Crystals are the stepping-stones of the soul. Reiki is the violet energy ray that carries our spirit. When they are combined, Crystal Reiki is like hitting the healing overdrive switch! In this chapter, learn more about the background and power of crystals and Reiki, and how the two healing systems can be brought together.
Crystals are natural living, growing entities. They grow by absorbing molecules from their chaotic environment and layering these molecules in perfectly ordered regular patterns. They bring their surroundings into balance, and they continue to do this energetically in whichever situation they are placed. (Whenever I use the term crystal throughout this book, unless it is to a specific type of crystal such as a quartz crystal or an amethyst crystal, I’m referring to the whole mineral kingdom—crystals, rocks, stones, a pebble on the beach…)
Our auras—the energy fields that surround our bodies—are very sensitive. We often ignore them because that is what we have usually been trained to do by the society we live in. From when we are young, we are told that you can’t feel this, see that, or hear whatever. But we do sense energy—we feel it, we see it, and we hear answers to our questions, if we touch, look, and listen with our hearts. We also smell and taste on many levels too. Have you ever tried smelling or listening to a crystal? Or touching a quartz crystal to the tip of your tongue? Try the following exercise and be amazed at how much your senses pick up!
TUNING INTO A CRYSTAL
You will need a hand-sized, natural quartz crystal point for this exercise. Cleanse it before you start (see page 49).
1. Look at the crystal and really explore it with your eyes for a few minutes. Notice its shape and how the light reflects, refracts, and mingles with the crystalline structure. Be aware of the colors within and on the crystal’s surface. Register its details in your mind so you could recognize it in a crowd: every crystal is an individual and looks different. Can you see anything around the outside of the crystal? Maybe a subtle haze? If you can, this is the crystal’s energy field; the crystal’s aura, if you like.
2. Now close your eyes and do the same thing with your fingers. Explore the crystal. Look at it with your fingertips. Be aware of how it feels; the flat bits and sharp edges, rough areas and smooth sections. Be aware of its point, the crystal’s termination. How does it feel, both physically and emotionally? Again, every crystal feels different. Take a few minutes doing this and allow yourself to be aware of any sensations or emotions you might be feeling in your body.
3. Place your crystal on a table, hold your hands a couple of inches (5 cm) either side of the crystal, and notice the energy you sense. Be patient—this may take a few minutes.
4. Hold the crystal to your ear, as if you were holding a seashell. Listen. What do you hear? Most people can hear a sound like that which you hear when you hold a seashell to your ear. In fact, this is the sound of the crystal vibrating. It isn’t quite the same as the sound of a seashell because of the process that creates the sound. With a seashell, the air rushes into and then out from the spiral inside the shell. This creates an indirect noise that sounds like being by the seashore. With your crystal, you are hearing the actual physical vibration from within the crystal. Different varieties of crystal will vibrate at different speeds, creating and sending higher and lower frequencies to your ear.
5. Smell the crystal. Hold it close to your nose and take a deep breath in. What does it smell like? It might surprise you to know that different types of crystals have subtle, diverse aromas.
6. As long as it is safe to, try tasting the crystal by touching it to the tip of your tongue. Quartz often tastes like fresh mountain air, or slightly lemony. Other crystals create different tastes—for example, amethyst often tastes metallic. These flavors are quite subtle, but once you notice them, they become easier to detect on different crystals.
HOW DO CRYSTALS WORK?
Through interacting with your energy system, your aura, and your chakras (energy hot spots in the body—see page 18), crystals bring balance to the cells in your body, your emotions, your mind, your thoughts, and your senses. They help to relieve stress and bring you back to a place of stability and happiness. Although they act instantly, and many people sense this, it is the longer-term subtle changes that build together to bring life-changing healing effects.
Crystals have electric potential and electric charges. They can store and focus energy, transform it from one type of energy to another, transmute negative energies, and stimulate positive forces. Crystals are found throughout technology: they power your 21st-century lifestyle. Without them you would have no dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave oven, programmable kitchen oven, refrigerator, freezer, music system, DVD player, cell (mobile) phone, or computer. In fact, the laptop that I’m writing this book on wouldn’t exist and I’d be writing this manuscript on parchment, using ink made from minerals such as graphite or lapis lazuli, or stone tablets—both of which would still involve the help of our crystal friends! Sometimes people ask me if I believe crystals work… when I receive this question through my website, by email, or through social media, I always smile at the thought that without our crystal allies they couldn’t have even sent the question!
