Reiki symbols are sacred forms used within Usui Reiki Ryoho to focus intention during healing practice. In most Western lineages, four are central: Cho Ku Rei, the power symbol; Sei He Ki, the mental and emotional symbol; Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, the distance symbol; and Dai Ko Myo, the Master symbol.
They are traditionally introduced from Level 2 onwards, and they are passed from teacher to student during attunement rather than learned from a page. That distinction sits at the heart of how Reiki has always been taught.
This guide explains what each symbol traditionally represents, which level it belongs to, how practitioners work with them in sessions and in personal practice, and where the common misconceptions come from.
One thing you will not find here is the drawn form of any symbol, its stroke sequence, or the words used to activate it. Those belong to the attunement room. We explain below why that boundary exists and why it is worth respecting.
What Are Reiki Symbols?
Reiki symbols are forms drawn from Japanese kanji and from esoteric Buddhist and Shinto influences, each associated with a particular quality of energy work. A practitioner may visualise a symbol, trace it with the hand, draw it mentally over a part of the body, or simply hold its name in mind.
In traditional understanding, the symbol does not create the energy. It focuses the practitioner’s intention on a particular aspect of the work: strengthening, calming, or bridging distance.
Think of them the way a musician thinks about a key signature. The key does not play the music. It sets the frame the music happens within.
A few points that surprise newcomers:
- The symbols are not universal across all Reiki systems. Lineages differ, and some Japanese traditions place far less emphasis on them than Western schools do.
- Reiki can be practised without them. Many practitioners work primarily through hands-on presence and use symbols occasionally.
- The symbols themselves are not secret in the sense of being unpublished. They have appeared in books since the 1980s. What is traditionally protected is the transmission, not the image.
If you are entirely new to the practice, our introduction to Usui Reiki covers the foundations that this article assumes.
Why Reiki Symbols Are Traditionally Taught Through Attunement
In Usui Reiki, a symbol is given during an attunement, a ceremony in which a teacher passes something to a student. The tradition holds that the symbol becomes active for the practitioner through this transmission, not through memorising a shape.
Three reasons this matters, whatever your view of the metaphysics:
Lineage. Reiki is a transmitted practice, taught in an unbroken line from Mikao Usui through generations of teachers. Attunement is what makes you part of that line rather than someone who read about it.
Context. A symbol without instruction is a picture. The teaching that accompanies it, when to use it, how to hold intention, what to do when a session goes unexpectedly, is the actual content.
Responsibility. A teacher who attunes a student takes some responsibility for that student’s practice. That relationship is a protection for both.
This is why The Golden Lotus does not publish symbol forms, stroke orders or activation phrases, even though some of this material circulates online. Our teaching follows the traditional route, and the Reiki attunement process is described in full in a separate article for readers who want to understand what actually happens.
Are There Symbols in Reiki Level 1?
Generally, no.
Reiki Level 1, called Shoden in Japanese traditions, focuses on the foundations:
- receiving the first attunement
- learning hand positions for self-treatment
- daily self-practice
- the Reiki precepts, the Gokai
- beginning to treat family and friends
The absence of symbols at this stage is deliberate. Level 1 is about establishing a relationship with the practice and with your own hands. Introducing symbols too early tends to make students reach for technique before they have developed sensitivity.
Some modern courses do introduce Cho Ku Rei at the end of Level 1. That is a variation rather than a standard, and it is one reason course content should always be checked before enrolling.
If you are starting out, our Reiki Level 1 and 2 training covers both stages in sequence, which is the usual structure in most modern schools.
Reiki Level 2 Symbols
Level 2, Okuden in Japanese, is where symbols enter the practice. Three are traditionally given:
| Symbol | Commonly Called | Traditional Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Cho Ku Rei | The power symbol | Focusing and concentrating energy in one place |
| Sei He Ki | The mental and emotional symbol | Harmony between mind and feeling |
| Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen | The distance symbol | Working beyond physical proximity |
Level 2 also expands the practice itself. Students typically begin treating others more regularly, learn distance work, and are expected to maintain a consistent daily self-practice. The symbols are tools within that larger shift, not the point of it.
Cho Ku Rei: Meaning and Traditional Use
Cho Ku Rei is usually translated along the lines of placing all the power of the universe here, though translations vary between teachers and none is definitive.
Traditionally it is associated with:
- concentrating attention and energy at a specific point
- beginning a session, as a way of marking that the work has started
- clearing or refreshing a space before practice
- strengthening the effect of other symbols used alongside it
Practitioners often describe it as the symbol of focus. Where the mind wanders during a treatment, Cho Ku Rei brings it back to the present hand position.
It is typically the first symbol a student receives, and for many it remains the one most used across years of practice.
Sei He Ki: Meaning and Traditional Use
Sei He Ki is commonly rendered as something close to God and humanity becoming one, or as the restoration of harmony between what is above and what is within. Again, translation varies and the Japanese is not straightforward.
