Question about the power symbol

I was taught to draw the power symbol with the top line going from left to right, then down and an anti-clockwise spiral.

Havent heard about the hemispheres becaue surely no matter where you are in the world left to right is left to right? I dont know! I also read that the reversed power symbol was an adaptation and more linked to wicca, but again dont quote me on that!!

Also, surely its the power behind the intent too which is more important.

I don't think there's any direct connection to Wicca ... sounds like a bit of a 'Reiki myth' to me! 😉 Although it might have come from the fact that a great many Reiki Masters are also Wiccan High Priestesses. Any similarities between the two would be the subject for another thread perhaps.

I use the CKR as a pair, as I was taught, and explain this to students, while offering them the choice of a single symbol or a double. Without fail, their own instincts seem to direct them to choose the pair. I'd call them a mirror image, rather than an adaptation, really, since that latter word implies distortion to me.

I have more on the uses of double CKR, which I'll have to dig out and post later, with links, since I'm not sure if illustrations will copy into here.

Holistic

Hi LioninLondon,

Congrats on completing your Reiki II and great to hear to are enjoying it.

I learnt that the power symbol drawn clockwise connects to the universe and anticlockwise connects to the earth and to use these power symbols to "sandwich" other symbols you are using to further empower them.

Personally I just use the power symbol in an anticlockwise spiral. There has been lots of debate about using symbols and in my own opinion I think that your intention is the most important thing.

Hope this helps a bit, enjoy your Reiki..ing!!

Love & blessings,

Rachel

I answered this recently on another forum, so for simplicity sake I'll just copy/paste that here rather than re-type it all... 🙂

Although, as others have mentioned, it's the intent behind the symbols that matters the most, I believe the intent is strengthened if we understand the symbols to the best of our ability. IMHO (and no offence to anyone), just drawing it clockwise or anti-clockwise and not really caring is not good intent.

There is a book by Maureen J Kelly called "Reiki and the Healing Buddha" in which she has done extensive research into the Reiki symbols and their relation and meaning from a buddhist (and other eastern philosophical) perspectives.

An excerpt in relation to the power symbol...

One of the stories of Buddha Sakyamuni is about him receiving a golden bowl. He placed it in a stream. It floated up-stream eventually disappearing into a whilpool and arriving at the under-water palace of the Black Snake King where it joined the company of other special bowls, striking resonantly against them deep beneath the surface. In The Buddha author Michael Pye looks on this as a mythic story about the Buddha. For me this is a story which illustrates the action of the Power symbol - its counter-clockwise direction (up-stream), its spiral (whirlpool), and reaching the heart centre (Snake King). The snake represents wisdom and is to be found at the centre of a Chinese Ba Gua.

The clockwise journey of the mandala (the first part of the power symbol - giles) represent the journey of the sun from east to west. The counter-clockwise movement appears to represent the journey of the moon (in the Northern Hemisphere) which makes its first appearance in the west, is at its first quarter at the highest point (south) and is a full moon in the east. It begins waning in the west, is in its last quarter at the highest point (south) and wanes just before it reaches the east. In Buddhism the moon is said to represent compassion and benevolence.

In the I Ching the clockwise movement is said to be cumulative, to expand with time, and to determine passing events; the opposite, counter-clockwise movement folds and contracts as time goes on, creating the seeds of the future.

It should be noted that the molecules that make up our bodies form themselves in counter-clockwise spirals. A few years ago it was discovered that medicine with molecules built in clockwise spirals causes harmful side-effects to the human body. Thalidomide is an example of this. When it was first tested it had been made as a counter-clockwise spiral and proved to be beneficial, but when it was mad in large quantities thalidomide was manufactured using clockwise spiral (it is easier to build a clockwise molecule) which then had disastrous effects on unborn children. For this reason I do not use the clockwise power symbol which is taught in Tera Mai, Karuna Reiki, Seichem and Blue Star classes.

There's far more information available, but I have only provided this excerpt so as not to breach copyright laws.

Love and Reiki Hugs

I hadn't thought about this until now - I just do the symbol as it occurs to me! I've been taught that it's the intent and that we don't have to get the symbols exactly right.

Hi LioninLondon,

Congrats on completing your Reiki II and great to hear to are enjoying it.
......
Personally I just use the power symbol in an anticlockwise spiral. There has been lots of debate about using symbols and in my own opinion I think that your intention is the most important thing.

Hope this helps a bit, enjoy your Reiki..ing!!

Love & blessings,

Rachel

My Reiki master taught us to draw it anticlockwise, too. But to bear in mind that the main thing is the intention, rather then the way it is done.
🙂

Clockwise or anti-clockwise? Now i'm one of those who has a problem with directions, and so when I'm drawing the symbol, I do whatever feels right at the time and trust my guides know what I mean! It does mean my CKR can be a bit squint!

Thanks everyone,
As usual really helpful advice, and it seems that (as I thought) it's the intention that really counts.
Big X to you all!

I've only ever used the symbol anti clockwise unless so have found the posts here very interesting. The only time I've come across it used both ways is calling in directions for opening a Reiki circle. You draw clockwise then anticlockwise to make a gate facing N,S,E,W all of which have different healing properties then when finished close each direction. I think there is a bit more to doing it than this but can't remember where I saw it. I never use this as I work with the Medicine Wheel so have never had any need.