CHO-KU-REY

The first symbol is pronounced Cho-Ku-Rey, and is known as the Power symbol. It is thought to be derived from Kanji characters which were originally Chinese ideograms that were adopted into Japanese script. The two generally agreed upon meanings of this symbol are, ‘God and Man coming together’, and ‘I have the key’. Within the world of Reiki practitioners it has been worked with to amplify the energy of Reiki and empower other symbols hence it being known as the power symbol. This, however, is a narrow perception of the true nature of this symbol. All symbols are teachers and the Cho-Ku-Rey guides us to a deeper understanding of the nature of energy itself which is a beneficial exercise for all, regardless of whether one has been attuned or not.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but with Energy we can both create and destroy in the physical realm. As individuals, many of us exist unaware of our energetic transactions, and are oblivious to the many possibilities that are presented to us in each and every moment. Energy is both all around and within us and we can transform it any way we wish. Energy is also available in many different vibrations and frequencies, which, when we remain unaware, can lead us into situations and realities that we would not have consciously chosen to experience. With the Cho-Ku-Rey symbol, the initial experience of amplification can seem overwhelming which is why so many who are first attuned to Reiki suddenly find themselves on a very deep healing journey. We have this symbol inscribed into our Auras during our initiations and many of us are unaware of the significance of this act. By choosing the path of Reiki and with the acceptance of the Cho-Ku-Rey symbol we have chosen to amplify our Energy on a continuous basis. Each and every energetic interaction that we have is now amplified, the Energy that flows in is amplified and the Energy that we transmit is now amplified. Our energetic impact upon others is now amplified. Continuously and without cease. It is a huge responsibility, and it is our first lesson.

This amplification of energy allows us to confront our choices – why have we chosen not to be consciously aware of where we source our energy from? And why are we not taking responsibility for all of our energetic transactions? There are many nuanced answers to this question, depending upon who is asking it at any given time, but the theme that will run through all is that we are here to experience, and the experience of what is created through being unaware has led us all to a very deep understanding of the energy and nature of fear.

When we first began the experiment that we call separation consciousness, the many that were one became the one that were many and were re-birthed at zero point into the Void. From this point of birth, we were alone, with no memories, seemingly no connection to anyone or anything and not a clue of as to the who or why of us. All we had was an awareness that there was once something else that was now gone. In this darkness, this sorrow, our first act was to create fear and a polarization of energy began, light v. dark, good v. bad, heaven v. hell and so on. Our imaginations ran riot and we created denser and darker energy as we explored all manner of torment and suffering. The breadth and depth of emotional experience that fear engendered became addictive and so we fed more and more of our energies into this illusion of darkness. Fear begat victimhood through the exploration of power and control making power become a dirty word and creating further polarization with the Many now becoming Us and Them. We boxed ourselves in, becoming smaller and smaller, until we became paralyzed at creating anything but fear. Even love became a weapon to be used to create pain, loss and suffering. We had written ourselves a story that we were being punished and that our only way to atone was to suffer.

It was a hard lesson. Many of us sank under the weight of it and had to incarnate time and again to evolve through that energy. The process of evolving the energy of fear is an enormous task as we have managed to thread that energy through every facet of our existence. With our growing recognition of fear energy our first instinct is to block it and to erect boundaries in order to protect ourselves. With the 3rd dimensional perspective that many of us are still working with, it seems the logical thing to do but as with most 3rd dimensional concepts it is a reaction and not a response. To seek protection is not wrong and it has been part of all our journeys as we sought to know and understand the energy of fear. To actively seek protection and shielding was a natural step in transmuting this frequency of energy as the experience of fear is all-consuming. Its dense nature swamps both our physical and nervous systems, short circuits our mental processing into vicious loops and leaves us in intense emotional pain. The concept of protection allows us to believe that we have a ‘safe barrier’ in place, behind which we have a chance to draw breath and begin to observe our patterns of fear-based behaviours in order for us to transform our experiences and begin to create a new, lighter experience. We start to see through the illusion that we are being punished, we realise we are not alone and that we have always been loved. We start to believe, and then know, that we are not here to suffer, only to experience. We start to manifest the energy of Love. The intensity of fear, however, is such that it makes it difficult for us to take the next step of trusting ourselves to creating the frequency of love, as this involves dissolving these ‘barriers’ of protection. And these barriers do need to be dissolved as by the simple act of thinking you need protection you create experiences to be protected from. The Cho-Ku-Rey gives us the key to this gateway of understanding as it teaches us that everything is energy and you cannot create any experience unless you choose to invest your energy within it. We unconsciously chose fear in our first experience of the Void, and to alter the perspective, we were wildly successful with our creative use of Energy within that experience. Now imagine what we could create if we now consciously choose Love? Darkness is not evil, it is merely an absence of Light and that is the function of the Void. The Void is the Well of Creation and must be a blank canvas of neutral energy in order for us to truly create. Nothing exists in the Void but what we have thought and given our energy to. We do not have to fear. The Light is its own protection because you finally understand that there is nothing to be protected from. Choose wisely and with loving intention and above all, be aware, in every moment of your Now of what energy you are engaging with as this will govern your current experience and determine the Energy that you then in turn transmit to the World. Too often we deny our own culpability for our own actions preferring instead to play the blame game and take the victim stance which is a role we all know and are used to. It is a familiar pattern of behaviour and perversely gives us ‘comfort’. Our illusions are genuinely compelling and quite often we are convinced that we are held hostage by our circumstances. It takes a great deal of courage to dismantle these stories that we write for ourselves and not least because the scale of our true power can seem overwhelming. Or rather, it is the responsibility of that power that seems terrifying. Our previous experience of Power within this reality has been distorted by the frequency of Fear and so it became a concept to be feared and shunned if one were to seek the Light. But shunning our own Power was just another facet of victimhood and we need to change our view if we wish to change our experiences. We will realise that we are accountable for every aspect of our lives, that we have called each and every experience to ourselves, that we alone are responsible. We, alone, are responsible for our Energy – what we allow to flow through us, how we interact with that energy and how we then allow it to flow out into the Cosmos again. Taking control of our thoughts, the direction of our energies and accepting our own power is the only way we can hope to navigate the 5th Dimension. It is a realm of instant manifestation and is home to both Light and Shadow for it is here that separation consciousness becomes unity consciousness. Master your thoughts and you master this realm and realise that what you thought were dark energies seeking to ensnare you were only fears born of the Ego when it sat alone in the Void. Once responsibility is taken, the endless potential of Energy becomes a possibility for us because we can finally conceive of that possibility. Our life paths are not set in stone and we start to finally understand the true concept of Free Will. Instead of trying to remember who we are, consider instead, who do you wish to be? We can be any Energetic frequency we choose, all that is asked is that you choose with awareness and ideally, loving intention. The Universe will always honour your commitment.

During the writing of this article and my research into the symbols, I was both overcome and humbled by what a beautifully loving energy that Reiki is. The Cho-Ku-Rey symbol is a wonderful, sentient guide that not only teaches us about Energy, our energetic heritage and the illusion of light and dark polarity but it also offers us the perfect preparation for our Ascension into the 5th Dimension. It empowers us to take responsibility for our Energy, to become Masters of our thoughts and to couple our thoughts with loving and crystal-clear intentions. And, like all the best teachers, it reveals and nurtures our gifts showing us that we have held the ‘key’ all along.