The Reiki Symbols

Many Reiki Masters consider the Reiki symbols holy and persist in the old Reiki tradition that they must be kept secret. The symbols should only be available to those who have been initiated at the Reiki 2 level. Today I feel that this approach is no longer relevant as the symbols have been described in many books and are freely available on the Internet.

Reiki symbols of no value

The Reiki symbols as such and the information that can be read about them are of little value on their own. In different tests it has been proven that the symbols have little or no use before a Reiki initiation. Students with no Reiki experience (but with psychic abilities) have been asked to memorize the symbols and then use them. The results differ from a control group who had Reiki 2. The conclusion has been that it is the Reiki initiation as such that gives the Reiki symbols their power.

Reiki Symbols as keys

The Reiki symbols are like keys that open doors to a higher mind. You can also see them as buttons, when you press the button you automatically get a result. In my opinion one of the functions of the Reiki symbols is to instantly override the user's precognition that some things cannot be done (i.e. distance healing). The symbols trigger a belief or intention built into the symbols that helps the user to get the results intended. The different symbols also quickly connect the user to the universal life force.

When a Reiki Master does an attunement and shows the Reiki symbols to a student, the form of the symbol is impressed in the students mind and merges with the metaphysical energies it represents.
When a Reiki practitioner draws, thinks about or visualizes a symbol it will instantly connect to the energies it represents.

Three Reiki symbols

Today there are many different forms of Reiki and some have incorporated their own symbols in their initiations. In "traditional" Reiki there are three Reiki symbols given during the Reiki 2 Attunement (initiation). They are: the Power symbol (Choku Rei), the Mental/Emotional symbol (Sei He Ki) and the Distance symbol (Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen). You can find more information and pictures in my manual. Click here!

The form of the symbols

The Reiki symbols are partly based on the Japanese writing system, Kanji. The symbols should be drawn or visualized as they have been taught during the Reiki 2 Attunement. As more and more people get attuned to Reiki this will mean that there can be a great number of variations between the symbols taught by different Masters. This is not really a problem as there is not a 100% right or wrong way to draw them. The Reiki symbols given to a student will work however they look as they incorporate the intention and the connection to the metaphysical energies it represents. I have added some information about each symbol and a visual representation of the symbols I use.

The Reiki Power symbol - Choku Rei

(Choku Rei is pronounced: "Cho-Koo-Ray")

The general meaning of Choku Rei is: "Place the power of the universe here".

The power symbol can be used to increase the power of Reiki. It can also be used for protection. See it as a light switch that has the intention to instantly boost your ability to channel Reiki energy.

Draw or visualize the symbol in front of you and you will have instant access to more healing energies. Choku Rei also gives the other symbols more power when they are used together.

The symbol can be used any time during a treatment but it is especially effective if it is used in the beginning of a session to empower the Reiki energy or when used at the end of a session to close the session and seal off the Reiki energies.

The Reiki Power symbol is, as I have said before, mainly a power switch but you can also assign it further uses. Remember it is always your intention that governs what happens. If you want to add new "functions" to the Power symbol then just have a clear statement and intention of what it is you want the symbol to do and it will do it for you.

Some uses:

• Increase the power of your healing abilities; use it as a light switch. (Draw or visualize Choku Rei in front of you or draw it in your hands if you want.)
• You can focus the Reiki energies (like a looking glass) on a specific point of the body. (Draw the symbol directly on the spot being treated.)
• Increase the power of the other symbols. (Draw it before drawing the other symbols.)
• One can use the Power symbol to close a space around the receiver and to stop the energies received to disappear from the body. (Draw it above the body with the intention of sealing the healing process.)
• The Power symbol can be used to spiritually clean a room from negative energy, to leave it in light and make it a holy place. (Draw or visualize the symbols on all the walls, ceiling and floor with the intent to energize the room.)
• You can clean crystals and other objects from negative energies. (Draw the power symbol above or on the crystal/object with the intent of cleansing it and restoring it to its original state. Hold the object in your hands and "give" it Reiki (or send it Reiki from a distance if it is too big to hold).)
• Protect yourself from negative energies (from people you treat or people you meet). (Draw or visualize the Reiki Power symbol in front of you with the intent of being totally protected.) You can read more about this on my page about the "Aurashield".
• Protect yourself, your children, your spouse, your house and other things you value. (Draw Choku Rei directly on the object/person you want to protect with the intent to protect him/her/it from harm.) Since Reiki works on all different levels of existence it will naturally also give protection on all levels of existence.

These are just a few uses. You can use your own intuition and imagination to find other uses for the Reiki Power symbol – Choku Rei. There are no limits to what you can do. The power is all in your mind, let your clear intention guide the function of the symbols.