Crystals work by bringing the energies in the world around them into balance. When you are part of that world—that is if you are working with crystals, holding them, wearing them, or even just have them around your home or workplace—they will help to bring your energies into balance, effecting healing. Different varieties of crystals affect different parts of the physical and spiritual bodies, including functions, thoughts, and emotions or feelings. Crystals can help speed healing in many—or all—circumstances. Healing is about change; change from an unhealthy state to a stable healthy position. It is about improving your physical and mental health, your emotional well-being, and your spiritual advancement. Crystals love doing all these things and more.
Phrases such as “we are beings of light,” “we come from the light,” or “we go back to the light” are common in many religions and spiritual traditions worldwide, and quantum physics has shown this to be the case—we are, in fact, made of photon light and when we die, we do literally go back to the light. Given that quartz crystal focuses light and recent research has shown that light affects how we feel, it is not unreasonable to postulate that as we focus light through a quartz crystal to the area in need of healing that we feel better and healing takes place.
Reiki is an amazingly simple but powerful form of spiritual healing practice in which the practitioner channels Reiki (universal life force energy), which is in and around every living being. Using healing and meditation techniques, Reiki healers learn how to focus this energy so that it flows into the recipient. It is said that Reiki has an intelligence of its own and knows where it is required and therein lies its power.
Reiki is for everyone, because everyone has Reiki—it is a completely natural energy. Think of when a child falls and scrapes their knee: their parent places a hand on the knee for a few seconds, and the pain disappears—this is natural Reiki healing energy.
THE THREE LEVELS OF REIKI ATTUNEMENT
Because Reiki is within everyone, everyone can learn how to harness its healing power. However, there is a simple, but deep, experiential process called Reiki attunement, which is performed by a Reiki Master (see below) and connects the student to Reiki. Although there are many styles of attunement in the West, it is customary for the student to be seated, perhaps with symbols beneath them that can be drawn or created with crystals. The Reiki Master channels Reiki and symbols (see page 22) in a precise way to activate or enhance the flow of Reiki through the student, depending on the level the student is being attuned to (see right). The Reiki Master will also teach the student how to channel the energy.
Reiki is usually taught in three levels.
• Level 1 is called Shoden, meaning beginner teachings: this involves four attunements over a two-day workshop and is about the basics of self-treatment and treating others, and bringing Reiki into everyday life.
• Level 2 is called Okuden, meaning hidden or inner teachings: this involves two attunements over a two-day workshop, and you learn about more complex treatments, as well as how to use the Reiki symbols (see page 22).
• Level 3 is called Shinipden, the Reiki Master Teacher level, meaning mystery teachings: this involves one attunement, and, as well as building on the previous levels, it shows how to teach Reiki to others and explores the self-development that Reiki can offer.
The benefit of attunement is that it improves the energy flow. I tell my students to imagine that they are a tube of bamboo. Level 1 attunement knocks out the bits in the middle of the tube, allowing energy to flow through. Level 2 attunement acts like sandpaper, smoothing the inside of the stick for ever better flow. Level 3 attunement smooths the inner channel of the bamboo to a mirror-polished finish—energy can now speed through you.
Once you are attuned to Reiki you always have it literally in the palms of your hands. You can’t wear it out and you can’t lose it, no matter how little you may use it or even if you forget what you’ve learned. After attunement, the universal healing energy is always flowing within you. If you touch someone with the intent to heal, or direct your healing Reiki energy, or even just think healing thoughts, you have the potential to facilitate a transformation.
Although anyone can follow the system of Crystal Reiki Healing and you can use the techniques in this book without attunement, visiting a Reiki Master to become attuned to Reiki, at any level, will allow you to discover the full benefits of the Crystal Reiki Healing system. You should not work professionally treating others with Crystal Reiki without completing either Level 1 or a Crystal Reiki course.
REIKI HISTORY AND ORIGINS
The origins of Reiki can be seen to stem from several sources, including Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese and Japanese Shamanism, and several similar Japanese traditions, such as Shinto and Johrei (although the latter might have descended from Reiki). However, the practice of Reiki as we know it was founded in Japan by Mikao Usui (1865–1926), who was also known as Doctor Usui or Usui Sensei (Sensei is an honorary title similar to Master). He discovered Reiki in March 1922 during a mystical experience while on a spiritual retreat on Mount Kurama. The word Reiki is formed from the Japanese words rei meaning “universal” and ki meaning “life force energy.”
