The Reiki Cafe 

Hello there,
Just wondered about symbols. I have had different teachers and each did symbols just a bit differently. How does one know where these symbols came from and what they really mean?
thanks,
Peace,
Prosperity

OToharo!

I never ever thought about that. I just use them and they work.

finaltiy

Hello Finality,

I only had one teacher, but if you are attuned to a certain symbol, it should work. I guess you just have to choose which one feels best and does a bang-up job for you.

I was going over my class materials this week and found out that the distance symbol I have been using does not quite match. But it works great even though this turkey has managed to change it a bit.

So, what does that mean? Intention for the highest good really is the trump card. Someone told me once that even if you draw a symbol wrong there is someone with you to correct it. Must be, I've been messing it up a long time.

I think I started nagging everyone here in the fall of 2002, right before I went to my Reiki I class. You all nurtured me through all the levels including Master/Teacher.
Thank You All! I think I must have been a real pest. And here I am back again. Still on the journey.....to where I don't know. I am keeping it simple.

Birdy

Otoharo!

Birdy, I do not remember you as a pest at all. I have always enjoyed your input. Simple is the ticket.

finaltiy

Never a pest...I remember when I first started learning craniosacral. We were taught basics....a starting point, but it was expected that as we learned from hands-on experience..we'd start to find our own way. Reiki has felt like this to me. I know there are those that dread any deviation from what is believed to be the beginning, but everything evolves....everything changes and when it comes to Reiki, I like to believe that it's always for the better....as long as we are true to ourselves, our clients & students, and the Universal energy.

Hi again,
Thanks for your comments. I thought they were Sanskrit but not sure as I haven't investigated enough to find those exact symbols. I am currently looking at symbols from hyperspace. Anyone knowing about them I would appreciate any comments as well.
thanks again,
Peace,
Prosperity

They are certainly not sanskrit. One theory I have is general beliefs are in the collective consciousness and we all have access to it. Does that make sense?

Mal

They are certainly not sanskrit. One theory I have is general beliefs are in the collective consciousness and we all have access to it. Does that make sense?

Mal

prosperity,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- part of what you ask can be traced fairly accuratley back to Usui Sensei (and his closer proteges)

- if you search for 'fascin8or' in our User Profiles you can link to his website - he is, or at least used to be, one of our more active historians

- the other, Vinnie, has, very sadly, not been heard from in several years

- Frank Petter also writes some historical stuff which does not always agree with everyone else (and vise versa)

bagl

- good hunting

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Mal,
What do you mean by collective consciousness? The God-Force or something below that? Bottom line is that these symbols are mysterious and veiled in secrecy.
peace,
Prosperity

The reiki symbols are written in Japanese 'kanji' - script characters. These characters are/were written with brush strokes so, depending on the artist, can have different aspects to them..look different. This is why you will see slight variations in them, but they are all valid.

The driving force behind the symbols is intent. Love & compassion help! ;-)

Usui, I'd heard, used the symbols as a focus or intent to help others bring that intent into being. Kind of like your shown a forest and your told to pick out a certain tree, but you don't know what the tree looks like from the basic description. But then your given a picture and all of a sudden it becomes easier. You still have to work to find that tree, but .... I think you get the gist.
I'd also heard that the symbols were only there to be used until one'd be able to foucus, intent or whatever the term is, then the symbol wouldn't be needed as before; still useful.
reiki all around.

Thank you, Firekeeper, for suggesting fascin8or. I've enjoyed his words, immensely. I, too, miss Vinnie....hope & pray he's doing just fine. I believe that your words are just as good as any of these folk. Thank you.

good words, jaguar, thank you.

thais said on

>The reiki symbols are written in Japanese 'kanji' - script characters. These characters are/were written with brush strokes so, depending on the artist, can have different aspects to them..look different. This is why you will see slight variations in them, but they are all valid.

I'm not sure of what you mean by "valid" in this context, but I don't think "artistic" differences account for variations. E.g., a common version of the HSZSN symbol omits a stroke from the "heart" radical at the bottom of the symbol. That would be somewhat like omitting a letter or two from an English-language word.

>The driving force behind the symbols is intent. Love & compassion help! ;-)

Agreed.

Bruce

If I wrte this in Englsh wth lttrs missing, can u stll undrstnd it, Bruce?

thais said on

>If I wrte this in Englsh wth lttrs missing, can u stll undrstnd it, Bruce?

I I wit ts i ngls wih ltts msig, ca yo udestnd, Tis?

And if I said well, the missing letters are due to my artistic way of writing the statement, would that be credible? If I said the way I wrote it is as valid as any other, would that be credible?

Bruce

It may well be, Bruce!! :-) Don't forget that there's a whole new generation of mobile phone users who are using textspeak (txtspk) all the time! And it has spilled over into forums - some youngsters seem to be unable to write any other way!!

However...I'm not trying to get into an argument! What is your explanation for the differences in the symbols?

thais said on
[. . . .]
>What is your explanation for the differences in the symbols?

Honestly, I think it's likely that in the days when Takata didn't allow her students to keep written notes, some of those students' memories diverged from the forms they'd been shown. Later, other people decided to try to link other symbols to the reiki energy.

Bruce

As for textspeak, just because it can be understood, does that make it all right? I find it pretty annoying, myself.

Rock On!
Roxy