How I weave Reiki into Spirit Muse Portraits

People often ask me how I integrate and weave Reiki into Muse Mantra Portraits

How can a 2D piece of paper/canvas absorb Reiki and what does that mean anyway? 

I find myself talking about this a lot, so I thought I would share my ritual, whether I’m working with paper or canvas.    

If you’re not familiar with Reiki, it is a wonderful energy system that can be used in any part of your life.  It's pronounced “ray-key” which means Rei “spiritual” or “sacred ” and ki “energy.”

Together they are translated in the West to mean “Universal Energy.”   Ki has the same meaning as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit, and Ti or Ki in Hawaiian, however, whatever you choose to call this energy, it’s the same vital energy force of all things. 

Energy in Art

Have you ever looked at a piece of art and felt the energy within the painting?

Or perhaps been drawn to an image on a greeting card in a shop?  

Are you pulled to certain colours and felt soothed by them? 

As a Reiki Master and having worked with it for the last 15 years, I know that everything is energy; you can feel it, hear, see it and sense it. 

Ultimately I am infusing the 3 of the symbols I use into the paper.  You've heard of using a proxy when giving Reiki, often we can use a teddy bear, or plant or a photograph to send the Reiki, in drawing an illustration of you, I am weaving in the symbols directly into the pencil, pens and markers.  You won't see it in the finished piece, but you'll feel it. 

Any Muse Mantra will become a totem or a talisman for your daily journey.

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The more I use Reiki in my creative process, the more messages and stories I pick up, which I now pass onSo what do I do?

There are three parts:

1)    Setting up the Space: 

I always take time to set up the zone and space where I’m working. 

As I gather my things together, and lay them out, I will light incense, a candle and put on some mantra music – I love Snatam Kaur and Deva Premal. 

2)    Quiet Time: 

Sitting down, ready to start, I get quiet, and relax.  Here I will invite in my Reiki, Spiritual and Animal Guides. I activate my hands with Reiki and ask for it to flow freely within the sketch/or the colour.  I wrote my own private prayer so this is where I’ll say it.

After I have done this, I then cast my eyes over the collection of photographs that I have of the person I'm drawing.   The photos are for me to get a sense, a feeling of who they are.  I never create the same image from a photo.

3)    The Creative Act (sketch/colour) 

I now just let this process flow – I begin to sketch.  I note down any thoughts, feelings or messages I’m getting, which I can share with them when we connect later.  Whether this is for an individual or for a family, the process is the same.  During this time, I like to listen to any sonic music, sometimes classical.   After I have finished the sketch I then move on to the colour-fill.

I make sure to haven lemon water by my side. I’m never without lemons : )

When I’m happy with the finished illustration I will invoke the distant healing symbol within the piece, sending a blessing to the person who I’m creating, even if they have passed over.  I also create portraits of animals and do the same. 

In the past couple of years I have been choosing crystals, laying the illustration down on a crystal grid - the crystals add more insight to the process and I love discovering the ones I have chosen and their meaning.

The more I use Reiki in my creative process, the more messages and stories I pick up, which I now pass on. ​

​Julia xx