. I watched the beginning of Season 7 and had another What the Fuck? moment. Why the hell would Dean bow down to Castiel when he said fuck you to every other Supenatural creature that wanted him to submit?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Watchers

For N, I talked about the Nephilim. Today I will speak of their fathers, the Watchers. They were angels, the “children of heaven” who watched over mankind. They saw the beautiful daughters of man and desired them.  They decided to take them as wives; however their leader, Semyaza, was afraid he would alone be held accountable for their sin. The 200 angels swear an oath, binding them all together.

So, the Watcher descended from heaven and took the women. Not only did they create the Nephilim, but they also taught secret arts to mankind such as medicine, incantations, and knowledge of plants and herbs. Azazel, one of the most famous Watchers, taught alchemy, jewelry making, and  the art of making weapons of war.

Sin and corruption spread across the world. The archangels saw this and petitioned God to take action. So, God declared he would wipe the Earth clean with a flood. He ordered the archangel Raphael to bind Azazel and throw him in the darkness. Raphael did this and tossed him in a hole in the desert. God told Gabriel to destroy the Nephilim. He instructed Michael to tell Semyaza of the Watchers impending punishment, where they will be bound beneath rocks for 70 generations until the Day of Judgment.

Picture By carulmare

The Watchers begged the prophet Enoch to speak on their behalf, they begged for forgiveness. Though he warns the Watchers their petition will not be heard, he tried anyway. God refuseed the Watchers and said their children shall be called evil spirits. He told Enoch to inform the watches that they rejected Heaven and shall have no peace.

If you haven’t, you should read some stories of Azazel. They are pretty interesting. The Hebrews would send a goat into the desert, laden with the sins of the people, as a sacrifice for him. It’s where the term scapegoat comes from.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Uriel

Uriel, whose name means “fire of God” or “God is my light” is one of the most important angels. He has been described as an archangel, a seraph, and a cherub. He is usually depicted as one of the four primary angels along with Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Though he’s not official by Catholic standards, he is in many Jewish texts.

Uriel is portrayed as stern and punishing. According to Enoch he is the head of the seven archangels. He supposedly presides over Tartarus or Hell, where he punishes sinners by burning them in everlasting fire and hanging blasphemers by their tongues over unquenchable fires.  And most people think angels are kind.

But, Uriel is not all fire and brimstone. It was believed that Uriel gave the gift of the Qabalah to humanity, along with the Metatron. He led Abraham out of Ur and has interpreted prophecies for the good of humanity. He revealed heavenly mysteries to Ezra and has answer deep questions about evil and justice. He also serves as a guide to luminaries.

So, do you have a favorite angel?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Sefer Raziel

The angel Raziel stands on the peak of Mount Horeb (where the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God) and proclaims the mystical secrets to humankind. According to lore, the he created the first book ever written. The Sefer Raziel is made of sapphire or “angel’s tears” and is one of the most important texts on angel magic. It reveals secrets and mysteries of creation, including the wisdom of the 72 letters of the name of God and its 670 esoteric mysteries, and 1,500 keys, which were not even given to the angels. It also contains information on the five names of the human soul, the seven hells, the divisions of the Garden of Eden and the types of angels and spirits that have dominion over things in the world. Jealous angels coveted the Sefer Raziel and many thefts were attempted.

An excerpt of the Sefer Raziel

In actuality, it is believed that the Sefer Raziel was written in the 13^th century by different anonymous writers. The Jewish mystic Eleazar of Worms was believed to be one of them. In the Middle Ages, the book was highly revered and it was believed that mere possession of it would prevent fire. By the 19^th century, there were 25 editions of it, though probably not in sapphire.

So you know of any old occult texts? Heh, can you tell me where I can get a hold of them, especially ones I precious gems?

A-Z Blog Hop: Nephilim

Angels descended from heaven to watch over humanity. As they did this, their lust for human women grew and they bred with them. The result was the Nephilim, who were supposedly giants.  Nephilim means “fallen” or “those who were cast down.” In Genesis 6:4, however, it’s suggested that the Nephilim were around before the angels descended.  It states: “They were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.”

God grew angry at the corruption that spread from cohabitation of angels and man. He decided to destroy not only the humans but all life on earth. He chose Noah and his family alone to survive the Flood. And it rained for forty days and forty nights.

However, not all the Nephilim perished. They have been mentioned throughout other books in the bible. In numbers that are the Anakim, so big that the men are like grasshoppers. Enoch 15:8-9 states that they shall be called evil spirits on earth and they will dwell both on earth and in the earth, making them demons.

