A Milestone Celebrated

On August 13, 1995, I got my Reiki Level 1 training and attunement.  My life changed that day, even though I didn't know it yet.  I would not be aware of it for, well, about 20 years!

I met my Reiki teacher via a friend.  I never heard of Reiki before and all anyone could tell me was "It's energy healing" as if I should have know that and obviously since I didn't I must be from another planet.  Well, that is true and that story is for another day.

My Reiki teacher was so calm and peaceful, such a beautiful soul.  I was bouncy and scattered. I didn't think I fit in the spiritual world no matter how much it was calling to me.  How could I?  I was not calm and gathered like everyone else I met.  However, she accepted me as a student and off I went to her class that beautiful Summer day.

There were at least 12 other participants.  The day was packed with information and a new way of looking at healing.  I was fascinated. I was hooked.  I wanted to heal the world!  Except the world did not want to be healed.  At least not my world.  Whenever I mentioned Reiki, you know, energy healing, I was met with looks that clearly showed they thought I had three purple heads...and slowly backed away.....   So I spent the next few years healing animals.  I saved a stray cat that was hit by a car with Reiki.

I intended to get my Level II Reiki as soon as I could - within the three months that I was allowed to. But it did not happen.  Each time she scheduled a class. I was not available, did not have the money, etc, etc. etc.  Seven years passed and then.....

I met an Intuitive Healer and Reiki Master at my corporate world job one day.  He walked in, sat down in front of my desk and said "It sure is busy in here".  I replied "Yes, this is a very busy office". He looked straight at me, smiled and said "No, I mean busy in "here"..."....meaning my cubicle space, meaning...ME!  He then proceeded to tell me a whole bunch of stuff - about me!  After 15 minutes, he left and I was in tears.  I knew then and there I would be studying with him.

Roughly 6-8 months later I saw a class he was teaching and I immediately signed up.  It was called Intuitive Living.  I had so much fun!  I left that class with three new friends and a new Reiki teacher.  I took my Level II from him a month later.  I felt guilty for not going to my original Reiki teacher as I felt since I started with her, I should continue with her.  I soon realized why I never did get to a Level II class with her.  My new teacher saw the potential of Intuitive Healing in me and proceeded to tutour me for the next six months.  This is something my other Reiki Master did not do, she kept to traditional Reiki treatments.  This is not a negative thing, this is just not, apparently, what I needed.

Eventually I also obtained my Level 3 and then my Master Teacher Level.  I did not intend to be a Reiki Teacher, I loved doing healing sessions and that is all I wanted to do.  One day my Guides said to me "You will become a Reiki Master and teach Reiki to others!"  This totally took me off guard and all I could do was say "Ok" in a sheepish voice (in my head that is).  And so I did.  That was in 2004.

So I began teaching Reiki to others in 2004.  My student list was growing steadily.  Then one day I started to hear from people that were attuned Reiki Level I from another teacher and they wanted to take their Level II from me. They heard I was an Intuitive Healer and they wanted to learn that from me (you see, in Level II I throw out the hand positions and introduce intuitive healing).  At first I felt awful "taking" students from other teachers. I had to remember that students have the right to choose their teacher.  (No doubt some of my students made their way to other Masters too).  And then it hit me - I found myself working with another Master because I needed the Intuitive Training, so others would feel the same call! Once I had that realization, then I was okay with it.

Then something else started to occur,  I heard from people who had Reiki training but did not feel anything, or think "it took" and asked me about it.  This I found to be odd.  I never heard of that before nor did I understand how that could happen - everyone can be attuned to Reiki.  I soon learned why.

Almost the same time, I began hearing of other Reiki types.  Honestly, I paid little attention to them. They did not jump out at me as something I would want to learn.  Then I made the connection between people not feeling anything and these new types of Reiki.  Many of these were taught distantly, the attunements were not done in the students actual energy field.  So again, I stayed away from them.

Jump ahead several years...  I have been teaching Reiki for about 11 years, giving healing sessions for 12-13 years and still Reiki was not accepted by medical insurance companies - unless you were a massage therapist.  I felt insulted by that!  I took Reiki seriously and abided by a code of ethics, took time to learn anatomy, etc. I did not feel that was fair.

In talking with several other Reiki teachers and practitioners about this, it became clear as to why. The evolved Reiki forms had changed Reiki so much over the years, there was no standardized training, as other energy healing modalities had.  This was ruining the reputation of Reiki!

