Finding a Deeper Meaning with the Angels

Hi, Marie Antoinette again, the artist of the Angel Quest Oracle Deck. I hope so far you’ve enjoyed connecting with the angels that are represented in this deck. I’m happy to share some more background on its creation. 

One thing that I felt was very important in creating the deck was to make the angels relatable. I wanted the angels to get “up close and personal”. So much so that, since I am a portrait artist, I wanted you to be able to look them in the eyes and feel what they were communicating. Of course, in deciding how to represent them, I wanted to include various ethnicities, ages, gender and spiritual traditions. But paradoxically, it felt less important for me to represent their exact facial features, and more important to capture an accurate feeling of the qualities these angels represent. That way, I believe, you can intuit them for yourself, and let your heart and mind be moved directly by their energy, leaving you open to interpret their appearance based on your preference and background, rather than getting stuck on how I think they ought to look. 

One of my favorites in the deck is the portrait of Archangel Phanuel, an angel from Ethiopia, who is mentioned in the Bible, in the Book of Enoch, and in the Jewish Traditions. His name literally means Face of God, or Who Turns to God, and he is said to fight evil on our behalf to return us to the Divine. In my interpretation, his face has such beauty, forgiveness and strength represented in it, that it still moves me each time I look in his amber eyes. 

Another example is Archangel Raphael, the angel of healing according to the Jewish tradition and one of four angels who is said to stand around the throne of God. I wanted to be sure to represent his healing essence so I painted him with the caduceus. But his face and his expression is one of softness and understanding. I feel those qualities move me to be more gentle to myself, and that gentleness itself is healing. Plus, his beautiful expression returns me to a sense of inner balance—and isn’t it the harsh imbalances in the body, mind and spirit that contribute to disease?

I hope you will take the time to find meaning for yourself in your own meditations. As you reflect on the qualities represented in each painting, or tune into the energies the angels represent, and you find a deeper meaning for yourself, don't hesitate to share you inspirations!

With lots of love,
Marie Antoinette Kelley 
Artist