An Interview with Richard Webster

1. You’ve written books about angels in the past, including Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians, and most recently, Praying with Angels. What draws you toward this spiritual topic?

I have always been interested in the spiritual side of life, and have explored many different traditions. My father was an authority on the Bible. He’d spent three years as a prisoner of war during World War II, and as the Bible was the only book he had to read, he became an expert on it. Throughout our childhood, we had many family discussions on spirituality and religion. My grandmother introduced me to angels when I was very young. She was a rather forbidding person, but occasionally revealed a more tender side. I remember her sitting on my bed teaching me prayers and traditional rhymes, such as:

Four angels to my bed,
Four angels round my head,
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.


I thought Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians would be my only book on this subject. It was the feedback I received from people who’d read it that encouraged me to write more books on angels. My twelve-year-old granddaughter has become interested in religion, and every Sunday she and I visit a different church. Afterwards, she plies me with questions. Some I can answer, but others I have to research to find an answer. Consequently, right now, we’re both exploring the spiritual side of life.

2. How is your new book, Encyclopedia of Angels, different from your previous angelic works?



Encyclopedia of Angels differs from my earlier angelic works in a number of ways. It enabled me to write about angels from different traditions, such as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Islam, as well as Christianity. It includes more of the history of angels and the people who have communicated with them. I’ve also been able to include many of the people who have written on this subject over the years, such as Dr. Dee, Cornelius Agrippa, Emmanuel Swedenborg, Rudolf Steiner, and Geoffrey Hodson. They’re all heroes of mine, and it was wonderful to be able to write about them for this book. As it’s an encyclopedia, I was forced to categorize all the information I’ve gathered over the years into alphabetical order. Although it’s an encyclopedia, and consequently a reference book, I wanted it to be easy for people to read. I try to make all my books easy to read, so this is not different to my other angel books, though I believe it’s relatively unusual in a reference work. I hope people who are interested in the subject will look something up, and then keep on reading.

3. Why did you choose to include angels from a myriad of angelical canons, from Christianity to Zoroastrianism?

This was the most fascinating part of the project, as each tradition borrowed from earlier religions. Many early religions believed in beings that could travel freely between earth and the home of the gods. Zoroaster, the Persian prophet, was the first to develop a hierarchy of angels. The angels of Judaism were based on his cosmology. The Christians based their angels on the Hebrew tradition. Later, the Hebrew and Christian angels played a major role in the angelology of Islam. As they are all inter-connected, it would be impossible to write an encyclopedia on the subject without including them all.

4. Do we need to be particularly religious to identify with angels? If we don’t subscribe to a particular organized religion, how can we connect with angels?

Fortunately, as angels are willing to help anyone, there is no need to be religious or belong to an organized religion to communicate and work with them. In fact, in some cases, belonging to a particular religion may be a hindrance, as many religions still downplay the importance and relevance of angels. More and more people are searching for God in their own way, and angels can help them in their quest. In all my previous angel books I’ve given instructions on how to communicate with angels, and the methods work for everyone, regardless of whether or not they belong to an established religion.

5. To many, angels seem rather esoteric and reverent. For this reason, does angel communication need to be particularly formal?


Fortunately, not. There are times, such as in a ritual magic ceremony, when a more formal mode of communication may seem right, but even then, it’s not essential. Some people tend to visualize the Biblical angels who started their conversations with people by saying, “Fear not.” I would probably speak to one of these angels in a more formal manner than I would, say, my guardian angel. Most of the time you should speak to the angels in a more relaxed and casual manner, as if speaking with a close friend.

6. Do different angels serve different purposes? Why?


I think you can talk to any angel about any subject. However, traditionally, angels have been assigned different purposes. This is usually because a story or legend has built up about them. People who are unwell, for instance, often call upon Archangel Raphael because he is famous for curing Tobit’s blindness. There are several other healing stories attributed to him as well. As well as angels of healing, there are angels of love, angels of prosperity, angels to protect you while you are away from home, and, apparently, there is even an angel to help you find a parking space! For at least 1,600 years, people have been categorizing angels into groups or hierarchies, and they all have varying tasks to perform. For most purposes, people should discuss any problems with their guardian angel.

7. What is the best way to communicate with angels and spirit guardians? Do different people connect differently?

I don’t think there is a “best” way to communicate with angels and spirit guardians. One of my favorite methods is to go for a walk, and invite the angel I wish to speak with to come with me. After a few minutes, I become aware of the angel’s presence and can enjoy a telepathic communication with him. In my workshops we discuss several different methods, and my students experiment with them all. I find it fascinating that the methods I prefer are not necessarily the ones my students like. We’re all different, and consequently, we communicate with angels in whatever way works best for us.

8. What can I gain from communication with angels?

Angels can help you find your purpose in life. Everyone I know who has communicated with angels has developed greater compassion and a stronger love for all humanity. Angels can also help you find the opportunities you need to grow and progress. Angels can help you gain spiritual insights that will bring you closer to God. If you need help or advice on any subject, angels are willing to help. Another benefit that hadn’t occurred to me until several students mentioned it is that communicating with angels eliminates people’s fear of death.


About Richard Webster

Richard Webster (New Zealand) is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books. Richard has appeared on several radio and television programs in the US and abroad, including guest spots on WMAQ-TV (Chicago), KTLA-TV ...

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