Reiki is a healing energy from the universe, present everywhere and enveloping us like the radiant rays of the sun. Many believe it not only promotes relaxation and natural healing, but is also recognized as a therapeutic method in the West. Healing through channeling this universal energy into the body and releasing it through the palms is called Reiki healing.
Perhaps you remember, from childhood, those moments when your stomach ache magically subsided when your mother’s hand was placed on your belly? In such moments, without many people knowing it, Reiki is used unconsciously, facilitating healing. Today, many Reiki educators and practitioners use specific symbols in their healing efforts. When you hear these symbols, you probably think of images of hidden powers, right?
However, with some insight into these Reiki symbols and their applications, you can harness this energy more effectively. Through this article, you will better understand the meaning and uses of Reiki symbols.
What are Reiki symbols?
Reiki symbols are an integral component of the Reiki healing system, originally developed in Japan by Mikao Usui in the early 20th century. These symbols serve as tools to aid practitioners in concentration and amplify the universal life energy, or “ki”, transmitted during Reiki healing sessions.
The following are the five main symbols traditionally associated with Reiki, each with its own specific purpose and meaning:
- Cho Ku Rei: Often referred to as the “Power Symbol”, this symbol is believed to enhance the practitioner’s ability to access Reiki energy. It is commonly used at the beginning of a session to increase power and can also be used for protection.
- Sei Hei Ki: Known as the “Mental/Emotional Symbol”, this particular figure is associated with healing emotional and mental issues. It helps in balancing the mind and emotions, bringing harmony and peace to the recipient.
- Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: This “Distance Symbol” is utilized to send Reiki energy across time and space. It transcends physical boundaries, allowing practitioners to perform distant healing for individuals who are not physically present.
- Dai Ko Myo: Often deemed the “Master Symbol”, this emblem is used primarily by Reiki Masters. It symbolizes enlightenment and is believed to heal the soul, working on a deep spiritual level.
- Raku: Often associated with the attunement process, Raku, sometimes referred to as the “Grounding Symbol”, assists in grounding energy after treatment or during attunements. It’s particularly significant in the Master-level initiation process, solidifying the connection between the physical and ethereal realms.
These symbols are not simply drawings but are also imbued with spiritual meaning. To use them effectively, practitioner must be attuned to the Reiki energy and trained in the appropriate techniques. During the attunement process, these symbols are “sealed” into the practitioner’s energy field by the Reiki Master, allowing them to access and channel the energy associated with each symbol.
In practice, the Reiki practitioner can visualize, draw with their hands, or use intention to activate the energy of the symbols during the session. The application and combination of these symbols, along with the practitioner’s intention and connection to universal energy, will facilitate the healing process for the recipient.
Over time, additional variations and symbols have appeared in different Reiki schools and traditions. However, the core symbols remain central to the traditional Usui Reiki system and are revered for their profound spiritual and healing significance.
1. Cho Ku Rei: Power Symbol
| Aspect | Property of Cho Ku Rei |
|---|---|
| Color | Red |
| Symbolism | Earth, Fire, Strength, Yang (Masculine Energy), Grounding |
| Effects | Activation of energy, Power boost |
| Characteristics | Connection with cosmic energy, Domination, Creation |
| When to Use | Purifying spaces, Energizing food, Purifying water, Instilling vigor, Cleansing negative energies, Energetic defense, Showcasing one’s capabilities |
Cho Ku Rei is often called the “Power Symbol” in Reiki. When translated from Japanese, “Cho Ku Rei” can be understood as “Put the power of the universe here”. The deep meaning of this symbol is very diverse and LotusBuddhas will explain it to you.
You will see that the Cho Ku Rei symbol is essentially a “light switch” representation of the Reiki symbol. It assists you in focusing and amplifying your energy, ensuring that the energy being channeled is powerful and effective. By drawing or visualizing this symbol, you can increase the power of the Reiki energy you are channeling, making it more focused and directed.
When you engage with this symbol, several uses come to the forefront:
Protection and Clearing: You can utilize the Cho Ku Rei to cleanse spaces, objects, or individuals from negative energies. By visualizing or drawing this symbol, you assertively ward off detrimental forces and safeguard both yourself and the recipient.
Amplification of Energy: Should you desire to intensify the healing energies during a Reiki session, incorporating the Cho Ku Rei can significantly enhance the flow and potency. Simply visualizing or tracing the symbol over the area needing healing can bolster the effects.
Physical Healing: The symbol can be particularly useful when addressing physical ailments or pains. When you channel Reiki energy through the Cho Ku Rei, it directs and amplifies the energy towards the physical body, assisting in alleviating discomforts.
Affirmation and Manifestation: You can employ the Cho Ku Rei to enhance the power of affirmations or to aid in manifesting intentions. By drawing the symbol while focusing on a particular affirmation or intention, you infuse it with the power of the universe, thus augmenting its strength and potentiality.
Activating Other Reiki Symbols: When used in conjunction with other symbols in the Reiki system, the Cho Ku Rei acts as an activator, boosting the efficacy of these symbols. Thus, you’ll often find it used at the onset of various Reiki techniques to potentiate the energies being channeled.
