halo, also called nimbus, in art, radiant circle or disk surrounding the head of a holy person, a representation of spiritual character through the symbolism of light. In Hellenistic and Roman art the sun-god Helios and Roman emperors often appear with a crown of rays.
/ˈheɪləʊ/ A glowing light that circles something, like the moon or a person's head is a halo. Painters of religious art often put a halo around the heads of angels and saints. A halo is a symbol of holiness, represented by a circle or arc of light around the head of a saint or holy person.
A halo is an area of light, usually circular, around the head of a holy figure in religious painting; it is also associated with some of the Classical gods and goddesses, such as Apollo, who sometimes has rays of light around his head.
A mandorla is a vesica piscis shaped aureola which surrounds the figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary in traditional Christian art.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) interprets the term "archangel" as meaning "Chief Angel", Michael is the only individual so designated in the Latter Day Saints canon. It is believed that he is the head of all of the angels.
She is in continuity with the original people of God but stands also for the renewed people of God, the Church. Here is where the star symbol applies. The twelve stars above her head apply to both the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel (original people of God), and the twelve apostles (renewed people of God).
In the early centuries of its use, the Christian halo may be in most colours (though black is reserved for Judas, Satan and other evil figures) or multicoloured; later gold becomes standard, and if the entire background is not gold leaf, the halo itself usually will be.
The crescent moon is used in representations of Mary's miraculous conception and birth (Joachim and Anna at the Golden Door, da Camerino, Tadino, ~1470). The crescent appears under Mary's feet in paintings of the Assumption (Meister of the Luzien-Legende, 1485) and signifies her glory and victory over time and space.
The ringed cross is a class of Christian cross symbols featuring a ring or nimbus. The concept exists in many variants and dates to early in the history of Christianity. One variant, the cruciform halo, is a special type of halo placed behind the head of Jesus in Christian art.
Crucifix
The crucifix is found wherever there is a Catholic presence. A crucifix usually has the letters 'INRI' carved into the wood of the cross. These letters are short for the Latin phrase, “'Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum', which translates as 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'.
The Chi Rho (☧, English pronunciation /ˈkaɪ ˈroʊ/; also known as chrismon) is one of the earliest forms of Christogram, formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters—chi and rho (ΧΡ)—of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos) in such a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.
Other forms: cherubim; cherubs. You might think of a rosy-faced child as a cherub, conjuring up an image of chubby, naked angels cavorting amongst the clouds. That image comes from the most familiar use of the word, which was to name an order of angels.
And the lowest orders are “Principalities”, “Archangels” and just common “Angels” – basically, everyone below the more senior public service/military levels mentioned above. In the highest orders, “Seraphim” – literally “burning ones” – serve as the throne guardians of God.
Wings were a way to set angels apart from humanity while retaining other aspects of angelic nature, such as angel as fleet messenger. Wings simultaneously represent the heavens and a tie to earth, for even birds, winged creatures, must eventually return to earth.
However, halos were often used as a symbol of divine presence and were associated with the glory and power of God in both Jewish and Christian traditions.
For example, for God the Father, a triangle is used to denote the Trinity. For Christ, a circle with a cross is used in order to denote the crucifixion. Living persons are granted square haloes (symbolic of the material world), whilst a disk or circle are used for a Saint (symbolising spiritual perfection).
The main theme of Devil's Halo was identified by City Pages critic Rick Mason as the treachery of love and its bitter effects. According to Holley, the songs brimmed with "spiritual complexity and ambiguity".
The crowned Blessed Virgin Mary in heaven depicted as the "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelations 12:1).
In Orthodox Christian iconography, the Star of Bethlehem is often depicted not as golden, but as a dark aureola, a semicircle at the top of the icon, indicating the Uncreated Light of Divine grace, with a ray pointing to "the place where the young child lay" (Matthew 2:9).
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Therefore, the first creation by God was the supreme archangel followed by other archangels, who are identified with lower Intellects. From these Intellects again, emanated lower angels or "moving spheres", from which in turn, emanated other Intellects until it reaches the Intellect, which reigns over the souls.
Each person is assigned four Hafaza angels, two of which keep watch during the day and two during the night. Muhammad is reported to have said that every man has ten guardian angels. Ali ben-Ka'b/Ka'b bin 'Ujrah, and Ibn 'Abbas read these as angels.
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (/ˈɡeɪbriəl/ GAY-bree-əl) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to men. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Quran.