Archangel Raphael - an exploration of healing
Archangel Raphael in a variety of forms within my artwork
Hi friends, in anticipation of the new 22 Archangels Oracle launching in June I thought I would collect together some of the artworks that I’ve created for this oracle deck and others as well as my personal explorations of Archangel Raphael.
Archangel Raphael is probably one of the more well-known of the Archangels and his name is translated to mean “God has healed” - he is most commonly associated therefore with healing and he is often referred to as 'the Divine Healer’. He is most commonly depicted with the colour green which has strong associations with healing and of course, modern science is now starting to acknowledge the healing powers of being out in nature or indeed just simply having a plant in your home or being within eyesight of nature and greenery. (Check out the book ‘The Brain on Nature’ for more fascinating information on the healing powers of nature.)
My first encounter with the energy of Archangel Raphael was in the middle of the pandemic. I was working from home and felt a real need to connect with some healing energy whilst in the middle of so much chaos and worry.
I decided to paint Archangel Raphael for the first time, and spent an evening creating an artwork that felt like the creation of a healing space. I called the artwork ‘Raphael’s Glade’ as I felt like I had been taken to a beautiful, nourishing and peaceful sanctuary where if you chose to rest for a while you would receive healing and a healthy dosing of serenity.
Although this piece is quite old now I still feel the energy of it very clearly whenever I look at the artwork and it remains one of my favourite pieces of personal works that I’ve yet created.
Healing Energy from The Angel Guide Oracle
The Angel Guide Oracle was designed to be a beautiful introduction to connecting with angels and although these angel cards are not assigned particular names, during the illustration phase many of the cards were designed specifically around the energy of certain Archangels. Healing Energy was associated with Archangel Raphael and shows a beautiful feminine representation of this healing energy. This was also the second card illustrated for the deck and really helped shaped the aesthetics of the whole deck!
Archangel Raphael from The 22 Archangels Oracle
Naturally, it wouldn’t be an Archangel deck if we hadn’t included Raphael in the 22 Archangels deck. It was such a pleasure to paint this piece and approach his energy again within the context and aesthetics of the new deck. I’ve woven in some of my favourite textures to create a beautiful and ever-changing feeling to the art.
Let me know what you think of these artworks in the comments! What do you feel from them?
