A Subjective Analysis of Non-Traditional Reiki Systems

Today I decided to look into the main Reiki systems, approaching them from a traditional vs non-traditional perspective. It is not my intent to have a comparative study, but a relevant subjective analysis for those who are at the beginning on their spiritual path.

From my honest and personal point of view, one Reiki system would be enough; that we are talking about a traditional system, a non-traditional, or a hybrid system (you will see further what I mean by that), it depends on each person’s personality and each person’s way of being and understanding and applying energies and knowledge, of relating to the surrounding world.

It is important to distinguish between systems that represent a non-traditional variant of teaching Reiki, some of which introduce new symbols but not a new philosophy, and non-traditional systems that basically have their founders and which, according to a custom that was not entirely followed, should have had new names and presented themselves as new schools.

Apart from Mikao Usui’s Reiki, the traditional one, which has spread throughout the world I would say thanks to Master Diane Stein, whose books have become ubiquitous study materials, we have a lot of other systems. The spread of the non-traditional variant, by documenting symbols, hand positions, associations, allowed more people to approach Reiki, as each took from the master and applied only the elements with which they resonated. I do not dispute the fact that the non-adulteration of traditional Reiki could have led to some sensational results for those who would have practiced it ad literam (metaphorically, because Mikao Usui left absolutely nothing written) as it was left along the first attunement lines of masters, but in the practice non-traditional variant it managed to attract people from all social categories and all levels of education to this type of energetic therapy.

After 1984, many ways to teach Reiki, non-traditional ways to teach Reiki, as well as non-traditional Reiki systems emerged; some of them at first kept part of the traditional Reiki symbols, but they were the results of the efforts of other founders, other people, who in one way or another had turned to the Universal Source and brought, channelled from there energies, entities, symbols, knowledge.

Thanks to Patrick Zeigler we have the Seichim system today. He is considered the “father of non-traditional Reiki” and the founder of the All Love/SKHM (Seichim) system. He had not yet turned 30, when he spent a night in the Great Pyramid, and experienced what he called “something similar to an electric discharge that went through me”. Years of working with this energy followed, but also with other energetic and healing therapies, finally developing the Seichim/Sekhem system. Followed a whole series of “flavors” of Seichim, Seichim in 7 steps, Isis Seichim, Seichim – Sekhem – Reiki, different systems, with different attunements, different symbols, techniques and different palm positions, the use of light as the basis of systems in all 7 colors of light diffraction. If in traditional and non-traditional Reiki we look primarily into the white, pure, bright light, in Seichim we use all the colors of the rainbow.

In a way, from Seichim also started Karuna and Karuna Ki, around 1995. Their founders are Kathleen Milner, who channelled some of the specific symbols of Karuna, and William Lee Rand, who structured the information and – gathered it in a logical way. Karunas relate to Source in the area of bright golden light, the soul, the Heart chakra, Anahata, emotions, feelings and relationships.

The few systems derived from Karuna

• Holy Fire® Reiki – developed by Master William Lee Rand;
• Tera Mai Reiki – developed by Master Kathleen Milner;
• Karuna Ki Reiki and Mudra Technique – developed by Vincent P. Amador;

After Seichim and Karuna(s), around the same time, during pilgrimage to Israel, John Armitage (a.k.a. Hari Das Melchizedek) had some extraordinary personal experiences and thus developed the Shambala system. Ascended Master Saint Germain brought from Atlantis a 22-symbol healing system designed to help raise the spiritual vibrations of all beings. He formed a group of disciples called “Aspirants” who, before the cataclysm, followed their master and left Atlantis to settle in Tibet. Once there, they tried to continue their work of raising spiritual consciousness. During some uplifting experiences, John Armitage was chosen by Ascended Master Germain to begin sharing this energetic therapy system with the world.

The Shamballa system works with several types of energies including:

• Universal Life Force (also known as Reiki)
• Mahatma energy, of God the Father
• The energy of the Christ Consciousness
• Shamballa energy
• The energies of the Ascended Masters
• The energies of the Archangels
• The Energy of Unconditional Love
• The energies of sacred techniques (Egg of Life, Flower of Life, Merkaba…)
• The energy given by the 352 symbols used in this system

Both Patrick Zeigler and John Armitage at some point left aside these non-traditional Reiki variants and continued their spiritual search and understanding, focusing on other spiritual techniques, like meditation, soul searching, breathing, giving up symbols and hand positions.

