Traditionally, Reiki symbols were passed from master to student in the attunement process. Only with the internet have the 5 Reiki symbols become widely available.
The symbols open us to a new way of thinking, a spiritual way of thinking. The powerful life force energy they create can be channelled through the whole body and shared with others. Today, we’re going to look at what the Reiki symbols mean and how they work in order to understand them better.
Below are the 5 Reiki symbols and what they are used for. That said, awakening to Reiki energy and being able to use it takes time and practice. Just because Reiki symbols are easily found online now, it’s important to remember that learning energy healing through Reiki is a process. It changes your life and consciousness, and those changes are best experienced gradually instead of all at once. To avoid energetic overload, it’s in your best interest not to use these symbols without guidance from a trained Reiki practitioner.
Click the links below to see images of each Reiki symbol.
Cho Ku Rei: Power
The Cho Ku Rei Reiki symbol is one of three given in a level two attunement. It can be used to add or remove energy. If a chakra is under-active, it is used to direct energy into the chakra, and if it’s blocked, this symbol can be used to remove the block. It’s essentially like a valve that can be pushed either way.
It is a spiral that starts in the center and then has a line cutting through and to the side. You cannot harm anyone with this symbol but you can help seal their energy or use it to protect their energy.
This symbol can be used if you need a boost of energy to get through the day or for physical healing. It can also be used to remove negative energy surrounding a part of your life or help add energy to a part that you want to bring into focus. There’s no real limit as to what you can remove a block from or add energy to, whether it be more of an idea or more related to the function of the body.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: Distance Healing
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is given in level two as well, and it allows you to send energy at a distance or into the future or past. It is hard for people to grasp if they haven’t been studying energy or felt Reiki but it is very real and powerful. It can help in tremendous ways. Send it to past traumas to help heal the energy of the trauma or to future events so they will have an outcome that is aligned with the highest good.
This can help with ancestral wounds, past life trauma, childhood traumas as well as those experienced in adulthood. Sending the energy out and trusting it will go where it needs to go is meant to allow the energy to work for you because its whole nature is to harmonize. It will create subtle shifts of awareness because of the intention to heal.
Sei Hei Ki: Mental/Emotional Healing
The Sei Hei Ki Reiki symbol is meant to bring balance and harmony to the emotions and mind. It’s most known for being able to bring balance between the two sides of the brain, essentially the Yin and the Yang. If someone is overly analytical and lacking in creativity or intuition or vice versa, this is a great symbol to use. There are many emotional issues that can be harmonized by calling in this energy.
This symbol can help you think clearly, eliminate addiction, and even become more stable if your emotions are overpowering sound judgment. It is a great symbol for people who are always picking up on energy from others or their environment so that they do not become drained by the energy around them. It can help to direct the subconscious towards positive healing thoughts instead of negative fear-based ones.
Dai Ko Myo: The Master Symbol
The Dai Ko Myo Reiki symbol is a combination of the first three symbols learned in level two and is given in the master level attunement. It combines the energy of the three symbols together and helps you move beyond duality consciousness.
It is said to help one reach enlightenment and the most powerful of all the symbols. It has many uses and helps heal the soul. It ultimately helps one experience the love that pervades throughout the universe and can help them sense their connection to all that is. Many cultures have words for this but the experience likely transcends human language.
Raku: Completion
Raku is said to be the kundalini healing symbol which is given to a master Reiki healer. It is said that this symbol was added into the Usui system, so some do not consider it officially a part of the original Reiki symbols. That doesn’t negate its power though!
It is the fifth Reiki symbol given to a master practitioner and is used for grounding energy into the person. It can be used to clear all of the chakras as well. It is believed this was a Tibetian Buddhist form of healing. This can help someone who is awakened to energy integrate it into their life.
Closing Thoughts
Reiki symbols can be used simply by setting your intention to connect to their energy. You can physically draw them, visualize them or draw them in the air with your finger or hand. They help direct energy as a circuit directs electricity. You can also say the name of the symbol mentally or out loud to activate the energy of it. You may want to draw the symbols and place them on the wall to raise the vibration of the space.
Ultimately, the power of intention is what is being employed in these Reiki symbols. Thoughts are the most powerful wavelength and are able to move beyond time and space. That means we must guard our intention when using the symbols just as we must guard our thoughts. Reiki is only to help heal and never to control someone or manipulate.
Related Article: Mastering Reiki: The Difference Between Reiki Levels
