For a religion that's so down on pagan worship, or democratized spirituality in general, it's refreshing to find a book on honest-to-goodness Christian mysticism. As a religion grows stale, it becomes a practice without an honest belief, and when it grows staler it becomes a destructive political centrifuge with neither practice nor belief. Mysticism can sometimes be a shot in the arm, simply because it's a variation on practiced done for itself, without an eye toward conversion, political gain, or conformity to other members of the religion or its society.
What's provided here is sort of a magical toolkit for working with Raphael as a supernatural entity. He has his own domain of influence, including associations, and the book is pretty thorough tracing his presence throughout both the bible and the apocrypha. While angels are supposed to be a little different than gods (they are your servants, not vice-versa), the basic methods of evocation, from prayer to meditative affirmation, even including a classic Tibetan mantra, are essentially pagan. Though this is enough to turn some off to it, I admire a practice which tries to reconnect to the visceral experience of religion, rather than appealing to the authority of sociopolitical mores. Besides that, I don't doubt that the practices included have some genuine psychological benefit (the 'letter writing' ritual is a variant on an exercise that psychotherapists have been using for decades). I was in dire need of a painkiller when I picked up this book, and simply focusing my attention away from the source of pain and into the vital energy of my heart was enough to put me at ease. Careless thinking is the cause of most suffering in the world, and if the idea of an external being can help you get a grip on your mind, it's just as well as any other healthy thought.
I’ve read many books on Archangel Raphael however I really liked many of the exercises. This books has many examples of meditation’s, Ritual’s and Prayers. So if you have no idea on how to approach him take your pick. Personally I found speaking from my heart works. I really enjoyed the information on Chakra’s & Air. It’s a good read.