Archangel Raphael & vegetarian/vegan

Usually in a two-card reading I interpret the first card, first, then the second card and then link the both together. Whilst I'll still keep to this structure, I feel that, this time, I need to hold the second card in the back of my mind at all times while interpreting the first card in order to avoid going too far off on a tangent.

Archangel Raphael is the angel of healing. His name translates to "God heals". My heart sings to see this card today as Archangel Raphael is the angel I work with the most. He is the angel I have the closest affinity to, both with regards my own personal health and the health of my two beautiful bunnies. So I am delighted to share this beautiful angel with you today.

When Archangel Raphael appears in an angel card reading, it's clear the message is about healing. Healing can take many forms:

• it can be physical healing, for example from an imbalance or dis-ease,
• it can be emotional healing, for example from a past experience that still impacts your life emotionally,
• it can be mental healing, for example from thoughts which may be negative or pulling you down,
• and it can be spiritual healing, for example healing barriers that you may have created which keep the angels at arms' length.

Archangel Raphael is associated with the colour green. Not only is green associated with health and healing, it's also the colour associated with the heart chakra; the energy centre that lies in the middle of our chest uniting the lower chakras of matter and the upper chakras of spirit, and serving as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. When this chakra is in balance, love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance of yourself and others (humans, animals, and Mother Earth) are all present. From an emotional perspective, the heart chakra governs unconditional love, for self and for others.

We see Archangel Raphael clothed in a green and golden gown with golden wings. We've already examined in some detail, the colour green. Gold, in angel card readings, is the colour of prosperity and success. When we invite healing into our life, no matter in which form, we can live a life that is unhindered, a life that is free from lack and want and is properous, a life that brings us happiness, fulfillment and success.

Surrounding Archangel Raphael we see a spiral of stars. This makes me feel that no healing is too small or too large for Archangel Raphael so when we call upon him for healing and thank him for the healing he sends us, we should expect miracles both small and big. The swirl of stars also gives me the impression that Archangel Raphael, like all angels, is bigger than the cosmos itself. He can be in all places at all times. When you ask for his healing you are never denying healing from anyone else.

Archangel Raphael gives us guidance and ideas, through our intuition, about our health and I feel his guidance is shining through, loud and clear, in the second card.

Reference: This beautiful card is from Angel Therapy Oracle Deck by Doreen Virtue

The angel in this card is also adorned in green. As we've mentioned above, green is not only associated with healing but also unconditional love of self and of others.

I feel we need to consider both these aspects in the interpretation of this second card.

In her hand she holds a bowl of fruit and vegetables, linking the health and unconditional love of green with the food that Mother Earth so generously provides for us.

From a personal perspective, eating a colourful, rainbow diet of food allows the varying frequencies and energies of each coloured food into our body. Not only does this help elevate our own vibrational energy and frequency to a higher level so we are more spiritually attuned to the angels and all energy around us, it also helps ensure our chakras (energy centres) are kept open and in balance. When our chakras are open and in balance, life-force energy will flow easily and freely through them. When our chakras are out of balance, we can experience a variety of imbalances which lead to us feeling 'ill' on many levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.

We are encouraged to turn to and enjoy fresh organic fruits and vegetables, foods that are naturally and abundantly provided to us by Mother Earth. Foods that have been manipulated by man we should consume as little as possible because all the additives and supplements that man adds to food reduces its vibration. When we consume such food, we do not gain the true vibration that Mother Earth intended. The phrase "eat what Mother Earth has created, not what man has created" springs to mind, here.

The other symbol in the card that I feel we need to consider is the decorative metal rod that the angel holds. This rod is shaped into what is known as the kundalini serpent. The kundalini serpent is symbolised by 2 intertwining serpents. Each serpent twists 3.5 times with the combined twisting crossing over 7 times. The intertwining serpents are said to be the life-force energy (kundalini) that intertwines around your spine as it rises upward towards enlightenment. The 7 times it crosses your spine is representative of the 7 primary chakras (energy centres) in the body. Opening the chakras and raising kundalini is a process of spiritual evolution and awakening. In doing so we evolve human consciousness to higher levels and enlightenment, which should be the aim of all humans.

The presence of the kundalini serpent on this card further highlights the importance of eating a diet rich in the natural fruits and vegetables provided to us by Mother Earth. It's through such a diet that we can begin to awaken our kundalini, life-force, energy and take our spirit and soul towards enlightenment. It's through increasing our intake of fruit and vegetables and reducing (or eradicating) our intake of meat, that we can evolve our human consciousness, a consciousness which can only benefit our own health and the health of the whole planet.

When we spoke about the colour green in the first card we also linked it to the heart chakra and unconditional love. And I feel this is another important underlying message today that links both cards together.

You cannot express or begin to practise the love we should all aspire towards, unconditional love, when you choose to take the life of another sentient creature for food when Mother Earth has provided for us so abundantly. Our love for others is either unconditional or it's conditional. There is no in between. When we choose the path of unconditional love, the love the angels encourage us to practise, the love that will raise our human consciousness and carry our soul towards enlightenment, we offer that love to all creatures. When we offer love only to those we share our homes with yet continue to consume the meat of other sentient animals, then we are practising conditional love.

As our diet incorporates more fruit and vegetables, not only will our personal and individual health and energy improve and come more into balance, it also demonstrates and develops unconditional love towards the animals we share this world with.

There is a growing belief, one I personally share, that when humans kill a sentient creature for its meat, they take on the energy of that animal's death into their body when they consume that meat; energy that is low vibrational; energy that has a poor frequency; energy that leads to imbalances in your personal energy field.

Reference: This beautiful card is from Angel Therapy Oracle Deck by Doreen Virtue

Considering both cards together, we can summarise them as follows:

A balanced and healthy life-force energy (kundalini) can only awaken, arise, and guide us to higher human consciousness and enlightenment, when it can flow unhindered through our body.

Energy can only flow unhindered through our body when our body is healed and in balance.

Healing can only truly prevail in our body, mind and spirit when we choose to ingest food with a naturally high vibration.

Higher consciousness cannot be achieved through conditional love, only through unconditional love.

Unconditional love demonstrates a love for all species, be they humans or animals.

A healthy body, mind and spirit, higher conciousness, human awakening, unconditional love; they can be achieved as part of a high vibrational diet that celebrates the bounty of fruit and vegetables that Mother Earth has so generously provided for us.