our crystal skulls

Samadhi - our crystal skull tzoltze - our crystal skull

This page introduces you to Samadhi, our Clear Quartz crystal skull, who was the catalyst for the grounding, connection and awakening of the artwork, known as "The Stranger" (and hence my connection to Unity Consciousness) and to Tzoltze, our Astrophyllite crystal skull. You will also find some of my thoughts on the purposes for which modern skulls are being created today, and the reasoning behind their being.

THE ARRIVAL OF SAMADHI:
Samadhi, our Clear Quartz crystal skull, was purchased in the autumn of 2008 along with several other items including two more skulls for our Inner Light Crystal Sales site just two months before the Stranger's  awakening occurred (see more about this portrait and his awakening on our page "The Stranger"). On a factual level he is 15cm long x 11cm wide and tall and is carved from Madagascan Clear Quartz. He has some internal fractures and inclusions, including some of iron and some of chlorite. Although fascinated by carved skulls and their esoteric history, on a personal level I had never felt particularly drawn to keep one (having found them rather macabre, if I am honest!) but had been asked to look for some by customers who wished to work with them. As a bit of a joke (luckily he seems to have a sense of humour) I nicknamed him "Duggery" (skull-duggery - get it?) when he first came home. However following Alison's awakening and bonding session with him he came out of his shell and I feel now that he will stay with us, at least for the foreseeable future. It may be that he will wish to work with "The Stranger" and people that come to sit with it. He told me that he is (for the present at least) called "Samadhi" and that we can call him Sam! Following his words to me, I then researched the word "Samadhi" and found that it is a Sanskrit word - literally meaning "putting together" or "uniting". In Hinduism samadhi is seen as a state of profound concentration or absorption resulting in perfect Union with God. In Buddhism samadhis are numerous modes of concentration believed to ultimately result in higher spiritual powers and the attainment of enlightenment, or Nirvana. He certainly exudes the energies of Peace and serenity. In view of how he worked with Alison and the work to which he will now be put, I think he has given a very appropriate name for the present, although I feel that at some point his true name and further purpose will be revealed.

Sam (crystal skull)

