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A few Angels make an appearance in the images of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot card deck. Many a times, my students have asked me about the importance of those specific Angels in that specific card. So today, lets explore this topic, and get to know the Angels in the Tarot cards a little bit better.

Before we go ahead, lets have a look at what Angels are all about.

A Bit About Angels

According to the Wikipedia page about Angels, are spiritual beings that have often been depicted as ‘messengers of God’. They are present in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, along with the Quran.

The meaning of the word ‘Angel’ is ‘messenger’, and their chief roles include protecting and guiding human beings and carrying out the different tasks set out to them by God.

Angels are considered to be pure spirits, and are often depicted with wings and halos. According to the creation myth described in the Bible and Quran, before God created Man, He created the Angels.

Now that we’ve had a bit of an introduction about Angels, lets dive in and look at the Angels in the Tarot card deck.

Angels in the Tarot Cards: Raphael in the Lovers Card

The LoversThe Angel plays a very prominent part in the image of the Lovers card. Along with the Man and the Woman, this angel creates a very interesting triangle. As we can see in the image, the Angel is actually blessing the Man and the Woman.

The angel depicted in this card is said to be Raphael. The meaning of the name ‘Raphael’ is ‘God Heals’, and thus this angel is a depiction of the healing force of God.

Now, if we look at the picture of the Lovers card, we see a picture that is related to the story of how Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden after they ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge. But this image is so different from that story, isn’t it? And you are right!

In this image, we actually see Adam and Eve who are being blessed by the Angel Raphael after they have eaten the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge!

This image is conveying a very different idea: knowledge is not necessarily a bad thing! By having an angel of healing bless the Man and Woman in the picture, we see a very different meaning being conveyed here.

With Raphael blessing the couple, the image conveys a thought process that the man and the woman can actually benefit from the knowledge that they have gained. We can also see that male and female energies can be a healing force for each other. The image conveys the thought that the man and woman are equal counterparts of each other, rather then one being superior to the other. It is almost as if the angel is healing the rift between the sexes that has been built up over the ages!

Angels in the Tarot Cards: Gabriel in the Judgement Card

JudgementThe next Angel we are going to see is the one in the Judgement card. Here too, the Angel is playing a very important role in the goings-on within the image of the card. The Angel in this card is blowing a trumpet that helps awaken the people who are floating about in their coffins.

The Angel in this card is said to be Gabriel. The name ‘Gabriel’ means ‘Strength of God’ and therefore this Angel is said to perform acts of justice and power. According to the Bible, it was Gabriel who had foretold the birth of Jesus. And it was Gabriel who revealed the Quran to the Prophet Mohammed.

According to the Wikipedia page, the idea that Gabriel will be the one to blow a trumpet on Judgement Day to initiate the end of time actually doesn’t exist in the Bible, but owes its origins to John Milton’s book called ‘Paradise Lost’.

However, it is the picture of Judgement Day that has been depicted on the Judgement card. Thus, we see that this Angel performs a very important role – because it is only when he blows on his trumpet that the people realize that their time of reckoning has arrived. Thus Gabriel performs a very important role in this scenario, by awakening the people and making them aware of the change that is going to come about.

Angels in the Tarot Cards: Temperance Card

TemperanceWe also see an Angel in the Temperance card. This angel stands with one foot in a pool of water and one foot on land, and holds two cups in his hand. He pours a liquid from one cup to the other.

Now, I have searched high and low for the name of this angel, only to realize that it isn’t a specific angel depicted on this card! Instead, the image is trying to depict the Fool (remember, the journey of the Major Arcana is the Journey of the Fool), who has now become a person who has now developed angelic attributes.

In fact, the original depictions of the Temperance card did not even show the figure as an Angel!

Temperance also connects with the different ‘Cardinal Virtues’ that were depicted in the images of the Tarot cards: Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude and Justice. While Prudence is considered to be missing from the images of the Tarot cards, the other three, happily, are represented. Fortitude is depicted in the Strength card, while Justice and Temperance are shown in the cards that bear the same names.

The Virtue of Temperance talks about balance and moderation. Among the different symbols of this virtue, is the depiction of water and wine in two jugs. And we see the Angel in the Temperance card holding two cups, pouring liquid out of one into the other!

Thus, by depicting an Angel in this card, were the authors of the deck were trying the convey the idea that it is possible for human beings to develop characteristics and virtues that elevate them to the level of Angels? I would certainly like to think so. 🙂

Your Turn / In Conclusion…

Angels thus play a very interesting role in the images of the Tarot cards. Each angel only adds into the meaning that one can derive from the image of that card. Also adding the images of these angels in the Tarot cards, the author of the deck has added in a bit of divinity that can be actually touched by and achieved by human beings.

What are your thoughts? What do these images of the angels in the Tarot cards tell you? What connections have you made with the concepts symbolized by them? Do share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.