2. Sei Hei Ki: Mental/Emotional Symbol
| Aspect | Property of Sei Hei Ki |
|---|---|
| Color | Green |
| Symbolism | Moon, Water, Emotions, Yin (Feminine Energy), Harmony |
| Effects | Calming emotions, Releasing trauma, Purifying karma |
| Characteristics | Balancing emotional aspects, Human growth |
| When to Use | Mental fatigue, Stress relief, Heart healing, Mental stability, Calming emotions, Smoothing human relations, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Letting go of attachments, Breaking free from negative habits or thoughts |
Sei Hei Ki, commonly known as the “Mental/Emotional Symbol” in the Reiki system. It emphasizes the deep connection between the mind and emotions in the holistic healing process. In Japanese, “Sei Hei Ki” roughly translates as “God and man become one”, referring to the connection between personal energy and divine cosmic energy.
You will observe that the Sei Hei Ki symbol has a flowing, wavy design that reflects the ebb and flow of our emotional and mental states. This symbol acts as a key to unlock the subconscious, addresses non-physical sources of illness and promotes harmony and peace in your mind.
When you harness the Sei Hei Ki in your practices, you tap into the following utilities:
Emotional and Mental Healing: By channeling the energy of Sei Hei Ki, you can address emotional traumas, past hurts, and deep-seated mental blockages. This symbol aids in the healing and release of these energetic blockages, allowing for emotional equilibrium and mental clarity.
Memory Aid: Should you seek to recall forgotten memories or address issues rooted in the past, Sei Hei Ki assists in bringing these memories to the surface. Thus, you can use it as a tool for introspection and confronting past traumas.
Protection: Just as emotions can be internal, they can also be influenced by external energies. By employing Sei Hei Ki, you can shield yourself or another from negative energies or emotions, creating a protective barrier against emotional and mental harm.
Balancing Left and Right Brain: The symbol aids in harmonizing the two hemispheres of the brain. By integrating logical reasoning and creative expression, you foster a more balanced perspective and approach to challenges.
Enhancing Affirmations: For affirmations centered around emotional well-being or mental clarity, infusing them with the energy of Sei Hei Ki can amplify their potency. When you visualize or draw the symbol while reciting affirmations, you align the intention with the emotional and mental realms, making it more resonant.
Clearing Spaces: Beyond individual healing, you can use Sei Hei Ki to cleanse and purify spaces of negative emotional or mental energies. This is particularly useful in environments that have witnessed conflict or distress.
Furthermore, the Cho Ku Rei symbol also helps you find balance in your emotions and thoughts, healing parts of yourself that may feel out of sync, so that you feel like a normal person again. usually my own. It is really helpful for relieving stress, past traumas, and even PTSD.
After the war, Reiki was not allowed in Japan. But here’s a fun fact: it made its way to the United States, and American soldiers used it to deal with PTSD after serving in Afghanistan. The Cho Ku Rei symbol is like a small magic trick that helps dispel bad emotions. It’s great if you want to go deep into your heart and heal old emotional scars.
3. Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: Distance Symbol
| Aspect | Property of Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen |
|---|---|
| Color | Blue, Purple |
| Symbolism | Spirit, Soul, True Self, Transcendence |
| Effects | Calming emotions, Releasing trauma, Purifying karma |
| Characteristics | Observing one’s essence without being swayed by emotions, Spiritual growth |
| When to Use | Distance healing, Sending light to a destination from home, Healing and releasing past negative emotions |
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is often described as the “Distance Symbol” in Reiki. This symbol encapsulates the transcendent nature of energy healing.
Its name can be conceptualized as “No past, no present, no future” or more broadly as “The Buddha in me reaches out to the Buddha in you to promote enlightenment and peace.” This symbol emphasizes that energy, and therefore healing, is not limited by time or space and can transcend these dimensions.
The complexity of Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is evident in its intricate design, which is more complex than some other Reiki symbols. When you incorporate this symbol into your Reiki practice, you will access a range of benefits such as:
Distant Healing: As the nomenclature “Distance Symbol” suggests, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen enables you to send healing energy across space and time. Whether the recipient is in a different room, another city, or even across continents, you can channel Reiki energy to them irrespective of physical location.
Healing Past Traumas: Traumas or unresolved issues from the past can linger and affect one’s present well-being. With this symbol, you can reach back into the past, addressing and healing these traumas, facilitating release and closure.
Addressing Future Anxieties: In the same vein, you can also send Reiki energy into the future. This is beneficial for situations that might induce anxiety, such as upcoming surgeries or examinations. By sending healing in advance, you help in creating a more positive outcome.
Karmic Healing: On a deeper, spiritual plane, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen allows you to delve into the realm of past lives, addressing karmic patterns or unresolved issues that manifest in the current lifetime.
Enhancing Remote Connections: Beyond traditional Reiki sessions, you can also use this symbol to strengthen the energy connection in remote Reiki share sessions or group healings, ensuring that the energy channeled is coherent and harmonized.