THE ARRIVAL OF TZOLT'ZE:
Tzolt'ze, our black Astrophyllite crystal skull came to us in the spring of 2010. On a factual level he is 12cm long and 9cm wide and tall and is carved from Russian Astrophyllite, being predominantly black with radiating star shaped golden / bronze crystals over his domed top. According to the Book of Stones, this crystal's purposes, amongst others, are "...to shine a light on the mirror of consciousness and illuminate the True self... Astrophyllite activates and connects Earth Star and Soul Star enabling one to resonate with and radiate the full spectrum of energy that IS the Light... reminding us that the entire spectrum is necessary to our health and spiritual growth... It also encourages intergalactic and interdimensional communication and telepathy... and allows one to face ones darkest fears and claim ones full power..."
Throughout 2008/9 we had been working with South American / Peruvian energies in our research for our School's Ascension course, and Mayan Deities, pyramids and other symbolism cropped up in small ways in several meditations, and I can explain a bit about what I feel his purpose is, firstly by recounting a vivid dream I had in the spring of 2009:
… we emerged into a street, which was light and hot and sunny, with houses that were made of pale clay or mud bricks, with dusty unpaved streets – strangely different architecture to where we had been. We were on a narrow street and I faced a low building that had a long low mound of grass-covered earth piled up against its left hand side. In the front of the mound was a wide but narrow opening and as I stood there, suddenly a great mass of bats flew out of the cave and surrounded me, as if I was in a great black rustling cloud. Hundreds of them flew past for what seemed like ages so that I was completely surrounded for a few minutes - yet none of them touched me. Then I turned as some people came out of the house behind me. It was a poor and run-down house, narrow and squat within a terrace of similar houses. The people looked South American, dressed in the bundled up native clothing in Peruvian style. An old woman came to the front of the family group and beckoned to me, and then took me into the house and into the room at the back, which was a kitchen / living room. Above the fireplace with its mantelpiece and high up on one wall was a shelf with lots of bundles, baskets and pots on it. She reached up and took down a cloth wrapped bundle and gave it to me. She gestured for me to unwrap it, and when I did so I found a skull. Looking back I don’t recall exactly what it looked like, but remember it being more opaque and stone-like than clear quartz crystal. She impressed upon me that this was an ancient skull of the Mayans and she as clan leader had been its Keeper. It was very old. She was now passing it to me….
I no longer recall exactly what else was said, but she did give me a reason for passing it on, which I know made sense at that time. I also knew that somehow I had been chosen because of the bats coming out to surround me, which they would not usually do in broad daylight. So I looked up "Bat" in the Medicine Cards, which said "…Steeped in the mystery of Mesoamerican tribal ritual is the legend of Bat... Akin to the ancient Buddhist belief in reincarnation, in central America Bat is the symbol of rebirth, and has for centuries been the treasured medicine of the Aztec, Toltec, Tolucan and Mayan people… Bat is connected with the concept of shamanistic ritualistic death… Bat signals rebirth of some part of yourself or the death of old patterns…" As I awoke the dream stayed with me very vividly for several days, and in the back of my mind was seeded the thought that I should be on the alert for another skull, which somehow would be connected with this dream.
TZOLT'ZE IS FOUND!:
As a consequence, I had idly been checking out e-bay now and then for skulls over some months, just in case anything caught my eye at a reasonable price. Then one day this skull caught my attention. At first I was put off as it was so black, but then realised that the theme of the balance between light and dark was what we had been teaching over the last few years. Mark won the auction and the skull arrived and we cleansed him and left him firstly with Ivor (our main house crystal) and then with Sam so that his energies could settle down over several weeks. I was calling him Skully by then, in honour of the X Files - even more amusing, once you read on... Then on 16th April the time finally seemed right to sit with him, and this is what he said to me: "Joy within joys, the pages of a book ever turning. One by one they are turned, recording the movements of the stars and the changes of the soul. Turn again once more and they are gone. Sparked out of existence as fast as they became. They know your soul and contain the very part of you that cries out for succour in your need for hope, and for life and for the heart of all that is. The words rebound and echo from the deepest and darkest recesses of the Universe. You fear that none can hear… you fear that none will reply, that none cares. But that is not so. The pebble drops into the well and the sound of its falling reverberates and resounds into the heart of the Creator. For even though you see him not, he knows you and he knows your spark. And he will not fail you, even when all seems lost and despair surrounds and encompasses your being. Look to the Light: the golden rays that penetrate the smallest crack, that expand and thrust into the darkness, enlivening and filling it with hope and with joy. He comes! The Creator hears and answers and all is NOT lost… all is found: and I AM whole and complete once more. I am the Hidden One, the joy within the depths of the soul. Often hidden from view and discernible only with eyes that see True. I am the conqueror, the bringer of courage for those that have the strength to look within and without, past the darkness and into the recesses of the mind. I am Tzolt'ze (said and spelled out very clearly!), Bringer of Death.... and Rebirth."
