My House holds Memories

My house holds memories. They are in organized places waiting to be pulled out in times of remembrances or sometimes they might fall out of a drawer or slide from a shelf hidden before viewing eyes. They all wait to have their turn in being viewed once again.

The viewing stations are all like eyes, flickering in subdued lighting, deep within me or hanging on the walls in paintings and photos.
They store the recorded past; the past history of people, places and things. They all have one thing in common, a blending of Reiki working over time to create a tapestry of memories of people and experiences.





My house is full of people.
The criteria for entering is, you have sat with your feet on the floor, hands by your heart, eyes closed and you had Sacred Symbols drawn onto you by me. This allows entrance into a domain that lasts a lifetime. I marvel at the memories, often invoked from an asking question in an email, a call for help in need of Reiki, or a message left on my phone regarding my next visit.

If these walls could talk? Yes, indeed they do! The source of memories has blended an interesting array of events in my life, flowing over time, holding truth to be honored. The mystery is, I never know when they will reveal themselves. The magic is, their appearance will lead me on a journey. The path I am led down is directed by the unknown and by wisdom. I am guided through this maze of memories, being released from the burdens, so that I can remember the truth of the journey. We all sit in memories, some bind us and some elate us and yet we can all be freed.

My house holds the potential to be freed through this simple practice of Reiki. “Just do it”, said Hawayo Takata. The memories are held suspended in time to be cleansed, cleared and released in this magical process. The viewing has been transformed through the crystalline facets of Reiki energy. I sit in the release and little by little I become the crystal. Helen Haberly spoke of this in the 80’s when a student asked, why do some Reiki practioners put crystals all over you when they do Reiki? Helen answered, “ Oh they think they can make Reiki more powerful, but if you just do Reiki, you will become the crystal.

I sit in both the physicality and metaphorically of my house and the physical form that house my bodies. Yes, there are experiences in both of those domains and both domains are filled with Reiki energy. I sit in quiet this afternoon doing Reiki on myself, preparing me for the class tonight in El Paso and the rooms are also filled with Reiki to support those who come. Yes, the people and their experiences they will bring and have in the class will once again bring another wave of memories that will settle in and reveal themselves over time. It happens when an email comes thru, when a call is answered, or when I am doing Reiki. Some experiences are with me a short time and others journey with me indefinitely. I am blessed to experience all the people and all the memories in my lifetime and reflect on the fullness that each brings.

I have to go now and finish the placement of the photos of the Grand Masters on my beautiful bamboo carved oriental chest. Once again the memories of this Lineage will be told in Oral Tradition. Who will listen and hear tonight?

My day in El Paso reflecting on Reiki classes, memories and getting ready for the next group of students. Jean C. Ferris, Reiki Master

Pilgrimage To Mt Kurama, Kyoto, Japan

Rosemary Goto shares her recent pilgrimage to the mountain where Dr. Usui received the teachings of Reiki:


"For the last seven years, I have been sponsoring Jean Ferris’ Reiki classes in Honolulu. As one of the benefits of doing this, Jean has invited me to sit in on all of her classes. By doing so, I have been listening to our lineage story of our Reiki Grand Masters on numerous occasions. Each time she spoke of Dr. Usui’s life, I wondered about the mountain where he sat for 21 days in meditation and received his spiritual transmission. Then, in Oct. 2008, my growing curiosity and interest finally brought my husband, Alan and I to this famous mountain, Mt. Kurama(Kuramayama) near Kyoto, Japan.

My intention initially was to climb Kuramayama and find the exact spot that Dr. Usui meditated and perhaps even re-live some of his experiences. So it was with this expectation I began my journey at this special place.

We arrived at Kurama Train Station where we were greeted by a huge red tengu mask which I recall seeing pictures of as a child. I learned that this mountain is known to the Japanese as the place where Minamoto Yoshitsune(1159-1189) a famous warrior trained with this mysterious tengu. Kuramayama also holds ancient temples and has become a place of pilgrimage for a certain Buddhist sect today. After searching the area, I was a bit disappointed when I could not find any signs indicating where Dr. Usui spent his time.



From the train station, we took a cable car ride to a main temple and found ourselves amongst many tourists. People were busy posing for photos and voices were heard everywhere. I was eager to trek further to the mountain top to escape the chatter of the crowd.

The climb was steep but manageable. Soon it became more quiet and I could begin to feel the silence of the mountain. We walked under towering cedar trees and felt the fresh air gently blowing. Only the sound of singing birds and footsteps breaking tiny branches on the pathway was heard. It is no wonder that Dr. Usui would choose such a tranquil setting to sit and meditate.

We came across the famous cedar tree roots that jut out of the ground making the pathway arduous and challenging. We had to focus on our footing and carefully stepped over and around the roots. I imagined that this might have been where Dr. Usui stumbled and severely injured his toe. We stopped to honor and send a reiki treatment to this section, as we felt that it had a place in our historical lineage. Gradually the life of Dr. Usui had become real and alive for me.

I felt the peacefulness as we quietly walked down the mountain. After crossing a tiny bridge at the bottom, we walked directly into the little town of Kibune. There we saw many eating places and inns with low tables covered with red cloths. The lineage story was alive again, as I could imagine Dr. Usui eating his first meal here and giving his first Reiki treatment to the inn-keeper's daughter.

We completed our day by walking back to the Kibune train station. My heart felt full as we walked next to a flowing stream, admiring the tall, aging cedar trees above us. Reflecting on this day, I was no longer disappointed in not finding specific signs or markers of Dr. Usui. Just having the opportunity to trace Dr. Usui’s footsteps on Kuramayama made me feel that the ENTIRE mountain was special.

I treasure my trip to Kuramayama for it has given me an opportunity to listen to the lineage story with renewed interest and deeper appreciation of Dr. Usui's journey and his gift of Reiki."
Rosemary Goto, Honolulu, Hawaii