So, one day a year ago, a friend and I decided we should create a professional association for Reiki and that evolved into an association for energy healing in general. We want to show the medical world and the general public that Reiki  (and I mean the traditional Usui Reiki) does work and that there are teachers and practitioners that take Reiki and their businesses seriously.  We had other energy healers join us to create the association, to create the by-laws, Code of Conduct and.....standardized teaching.  And we are making great headway!  We are not even a year old yet and we have already made great strides!

Reiki has most certainly changed my life!  In addition to the personal and spiritual growth it brought to me, Reiki was the first class I taught - and I am now a full time healer and teacher.  And the co-creator of this association which will help the businesses of all energy healers grow and give people in our community faith in - and a new way of looking at - energy healing!

So, as I celebrate this 20 year milestone and reflect upon the past 20 years, I must express gratitude to my Guides for "nudging" me to become a Reiki teacher.  I would not be where I am today, if they didn't push me beyond my comfort zone.  So Guides - thank you!

Angela Jeffreys

P.S. Now, I do want to add something.,  I have since explored some of these new Reiki forms. What I have discovered about some of them is that they do not have anything or have very little to do with original Usui Reiki.  That does not mean they are not good healing modalities in themselves.  They just are not Reiki.

End of August Musings.....

The end of August is upon us. Although it is technically still the season of Summer, the energy changes when September arrives. The weather changes, the air feels different, the colours around us change. The relaxed aloofness of Summer returns once again to an organized and productive schedule.

No doubt our ancestors felt this too. Although their lives were not as complicated as ours, it was still a busy time. They concerned themselves with preserving and storing food for the winter and stacking wood for heat and cooking, returning their animal stock to their winter homes .

Our ancestors felt another shift in the energy, one most of our society has forgotten. It is the change in the Veils between the Realms. This is the time we can feel our Ancestors energies, the deceased will talk to us. Additionally, as we head into the darkest time of the year, this is a time in which we can look deep into ourselves and search for our own Inner Light.

As much as I am sad to see the end of summer, the hot days and summer fun come to an end, deep down I always look forward to this time of year. It calls to the core of my being, awakening my every sense.. I feel the most alive, ironically, in this time of dying and death.

As we say goodbye to Summer, I once again embrace the Autumn with the usual anticipation of exploring the depths of living and dying. Once again this Autumn, I will allow death to show me the way, so that I may re-emerge in the Light of Winter renewed and very much alive!

Need a New Perspective?

     I was standing on the balcony of my 5th floor apartment the other day, enjoying the beautiful sunny day, singing birds, and admired the beautiful gardens below.  The apartment complex we live in, here in the Netherlands, has a beautiful garden court yard filled with shrubs, trees, many varieties of flowers and thus many birds.  As I was standing there looking down admiring the beauty before me, a pigeon flew by.  I saw the pigeon from the top and could see it in its full glory, wings spread, all colours and patterns showing.  I could not help but think how beautiful it was!  Then I realized something.

View from our balcony.

     Most of us only see pigeons from below and cannot see how beautiful they are.  I was then reminded of the Power Animal of the Week post I made on my Facebook Page only a couple days prior, which just happened to be about Pigeon!  I commented on how pigeon is not a desired Power Animal like the highly revered eagle, bear or wolf.  I wondered, would we think differently as a society if we could see their beauty? Or would they still be seen as a pest?  I pondered over how sad it is more people could not see the beauty a pigeon holds and if only they could see what I see, and how lucky I was to live in this apartment to give me this perspective.   Then it hit me.

     I realized, how where we live can change our perspective on things, giving us an entirely new light on life, our environment, and sometimes, our belief systems and way of life.  I began to reflect on my own life and how the different places I lived during my life has helped me to see completely different things, places, and ways of life.  All of these have helped shape who I am, help me appreciate what I have, and believe it or not, what I believe in.  Let me share a couple of examples with you.

     When I was 16 years old, I suddenly found myself living in Seoul, South Korea.  How I got there is another story for another day.  While I lived there I experienced an entirely different way of life than I was used to in North America.  I arrived with armed Korean Military Police all over the city and at the gate of my house to protect the foreigners from potential attacks by the North Koreans.  At that time Ronald Reagan, the President of the US was coming for a visit to Korea so extreme precautions were being taken.  Imagine how a 16 year old who never experienced military presence like that before and one who was highly sensitive would have felt?  It was overwhelming and terrifying!  It took some getting used to the fact they were there to protect me.  That was my introduction to life in South Korea.