If we go back to the history of Reiki, this transition is absolutely logical, Mikao Usui is not known to have actually used symbols, they appeared rather as supporting elements, as crutches for those who did not have the patience, will, courage to go through the whole training stage to strengthen their intuition and energy power to reach a certain level of vibration, but they were interested enough to practice on themselves and other people, and so gradually the symbols were brought into the system. So giving up symbols is not a simplification of the systems, but a return to a higher variant of practicing spiritual evolution on the Reiki path.

Grand master Reiki is a more recent variant of the system, an extension and continuation of the Usui Reiki system, intended for Reiki masters who have at least 6 months of experience in traditional Reiki. The initiator is a German Qi Gong and Reiki master who noticed the possibility of using the energy accessed in Qi Gong in the same way as we use Reiki energy. The symbols were channelled by a British medium. The Grand master Reiki system has many degrees, from 5 to 20. All bring profound experiences that can change your life, but it depends on each person’s purpose and desires to approach personal and spiritual development if they want to devote time to studying all levels.

Ascension Reiki is, so to speak, the most New Age of all the non-traditional systems. This modern system of Reiki appeared in December 2000, being promoted by the American Master Jayson Suttkus. Ascension Reiki system is structured on 9 levels. The first 3 levels address the chakras of the physical body, 1-7, and the initiation takes place in the Heart chakra, and the following levels (4-9) address the chakras 8-13, and the initiations are done on each higher chakra. Ascension Reiki represents the individual effort of each practitioner, student or Master, to reach the level of Divine Love, so it focuses more on personal spiritual evolution.

Staying in the area of systems with New Age influence, we also find here Tibetan Reiki, which focuses especially on spiritual therapy. It is actually a westernization version of Reiki. To the 4 Reiki symbols are added a number of symbols that vary from school to school, channelled by various Reiki Masters. Meditations have been added to the traditional Reiki techniques, as well as new techniques adapted to Western culture, or techniques using therapeutic crystals.

Amadeus/Ama Deus is a therapeutic system that tries to combine Reiki with shamanism, still relying on energy. It uses Divine Love and a series of ancient symbols, without names or colors, as vehicles for the transmission of energy. Although to some extent, the Amadeus/Ama Deus system resembles Reiki, as it seeks to balance the energy centers in the body, the symbols are intended for more niche actions. Looking deeper, the Amadeus/Ama Deus system has too few elements of the traditional Reiki philosophy and seems more related to the teachings of South America, of the shamans of the Amazon.

Gendai Reiki Ho is one of the most popular Reiki schools in Japan, recognized worldwide, combining elements from various Japanese branches of Reiki with specific methods in Western Reiki. It is intended for the modern man who no longer has time to worry about his spiritual development, offering simple, but effective methods. Gendai Reiki Ho was developed by Sensei Hiroshi Doi, the founder of Gendai Reiki Ho Kyokay (in translation: Modern Reiki School Association).

The order of attunements, if one wishes to tackle all the above mentioned systems, might be:

• Traditional Reiki
• Seichim/SKHM
• Karuna Ki
• Tibetan Reiki
• Shamballa MDH
• Grand Master
• Ascension Reiki
• Ama Deus
• Gendai Reiki Ho

But any of these systems can be the first to start with. Their ordination into various spiritual schools is done subjectively by the coordinating master of the school, the only risk being that the original message may end up diluted and the full information lost along the different lines of attunements. After all, as long as all Reiki systems are based on intention, thought, they can be followed in any order you wish, one at a time or exclusively just one of them. There is no good or bad method. You can add systems as you feel they appeal to you and resonate with you, or you can limit yourself to just one. Personal practice and working with your own being are the essential philosophies in the end.

Article by Patricia Lidia

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Patricia Lidia is a corporate engineer, writer, blogger, and coach on creativity and emotional balance. She is passionate about reading and writing, alternative therapies, and spirituality. She is a Reiki master teacher with over ten years of experience. Her aim is to help women find their emotional balance and create the life they’ve always wanted.
She resides in Timisoara, Romania. You can find her at patricialidia.ro/ or patricialidiaemotionalhealing