During his lifetime, Usui Sensei taught about 2,000 Reiki students his way of healing in Japan, including about 16 Reiki Masters who continued his legacy after his death in 1926. The Reiki Master Hawayo Hiromi Takata, who was based in Hawaii, helped introduce Reiki to the West in the 1930s. Because of anti-Japanese feeling in the United States at the time, much of Usui Sensei’s story was Americanized, leaving a path of confusion for many. However, we now know that he was a real person who did amazing healing things and who was officially honored by the Japanese government for his services.
REIKI IDEALS
The secret art of inviting happiness The miraculous medicine of all diseases Just for today, do not be angry Do not worry and be filled with gratitude Devote yourself to your work and be kind to people Every morning and every evening join your hands in prayer, Pray these words to your heart, and chant these words with your mouth Usui Reiki Treatment for the improvement of body and mind.
The Founder, Usui Mikao (Sensei)
THE BENEFITS OF REIKI
Reiki can help to alleviate many physical problems. In some cases, symptoms completely disappear. Reiki has an amazing ability to both relax and energize you at the same time. It brings stillness to your mind and washes away your worries. But it is when you add Reiki to your individual spiritual journey, your unique path through life, that the true secret is discovered. Usui Sensei described this as “the secret art of happiness,” and this is perhaps the greatest benefit of Reiki.
combining crystals and Reiki through the chakras
Crystals are extremely transformative and are especially receptive to Reiki. They love it. Crystals hold Reiki and enhance it, magnifying its effects and generously passing them on. You could say the crystal/Reiki partnership is a match made in heaven—truly blessed. Crystals can focus, store, transmit, and transmute Reiki for beneficial healing and energizing results, and, as a generalization, both crystal energy and Reiki work best when focused through the chakras.
The human energy system is comprised of lines of energy running through the body known as meridians or nadis. These carry ki (also known as chi or prana) through the human (and animal) form and create energy hot spots in the body called chakras. “Chakra” is a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel.” Many people believe this is because of the common depiction of chakras as circles on the body, but it is more likely associated with the motion of wheels carrying energy like a water wheel which amplifies its power as it goes. Water is often used symbolically to represent energy. There are many yogic systems that depict the chakras in any number from three to twenty-one, but the most common system used in the West has seven major chakras (see opposite) and many minor chakras, including in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Because these areas have more energy than other parts, chakras are the easiest place for your body to exchange energy with the outside world and it is where we have the main interchange of energy with our aura, the energy field that surrounds us. Energy flows from the outside world into our aura and we are continually sensing energies in our surroundings. This energy flows through our chakras into our body where energetic information is processed, producing feelings and emotional responses within us.
Most energy-healing modalities focus energy through the chakras and Crystal Reiki Healing is no different in this respect. The big difference is the boost to healing that crystals and Reiki offer each other.
LOCATING THE CHAKRAS
Crown chakra—on the top of the head
Brow chakra (also known as the third-eye chakra)—in the center of the forehead, above the eyebrows
Throat chakra—in the center of the throat
Heart chakra—in the center of the chest
Solar plexus chakra—behind the soft cartilage at the bottom of the breast bone
Sacral chakra—just below the belly button. Try placing your thumb on your belly button with your palm on your tummy—your sacral chakra will be under the palm of your hand
Base chakra—at the coccyx at the base of the spine
Although you can work with any crystal at any chakra point as required, it is traditional to connect crystals to chakras by color. As depicted in the illustration (see page 19), you can see the colors of the chakras follow the colors of the rainbow, from the base up to the crown: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. An easy starting point is to work with red jasper or garnet, carnelian or orange calcite, citrine or yellow jasper, malachite or aventurine, blue lace agate or blue chalcedony, lapis lazuli or sodalite, and amethyst or lepidolite.
THE CRYSTAL CHAKRA SET
You will also need a quartz master crystal, which is a large natural crystal with a termination (point). It should be large enough to hold in your hand, with the bottom touching the minor chakra in your palm and the termination protruding out of your hand. A comfortable size for most people is 3–6 inches (7–15 cm). Too small and it is too fiddly; too large and it is too heavy to work with.