In fact it was only after this encounter that I remembered my dream of the previous year, as recounted above, and looked it up in my journal. Then just for a giggle, I thought I would Google "Tzoltze" on the off-chance it would come up as something / someone, and to my amazement found that Tzoltze is one of the names for Nibiru / Planet X. The article said: "...Mayan Elder, Hunbatz Men, who revealed that the Mayans have known about Tzoltze ek' (Nibiru) - a massive planet on an elliptical orbit - for many years, says that the seventh moon of Nibiru will activate the Kundalini - the serpentine energy that activates the 7 chakras or power-zones along the spine … Tzoltze ek' will also activate our genetic memories, and all the pyramids on Earth and under the Oceans…. The planet ... visits us 4 times every 26,000 year cycle ("the Great Calendar of the Pleiades" that ends on 21st December 2012). The planet is inhabited by beings who operate on a higher "mental frequency..."
I next discovered that "ek" in Mayan translates as "star", which made sense, and then also realised that Astrophyllite (the stone from which the skull is carved) gets its name from the Greek root word Astron, also meaning "star"!
I then did some research about Nibiru and found some VERY illuminating stuff highlighting recurring themes of winged orbs and dragons (more on that later!) Extracts from that article say: "… Nibiru (planet of passing) or Neb Heru as it was called in Khemet, is most commonly called Planet X. ... During its pass through our orbit, it is said by the ancients to be responsible for severe global devastation… The majority of those in the conventional (real pseudo-science) community dismiss Nibiru as another 'myth' thought up by so-called primitive peoples to pass the time, yet Nibiru is mentioned by the scribes of countless ancient civilizations, under many different names. In the biblical book of Revelations it is called Wormwood, among the ancient Chinese it was 'Gung-Gung'- great black or red dragon, ... to the Mayans it was the Celestial Quetzalcoatl or Tzoltze ek, and in the Latin tongue it was called Lucifer or light bringer. … The ancient Hebrews referred to it as the "Winged Globe" because of it's long orbit high among the stars…. and an early English prophet also gave the name "The Fiery Dragon" for the planet, as seen from her second sight.
Between my original dream and acquiring Tzolt'ze I had two other visions, which again highlights the Lucifer / dragon / Mayan aspects: The first was a visualisation with Archaeon Michael, where I met "Lucifer": …. I looked through the door to see what was held there, and looking very fed up was a being I thought may be Lucifer. He looked part human, part angel, part dragon and sat with elbow on knee, head in hand. I could see he was chained round the tail / lower body to a massive ring set into the floor of the room. Michael asked me if I wanted to go within the room, and I decided to do so. I went in and the beast looked at me – oh no! – red eyes. Then I thought that I may be being tested and asked him to show me his true eyes. I felt sure this was Lucifer (or the Luciferian part of myself) and as such had to trust that his role was not that of pure darkness. He blinked slowly and his eyes cleared to show emerald pupils (what else!) I asked him what he was doing there and he told me that he was captured and holding the dark and shadowy aspects of my selves – in fact he was sitting on a big box (like Pandora’s box?). Was I prepared to set him free, and in so doing release what he was holding. I thought with care and agreed. ... and Lucifer in his chain was freed. He rose up and got huge and black, towering above me. For an instant I wondered what I had set free - if I had been conned and made a big mistake! He spread his bat-like wings out and his eyes glowed red. Then I told him that I had seen his dark side, and now would he show me his greatest Light, for I know that is part of him also. With that he changed and grew even bigger and turned to a silvery-platinum grey and gave off a light that was so bright I had to close my eyes and turn my head. Then he lifted off the ground and went out through the ceiling, trailing his chain behind him, leaving my box behind, which had turned into a golden egg….
Then before coming back from that session I travelled further with Michael and we very briefly visited an Aztec / Mayan stepped pyramid that had Mayan style heads carved into the wall. One in particular stood out: it had dark skin (painted black) with creamy yellow wide/big lips and enormous eyes outlined in red-orange. When I researched this I found a similar face connected with the Mayan "long-count" (associated with the end of time /2012 theories), and in the Toltec number system the last number (20) looked very like the head I saw. This symbol is that of Ajaw / Ahau (meaning 'Lord') - the radiant Sun god; or Ruler. This symbol and number was also associated with a Mayan bird deity, often depicted as a disc or Sun with wings.

