FAQ: Master Intensives & the Two Takata Lineage Paths
This FAQ addresses common questions about the two Takata-line Master training paths offered through the McCullough/Borth and Fran Brown/Goslen lineages of Usui Shiki Reiki Ryōhō.
Why do you offer two different Takata line Master training paths?
I have been entrusted with several distinct Usui Shiki Reiki Ryōhō lineages from Hawayo Takata; two I am currently teaching:
- Takata → Barbara McCullough → Helen Borth
- Takata → Fran Brown → Mary Goslen
Each lineage reflects a different phase of Takata’s teaching and preserves a unique initiation style. Rather than blending them together, I keep them clear and intact, so that students can:
- Enter the Takata tradition in a way that fits their learning style and life situation, and
- Know exactly which lineage and initiation method they have received.
Both paths lead to full Master responsibility within their respective lineages.
Are these two paths different “kinds” of Reiki?
No. The Reiki itself is the same.
Both paths are authentic expressions of Usui Shiki Reiki Ryōhō in the Takata line. The difference lies primarily in:
- The form of the initiations,
- The presence or absence of a separate Master initiation, and
- The amount of detail and explanation emphasized in training.
One lineage carries an earlier, simpler expression of Takata’s teaching; the other reflects her later, more elaborated way of transmitting the system.
What is the main difference between the two paths?
In simple terms:
Path A – McCullough / Borth line
- Earlier Takata expression (Master in 1977)
- No separate “Master initiation” in the system at that time
- Initiation style is streamlined and direct
Path B – Fran Brown / Goslen line
- Later Takata expression (Master in 1979)
- Includes a distinct Master initiation ceremony
- Initiation method is more detailed and elaborated
- Taught as in two-part intensives with ongoing support
The initiation style and training structure are what make each lineage unique, not the underlying Reiki.
Which path is right for me?
Here are some helpful guidelines:
Choose Path A (McCullough / Borth) if you:
- Prefer a concentrated intensive in a shorter time frame.
- Feel drawn to simplicity, clear form, and a very direct style of initiation.
- Like the idea of working with a method very close to Takata’s earlier Hayashi influenced form.
Choose Path B (Fran Brown / Goslen) if you:
- Appreciate detailed explanation and a more elaborated ritual structure.
- Feel drawn to the later Takata style, including a separate Master initiation.
- Want to work closely with the stories, language, and teaching patterns that developed in Takata’s later years.
If you are unsure, we can discuss your background, goals, and temperament and choose the path that best supports your long-term practice and teaching.
Do I need to study both lineages?
No. Each path is complete on its own.
You can:
- Train fully in one lineage and carry that line responsibly, or
- For serious, long-term students, there is the option to later study the other initiation style as an additional layer of understanding.
McCullough to Brown (both parts 1 and 2 of the Third Degree): 6-days of intensive training. $6,600
Brown to McCullough: 1-day intensive training. $1,100
My personal view is that serious students benefit from knowing both, because it reveals more of how Takata developed and refined her system over time. But there is no requirement to do so; you are not “missing” Reiki if you train in only one path.
Why does the Fran Brown lineage training take more days than the McCullough lineage?
The difference is not in “how powerful” the Reiki is, but in the structure and depth of the initiation methods. Both lineages carry a deep energetic logic. The McCullough lineage preserves an earlier, simpler Takata style in which that logic is easier to learn and embody in a shorter time frame.
In the Fran Brown lineage, the initiations are structured as a more complex, multi-part system. Each degree has its own deep energetic logic, but once all of the initiations are learned (at the completion of Third-Degree Teacher Training), they reveal a much wider, system-level understanding of how the initiations across all degrees fit together—like realizing that each planet is complete in itself, yet also part of a larger solar system.
Because this structure is more elaborate and reveals a deeper, “spherical” logic to the entire initiation system, the Fran Brown Teacher Training requires more days for instruction, practice, and the lectures that unpack this view.
Is the Master initiation in the Fran Brown / Goslen line “stronger” or more advanced?
The presence of a Master initiation does not make one lineage superior to the other.
In the McCullough / Borth line, Takata had not yet introduced a distinct Master initiation when Barbara McCullough was trained in 1977. Mastery was defined by:
- The training received,
- The responsibility accepted, and
- The ability to pass on the existing initiations and teachings.
In the Fran Brown/Goslen line, by contrast, the initiation forms themselves are more elaborated at every degree. Based on my research and direct comparison of the two lines, it appears that by the time Fran Brown was trained (1979), Takata’s way of giving and structuring the initiations had developed further. This likely includes a later Master initiation, as well as deeper, more complex forms for the other degrees.
As I understand it, these refinements were intended both to further support and strengthen the energetic structures of the students and to provide an enhanced form of the system through which to utilize Reiki.
Both approaches are valid within their own historical context and lineage. They are simply different ways Takata shaped the system over time.
How will my lineage be listed on my certificate?
Your certificate will clearly state the exact Takata lineage through which you were trained, for example:
Usui - Hayashi - Takata - Barbara McCullough - Helen Borth - Robert N. Fueston - [Your Name]
or
Usui - Hayashi - Takata - Fran Brown - Mary Goslen - Robert N. Fueston - [Your Name]
If you later complete training in the other lineage’s initiation style, that relationship will be clearly documented as well, so that your students can see precisely how and through whom the teachings have been transmitted.