CRYSTAL REIKI GUIDES
Generally, spirit guides can come in many guises. They might be relatives or close friends who have passed, wise experts from a previous age, spiritual leaders, or simply spirits from another time. Some people also suggest they might come from other planets or dimensions. Wherever they hail from, they bring knowledge and guidance to help you on your path. Everyone has guides around them.
Crystal guides have a special interest in crystal healing and the mineral kingdom, Reiki guides in Reiki healing. When you start to work with crystals or Reiki, you enhance the connection with these guides. Your Crystal Reiki guide will be interested in helping you combine these two modalities for healing and increasing your spiritual awareness. When you first discover a new guide, they often appear as a blue light hovering nearby until you acknowledge them.
Definition of “symbol”1:
1. a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g. the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation.
2. a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
Cho Ku Rei
Sei He Ki
We use symbols in our daily lives—for example, +, ×, and %. Each is instantly recognized and understood. However, they are all representations of complicated mathematical processes. We don’t need to explain or even understand the calculation to find the answer—we simply follow the process. We are attuned to these symbols in school. Without a basic knowledge of mathematics, these symbols are useless squiggles on paper or screen.
In the same way, there are sacred Reiki symbols: Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, Dai Ko Myo, and Raku. Cho Ku Rei, Sei He Ki, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen and the main version of Dai Ko Myo all come from Usui Reiki. Raku and the second version of Dai Ko Myo are “Tibetan” symbols. I have put Tibetan in quotation marks because it is almost certain that these do not originate in Tibet at all but have been linked with the country; they probably originate from Chinese shamanism.
All the symbols convey function and process, but also something abstract, hard to define, and almost impossible to explain. They represent the essence of ki, universal life force energy. Whenever any symbol is used and reused, drawn and redrawn, it accumulates power. Once you are attuned at Reiki Level 2 and above, every time you draw a symbol it takes on not only your energy but a little of the force from every time it has ever been drawn by any person practicing Reiki in the world. Cho Ku Rei and the Tibetan symbols have a natural power that can be accessed even if you have not been attuned.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Dai Ko Myo
The Reiki symbols do not only have a healing function, representing a therapeutic process and carrying energy; they are also keys to the doors of awakening and higher consciousness. They elevate your awareness and bring about manifestation. What Usui Sensei discovered on Mount Kurama were the tools to attune people to ki. It’s just like tuning in a radio—when you find the station, the music plays. These symbolic keys connect and tune you in to the universal life force itself.
In the past there has been much discussion about whether these symbols should be secret as well as sacred. However, circumstances have overtaken these discussions and as they are readily visible all over the internet today there is no point in taking this debate further. What remains vitally important is that these symbols are sacred. If you treat them as such, they will help and support your practice, if you treat them otherwise, they won’t. Please give them respect.
Because the symbols are drawn by hand, there is variation in their style. The depictions that follow are the ones I have always used; if yours vary, it doesn’t make them wrong. Try the ones on the following pages and if yours are different, use the version you feel comfortable with. Intent is paramount when working with the symbols.
Raku—Lightning bolt
Raku—Fire serpent
Tibetan Dai Ko Myo
WAYS OF CREATING SYMBOLS
• Drawing: draw the symbol on paper with pen or pencil, or in the air with your palm or finger—or your nose! You can even draw the symbols on the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Drawing the symbols in the air with a crystal wand or selenite “pencil” wand will amplify their energy.
• Visualization: picture the symbol in your mind. The easiest way to do this is to draw the symbol on paper and look at the image until it is imprinted in your mind, then close your eyes and hold the image in your memory. With a little practice you’ll be able to visualize the image for long periods of time and you won’t need to draw it; it will simply appear in your mind as you think about it.
• With crystals: create the symbols from tumble-polished stones or crystals.
However you choose to invoke the symbols, you should chant the name of each symbol three times as you call on it (three being the number of manifestation). Always remember if you treat these symbols as sacred once you are attuned to them, they will greatly enhance everything you do.
Cho Ku Rei
Drawing Cho Ku Rei
Cho Ku Rei is known as the power symbol because it’s like a switch that turns on the Reiki power. It jump-starts a treatment and can seal it at the end. Because it focuses energy, it can direct extra Reiki to any specific area of the body. It can also act as a shield to prevent external energy from affecting a healing room and energy released by clients from spilling out.