tzoltze

POSTSCRIPT:
Following on from the winged orb theme, a few weeks later I had a mail from a dear friend who was telling me about a tattoo she had felt guided to have, which is her website "On Wings of Light" logo and which just "happens" to be a winged disc/orb. She told me: "…It is the signature of the ARCHAEoNS - I bear their Standard as witness to them. It feels rather like the Knights of old - I am called to wear their colours and bear arms against the darkness. This I have undertaken as best I can…." This had been confirmed to her by the Archaeon in their July message to humanity, channelled through her, which reads: "Beloveds….You are called upon by the Realms of Light, as Exemplars. Each of you has a gift of destiny which has revealed, or is revealing itself through this process of Life. You have been called the “Way showers” and each humble footprint that you leave upon the ether is marked in Light, that others may follow. If you are able to engage with your Destiny with all your Heart, to embrace the potentials as they come to you, without seeking to know the end result, without applying conditions and constraints, then you will glance over your shoulder and see the masses who are following in your wake. You are impeccable, living a life immaculate. That is not to say this life is judged as “perfect” (although perfection exists in every beat of your Heart). It is enough that you have said “YES!” and do your absolute best with the knowledge and information that you have available to you. Within each chapter, there is a plot and a subtext which can be appreciated in its entirety, taken for what it is, enjoyed whole. However, there are many chapters as yet unread, and if you have the courage to keep turning the pages, you will know that beyond the microcosm there is a macrocosm, and endlessness of the unknown and the unknowable which only time can make known….."
Then finally the penny dropped and I realised that a few weeks prior to that I'd had a profound encounter with Archaeon Michael, AND that this all tied up with Tzolt'ze and HIS symbol, which is also a fiery winged orb! Here I outline that encounter:… he had a vast golden body and golden hair flying round his head, like liquid golden fire. I knew also that around his brow he wore a wide golden band, and that there was a massive flaming winged orb set on its centre. The orb was 3D and emitting vast quantum of golden-white Light. He held his arms wrapped around his body, holding a floor length robe or cloak to fully enclose his energies, neck to floor. …. he came this time to stand before me. He then "opened" his cloak and held his arms to his sides and unfolded a MASSIVE set of golden wings, which I could see in great details above his shoulders and fanning out around his feet. …. Then a vast and brilliant Light shone out from his chest, like the Sun. It entered my brow and filled my head entirely. And as it did so it was as if I could see the Universe, with all its stars and Galaxies, within my head – so that all was both "within" and "without" at the same time…. then he folded his wings and "cloak" back to shield the Light once again as the process was completed. …. I had a flash of inspiration that told me that I now carry an energetic imprint of a fiery winged orb upon my brow, and that Michael had countersigned and accepted the vow I made when writing and teaching our new AMD course and so acknowledged my part (as an Exemplar!) towards spreading the Light and Word on Earth. The vow I had given reads as follows:
I AM a Temple of the Light. I AM a guardian of the Sacred Arc of the Covenant. I carry the Divine Laws within my heart. I step between the veils and speak with my Source. I AM a Temple of the Light. I shine forth the letters of the Holy Name from my brow. I AM a guardian of the Threefold Flame of the Ain Soph and the Ain Soph Ur. I AM a priest within the temple of my spirit. I AM a Temple of the Light. I AM a guardian of the Sacred Arc of the Covenant and shine forth the flame of the letters to the world, so that ALL may be a Temple of the Light and a Keeper of the Covenant. And this now I vow. So Be It.

Finally, and additionally, I realised that the "dragon theme" was also a recurring one, as I had been consciously working with dragon energy for the last couple of years. I was reminded of a journey in the autumn of 2009, when I was with Ascended Lady Master Quan Yin and my dragon, who told me: "Our breath helped form the morning. Dragon's breath is sacred fire – it is the fire of creation..." and Quan Yin added: "...Get ready to ride the dragon…" Then in July our Blue Lotus group linked with a group of dragons of "oriental" serpentine shape, who told us "Those dragons of the rainbow realm pledge themselves to your paths…" and just to finish the tale, it now looks as if a few more skulls are on their way to us, including a couple of dragon skulls! So watch this space….
(Brief Update: our order of 15 skulls from Skullmaster "Raven" has arrived, and 4 of them have claimed us as Keepers - the other 11 are very eager for the right home and their Keepers to step forwards too! [follow this link to our Crystal Sales on-line shop to find out more.] Stories from our new skulls [ASZ'KHAGHAR and CELESTREii, the 2 dragons, and HAL and XCiiELLE T'UK] will be coming soon....)

