Reiki Lineage

Due to the vast amount of Reiki research I was interested in doing on the history of Reiki over the years, I inevitably ended up with many Reiki teachers and lineages. Here are a few...

Reiki Master/Teacher Lineages:

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-John Harvey Gray-Stephen Comee

Usui Shiki Ryoho. I also trained and receive certificates from John Harvey Gray for levels 1 and 2.

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Mary McFadyen-Gail Johnston-Kathy Rose-Glenda Fern Johnson

Usui Shiki Ryoho. Glenda took Reiki 1 and 2 with Gail, and her Master training from Kathy (certificate dated Feb. 15, 1991). Glenda was a member of the Reiki Alliance for 3 years starting in 1991. Glenda's initiation/attunement process was checked by Mary McFadyen upon joining the Reiki Alliance.

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Fran Brown

Usui Shiki Ryoho. I was a Master Candidate under Fran, but never completed the full Master training with her. (I did complete and receive certificates from Fran for levels 1 and 2.) I did complete some of the master training however, such as discussion about the master symbol, what it means, when it is used, etc. Later this training with Fran really help me confirm/verifiy certain things I learned in other master lineages having heard it directly from one of Takata's master students.

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Barbara Weber-Marcia Halligan

In 1981, Marcia was trained in Reiki 1 and 2 with Barbara Balk (a master under Barbara Weber). Marcia was initiated as a master by Barbara Weber in 1983 during a week long summer solstice master training seminar. [Important note: At this time, Barbara Weber was still teaching Reiki as a 3 level system. Later, around 1984, she would change the system into 4 levels with the master level being divided into 2 parts - 3a and 3b. Then around 1987, she added to it and changed it yet again into a 7 level system and also changed the name of the system from Reiki to the Radiance Technique.]

When comparing the Weber initiation methods to the Virginia Samdahl initiation methods I had learned years before (when I did a master exchange with Timothy McNamara: lineage Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Virginia Samdahl-Viola Ebert), I discovered that they are 99.9% exactly the same. The information also varied very little from what I was given in my other Barbara Weber lineage stated below.

Marica, after training with Barbara Weber, didn't want to sign a contract that was designed to franchise Reiki. Some of the other masters trained by Barbara Weber in the early days also didn't want to sign the contract. Threats were made stating that those who refused to sign the contract would have their Reiki "taken away" at a certain date using some sort of witchcraft and/or psychic means. John Latz, another master under Barbara Weber who also refused to sign the contract, has kept these threatening letters from Barbara's group. When others in the Reiki community found out what Barbara was threatening to do, she was seen in a less than positive way. (Note: You can't have your Reiki forcefully "taken away" by someone.)

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Barbara Weber (Ray)-Brigitte Byrd-Adonea

This lineage is from the Radiance Technique that Barbara started. It amazes me how similar the initiation/attunement methods are to the ones I received from Glenda Fern Johnson (The Reiki Alliance method). When I received the training I was given all the initiation/attunement methods for Reiki 1, 2, and Master as well as some early Radiance Technique information including: a self attunement method, a hands off attunement for expansion, an absentee attunement method, and a temporary attunement method among other things.

After researching more, what appears to have happened is that Brigitte, after training with Barbara Weber Ray from 1985-1987, didn't want to sign a contract concerning how many levels she could teach officially. Even to this day, only Barbara Weber Ray can officially teach levels 3 and above in her system. So Brigitte left Barbara's school and started teaching as an independant Reiki Master. The traditional form of Reiki (3 levels) was still pretty closely adhered to in Barbara's levels 1-3. And as mentioned before, when comparing these initiation/attunement methods, they are very similar to the way the Reiki Alliance teaches them. The history of the Radiance Technique is a little odd, because at first it contained 3 levels in the early 1980's, then 4 levels (the 3rd degree was split into 3a and 3b) in the mid 1980's, and later 7 levels in the mid to late 1980's.

Usui-Hayashi-Takata-Barbara McCullough-Helen Borth

Helen is a founding member of the Reiki Alliance (1983)and was the first Reiki master in Wisconsin. Helen was trained as a master by Barbara McCullough in December of 1980, just a few weeks prior to Takata's death. She left the Reiki Alliance around 1986 or 1987.

Usui-Hayashi-Yamaguchi-Hyakuten

Komyo Reiki. This lineage was started by Hyakuten based on the teachings of his teacher Chiyoko Yamaguchi and of Dr. Churjiro Hayashi. I was in Hyakuten's first master class that he taught outside of Japan in 2002. In 2003, I set up a class and sponsored him to come and teach in Boulder, CO. A few years later, I was able to attend a 3rd master training seminar with him in Asheville, NC. My Reiki and Acupuncture clinic was located, at that point, in Saluda, NC just 30 minutes south of where he would be teaching. Hyakuten was able to join me and my students for our weekly Reiki share which was delightful.

Usui-Taketomi-Koyama-Doi

Usui Reiki Ryoho and Gendai Reiki. This lineage was started by Hiroshi Doi based on the teachings of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Ryoho) and his own experiments (Gendai Reiki). I was in Doi's master class in 2002.

 

Note:  I have other Reiki 1, Reiki 2, and Master/Teacher lineages going through the Takata lineage, but for the sake of brevity, they are not listed here.