Cho Ku Rei is protective for you and your partner, children, friends, animals, home, and car—anyone and anything that is important to you. It offers protection from the energy your clients release during a treatment, psychic attack, accidents, and arguments.
You can cleanse crystals energetically by drawing Cho Ku Rei over them with your hands. And you can also do the same with food and drink.
The symbol enhances your confidence in stressful situations such as exams, interviews, journeys, and operations. Remember that you can use the symbol before, during, and after any event.
Cho Ku Rei acts like a switch for all the other symbols and adds even more power to them. Even if not attuned, this symbol offers a noticeable amount of power (which increases greatly after attunement).
The way each symbol is drawn matters as it alters its frequency and effect. Cho Ku Rei can be drawn clockwise, counterclockwise, from the top down, and from the center outward. Traditionally, it should be drawn from the top down with a counterclockwise spiral. This increases the flow of energy where it is being channeled. Drawing from the center outward decreases the flow of energy and can be beneficial if you want to remove negative energy from a client or room.
POWER YOURSELF WITH CHO KU REI
Anytime you need a bit of a boost, try this. It is especially useful at the start of the day, before treating others, before teaching a class and doing attunements, or just because you like the feeling it gives you!
1. Hold your quartz master crystal (see page 21) in both hands and visualize Cho Ku Rei inside the crystal. See it glowing, as if it is drawn in a violet flame. With the crystal’s termination pointing toward the palm of one of your hands, draw Cho Ku Rei in the air with the crystal just above your palm and chant the name three times. Repeat this on your other hand.
2. Again with your master crystal, draw the symbol over each of your seven major chakras, starting with the base and working up to the crown, each time chanting the name of the symbol three times.
3. Finally as shown in the illustration, draw a big Cho Ku Rei symbol over your body with your master crystal, beginning by tracing a line with your crystal above your head from your right, then down the center of your body to your base chakra. From there, draw a clockwise spiral through your chakras: base up to crown, down to sacral and up to brow, round to your solar plexus then up to your throat, and finally down to your heart to complete the symbol. When this is seen on you, as if you are looking in a mirror, it completes the counterclockwise spiral.
SEI HE KI—THE MENTAL/EMOTIONAL SYMBOL
Sei He Ki
Drawing Sei He Ki
Sei He Ki is called the mental/emotional symbol because its energy is directed in these fields, but you could also call it the stress symbol. This is important because almost all physical injuries and illnesses are directly related to stress. We know that stressed people have a weakened immune system and are likely to catch any bug that’s going around. We’re also aware of many 21st-century illnesses and conditions that are directly stress-related or greatly exacerbated by it, such as Crohn’s disease, heart conditions, psoriasis, and migraine. But what are often overlooked are the direct stress causes of physical injury. Take, for example, the person who is taken to the emergency department with a broken leg because she has been run over by a bus. There can be many causes, but unless it has been a freak accident, we have to ask why she was so stressed out that she didn’t notice a very large bus when she crossed the road. She must have been under considerable stress. And the hospital is great at fixing the body, setting bones, and prescribing painkillers; but unless the stress is dealt with, she will just walk under the next proverbial bus. This is why Sei He Ki is so important in Crystal Reiki Healing: we are always looking to heal the cause of any condition, so it doesn’t reoccur.
Sei He Ki is said to balance right- and left-brain activity, bringing harmony and peace. It is particularly helpful for healing relationship issues, anxiety, nervousness, and panic attacks, as well as fear, depression, sadness, and grief. It also helps memory and can be applied in the treatment of dementia-related conditions.
Sei He Ki enhances affirmations, purifies and brings together energy that is pulling you in different directions, and guards against negative emotions. It is good for any shock or trauma, can help potentize medicines, food, and alternative remedies, aids animal healing and letting go of the past, and can feel like a big hug when you just need someone to hold you. For calming shock, draw Sei He Ki in the air with an aqua aura crystal—this can bring a rapid release of the trauma.
This symbol is most potent once attuned to at least Reiki Level 2, although some power can be sensed if used before attunement or at Level 1.
DRAWING SEI HE KI
This symbol is drawn in four strokes. Start with the left stroke, going downward from the top, followed by the right, again from top to bottom. Then, each with a single downward stroke, draw the top loop and finally the bottom loop.