Some Observations on Modern Crystal Skulls:

At first thought, carving a crystal into the form of a skull might seem somewhat at odds with the positive esoteric purposes to which crystals are usually put. Perhaps the skulls might be regarded as rather "creepy" or macabre - perhaps they remind us of dark magic, horror, death or decadent rites. However when we step beyond our initial impressions we might see that the shape that the crystal has chosen to be made manifest in simply and literally shows humanity stripped back to the "bare bones" of who we are. It is as if we look into a mirror and are confronted with our mortality - yet we are also reminded of what we are as physical beings and of our innate capacity for exploring the nature of our reality through learning and understanding. Our physical body is simply a temporary housing - a vehicle through which our consciousness is given the opportunity to learn and grow, and as such our physical skull is primarily a container for our brain, which is the centre for our reasoning, functioning and direction. Here are seated our eyes, ears, nose and mouth - our most important sensory organs and the means through which we make sense of the world around us and communicate our thoughts and feelings. In turn, I feel that each crystal skull that is carved today also has the potential to be a receptacle - a place wherein a Being, energy or consciousness may choose to place themselves in order to work with or through its human Keeper.

Traditionally the Ancient crystal skulls were formed from quartz - usually clear quartz - yet the new skulls carved today may be found in a huge range of materials, perhaps reflecting the current varied and wide-ranging needs of humanity. I believe that at some level each mineral or crystalline material that is selected to be shaped into the form of a skull will have chosen to do so as a part of its destiny and its work with and for humanity and our planet. It is rare for modern skulls to be carved from a terminated crystal, being usually shaped from large blocks of massive or crystalline material - the size of the block required as a starting point being nearly twice the mass of the finished product. The nature of the material from which the skull is carved as well as its size (although size is not always important!) will need to have a resonance with the Being or consciousness that will choose to connect with it, and likewise with the person who is drawn to claim it as its Keeper, whose inner self and purpose at that time will also need to resonate with or be reflected in the properties and vibration of that mineral or crystal.

Each crystal skull is a profound amplifier of intent and as such, once awoken, their nature and the nature of their work will depend greatly upon their Keeper - what that person has to offer to the world; what their pathway is; what the main thrust of their work is at that time; the level of Power and vibration they are capable of working with; and also how they live their life, whether righteous or not. I believe that this means that each skull forms a deep bond or energetic link with its Keeper and the resonance and direction of its energies will therefore reflect those of the person with whom it has formed that link. This places a huge responsibility upon all those who have stepped up to be a Keeper or guardian for one of these skulls, as it is equally possible for the focus of a skull to be directed towards a positive OR negative purpose - minerals and crystals having an innate consciousness, but not a conscience. I further feel that the Being, energy or consciousness generally enters the skull AFTER the Keeper has stepped forwards to claim it, having formed a decision to do so dependant on the appropriateness of the Keeper to work with that particular Being, energy or consciousness.

It seems to me that the Being, energy or consciousness does not permanently occupy the skull, or "live" within it - rather that the skull makes its connections and then acts as a relay station between the Being, energy or consciousness and the Keeper or user. To draw an analogy we may see that the skulls perform a function similar to that of a radio set that is tuned to a specific frequency and - just as with a radio - the "sound" (information etc.) comes THROUGH the skull, which is not in itself the source of the "sound". This may mean that the energies working through the skull might change as the Keeper changes their energy or vibration, or that at some time it will be appropriate for the Keeper to pass guardianship of the skull and its energies to a new Keeper. Whatever the case, all those who are contemplating acquiring a crystal skull should know that in doing so they will be asked to take on the duty of being a skull Keeper and will need to fully appreciate and understand the commitment they are making, which should include working with the skull and the energies it channels in a positive and respectful manner.