Raphael's healing power is radiating and soothing and her energy is thick and emerald green. The healing Archangel isn't shy or subtle in announcing her presence...
Raphael is usually described to appear in a male form, but it's a well known fact that angels are androgynous, so this time Raphael appears in female form to us. End of discussion.
To emphasize grace, gentleness and openness I used a frontal pose. I broke the symmetry and used the arms and the clothing to suggest motion, like the circling of her arms in the air. With her left hand she's offering the sword, gives the power of healing into our own hands. At the same time she gives blessing to us with her raised right hand. God is represented by the center of the golden light just behind her head - it means she carries out god's will.
Her green color, healing qualities and immediate availability to help reminded me of the Green Tara from Buddhism. I think it might be the same energy-being described by different religions. The Peacock eats poisonous plants and lives by them, so in Buddhism they use the peacock feathers as a symbol of transforming the poisons of the mind into virtues, thus giving healing to the mind and the body as well. I wanted to use this as an unusual approach to angel-wings. Also only male peacocks have this kind of feathers, so the male aspect and the female aspect unites in this depiction of the angel.
A more cheerful variant of the painting.
