Book Review: Mary, Queen of Angels by Doreen Virtue

Doreen Virtue stayed in my peripheral for years before I ever read any of her work.  I’d always see her on the backs of books and oracle card decks in the New Age shops I’ve frequented since I was a teenager.  I’ll admit I had my doubts.  Doreen Virtue.  Is that name for real?  And what about that PhD?  Just a marketing ploy?  Did she claim to have her Doctorate in Angels or something? 

I quickly learned this wasn’t the case.  Virtue has a legitimate background in Psychology.  The first book I read by her was Goddesses and Angels, which I bought on a whim after it showed up on the list of books Amazon thought I might like.  I read it at the beginning of my personal spiritual revolution.  Wait.  No.  Scratch that.  This book was an important catalyst for my personal spiritual revolution.  As I read it, I outwardly joked about some of the ideas with my husband.  Mer-angels?  Haha.  What lunacy!

But I couldn’t put the book down.  I was drawn to Virtue and her writing style.  It was so infused with love.  She wasn’t trying to sell me something.  She was humble.  She was special but she wasn’t.  It was clear that she encouraged all of us to do exactly what she does in communicating with Angels, spirits, and the Divine.  It was clear that this was something we could all do.  And though I found some of her ideas radical and hard to swallow at the time, it sparked my curiosity and desire to learn more.  So I did.  And that’s when I started having experiences of my own.

Since then I’ve read many of Virtue’s books.  I’ve listened to her Hay House radio show.  I even got through as a caller once!  I’ve seen her at spiritual expos.  In that first book I read, Virtue told her story.  However, in recent years, she’s used her voice, which now has many listeners, to tell OUR stories.  That’s precisely what she does in one of her most recent books Mary, Queen of Angels.

Mary, Queen of Angels follows the same format as some of her more recent books where Virtue acts less as “author” and more as “editor” and “collector.”  Or, to put it more poetically, she is a weaver of anecdotes which she collected from believers all over the world.  At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read what “Ros Booth’s” or “Danielle Smutek’s” connection with Mary was.  No, I wanted to read this book to learn about Doreen Virtue’s connection of course!  But as I kept on reading, I began to understand the value in connecting with and being validated by people just like me. 

Before this book was compiled, Virtue put out a call for Mary experiences. If I had seen it, I’m sure I would have felt I had nothing to contribute.  But after reading this book, I realize just how strong my connection with Mother Mary is.  For example, while I was pregnant I had a dream of a statue of Mary who opened her eyes and looked at me as I prayed to her.  Little did I know that dreaming of a Mary statue coming to life is a common experience! 

Although those who come from Christian backgrounds (as Virtue does herself) may have an easier time feeling a communion with Mary, the book includes stories from people of all sorts of religious backgrounds.  I’m a firm believer, and always have been, that anybody can experience Mary as the Divine Mother, no matter what Path they walk.    The book even includes an appendix chock full of useful information such as prayers you can use to work with Mary.  If you feel drawn to Mary for healing, protection, mothering, working with children, or a myriad of other reasons, this is a wonderful place to start!

You can purchase Mary, Queen of Angels here:

 

 

 

 

*FTC Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.*