Deepening Meditation: When incorporated into meditation, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen can amplify your connection with higher consciousness and universal wisdom, promoting deeper insights and spiritual revelations.
Establishing Connections: On a broader spectrum, this symbol helps you in connecting with spiritual guides, guardians, and higher consciousness. Through its use, you can receive guidance, wisdom, and insights from these ethereal realms.
4. Dai Ko Myo: Master Symbol
| Aspect | Property of Dai Ko Myo |
|---|---|
| Color | White |
| Symbolism | Universe, God, Heaven |
| Effects | Power, Balance, Essence |
| Characteristics | Integration, Sublimation |
| When to Use | Self-healing, Meditation, Yoga, Times of important decisions or choices, Connecting with higher self, Paving new paths |
Dai Ko Myo, traditionally considered the “Master Symbol” in the Reiki system, embodies the deepest and most profound healing energies of this modality. Translated, Dai Ko Myo can be conceptualized as “The Great Enlightenment” or “The Bright Shining Light.” This symbol captures the spiritual core of Reiki, emphasizing the direct connection between the soul and the universe.
When you interact with the Dai Ko Myo symbol, you are delving into the core of Reiki practice. This symbol serves as a conduit to higher consciousness, facilitating deep spiritual healing and enlightenment. The use of Dai Ko Myo is usually reserved for those who have achieved a Master level in Reiki, reflecting its advanced and profound nature.
Your interaction with this symbol will bring you the following benefits:
Deep Spiritual Healing: Dai Ko Myo operates on a soul level. By channeling its energy, you can address deep-seated spiritual wounds, karmic ties, and soul contracts, facilitating healing at the very core of one’s being.
Attunements: As a Reiki Master, you utilize the Dai Ko Myo during attunement ceremonies. It acts as a channel, allowing you to connect the initiate with the Reiki source, sealing the Reiki symbols within their energy field and elevating their capacity to harness the universal life energy.
Enhanced Healing Power: By integrating Dai Ko Myo into your healing sessions, you amplify the potency of your Reiki treatments. The symbol magnifies the vibrational frequency, ensuring deeper and more profound healing outcomes.
Personal Enlightenment: Beyond its healing capacities, Dai Ko Myo also serves as a tool for your personal spiritual growth. Engaging with this symbol promotes insight, spiritual wisdom, and a deeper connection with the universe.
Protection and Cleansing: On a more advanced scale, Dai Ko Myo provides protection against negative energies and entities. When used, it purifies and shields both the practitioner and the recipient, ensuring a safe and sanctified healing environment.
Manifestation: On the spiritual plane, intentions carry immense power. By channeling the energy of Dai Ko Myo alongside focused intentions, you can manifest desires and outcomes that resonate with your highest good and spiritual path.
5. Raku: Grounding Symbol
| Aspect | Property of Raku |
|---|---|
| Color | Typically visualized as a luminous, earthen hue |
| Symbolism | Connection to Earth, Finality, Completion |
| Effects | Establishes grounding, Balances energies |
| Characteristics | Provides a finishing touch, Facilitates connection between Earth and the individual |
| When to Use | Finalizing Reiki sessions, Returning to present moment, Reinforcing the connection between the self and the Earth, Enhancing meditative practices by anchoring energies |
Raku is called the “Grounding Symbol” or “Completion Symbol”. It holds a unique place in the Reiki system. Unlike other Reiki symbols, Raku is not used in a standard healing process. Instead, it finds its primary function in the context of the attunement ceremony, especially in the Western Reiki lineage.
When you look at the Raku symbol, you can clearly see its downward linear design, which symbolizes both lightning and the flow of energy from heaven to earth. This visual representation serves as a metaphorical guide to its purpose and function.
Engaging with the Raku symbol grants you access to its specialized utilities:
Grounding: Once attuned, the energy can often leave the recipient in an elevated or ungrounded state. The application of Raku works to ground these energies, anchoring both you and the recipient to the energies of the Earth, thereby ensuring stability and balance.
Attunement Completion: In the Western Reiki tradition, the Raku symbol is drawn at the end of the healing process. Its use symbolizes the completion of harmony, effectively sealing the new energies infused into the recipient.
Energetic Separation: After a healing or attunement session, energetic cords or connections may remain between you and the recipient. Using the Raku symbol helps cut these cords, ensuring that both parties retain their distinct energetic identities.
Protection: In addition to its grounding properties, Raku can also be used as a protective measure. By invoking this symbol, you can protect yourself from unwarranted energies or influences, especially after intense healing or spiritual work.
Facilitating Spiritual Experiences: Although not its primary use, some practitioners find that incorporating Raku in Reiki meditation practice can facilitate profound spiritual experiences, serving as a bridge between the physical world and the ethereal realm.
Above is useful information about Reiki symbols that LotusBuddhas wants to share with you. Hopefully, through a deep understanding of the meanings and uses of these 5 Reiki symbols, you can supplement your knowledge, or perhaps encourage you to become a Reiki healing master in the future.
