Angels, or winged messengers and helpers, have been around long before Christianity began. Ancient Assyrians, for example, had "kabiru" (the source of the word cherubim). They were part animal, part humanlike and guarded the people of Babylon and Sumeria. Most people have heard of Hermes, the Greek God who flew around the world, acting as the messenger of the Gods. But they also had "daimones", spirits who came in both good and evil forms, the good ones being protectors. Diamones evolved into "demons" in Christianity, and in the process lost their good side.

So, it is possible for a Pagan to believe in Angels. To believe in them as messengers of the Goddess and as protective guards. As a Pagan, I believe in reincarnation, so I do not believe that the souls of the dead become Angels. Though they can, I believe, act as protectors and helpers to their relatives on earth. (Sorry for the overuse of the word "believe"!) I think of them as a race apart, especially created by the Goddess.