The Archangel RAFAEL
Key-idea: “I heal myself and I become stronger through the power of divine love”.
Symbolism:
Archangel Raphael is represented dressed as a pilgrim, wearing a handrail in the form of a caduceus, with a serpent wreathed on it, symbolizing healing. He carries in his hand a water flask and in front of him there is a water with a fish hurdling out of it (according to the legend from The Book of Tobias). He is often represented with his forefinger pointing upwards, indicating the heavens in a gesture of encouragement and hope, reminding us from where the real healing comes from.
Angelic function: Archangel Raphael brings us the gift of healing and shows us how to heal ourselves through love and joy; he allows us to find healing in nature and in the universal energies.
Spiritual gifts that he offers us: His name means “divine healer” or “God heals”. Any healing starts from him and, being a messenger of Divine Providence, it is him who guides those who seek unity. He gives essential and complete healing of any kind of evil. In other words, he is the return to the divine source. Raphael intervenes to save our body, mind and heart, he soothes our suffering. He leads us to authentic therapists who can do something for us. And, when we truly assume our own healing, he encourages the potential healer in ourselves, who knows intuitively what is best for our health and vitality.
Archangel Raphael has in his care the healing of the Earth and of its inhabitants. He is the one who watched over Abraham’s recovery after the circumcision and it is him who handed Moses the herbarium that allowed him to cure all diseases. The book of Tobit, from the Old Testament, tells the story of how Raphael gave the sight back to Tobit’s father, using an ointment made from the gallbladder of a giant fish. Raphael is quoted as being the protector of the evening winds, the guardian of the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden, angel of repentance, prayer, love, joy and light. But he is mostly the angel of healing, science, knowledge and grace, who watches over all of humanity.
Raphael teaches us that perfect health is when love completely fills the heart, the mind, the entire body. A person that is full of love is never ill. If illness occurs, this is a sign of a lack of love due to sadness, anger, jealousy, envy or any negative feeling, which must be identified, understood, and replaced with love.
To obtain healing, love is enough. When two or more hearts unite in the same desire, God acts more and he can only fulfil that desire. Love is much stronger than fear, but it is harder to build in each atom of our being. Sometimes, people even fear love. When we want something, we should be convinced that that thing has already come true and to relate to it as if it had already happened. This shows complete faith in the choice we made, in personal transformation, and this way nothing can stop the fulfillment of the desire. If we manifest constant trust and love, everything is possible, with the condition that we have the necessary discernment to select our desires and needs.
In our search full of hope and desire for healing, even with our minds and hearts hurt, we come close to Raphael’s bright wings and we have access to divine kindness. Raphael will constantly aim to lead us to greater unity and harmony. It is enough to ask him with all our heart to lead us to the only real doctor, God.
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