Reiki Week 16 - Clearing

Between my "spirit guide" changing and my hands tingling at the news reports for Haiti, it's time to start working on Reiki II. While I look for a teacher to do the attunement, I've started studying the Reiki II chapters of Essential Reiki. These cover the symbols, distance healing, and Reiki guides.

As I dig into the symbols, I pay particular attention to the Buddhist and Shinto interpretations. For any Japanese person using the Reiki symbols, the emotional intent would almost necessarily be nuanced by the cultural connotations. A westerner either has to be immersed very deeply into the culture (something I am not in any way called to), use the symbols as magical incantations (ditto), or use symbols with equivalent connotations to a westerner - i.e. translate them.

Any translation will not quite match the original, but the nuances from any individual will differ from any other so "matching the original" is not a meaningful criterion. Energy work isn't a language thing, it's an intent thing.

My intent is that my healing work is grounded in Episcopal theology and doctrine. In my tradition, healing is God's work and not any merit of mine. The last thing I need is fodder for ego and vanity. I've already noticed that Reiki sort of works with my intent, but it WORKS when I focus on either the Jesus prayer or God's assurance to Julian of Norwich.

The symbols generally seem to be presented in order of complexity and ease of memorization. Since I'm not doing the memorization in a single-day workshop, I have the luxury of working with them in the order of their meaning. For example, the "clearing" symbol is normally used before the "power" symbol to avoid charging the crud to be cleared out. (Do you suppose we could create vorpal dust bunnies?)

During my meditation times over the past week or two, I've found the healing meditations work better after a chakra clearing meditation. I don't claim this is a general thing, just where my needs are at the moment. This, too, leads me to focus first on the clearing symbol.

So I've started practicing the clearing symbol in conjunction with my meditation, researching in the books and web sites available to me, and even just sitting with it to let it's character emerge on its own ("character" in both senses since I want a translated symbol). I don't actually expect much now other than to be ready for attunement when time comes. Well, and to sense when to move to the power symbol.

Reiki Week 15 - Spirit Guides

I'm not sure what I believe about spirit guides. They might be actual spirits. They might be some inner aspect of myself projected as a separate entity for convenience. They might be imaginary friends. In any case, they seem to be a pretty common experience. There is something there even if we don't know it's nature.

Back on Reiki Day 20, I commented that my long time spirit guide had identified himself and I was having to adjust to the idea. What I had sensed over the prior couple of weeks was a presence standing guard over me, creating a safe zone. The presence felt familiar, like the imaginary friend/spirit guide/sometime companion I'd had since my early 20's. After establishing that link, it morphed and the association was the archangel, Saint Michael.

Having an archangel personally stand guard for one is a pretty daunting idea.

The presence never does anything but stand guard for me, though he seems attentive in his protection. I've gotten used to the idea and even talked with a couple of others who felt the presence of one or more archangels while doing Reiki.

Anyway, I bring it up now because he's changing again. St Michael is giving way to St Gabriel. I don't know if I'm secure enough in my energy boundaries to no longer need to set a watch and am ready to start learning the next thing or what.

And I'm not sure what to make of the morphing business.