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    • Using Reiki Magick

      by Christopher Penczak

      (Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

      Reiki is the power to heal using "universal life force." Reiki itself is a system of natural healing coming to the west from Japan. A trained practitioner of Reiki healing has the ability to channel pure life force—what is known as ki, chi, or prana—and gently allow the recipient to absorb this life force. The recipient's own body can use the energy to heal, gently removing any blocks to health and increasing the flow of life force to areas that are ill or injured. Reiki also works on the energy bodies. Healing can occur on an emotional, mental, or spiritual level. Reiki differs from other forms of energy healing, because the recipient is said to be in charge of the transfer of energy. The recipient's "higher self" or "body wisdom" controls the flow, preventing any overload from too much energy. The Reiki practitioner is like a straw, the recipient sucks energy through the straw, and just like having a drink, when you've had enough, you stop drinking. The recipient cannot "choke" or overload on the healing energy.

      As a practicing witch, I use healing magick in my life all the time. I was interested in learning how Reiki and magick were the same and how they were different. Although there are many traditions and teachings of magick, anyone can learn to use it. With some very basic knowledge, or even by closely following a spell recipe book, you can have successful results working magick without a lot of training. Magick is a method of speaking your intentions to the universe, and by using the symbolic language of ritual, you can speak your intention very easily. Tried and true ritualists know magical theory well enough to design their own rituals and spells, but anybody can learn a few basic techniques. Traditional spells become traditional because they work for a variety of people and get recorded in someone's spell book.

      To practice Reiki, technically you must be initiated into the tradition. To do this, you must receive what Reiki Masters call an attunement (so called because your body is attuned to the natural flow of universal life force energy) through a ritual and variety of symbols. There are a variety of healing energy techniques that are similar to Reiki, but without the attunement, you are not practicing Reiki. The benefit of doing Reiki healing specifically is all the safeguards that come with the system. Not only will you never overload the recipient, but you cannot take on the illness of the recipient. The flow of energy is one way. Other forms of energy healing do not have these built-in benefits.

      I know quite a few witches who get initiated into Reiki to supplement their magical energy. These witches use Reiki not just for healing, but also for many purposes. They use Reiki energy to charge candle spells, to consecrate herbal potions, and to cast the magick circle. The Reiki energy will flow wherever it's needed, not just into the body of one who is ill.

      I've also found those who are versed in magick, but not initiated into Reiki, using the symbols associated with Reiki in magick. Originally the symbols were kept secret from the uninitiated. They were passed on and memorized, with few written copies preserved. Later, when Reiki became more mainstream, the symbols appeared in books and online websites. Now anybody can find them.

      Although these symbols were kept secret to prevent people from using them without an attunement into Reiki, some believe they were kept secret so Reiki teachers could charge huge amounts of money to reveal the secret symbols in class. Lore about the danger of using them when you are not attuned to Reiki grew, and tales of how the Reiki symbols were misused in Egypt or Atlantis became a part of the teachings. Personally, I think they can do no harm. They convey healing energy that is guided by the higher self of the recipient. I think the danger is in thinking if you know the symbols, you have been attuned to Reiki, and have all the safe guards to do healing work with others. Someone using the symbols without an attunement may mistakenly use their own personal energy to heal, and become sick, taking on the illness of another. Or they might overload the recipient with too much energy. That's the only danger.

      The benefits of using the symbols, even without having an attunement, can be great. I've given clients symbols written on paper to meditate on after a healing session. The names of the symbols can be used like mantras, to evoke their healing power personally into you. I even know someone who, before coming to a workshop, read my book, Magick of Reiki and found the symbol Cho Ku Ret from the Seichim Reiki traditions, which is used to heal inanimate objects. Her car broke down and she used the symbol on it, drawing it and chanting its name. Her car started back up again and she got to my workshop on time. I found that quite amazing.

      I think chanting the names of the Reiki symbols in meditation is one of the easiest and safest ways to work with them if you are not attuned. Different teachers pronounce them slightly differently, so do your best and see what effect each has on you.

      • Cho Ku Rei: increases energy and power in general
      • Sei He Ki: for emotional and mental balance
      • Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: to heal karma, healing the past
      • Di Ko Myo: to connect with the higher self
      • Raku: for grounding
      • Nin Giz Zida: to align the chakras, to active energy
      • Zonar: to heal on a multidimensional level
      • Shanti: creates a sense of peace
      • Gnosa: clears the mind
      • Cho Ku Ret: heals inanimate objects and helps make connections to rituals tools and crystals.
      • Lon Say: creates a sense of love

      Explore working with Reiki through chanting. If you find the energy it evokes speaks to you, explore learning more about Reiki, researching the symbols, and even taking a class with a certified Reiki teacher to become attuned to it yourself.

      Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005. All rights reserved.

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    • Double Vision: Spiritual Significance of Hot Hands

      helpinghands

      My hands are often noticeably hot. In fact, you can actually feel the heat radiating from them. This happens usually more than twice a day. Is this possibly a spiritual thing? It seems to have started in the past few years. The heat can be felt by anyone, and is not related to my body temperature. The rest of my body (including the tops of my hands) can be cool or warm, but the palms of my hands will be very, very hot, actually radiating heat to the point that if I put my hands an inch or so above someone else’s, they can they feel it. Is there a spiritual connection here? Thanks!

      Tamica (a Virgo)

      Dreamchaser:

      Tamica, I am constantly reminded via this column that human beings are often completely blind when it comes to their own lives. I wonder what you might say if a friend asked you this question about her hands. I think you would say, “Girl, you are a healer!”

      There is a spiritual aspect to hot hands. Every healer I know has very warm hands. When they want to use them to heal, their hands become even hotter. To test this theory, the next time something hurts you, put your hands on that part of your body and concentrate on fixing it. You will feel your hands start to heat up, and I bet the pain is reduced.

      I wish I knew how old you are. (Readers, please include your full birth date when asking questions.) You said it started in the last few years, and I know that you hit an evolutionary level (spiritually speaking) at that time. It naturally happens to women in their thirties. We can ignore it or deny it, but it is still there. It is an awakening of sorts. At that time, our gifts will start to show themselves, if we have not seen them clearly already. That is basically what happened to you a few years back, Tamica. You had an “awakening.”

      I suggest you read books on the practice of Reiki in researching all types of healing. Learn all you can about your newfound gift. There is a reason we receive gifts, and why they start to manifest. You need to find out why you have hot hands.  I used to date a man who had hot hands that he rarely used. When I had an ache or a pain, I would ask him to heal me, and he would put his hands on me. Unless he was asked, however, he would never use the gift. I was on the receiving end of his power, and I know how much he had. I always thought it was a shame that he did not become more familiar with this gift of his. I think we all should be exploring ways to put our gifts to use.

      At the risk of sounding very “new age,” we are entering into new spiritual dimensions which influence human behavior. In the future, I fully expect to see a shift away from modern medicine to the “old ways.” You will fall into that category and become a doctor of sorts, but you have to accept the job. Do the research. Learn what you have to learn.

      I wish you even more power from within.

      *****

      Astrea:

      The uses of magic differ with every individual. Heat has always meant healing to me. I think you’re lucky to feel it come from your spirit through your hands. Harness this power for good, and you’ll live in a better world.

      Your guides are showing you that you need to be healing people physically and spiritually. These guides are giving you signs that you have an especially strong healing gift. Unfortunately, your guides aren’t showing you what technique you should be using to make this work for you and others in the most efficient way. Guides are like that: Often giving us half of the information we actually need so that we end up having to figure things out for ourselves.

      There is no shortcut to enlightened use of healing power, Virgo, so you’re out of luck there. Good thing you Virgos are so patient.

      You will find a way to use your powerful healing talent for the light. This doesn’t mean you have to rush out and become a medical doctor. There are several other legitimate avenues you can explore to learn how to use your gift. To control any gift takes lots of practice. First, you have to pay attention to all aspects of the signs you’re shown.

      Pay closer attention to details such as when, where, how, with whom, and why this happens to you. Get a little memo book that will fit in your pocket or purse and write those questions with a space between them on each page of the book.  Every time this heat manifests, answer those questions and go to the next page. Keep enough ahead in the question pages so that you don’t have to fill in the questions on the spot, and can just write down the answers quickly. Keep this notebook for a month, preferably from one full moon to the next full moon. Don’t go back over what you have written for an additional month, but meditate and pray for enlightenment during the next 28 days.

      On the following night of the waning full moon (you’re 60 days into this exercise now), read over the month you started your records. All will be revealed to you in that reading, and you’ll know where your healing path lies. You can then choose from the forms available to you to study, find a mentor, or develop skills to use this for yourself in your own way. Start with the next full moon to begin to process your miraculous gift.

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