Angelestypes

Angelestypes are a classificatory system used in certain strands of angelology and mystical literature to distinguish among varied categories of angelic beings. The term is a contraction of “angelic types” and first appeared in the late eighteenth‑century Rudolfine glosses on the Book of Enoch. Proponents of the system argue that angelic hierarchy is far more nuanced than the traditional hierarchy of archangels, seraphim, cherubim, and ophanim.

According to Angelestypes theory, angels are grouped along three principal axes: bipedality versus apodeme, temporal versus pure, and sentience versus instinct. The primary categories—Masculine, Feminine, and Neutral—are assigned based on the predominant spiritual function or resemblance to human genders. A secondary subdivision distinguishes the “Ethereal” family of purely incorporeal beings from the “Coronal” line that exhibit quasi‑corporeal manifestations. Finally, the “Temporal” group is said to intervene directly in human affairs, whereas the “Pure” group is relegated to celestial governance.

The Angelestypes framework has gained a niche following among contemporary occult practitioners and was incorporated into the 2012 anthology *Ethereal Hierarchies*. Critics maintain that the scheme is largely speculative, noting that primary scriptural sources rarely specify such distinctions. Nevertheless, the Angelestypes vocabulary is sometimes found in modern fantasy fiction, where authors borrow the terminology to give depth to angelic cast lists.

While the Angelestypes convention is not universally recognized, it remains a subject of study for scholars of comparative theology and occult traditions.