Choir of Dominions: Origin, Pseudo-Dionysius and Angels 25 to 32

Who are the Dominions?

The Dominions are, in the classical order, the fourth choir of angels, the one that opens the second triad. The Latin word dominatio translates the Greek kyriotes, from kyrios, “lord”. Several modern Bible translations say “Lordships” instead; “Dominions” is the Latin form, which passed into liturgical and theological usage.

In the Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition of the 72 angels, this choir groups angels 25 to 32. For the origin of the list, read our introduction to the 72 angels.

The Dominions in the Bible

The Dominions are named in only two passages of the New Testament:

• Colossians 1:16: all things were created in Christ, “thrones, dominions, principalities, powers”.
• Ephesians 1:20-21: the risen Christ is placed above every principality, power, virtue and dominion, “and above every name that can be named”.

Saint Paul does not describe these categories or arrange them in order. Specialists debate their exact meaning: do they designate angels, cosmic powers or the forces that structure the world? The same words elsewhere serve for hostile powers (Ephesians 6:12). Pseudo-Dionysius chose to read them as benevolent angelic orders.

The Dominions according to Pseudo-Dionysius

In the “Celestial Hierarchy” attributed to Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (around 500, chapter 8), the Dominions are the first order of the second triad. The author sees in them beings free of all servility and all harshness, reaching toward true lordship, which is that of God. Their authority is not exercised by tyranny: it is recognised by its measure.

Thomas Aquinas (13th century) adds an idea of function: the angels of the second triad “govern” in general, in substance; the Dominions command what must be done, the Virtues give the strength to carry it out, and the Powers regulate the manner of doing it. This is a theologian’s reading, which systematizes Pseudo-Dionysius.

The eight angels of the choir in the list of 72

In the list of 72 names of the Shem HaMephorash, the Dominions group eight angels, from no. 25 to no. 32. Each reigns five days in the year and twenty minutes in the day, according to the most common calendar.

The pages of the angels of this choir, beginning with Nith-Haiah, develop these ideas: justice with Haaiah, right speech with Yerathel, clemency with Vasiariah.

Dates follow the most common calendar (angel no. 1 reigns from March 21 to 25, then five days per angel); sources sometimes shift by a few days: see how to calculate your guardian angel.

Other readings and images

Other readings:

• The hashmalim (“beings of amber or of shining metal”, according to Ezekiel 1:4) are, in the correspondence of Christian Kabbalah, the angels of the sphere of goodness (Hesed). They are linked with the Dominions, a common but not unanimous association.
• Zadkiel is named by some authors as chief of the Dominions; see our page on the archangel Zadkiel. These attributions of “choir leaders” vary widely.
• Iconography often shows them with a scepter, a globe or a crown, symbols of authority.
• Maimonides (12th century) does not retain this category, and his list of ten ranks is drawn up differently.

A symbolism for today

In today’s symbolism, the Dominions evoke the art of governing without servility or brutality: holding a course, settling a conflict, organising a group, directing one’s own life. They remind us that authority is not force, and that one is free when one knows why one obeys one’s own rules.

This reading invites an examination of one’s own inner rules. It promises neither success nor status.

A gentle practice

An exercise of “three rules for oneself”, ten minutes:

1. Note three rules you impose on yourself in an ordinary day (time of waking, use of the phone, way of speaking to others).
2. For each, ask whether it frees you (it gives you space) or constrains you (it wears you out).
3. Keep those that free you, and choose one to soften this week.
4. Note how you feel after seven days.

This exercise belongs to personal reflection and does not replace medical advice or psychological support.

What to keep in mind

The nine choirs are a construction of Christian theology, based on Pseudo-Dionysius (around 500), then on Gregory the Great and Thomas Aquinas. This scheme relies on lists of names from the New Testament; it is not an official teaching of the Church, which affirms the existence of angels (Catechism, § 328) without fixing a precise hierarchy.

The attribution of eight Kabbalistic angels to each choir is, for its part, an esoteric construction of the Renaissance, which the Catholic Church does not recognise: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Nothing shows that a specific angel corresponds to your date of birth, and no one can promise you protection or an event. Read these pages as a symbolic bestiary: for the images and the reflection they inspire.

See also the guide to the 72 angels and the guide to the archangels.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the 72 guardian angels.