Angela at the  Korean Folk Museum, 1983

     I spent the summer of 1984 with a Canadian missionary nurse who worked at the local hospital.  I traveled with her and a medical team to nearby villages, giving them access to doctors and medicines.  I would wrap the prescribed medicines in paper for the villagers.  What I saw and experienced in those visits opened my eyes - wide!  Most of these villages did not have electricity, many did not have running water.  Houses were not insulated and were made from rice paper in wooden frames joined together to make walls.  They were mainly farmers that worked hard long days, most not educated.  These people had tough lives, none of the conveniences we are used to (such as plumbing, washing machines, a solid house) but they had the biggest smiles on their faces!  They were happy, and truly happy!  As a 16 year old, that deeply impacted me and even 30 years later, I have never forgotten that.  Nor have I lost appreciation for the comfortable living the Western World provides us.**

     Jumping forward years later, I find myself learning and living a Shamanic way of life.  Being connected to Nature, observing the cycles of the Sun and the Moon, paying attention to the signs given to me to help guide me along my path.  I found myself leaning into Celtic Shamanism.  My heart sang, my Soul danced, and my face smiled as I walked deeper and deeper along this path. I learned that Beltane, which is celebrated May 1 was considered the first day of Summer, and June 21 was called Mid Summers Day.  Living in Nova Scotia, where summer actually did begin on the Solstice, this made no sense to me at all, but that was what I learned, so I followed along trustingly.  Then I found myself living in the Netherlands, the heart of Celtic country.

     Living in Celtic country showed me why Beltaine was considered the beginning of summer - it was!  It was hot in April and May.  I also began to see that June 21st certainly was mid summer.  As soon as August hit, one of the hottest months in Nova Scotia, it was already cooling down here in the Netherlands and the nights were very chilly. The Celtic Sabbaths certainly made sense once I actually lived it.

     I also learned why certain animals and trees were so prolific in the Celtic spiritual way.  I could now understand why the Druids tools and rituals were centered around trees and animals that were not overly common in North America (or at least to any great extent, depending too on where you are), such as swans, rabbits, reindeer (for the more Northern parts of Euope, not so much the Netherlands), Oak, Holly, and

Willow.  These are everywhere!  Willows line all the canals, oaks fill the forests,swans swim the lakes and canals.  Rabbits! Oh the rabbits!  They run across the walking and bicycle paths in the country, and even in the city.  Next to our apartment complex there is a small green area and every evening they scatter as we walk through.   Everything I learned about Celtic Shamanism now made sense.  Perfect sense!

     Now of course, I realize I have had some amazing opportunities to live in these countries and live the culture to gain these perspective,  however, you do not need to move across the Atlantic or to the other side of the World to gain another perspective.  There are many ways to see things differently. They are all around you.  I have heard from many people that moved from the ocean to the mountains, and miss the ocean so much.  Did they realize before how much they appreciate the ocean or did it take the move to show them?
What else is there?

     Are you frustrated your car needs servicing again and you have spend another afternoon at the service center?  Look at all the people that don't own cars standing at the bus stop or train station.  Do you think your boss does not pay you enough?  Look at all the people that work at hard labour jobs for minimum wage.  Do you wish you could be outside at the beach instead of being stuck in a stuffy office? Look at all the people in the Food Bank line ups because they do not have a job at all.  These are only a couple of suggestions, but there is so much more!  Do you live in the city and wish you could live in the country?  Visit your local park and enjoy it!

     We get so caught up in the daily grind we do not think to actually see the world that is around us.  I only saw the pigeon flying below me because I stopped to take a short break from working to be outside to enjoy the beautiful day.  "Stop and smell the roses" the philosophers say!  And they are right.  Stop to smell the roses and you will see how delicate the petals look but in fact are a little hardier than you think.  You will see the amazing sacred geometry in the arrangement of the petals and be amazed how Nature arranged that. You will enjoy the beautiful fragrance that will lift your spirits giving you the desire to keep going....

Need a change in perspective?  Change where you stand...and use your eyes..............

Angela Jeffreys
https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJeffreysTeacherHealer

**Please keep in mind this experience was in 1983 & 1984.  South Korea has changed a lot in the past 30 years.  It is no longer just the cities that have running water, electricity, etc, the countryside has been modernized too.  It is also a very technologically advanced country, being the country with the most mobile phone usage.

**All photos are the property of Angela Jeffreys.**

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