Further information:
For some reason many Reiki Masters will neglect to inform their Reiki 1 students that they can start using the Power symbol. The symbol has been "given" to the student during the Reiki 1 Attunement so why not teach how to use it?

Traditionally Choku Rei is supposed to be drawn anti clockwise (from left to right). I prefer to draw it clockwise (shown above) as this seems to work better for me and it also seems more logical. There is no right or wrong way, it is your intention that decides the function so just do what feels best for you.

The horizontal line represents the Reiki source. The vertical line symbolizes the energy flow, and the spiral that touches the middle line seven times represents the seven chakras.

The Mental/Emotional symbol – Sei He Ki

(Sei He Ki pronounced as: "Say-Hay-Key")

Sei He Ki has a general meaning of: "God and man become one".

The Mental/Emotional symbol brings together the "brain and the body". It helps people to bring to the surface and release the mental/emotional causes of their problems.

Many people (even doctors) are starting to realize that many of our ailments are based on mental and emotional unbalances that we probably are not even aware of. The symbol works to focus and harmonize the subconscious with the physical side.

This symbol can be used to help with emotional and mental healing. It balances the left and right side of the brain and gives peace and harmony. It is also very effective on relationship problems. The Sei He Ki symbol can also be used on diverse problems like nervousness, fear, depression, anger, sadness etc.

Some uses:

• The symbol can be used to help heal misuse of drugs, alcohol, smoking etc.
• Sei He Ki can be used to lose weight.
• The symbol can be used to find things that you have misplaced. (Draw the symbol in front of you and ask for help in finding xxxx. Let go of trying to find the object. The answer will soon pop up.)
• Sei He Ki can be used to improve your memory when reading and studying. (Draw the symbol on each page as you read it with the intent of remembering the important parts.)
• Add the symbol when doing healing
(normal or distance) as this can help the healing process. Many physical problems have mental/emotional roots.

Further information:
The Mental/Emotional symbol, Sei He Ki, has to do with Yin and Yang and the balance between the two sides of the brain.

The left part of the symbol represents Yang and our left side of the brain (logic, structure and linear thinking etc.) The right side of the symbol represents Yin and our right side of the brain. (fantasy, feelings, intuition etc.) When you are facing another person and draw the symbol the left side of the symbol, i.e. the Yang part of the symbol ends up on the receiver's right side of the brain and the Yin part on the left side thereby helping to balance the two sides.

The Reiki Distance Healing symbol – Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen

(Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is pronounced as: "Hon-Sha-Zee-Show-Nen")

The symbol has a general meaning of: "No past, no present, no future" or it can have the meaning of "The Buddha in me contacts the Buddha in you".

The Distance symbol can, as its name implies, be used to send energies over a distance. Time and distance is no problem when using this Reiki symbol. Many practitioners consider Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen as the most useful and powerful symbol. The use of the symbol gives access to the "Akashic Records", the life records of each soul and can therefore be used in karmic healing. Trauma and other experiences from this life, previous or parallel lives that affect and mirror peoples' behaviors can be brought to light and released.

In doing distance healing be open! Do not focus your efforts on healing a specific problem like a headache. Send the Reiki energies without limitation as they will go where they are best needed. When doing distance healing the energies will work on the receiver's subtile body, the Chakras and the Aura, and not as much on the physical level (i.e. it can take some time before the energies seep down to the body and eases for instance pain).

The person you are sending Reiki to is likely to feel it happening. If he/she has an open mind he/she can usually tell what you have done and when you have done it.

Distance healing does not take nearly as long as a hands-on treatment. You actually only need a few minutes to send distance healing. You can even set up a Reiki distance healing to automatically repeat sending energies to a person. If you want to do this I recommend that you put a time limit on the repeat (as it otherwise might continue forever) and also to renew and empower the distance healing every other day. Remember it is your intention that guides what happens!

Some uses:

• Send Reiki healing to people far away.
• "Beam" Reiki to people across the room.
• Send Reiki energies to the future to help with a specific task or be there as a support.
• Send Reiki to the past to lift up, to understand and release trauma.

Further information:

Describing how I do distance healing is not really relevant. If you put 10 Reiki Masters in a room they would probably all do distance healing in a different way. Absentee healing is basically a process of visualization i.e. imagine or "see" the person you want to send healing to and do it. You can use a photo if you have one, if not don't worry about it just send. Sometimes I send to people I don't really know (like a name I have received in an e-mail), I only have their name and city. No problem, it is the intention of sending Reiki to this unknown person that makes it work. My advice is to let go of all you doubts, formulate a clear intention, use the Reiki symbols and send the energies!

The form of the Distance symbols is complex and probably this is the symbol with most variations. It is a Japanese Kanji and represents the human body incorporating the chakras and the five elements.