LET GO OF STRESS AND WORRIES WITH SEI HE KI
You will need a large piece of paper and a pen or pencil, ideally in green, violet, or blue. Avoid using a black pen, because black absorbs energy and we want to let energy go.
1. Find a quiet, calm place where you can sit comfortably. In your mind, visualize Sei He Ki clearly drawn in green, violet, or blue. Hold this mental image for as long as you can. With practice you will be able to do this for longer.
2. Now draw the image on your paper and focus your mind on anything or anyone that is causing you stress or worrying you. Picture distinctly this event, issue, or person, or if you find it difficult to visualize, then simply describe it in words in your mind. Take a really deep breath and breathe this image or thought into the symbol you have drawn. Imagine your Sei He Ki absorbing your worry or stress and transmuting it into Reiki, and watch that Reiki flowing to the source of your problem and surrounding it with Sei He Ki symbols, dancing in a violet Reiki sea and dissolving the issue in your mind.
You can repeat this process for any number of things that are worrying you.
HON SHA ZE SHO NEN—THE DISTANCE SYMBOL
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Drawing Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen
Some people can feel quite challenged by this symbol, and some are confused by its use. It is commonly known as the distance symbol, but, in reality, it isn’t just connected to distance as it transcends time and space, and it can help with everything, because everything is within the time-space continuum. Although this symbol is employed in distant healing, it also has a place in almost any healing scenario. Remember our friend with the broken leg who was hit by the bus (see page 27? Well, you could take a good guess that her stress was related to either something in the past or something in the future. In either case, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen would be used in her healing session. How many of your own issues are linked to the past? Are you worried about the future? The “future” includes both the next five minutes and what will happen to the planet well after we are all gone, as well as what lies in between.
This symbol is most potent once attuned to at least Reiki Level 2, although some power can be sensed if used before attunement or at Level 1.
DRAWING HON SHA ZE SHO NEN
This is the most complicated symbol to draw, so, as with the other symbols, I’ve provided a diagram (see page 29) that shows the order in which to draw all the strokes.
HEAL THE PAST WITH HON SHA ZE SHO NEN
1. Sit quietly and focus your mind. Take a pen and paper and write down any stresses in your life. Now look at these and see which ones are connected to the past.
2. Once you have noted these issues, call in your Crystal Reiki Guide and any other guides who might help (see page 21). Then take your quartz master crystal (see page 21) and with it draw Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen over each problem on your list, intoning the name of the symbol three times. Ask for Reiki to flow back in time and space to the cause of each one and to heal all the people concerned (and any animals—i.e. all living things). It is important to send the healing to everyone, even if you feel challenged by sending good energy to someone you feel has wronged you. You must do this to heal a situation in the past, because otherwise some of the energy remains trapped and will continue to hold you back.
3. Once you have completed this process for each item on your list, thank your quartz master crystal and your guides for helping you. Take three deep breaths, and as you breathe out, know that you have changed the energy tied to this moment.
DISTANT HEALING WITH HON SHA ZE SHO NEN
You can use Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen to connect to anyone or anything anywhere in the world, and for this reason the symbol is always associated with distant healing—sending healing energy to those not with you (see page 93). Although there are many Reiki ways of sending distant healing, there is a neat trick of working with a crystal ball to add oomph to your work!
1. Buy, beg, or borrow (long term) a notepad and pen. Write on the front the words “Healing Book” and inside it start adding the names of anyone you want to send healing to. Some people like to write one name per page, others prefer to simply list them together. You might choose to add more details about them, such as the condition that needs healing, their age, or where they live. You can add as many or as few details as you feel happy with. You can add more names as you go along.
2. Call on your Crystal Reiki guide (see page 21) and any other guides you want to help you.
3. Hold your quartz crystal ball in both hands and either let Reiki flow into it or, if you are attuned to Reiki Level 2 or 3, visualize each symbol in a violet haze inside the crystal. Place the crystal ball to one side.
4. Connect to your quartz master crystal (see page 21) and draw Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen over the book with it. Then place both hands on the book to let Reiki flow and heal the book, as if you were giving a treatment to a person.
5. Lay your book closed flat on a table or shelf—anywhere it won’t be disturbed—and place your crystal ball charged with Reiki on top. You might need a stand to support it; if you haven’t got a stand, you can use a ring, small cushion pad, or sticky tack to hold it in place. Draw Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen with your quartz master crystal over the crystal ball and book. Thank your guide.
