Magic began in my life as soon as I was attuned to Reiki, although I often refrained from calling it magic. Talking about Reiki was “woo” enough, and I certainly didn’t want to be judged for that, knowing how powerful and healing Reiki was.  However, over the decades of not just practicing Reiki but living Reiki, I’ve come to realize that there is a touch of magic in my everyday life. 

About 6 years ago, I stepped into a locally run Witch shop, the closest thing to a metaphysical shop in my southern city of Birmingham.  From the moment I stepped in, a memory was ignited within me of another time and place.  Something was being called forth from within me.  

I didn’t dwell on this, bought a few items, and left, realizing how much I loved this little shop. I knew there was something here that was creating an energy for our city, so I continued to frequent the store and get to know the people.

Over the next several months, I started noticing that many clients who came to me asking for help with their voice or standing up for themselves were carrying a similar energy that I had tapped into at the shop.  It became clear that it was an archetype of the Witch… powerful women yet strangled in their voice, afraid to practice any type of ritual, afraid of their power yet knew there was so much within them that needed to open up.

At one of the gatherings the store had, a woman came to me and asked me, ‘When did you know you were a Witch?’ The question caught me by surprise as I hadn’t considered myself in this modern time to be a Witch, yet I knew I carried this archetype. 

Past Life Memory

The memory was of a time from the past, yet I couldn’t quite put my finger on what this energy was about so I decided to use my Reiki techniques to go back in time to retrieve the memory through my Akashic Records.

In this past life activation, I saw myself in the woods, standing over a fire, stirring a large pot. As I looked around, I saw others were gathering.  As I was setting the circle energy and about to lead a ritual with these other women, we were interrupted by the village.  I recalled screaming to the others to run as I held the space and created the distraction. I saw myself being tied and choked. I died vowing I would return to help others. 

Witch, as an ancient archetype, is alive and thriving in the deep unconscious of all.   She is the phoenix and proof that what was once burned was never lost, only reborn from the ashes.

In recent years, Reiki healers and modern witches have found themselves gathering in the same circles—sometimes literally at the same altar or healing table. On the surface, Reiki, with its Japanese roots in channeling universal life force energy, and witchcraft, with its rich history of ritual, spellwork, and connection to the elements, might appear to walk separate spiritual roads. Yet beneath the differences lies a shared language of energy, intention, and empowerment. Both paths teach that unseen forces shape our lives, and that with focused practice, we can work with those forces to heal, transform, and reclaim our power.

Modern Day Witch

The modern-day term for a witch in today’s society is a more expanded definition that doesn’t just include spells and black magic.  The Modern Day Witch is about empowerment and knowledge of one’s connection to Mother Earth. It is about taking responsibility for one’s beauty and how one shows up in the world.

A modern Witch today can also be called a Goddess living in time with Mother Earth and the cycles of life. It’s about connecting with Spirit and designing your practice. It is unique to each person. Spiritual awakenings often occur from the inner search of wanting more in one’s life.

There may still be a fear of this practice. Many modern Witches have left the church they were brought up with in search of greater knowledge of their place in today’s society. Many people still fear this power of greater understanding but more from the lack of their own limiting beliefs, which in turn keep many of these practices and circles private.

Contrary to most outside beliefs, the modern Witch is filled with love and caring rooted in growth, with a positive light to help raise the vibration of our planet, not hurt it.

There is a recent rise in both Reiki and witchcraft in modern spiritual circles, so what do these seemingly different practices have in common?

Both paths teach us that we are empowered women here to help lift up other women. Reiki practitioners and especially Reiki Masters are here to help empower others with Reiki techniques of self-care, manifesting, working in time and space, all for the highest good. 

Reiki works with universal life force energy (Rei = universal, Ki = life force) to heal and restore balance.

Witches often work with personal energy, earth energy, and cosmic forces to manifest change, heal, or create.

The similarity shows us that both believe in the presence of invisible, energetic forces that influence our health, emotions, and reality—and both use ritual or intention to direct that energy.

Reiki sessions often begin with setting an intention and may involve hand positions, symbols, and mantras, especially in advanced levels.

Witchcraft rituals involve intention setting, spellwork, sacred tools, moon phases, and herbs/crystals.

The similarity shows us that rituals and focused intention are key tools for creating energetic shifts. Both honor the power of mindful practice and sacred space.

Reiki focuses on healing the body, mind, and spirit by dissolving energetic blockages and bringing the body, mind, emotions, and spirit into balance.

Witchcraft includes spells, herbal medicine, divination, and shadow work for self-healing and transformation.

Similarly, both practices support healing, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Both empower individuals to reclaim personal agency.

Reiki,  while not traditionally tied to nature’s rhythms, today many Reiki practitioners align with lunar cycles, chakras, or seasonal energies, especially in integrative or intuitive styles.

Witches are deeply rooted in nature’s cycles, moon phases, sabbats, seasons, and tides, connecting deeply with Mother Earth.

Similarly, both can honor the body as part of nature and work with rhythms that foster alignment and harmony.

Reiki uses sacred symbols, especially in Level 2 and up, to amplify healing, distance healing, or emotional clearing.

Witchcraft uses symbols (pentacles, sigils, runes), crystals, herbs, candles, and tools like wands or athames.

Similarly, both use physical or visual tools/symbols to represent unseen forces and focus energy more clearly.

Reiki is passed down through attunements from teacher to student; lineage matters.

Witchcraft may be passed down through families, covens, or spiritual traditions, though many are self-initiated.

Similarly, both can be part of a spiritual lineage, honoring teachers and traditions while allowing personal expression.

Reiki helps people to reconnect with intuition and inner wisdom.

Witchcraft emphasizes self-sovereignty, spiritual power, and intuition.

Both are paths of personal empowerment, encouraging the practitioner to trust their inner voice and build a deeper connection to the unseen.

This journey of reclaiming power is not meant to be walked alone; it is a collective rising. Both Reiki and modern Witchcraft foster a deep sense of community and mutual support, teaching that our true strength is magnified when we lift up each other. 

This is the heart of the Reiki Master’s calling; not just to heal, but to empower students with the sacred techniques of self-care and manifestation, trusting them to carry the light forward. 

Similarly, the modern coven or spiritual circle is a sacred space where women, so often taught to compete, can instead collaborate and witness each other’s magic. In these spaces, we see that the archetype of the empowered woman is not a lone figure on a windswept hill, but the center of a vibrant community, sharing her strength so that all may rise, just as we see in the vibrant community that this little shop in Birmingham has brought to our city where the energy of the Witch and the Reiki healer work side by side.

The archetype of the Witch, the one who was burned, is indeed the phoenix. But she does not rise from the ashes alone. She is rising with new tools for a new era, tools of unconditional love and universal energy learned in the quiet stillness of the healing room. The fire of the old world sought to destroy her power; the light of the new world now seeks to amplify it. 

The union of the Witch and the Reiki Healer is proof that what was once persecuted can be integrated, what was once feared can be loved, and what was once broken can be made whole, stronger, and more luminous than ever before.

The question the woman once asked me in that little shop, ‘When did you know you were a Witch?’ echoes differently for me now. I see that the Witch was never separate from me; she was the ancient root system feeding the branches that learned to channel Universal Light. 

The vow I made in the smoke of a past life, to return and help others, is fulfilled not just through ritual and connection to the earth, but through every gentle, healing touch of Reiki. For me, and for many others walking this path, there is no longer a choice to be made. There is only the whole, empowered self, finally free to use every tool, every gift, and every lifetime of wisdom to heal, to rise, and to help others do the same.

Published on Reiki Rays – https://reikirays.com/129116/the-reiki-in-my-witch/