Summary

A simple yet powerful deck of twenty-two cards provides a bridge between our conscious minds and all the facets of the Divine that reside within all of us. Striking art enhanced by textured gold foil make these cards handheld treasures that are truly inspiring. The descriptions and exercises, which are more like spells, provide practical advice and help just when we need it most.

In-Depth Review

The Archangels Inspirational Cards are visually striking. The deep black borders contrast strongly with the textured gold foil that is used for the background of the angel portraits, the borders, the name (in both English and Hebrew), and the astrological and zodiacal glyphs. The portraits themselves are bold with rich colors. There is a variety of ethnicity, coloring, features, and expressions that make this one of the most dynamic angel decks I've ever seen.

The book makes it clear that these cards are not meant for divinationmeditation and contemplation. The text provides a little background about the angel, what the angel represents, and sometimes some of the angel's traditional symbolism (but not for all the angels). Each angel also has an "exercise" that sometimes reads as magic spell, technique for meditation, or advice. Many of the angel portraits look very feminine to me but the book uses the male pronoun. Angels, traditionally, are genderless, so this is not to be seen as an error, but may feel incongruous to American users. 

Here is an example of text, for the angel Zadikiel, who portrait shows a slim face with narrow eyes, a broad forehead, with hands held in a prayer position under the chin, and surrounded by thin, swirly black and purple wings tipped with red.

You have chosen Zadikiel.

His name means "Righteousness of God," but he is also known as Hesediel, or "Justice of God."

Zadikiel is responsible for directing the "violet ray" emanated by God to the Earth: the transformation. According to tradition, Zadikiel represents Forgiveness, Mercy, and Transmutation. His gifts are necessary to receive "divine mercy" and to begin one's life again from a new level of consciousness. It is precisely the strength of forgiveness that triggers the most profound transformation of being.

Zadikiel is portrayed with his hands together to indicate rectitude and contemplation in prayer.

In the Kabbalah, he presides over the Sephiroth Hesed.

Exercise: Take Zadikiel's card when you feel bitter, offended, and disappointed by another person. Place the card on your heart, close your eyes, and let your negative feelings for this person turn into compassion. Then light a candle and dedicate it to the heart of this person, asking with all sincerity Zadikiel protect him or her.

Two small downsides in the design of these cards, or more appropriately with the book: First, while the cards all include both a planetary and astrological glyph, there is no mention of these in the book. It will be helpful to have a chart of these glyphs handy as well as an understanding of these correspondences if you wish to make use of them. Second, the cards are not numbered, which makes sense as that would imply a hierarchy that might not be appropriate, but would make it easier to look up the card meanings. Nor are they in alphabetical order in the book, so to find a meaning, one has to page through until the card is found. Since there are only twenty-two, it's not too much of a problem.

Deck Attributes

Name of deck:Archangels Inspirational Cards

Publisher: Lo Scarabeo

ISBN: 9780738735474

Creator's name: Adriano Buldrini

Brief biography of creator: Buldrini was born in Florence, Italy, in 1969. He completed the Artistic High School of Florence, Italy, in 1987 and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence in 1993 with a concentration in Set Design. His conceptual research characterizes his work as contemporary. The harmonious development of human beings through their spiritual potential is the foundation of the painter's poetic sense. His painting is a contemplative art that encourages observers to seek their inner divine nature. Buldrini suggest that human beings' intimate nature is of stellar origins and can be stimulated by art in its multiple expressions.

Name of accompanying book: Archangels Inspirational Cards

Number of pages of book: 192 pp 31 in English

Author of book: Adriano Buldrini

Available in a boxed kit?: yes

Magical Uses: Simple spells

Reading Uses: Inspiration, advice, contemplation, meditation

Theme:  Archangels

Tarot, Divination Deck, Other: Inspirational cards

What is the structure?: 22 archangels

Why was deck created?: for contemplation and meditation