ON THE CELESTIAL HIERARCHY — CHAPTER I.

...deeming [our earthly hierarchy] worthy of an imitation of the celestial hierarchies, sketched out in material things [God] transcribed the aforementioned immaterial hierarchies by decorating them with material figures and various shapes. He did this so that, in proportion to our human capacity, we might be lifted up from these "sacred fictions" to the simple, formless anagoges: the process of "leading the soul upward" from physical symbols to spiritual truths and likenesses. Indeed, it is not possible for our human mind to be drawn toward that immaterial imitation and contemplation of the heavenly hierarchies unless it uses the "hand-leading" guidance of material things nearby. We must realize that these visible beauties are images of hidden How the mind rises from earthly to heavenly things. splendor; that the sweet smells we perceive with our senses are expressions of spiritual distribution; and that material lights? represent a type of immaterial? illumination. In the same way, we should understand that the far-reaching sacred teachings represent the soul's spiritual satisfaction; and the various ranks of the orders here on earth represent the harmonious and orderly love found in divine things. Furthermore, the communion of the most divine Eucharist represents our participation in JESUS. All these things are given to the heavenly beings in a way that is beyond this world, but to us, they are handed down through symbols. For the sake of this "becoming like God" deification: also known as theosis, the transformation of a human being into the likeness of God which is tailored to our capacity, the kind Heavenly things expressed in the Scriptures to our capacity. primal initiation In this context, "initiation" refers to the way God reveals divine mysteries through the Church and the Bible. has described those super-heavenly minds using sensory images within the holy writings. It has done this to lead us through things we can sense toward things that are spiritual, and from these sacredly-fashioned symbols up to the simple heights of the heavenly hierarchies.