It is always best to do things in a regular pattern and sending distant healing is no exception. Find a time you can send it either daily or weekly. It’s nice to do this with friends in a group, too. If you cannot be together in the same place, simply arrange a “Crystal Reiki Healing meet up” for a specific time when everyone draws Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen at the same moment. This will connect your energies together, no matter how far away you are physically from each other.
DAI KO MYO (USUI VERSION)—THE MASTER SYMBOL
Dai Ko Myo
Drawing Dai Ko Myo
This is the key symbol for attuning students to Reiki and, like Sei He Ki and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen—it only holds its full power once you have been attuned to it. As with the other symbols, there are variations in how this symbol is drawn in different Reiki systems. However, its purpose remains the same.
Dai Ko Myo can be loosely translated as “Great being of the universe, shine on me, be my friend.” A Zen Buddhist understanding relates to the true Buddha nature of man; the experience of enlightenment—“Treasure house of the great beaming light”2. This also would tie in with Usui Sensei’s experience on Mount Kurama. The essence of the symbol is about energy emanating from the divine. This corresponds with the descriptions of the wonderful intense feelings reported by students receiving the gift of their Reiki Master Teacher attunement.
Dai Ko Myo intensely focuses Reiki, not only as is required for passing on attunements, but also for all levels of healing and manifestation. Ask and the universe will provide, but please do be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it… and it could turn out to be too much for you to handle.
DRAWING DAI KO MYO
This symbol is drawn with 22 distinct lines—see the diagram for guidance.
SWITCH YOUR HEALING HANDS ON WITH DAI KO MYO
This is an excellent exercise to try before giving a treatment or attunement. Draw the Master symbol with your finger on the palm of one hand, then repeat with the other hand. Clap your hands together three times whilst chanting the name of the symbol. Feel the energy in your hands. This offers a fairly instant effect, especially if you have been attuned.
THINK SYMBOLS
Practice drawing symbols until you think them and see them automatically in your mind and in front of you in the air. Then they become magic. If you see someone in an emotional state and think Sei He Ki and see Sei He Ki, the symbol does the rest as it floats to the person and eases their heart. If you see someone who is feeling low, think Cho Ku Rei and see the symbol go to them.
You’ll see the reaction of people to these symbols almost instantly, just like magic—symbol magic.
Raku—Lightning bolt
Drawing Raku—Lightning bolt
Raku: Fire serpent
Raku going through chakras
Raku is both a grounding and a connecting symbol and is presented in two ways. Its simplest depiction is the lightning bolt, which can ground a client after a treatment. You can create a crystal Raku out of hematite stones under your therapy bed to create a grounding experience for clients (see page 145).
The other form of the symbol is the fire serpent. In this presentation, Raku is connected to the raising of kundalini energy from its root at the base chakra. Kundalini is the source of primal energy and consciousness that we are born with. It comes coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine and can be awakened by working with Raku, among other methods.
Raku is useful at the end of a treatment or attunement, or at any time when someone might experience an energy shift which could leave them feeling spaced-out. It can also be helpful for you if you feel any situation is spiraling out of control or people are panicking or hysterical: it shifts the energy, which results in a calming effect.
DRAWING RAKU
The lightning bolt is drawn from the top downward. The fire serpent form is also usually drawn from the top downward, with each bend going through a chakra and culminating with the spiral at the base chakra. However, it can also be drawn from the base up to raise the kundalini energy.
GROUNDING WITH RAKU
As already mentioned, the Raku symbols work very well with hematite. This exercise offers a simple way to ground yourself whenever needed.
1. Take two hematite stones, about 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) in size, one in each hand. Stand with your feet under your shoulders, keeping your knees soft to take the pressure off them. Close your eyes and imagine there is an anchor in each of your hands. Visualize this falling to the floor and going into the earth, deeper and deeper down into the ground.
2. Now draw two lightning bolts with the hematite stones over the ground and feel y our feet sinking slowly into the floor. Take three slow deep breaths and open your eyes.
Tibetan Dai Ko Myo
Drawing Tibetan Dai Ko Myo
This version of Dai Ko Myo is a pictogram of a ram’s horn with a lightning bolt being carried within it. Tibetan Dai Ko Myo can be used to energetically clear a space before a treatment or any ceremony or ritual. The lightning flash dispels any negative energy that is present. The cleansing process is important at the start of attunements and treatments. It can be used to clear energy blocks during a treatment and cleanse a room, crystals, and anything else you wish. This is a good symbol to depict in crystals in your treatment room to keep cleansing the energy.
