Rabbi David A. Cooper is one of today's leading teachers of meditation. He is the author of many books including God Is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism (1998). This book and CD is designed to help practitioners of any faith invoke angels for guidance, blessings, protection, and healing.

Cooper believes that "everything that happens in the universe is an expression of God, and all these expressions are carried out by angels." You may recall the Hasidic idea that every blade of grass has an angel hovering over it saying "Grow!" This perfectly conveys the ways in which these celestial energies are busy at work in the universe. Elsewhere, Cooper presents his grand vision of things:

"There are angels of all types: messengers, ministers, accusers, guardians, archangels, teachers, assistants, and so forth. The most 'ordinary' type of angels is a messenger, and the most prevalent message is simply 'Be.' Whereas on the microcosmic level there are angels for the smallest form of matter, on the macrocosmic level there are angels for forests, mountains, seas, nations, the Moon, the Sun, the solar system, celestial bodies, galaxies, and constellations — there is an angel for everything, large or small, in the universe."

What an inspiring overview of the workings of the universe and the shaping of creation from moment to moment! Cooper examines the place of angels in Judaism and then goes on to describe the activities of the four Archangels: Michael (the right hand of God), Gabriel (the righteousness or justice of God), Raphael (healing), and Uriel (the light of God). Each person has a guardian angel. Demons are also at work in our lives; they are most active when we resolve to do something good. Cooper concludes with a section on Shekhina, the Primordial Feminine Presence.

The 64-minute CD has seven meditations, including an Archangel meditation for open-heartedness and courage, a Guardian Angel meditation for protection, and a meditation on the Divine Presence (Shekhina). Describing the latter, Cooper writes: "We are immersed in a multitude of realities. Everything that happens, everything we see or touch, is all an expression of the Divine. Knowing this opens our hearts, softens our minds, and brings a light of awareness and clarity that forever changes our lives."