Nephilim play a large part in the book I’m currently writing (Book 2 of the Van Helsing Organization) but they are not the giants as mentioned in the bible. Nor are they evil. They can be the children of angels, but some can also be considered the children of other pantheons. The Greek heroes would have been Nephilim in my mythology.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Iblis

In my April post for D, I mentioned Iblis being the name for the Devil in Islam. And as the Devil has many tales so does Iblis.  His name is Arabian for despair.  He is described as the father of the djinn and an angel.

The Qur’an mentions his name nine times, seven of which are in reference to his fall from Allah’s grace. One states he was one of the djinn and he broke the Lord’s command. Another says he was treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis refused because Adam was made of dust and beneath Iblis, who was made of fire. Allah curse Iblis and booted him from heaven. Hmm, sound familiar anyone? Iblis managed to persuade Allah to delay any other punishment until judgment day. So, he was allowed to roam the earth and lure men to si so he may destroy them.

In an alternate version, Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy the djinn for rebelling against the divine laws. The angels won the war, killing many of the djinn. They captured Iblis and took up to heaven to be “educated.” The remaining djinn formed a new nation and Iblis left heaven to become their king.

In another legend, Iblis promised any animal who carried him into paradise three magical words that would bestow immortality. The serpent agreed and carried Iblis in his mouth. Iblis, being djinn, was made of smoke, so this was easy. Iblis spoke to Eve through the serpent’s mouth and convinced her to eat from the tree of knowledge.

I always find connections between religions of different cultures fascinating.  It proves to me over and over how connected we are, despite distance and limited means of travel in the past.  Are there any stories that you have heard from different countries that are connected?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Angels Among Us

“And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” –Hamlet by Shakespeare

We all know of angels right? Those invisible beings that watch over (or interfere, depending on your view) us throughout life.  They are the beings that mediate between us and God, and minister everything in the natural order of the universe.  Though angels exist in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, they are connected helping spirits in mythologies throughout the world. Actually, the term angel stands for one class in the Angelic Orders. Today, we’ll just stick with the Christian version, because the others would make this more confusing.

Angel’s main job is to serve as messengers between Heaven and Earth.  Those prayers you whisper with your hands clasped and your eyes closed are delivered to God by angels.  They then give God’s answers in the form of inspiration. They also serve as Guardian Angels.  In Christianity, Angels are the lowest order of angels.  I know, it’s confusing, but have you read old Christian texts? They’re not exactly clear.

The next are the archangels, who serve as liaisons between God and mortals and are the supervisors of guardian angels. It is said that the archangels are the guardians to heads of state and other important figures. They are also in charge of heaven’s armies against the legions of Hell. Three of the most popular archangels are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

Principalities are the seventh highest order of angels. They watch over entire nations. Each principality is assigned its own nation to look after. Supposedly, they can help humans call on secret powers (superpowers anyone?) and help subdue others.

The Powers are responsible for fighting evil spirits who seek to cause mayhem through humans. They protect the divine plan initiated by the Dominions (we’ll get to them) and performed by the Virtues (they’re next).  Pretty much they seem to be the Navy Seals of angels.

The Virtues primary duty is to perform miracles on Earth. They also provide grace, courage, and valor. God governs the seasons, elements, and heavens through the virtues even though lower angels have direct responsibility for the tasks.

The fourth highest order is the Dominions. They proclaim the orders of God and regulate the duties of the other angels. You could say they’re middle management.  They are also the angels of mercy.

Next up, the thrones are God’s living beings of justice and authority. Interesting enough, the thrones are depicted as wheels with many eyes and reside in the cosmos where material form begins to take shape.

The Cherubim are not the cute little cherubs you see pictures of. They guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. They’d be God’s secret service so to speak. Cherubim have four faces and multiple sets of wings. Do you Zachariah in Supernatural? The way he described himself, he would have been a Cherubim.

The highest order is the Seraphim. They are the caretakers of God’s throne and shout praises of "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All the earth is filled with His Glory." The Seraphim have six wings, two cover their faces, two cover their body, and two cover their feet.

So, there you have it. Heaven runs a lot like a nation, with the lowest order still the hardest working one.  Are there any particular orders you like best? In A Prescription for Delirium, my order of angels is really different from this. There are seven archangels and the rest of the Host is under each of them.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.