Its traditional associations are with:
- emotional and mental balance
- working with habits, patterns and states of mind
- calming agitation during a session
- supporting reflective and meditative practice
One boundary that responsible practitioners hold firmly: Sei He Ki is not a treatment for mental health conditions. Depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction are health matters requiring qualified professional care. Reiki may sit alongside that as a supportive practice. It does not replace it, and any practitioner who suggests otherwise has stepped outside responsible practice.
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen: The Distance Reiki Symbol
Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen is the distance symbol, sometimes translated as no past, no present, no future, or as the idea that the origin within one person meets the origin within another.
It is traditionally used for:
- sending Reiki to someone who is not physically present
- working with a situation rather than a person
- practice oriented towards a past experience or a future event
This is the symbol that most intrigues newcomers, and it is also the one most often oversold. Distance practice is a traditional element of Reiki with a long history in the lineage. It is not a demonstrated physical effect, and it should be described as a spiritual practice rather than as a mechanism. We have written about the tradition, the etiquette of consent, and how sessions are structured in our article on distance Reiki healing.
One point of etiquette worth stating plainly. Traditional practice asks for the recipient’s permission before sending Reiki to them. Sending unasked, however well intentioned, disregards their choice.
The Reiki Level 3 and Master Symbol
Level 3 is where terminology gets confusing, because lineages differ.
In some schools, Level 3 is a single Master level covering both personal practice and the ability to teach. In others it is split: a practitioner-master stage focused on deepening personal work, followed by a separate teacher stage that includes attuning others. Japanese traditions refer to this stage as Shinpiden, the mystery teachings.
What is reasonably consistent:
- the Master symbol, Dai Ko Myo, is given at this stage
- the emphasis shifts from technique towards personal practice and presence
- some lineages also teach Raku, a symbol associated with completion and with the attunement process itself
- teaching others requires further training beyond receiving the Master symbol
Our own structure separates these stages deliberately. The Level 3 course covers Master symbol work and crystals within personal practice, while Master and Teacher training covers attuning and teaching others. Someone can be a fine practitioner without wanting to teach, and there is no obligation to continue.
Dai Ko Myo: Traditional Meaning
Dai Ko Myo is usually translated as great bright light, or great shining light. It is regarded within the tradition as the symbol of the practice as a whole rather than as a tool for a specific task.
Traditional associations include:
- spiritual practice and inner development rather than symptom-focused work
- the practitioner’s own growth rather than technique applied to others
- use within attunements, in lineages where that applies
Experienced teachers often describe Dai Ko Myo as the symbol you grow into rather than one you deploy. Its use is less about doing something and more about how you hold your practice over years.
Some lineages teach more than one form of this symbol, usually distinguished as a traditional Japanese version and a Western one. This is a lineage difference rather than a matter of one being correct.
Karuna Reiki Symbols: A Brief Overview
Karuna Reiki is a separate modern system developed in the 1990s, associated with the International Center for Reiki Training. It is not part of traditional Usui Reiki, and its name is a registered trademark.
What is worth knowing:
- Karuna means compassion in Sanskrit, and the system’s stated orientation is towards compassionate action
- it uses its own set of symbols, taught across its own levels, distinct from the Usui symbols
- it is generally taught only to those who have already reached Usui Master level
- it has its own teaching structure and its own certification
Different Reiki systems are genuinely different. Karuna Reiki, Usui Reiki, Jikiden Reiki, Holy Fire and the various Japanese traditional schools are not interchangeable, and treating them as one undifferentiated practice does none of them justice. If someone tells you all Reiki symbols are the same across all systems, they are simplifying to the point of inaccuracy.
How Reiki Practitioners Work With Symbols
In a session, symbols are used quietly and briefly. A typical sequence might involve settling into presence, using Cho Ku Rei to focus at the start, moving through hand positions, and using another symbol where the work seems to call for it.
Common methods of working with a symbol:
- visualising it, held in mind over a hand position
- tracing it in the air above the body without contact
- drawing it mentally on the palms before beginning
- silently repeating its name three times, the traditional count in many lineages
What distinguishes experienced practice is restraint. New practitioners tend to use every symbol in every session. Experienced ones often use one, or none, and spend the session paying attention instead.
The symbols support the practice. They are not a checklist to be completed.
Symbols in Meditation and Self-Practice
Daily self-practice is where most practitioners deepen their relationship with the symbols, and it is more important than any number of sessions given to others.
A simple structure used by many practitioners:
- Sit quietly for a few minutes with attention on the breath.
- Bring one symbol to mind, holding it without effort or analysis.
- Move into hands-on self-treatment, working through your usual positions.
- Close with the Gokai, the Reiki precepts, or a moment of gratitude.
Working with one symbol for several weeks at a time teaches more than rotating through all of them daily. Practitioners frequently report that a symbol they had used mechanically for years suddenly makes sense after a period of sustained attention.
Common Misconceptions About Reiki Symbols
That the symbols are secret. They have been published for decades. What is traditionally protected is the transmission and the teaching, not the image.
