Otherkin Reiki: Refinement

Continuing the series on otherkin Reiki, we come to a stage I can best describe as “refinement”.  In the previous two stages we integrated the separate aspects of ourselves, and allowed them to become something new – something greater than the sum of its parts.  Now, as in the Discernment stage, we take a fresh inventory of ourselves and remove anything which is untrue, impure, and no longer serves us.

This stage is equivalent to the process of distillation in Alchemy, and in fact we are trying to distill our emergent nature down to its purest essence.  Anything incompatible with that is removed and released.  False beliefs, old attitudes that have been holding you back, etc.  This does not mean any of it is forgotten, but it is no longer permitted to affect you in the present if it is not helpful for it to do so.

In the existing tradition of otherkin Reiki, the symbol that would best work with this stage is probably my own Refinement symbol.  But I’d prefer to work with a more stable, purposely constructed thoughtform specific to the task.  To create one, we’ll start with the magic square of the moon, pictured below:

For the basis of this sigil we’ll use the hebrew word זָקַק, pronounced “zaw-kak'” and meaning “to refine”, “distill” or “purify”.  It is composed of the letters, from right to left, Zayin (7), Qoph (100=1) and Qoph (100=1).  Laid out on our magic square, and representing the doubled letter Qoph as a slight kink in the line connecting the squares, that gives us the following:

Which gives us this as our final sigil:

Visually, this sigil reminds me of distillation – of boiling a substance down to a concentrated essence.  Again, the thoughtform behind it has specifically been developed to help work with refining one’s emergent otherkin nature, and once charged it is a simple and powerful sigil towards that purpose.

Otherkin Reiki: Emergence

Continuing the series on otherkin Reiki, we come to the stage of emergence.  In the integration stage we joined different aspects of ourselves together in a coherent whole.  In this stage, the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts and something new emerges.

One of the key phrases for this stage of otherkin development is “that life is not this life”. You’re not the person you were then, even if you’re attempting to bring aspects of that life forward into the present.  Conversely, neither are you the person you were prior to awakening to, remembering, and integrating this aspect of yourself.  Each aspect gives you access to experiences, knowledge, skills, and perceptions that the other did not possess.  And combining them can and should lead to a synthesis that is completely new and alive in its own right.  Otherwise we’ll simply stagnate.

This stage is important for all otherkin but perhaps particularly important for so-called “polykin” – otherkin with memories of more than one nonhuman life, often as different species.  For us, staying in the integration stage would be a lot like stitching together an amalgamation reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster.  We need to move past it, to evolve into something more.

This stage in otherkin development is equivalent to the Fermentation stage of alchemy.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no symbol in otherkin Reiki which explicitly deals with this stage of development.  We’ll create one by starting with the magic square of Mercury, pictured below:

For the basis of our sigil we’ll use the hebrew word גִּ֫יחַ, pronounced “ghee’-akh” and meaning “to burst forth” or “to give birth”.  This word is composed of the letters, from right to left, Gimel (3), Yodh (10), and Heth (8).  Laid out on our magic square, it would appear thus:

Which leaves us with this as our final sigil:

To me this sigil is reminiscent of changing course.  Finding a new direction.   As with the other sigils in this series, the thoughtform behind it has been created specifically to deal with the needs of otherkin, helping their various human and nonhuman sides come together to create something which is both and neither.  Something which bridges both worlds.

The next essay in this series will deal with Refinement.

Otherkin Reiki: Integration

Continuing my thoughts on otherkin Reiki, this essay will deal with Integration.  Merely having memories – even after separating out that which is false or which you do not wish to bring forward into the present – isn’t enough.  In order to be useful, these memories need to be integrated into your present life and personality.

A lot of otherkin overlook this part, which is why you can get some kin claiming hundreds or thousands of years of spiritual age who still act like twelve year olds.  Integration requires mental and emotional maturity in the present – some experiences you’re simply not going to be able to integrate until you’ve had enough relevant experiences in this life to be able to relate to them.

This stage is equivalent to the alchemical process of Conjunction.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no existing symbol in otherkin Reiki which addresses this phase directly.  We will create one by beginning with the magic square of Venus, pictured below:

For this sigil, we’ll use as our root the hebrew word דָּבַק, pronounced “daw-bak'” and meaning “to cling to”, “keep close” or “join”.  This word is formed by the letters, from right to left, Dalet (4), Bet (2), and Qoph (100=1).  Laid out on our magic square, this gives us this sigil:

Which in turn gives us this as the final sigil:

Again, a very simple sigil, and highly effective once charged and released.  For me, this sigil is reminiscent of taking a book or other object down off a high shelf and finding a new home for it somewhere more accessible and in keeping with a proper system of organization.  A place for everything, and everything in its place.