DRAWING TIBETAN DAI KO MYO
This symbol is drawn with three lines. Start the first line at the center of the spiral and draw to the end of the spiral. Then draw the outer line to the left, creating a vessel looking similar to a ram’s horn. Finally, from the top, draw the lightning bolt coming down into the horn.
CLEAR YOUR AURA OF UNHELPFUL ENERGY WITH TIBETAN DAI KO MYO
We interact with energy sources all the time. Whether that’s people we meet, clients, friends, lovers, computers, or contacts on social media, and they all influence us. We take on some of their energy. Sometimes this is wonderful and gives us that amazing “up” feeling. But other times this external energy can be unhelpful and bring us down, so it is useful to clear the aura of this unwanted energy. You can repeat this exercise as often as you like during the day.
1. Draw Tibetan Dai Ko Myo in the air in front of you, chanting its name three times. Take a deep in-breath and step into the space where you drew the symbol.
2. Hold your breath for a moment, then imagine you are breathing out any energy from your aura that’s unhelpful. Notice how you feel.
As I said at the beginning, crystals love Reiki, and when you add Reiki to a crystal, its energy sparkles! Because crystals are sensitive to other energies, they amplify and hold Reiki, making it more powerful and portable. So, before you work with crystals in Crystal Reiki Healing treatments or give a crystal as a gift to a friend, Reiki your crystals—that is, charge or infuse them with Reiki power.
To Reiki a crystal, follow these steps:
1. Turn Reiki on. There are many ways taught to switch your Reiki energy on and whatever works for you is fine. I like just saying “Reiki on!” as an affirmation. However, once you are attuned to Reiki and you even think about healing, your Reiki energy will flow. Call in your Crystal Reiki guides, too (see page 21).
2. Tune into your chosen crystal: follow the steps on page 47, but it doesn’t have to be a quartz crystal.
3. Sit quietly and hold your crystal with Reiki flowing through you until you feel the crystal is filled with Reiki—this usually takes a few minutes. If you’re unsure if your crystal is filled up, you can ask your pendulum for confirmation (see pages 42–43).
4. Your crystal is Reiki-ready. Thank your guides.
PROGRAMMING CRYSTALS WITH REIKI
Because crystals can hold energy, they can also be programmed for specific purposes. And as they can be charged with Reiki for a prolonged period of time, you can create a portable and sustainable Reiki treatment for someone even if they are not attuned to Reiki themselves. You can send a friend or relative in need a crystal infused with Reiki or a client can carry crystals charged with Reiki for a boost between treatment sessions.
1. What do you want to achieve? Decide what outcome you wish for before you start. It may be healing something specific, such as a part of the body or a medical condition, or more for general health. As you will see later, it may also be to help you toward a life goal or something on your spiritual path, or simply to make your life a little easier by finding an easy parking space at the supermarket. Whatever it is will influence which crystal you choose to help you, whether consciously or not.
2. Turn Reiki on and tune into your crystal (see steps 1 and 2 on page 38).
3. As you sit quietly and hold your crystal with Reiki flowing through you, ask in your mind what you want the crystal to help with, and send out your request to the universe. Whatever it is, visualize it in your mind as completed. For example, if it is to speed recovery, picture yourself (or your client, friend, or relative) completely better and fully healed. (If you are attuned to Reiki Level 2 or above, you can also add the appropriate symbols to this programming. Always include Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen to surpass time and distance when programming a crystal; it is up to you to decide which other symbols are most appropriate.)
4. Thank your crystal for helping you, as well as your Crystal Reiki guides and any other spirits or angels you have invoked.
5. Place the crystal somewhere it won’t be disturbed to carry on working its crystal magic or give it to your client or friend.
Repeat this process daily until the outcome is achieved. Some things happen quickly, some slowly. When the desired effect is fulfilled, you can cleanse the crystal and work with it again for another task. You might find that some crystals prefer to help with healing, while others might like to aid your lifestyle. Some crystals are very specialized, a little like a brain surgeon: brilliant at what they do, but don’t ask them to change a washer in a faucet. Others may be more like a Jack of all trades and can turn their molecules to most things.