That drawing a symbol you found online makes it work. In the traditional view, the symbol becomes part of your practice through attunement. Copying a shape is not the same as receiving a teaching.
That more symbols mean more power. Restraint and presence matter more than volume. This is one of the clearer markers of experience.
That symbols heal disease. They do not. Reiki is a spiritual and relaxation practice. It is not a treatment for illness, and it should never delay medical care.
That every lineage teaches the same set. They do not, and the differences are real.
That there is one correct translation. There is not. The Japanese is compact and layered, and teachers translate differently.
Can Beginners Use Reiki Symbols?
The honest answer is that you can draw anything you like, and nobody can stop you. The more useful question is whether it would mean anything.
In the traditional view, the symbols belong to a practice you enter through attunement, with a teacher, in sequence. Using them before that skips the part that gives them context: knowing what you are doing, why, and what to do when something unexpected happens.
There is also a practical issue. Material circulating online is frequently inaccurate, mixed across incompatible systems, or invented. A beginner has no way to judge which is which.
If the symbols interest you, that interest is worth following properly. Begin with Level 1 and 2 with a teacher you have actually spoken to, and let the symbols arrive when the practice is ready for them.
Reiki Symbols vs Reiki Attunement
These two are often confused, so it is worth separating them cleanly.
| Reiki Symbols | Reiki Attunement | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Forms used to focus intention in practice | A ceremony in which a teacher transmits to a student |
| When it happens | Used continually, once received | A defined event, usually once per level |
| Where it comes from | Taught within a system, published in various books | Passed directly from teacher to student |
| Its role | A tool within practice | The doorway into the practice at each level |
| Can it be self-taught | The forms can be copied, the practice cannot | No, by definition it requires a teacher |
The clearest way to put it: attunement is the initiation, symbols are part of what the initiation gives you access to. One is an event, the other is a working vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four main Reiki symbols?
The four central symbols in most Western Usui lineages are Cho Ku Rei, associated with focusing energy; Sei He Ki, associated with mental and emotional harmony; Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, used for distance practice; and Dai Ko Myo, the Master symbol. Some lineages also teach Raku, associated with completion and attunement.
At which Reiki level do you learn the symbols?
The first three symbols are traditionally given at Level 2, sometimes called Okuden. Level 1 focuses on self-treatment, hand positions and the precepts without symbols. The Master symbol, Dai Ko Myo, comes at Level 3 or Master level, depending on how a particular school structures its training.
Can I use Reiki symbols without attunement?
In traditional practice, no. The symbols are understood to become active for a practitioner through attunement by a teacher, and the teaching around them is as important as the forms themselves. Copying a symbol found online misses both. If the practice interests you, begin with Level 1 training.
What does Cho Ku Rei mean?
Cho Ku Rei is commonly translated as placing all the power of the universe here, though teachers render it differently and no single translation is definitive. It is traditionally associated with focusing and concentrating energy in one place, and is often used at the start of a session or to clear a space beforehand.
Are Karuna Reiki symbols the same as Usui Reiki symbols?
No. Karuna Reiki is a separate modern system developed in the 1990s with its own symbols and its own training structure, and its name is a registered trademark. It is usually taught only to practitioners who already hold Usui Master level. The two systems should not be treated as interchangeable.
Do Reiki symbols heal illness?
No. Reiki is a spiritual and relaxation practice, and its symbols are tools for focusing intention within that practice. There is no evidence that Reiki or its symbols treat, cure or manage any medical condition, and Reiki should never delay or replace care from a qualified doctor.
Why are Reiki symbols kept private by some teachers?
Because the tradition treats them as transmitted rather than published. The forms themselves have appeared in books for decades, so the privacy is really about the attunement, the teaching context and the teacher’s responsibility for the student. Many schools, including ours, publish meanings and uses while keeping forms and activation methods within training.
How many times do you draw a Reiki symbol?
Many lineages use a count of three, either in drawing the symbol or in silently repeating its name. This is a convention within particular teaching lines rather than a universal rule, and practices differ. Your teacher’s instruction for your own lineage is what applies to your practice.
Bringing It Together
Reiki symbols are a working vocabulary, not a source of power in themselves. Their meanings are worth understanding, their history is worth knowing, and their translations are worth holding loosely, since teachers differ and the Japanese resists a single rendering.
What no article can give you is the part that matters: the attunement, the teacher, the correction when your attention drifts, and the years of daily practice that turn a shape into something you actually use.
At The Golden Lotus, we teach the symbols in their traditional sequence, with attunement, at the stage each one belongs to. If you would like to begin properly, our foundational Reiki training is the starting point, and the path continues through Level 3 and Master training as your practice develops. You are welcome to ask questions about lineage and course content before you enrol. A teacher who welcomes that is usually the one worth learning from.
Have Questions About This Practice?
Whether you want to learn Reiki, explore Mesmerism, or book a 1-on-1 private energy alignment session, we welcome your questions.
