47. All who form one angelic society resemble one another in countenance in a general way but not in particulars. How general resemblances and differences in particular come about can in some measure be apprehended from similar things in the world. It is well known that with every race there is a certain resemblance in the face and eyes by which it is known and distinguished from any other race. This is still more true of different families. In the heavens this is much more clearly seen because there all the interior affections appear and shine forth from the face. For, in the heavens, the face is the external and representative form of those affections. No one there can have any other face than that of his own affections. It was also shown how this general likeness is varied in particulars with the individuals of one society. A face like that of an angel appeared to me and this was varied to express such affections of good and truth as are in those who belong to a single society. These variations went on for a long time and I noticed that the same face in general remained all the while as a background, and that the rest of the faces were only derivations and propagations therefrom. Thus, by means of this face were exhibited the affections of the whole society whereby the faces of those in it are varied. For, as has been said above, the faces of angels are the forms of their own interiors, thus of the affections that are of love and faith.